The Physician’s Prayer

I first met John on my fourth day in Cape Coast, Ghana, as a volunteer assisting in medical outreach. We had driven out to a residential leper colony—a harrowingly inhumane concept—for individuals and families of those who have been cured of leprosy. Unfortunately, most of the leprosy victims continued to suffer from flesh wounds sustained during their sickness. These wounds often manifested in the feet of the survivors. Our group of volunteers came twice a week to clean, disinfect, and rebandage the wounds of these patients.