"He does all things well! He even makes deaf people hear and speak!" (Mark 7:37)

Imagine being forced to live with a stone wedged in your ear. For one Maninka boy, this was reality for three years. He was unable to hear well and seldom smiled or responded to people. That was until God opened his ears through the prayers and resourcefulness of two SIM nurses.

It all started with a trip by Karlyn Kanowitz, a SIM nurse, to visit a Maninka family she knew very well. While she was dressing a wound, she was told about a newer boy in the yard who had a stone stuck in his ear. The stone was put there three years ago by his sister when he was sleeping. Other times Karlyn visited the yard, she noticed that the boy seldom smiled or responded when she spoke to him. Now she knew why!

Pulling an otoscope out of her bag, she examined the ear and discovered the stone. After several unsuccessful attempts to get it out she gave up, worried she would only make it worse. Getting home very distressed, Karlyn called veteran nurse, Beth Roberts. Beth suggested that the family put oil drops in the boy's ear every morning and evening and then return to Karlyn's house a few days later. They would then try to displace the stone. The family agreed, following Beth's instructions, and returned a few days later to the house.

Karlyn and Beth wisely prayed before trying to get the stone out, with Beth praying in Maninka so the family could understand. Beth then flushed the boy's ear with water a few times and the stone popped right out!

The transformation was amazing! He became a totally different boy and Karlyn's relationship with the family improved. The next day and weeks he began to smile and talk more and more. He now became one of the first kids to greet Karlyn whenever she came to visit. It was a testimony to how God can use medical healthcare to change people's lives and build relationships with those who don't know life in Jesus Christ. It was a testimony to opening ears in Jesus' name.

Just as one boy had a stone in his ear, many of the Maninka people have "stones" in their ears that prevent them from hearing the Good News of Jesus Christ. Join us in praying that God will remove these stones of disbelief so the Maninka people can truly know God and say, "He does all things well! He even makes deaf people hear and speak!"