“What a terrible case of gangrene of the arm! How did it occur?” I asked as I visited a young man who had just been brought into the missionary hospital in Korea.
“Noki, the young man, had a mosquito bite near the right elbow and scratched it. A little redness and swelling resulted, and fearing infection the family had applied a tourniquet above the elbow. They didn’t know what else to do.”
That was three days ago. Now the arm was black and cold, and it would be necessary to amputate to save his life. At first the parents would not hear of it, but finally they consented.
“I’m afraid we may be too late with this young man,” I told our Korean helper the next morning. But we did the best we could.
The family was discouraged, having hoped that some treatment would result in a speedy recovery.
“It’s too bad, Noki, that we had to remove your arm. We certainly didn’t want to, but there was no other way to save your life. By the way, are you a Christian?” I asked him.
“No, I am not.”
“Is there a gospel mission where you live?”
“No, there is no gospel preaching there.”
But Noki received the word of salvation with great readiness of mind, and while there in the hospital he confessed Christ as his Saviour. He asked that someone would come to his town and preach the gospel to his neighbors. The time came when this was carried out. A large number in that place accepted Christ, and a work was started. Noki, our former patient, became the leader of the group. He came and spent some time with us studying the Word so that he might be of more use in the Lord’s vineyard. Among others his whole family was saved.
Noki did not seem to regret the loss of his arm. Had he not had his trouble, he reasoned, he would probably never have known Christ. When he considered the One whom he had found, the loss of his right arm was not even to be compared.
ML-04/08/1979