ADVENTIST LIFE

Life on the Edge

 

Freelance journalist Josephine Akarue from Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, interviewed Luka T. Daniel, president of the Adventist Church’s West-Central Africa Division, about how two major surgeries—including brain surgery—have affected his life, his family, and his ministry.

 

DANIEL: It began with malaria. I was in Liberia for meetings when I started feeling feverish. The doctor I met gave me a few tablets that provided some reprieve, and I was able to continue my trip to Togo, Ghana, and Nigeria.

 

On my return home I told my wife, Risikat, I would rest since I had two weeks before I was to go to the General Conference’s spring Executive Committee meeting in April 2006 [held in Loma Linda, California, U.S.A.]. But I didn’t just rest; I was hospitalized. I was put on drips, but there was no reprieve. The doctors suggested I go through a series of tests, including an MRI. It was then they discovered I had a brain tumor.

 

The neurologist said he could remove the tumor, but in the case of metastasis [the spreading of a disease-producing agency], the hospital didn’t have the equipment to handle it. He said that in case of further complications my only choice was to go to a hospital in Europe or the United States. So I settled on the U.S.

 

I was flown to Loma Linda University Medical Center accompanied by two specialists. My wife could not immediately come with me because of visa regulations.

 

After the first surgery, which lasted about five hours, I had 33 sessions of proton radiation treatment.

 

My younger daughter’s—Miriam. She had come with her husband to visit me. I could hear her voice as I was recovering. As I was being taken out [of the operating room], I called out to her, “Lya,” her other name; she shouted, “Baba.” It was one of the sweetest things I’d ever heard.

 

No, I didn’t. But the doctors in Abidjan were anxious. My wife also didn’t panic, though she was under a lot of mental strain. She arrived in the U.S. a day after my operation.

 

Faith in God. I realized my life was in His hands. This and a positive state of mind kept me going. That is what keeps me going even now.

INTERVIEWER: Freelance journalist Josephine Akarue 
from Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, talked with Luka Daniel 
about his recent surgeries. 

How did you feel when you were told you were to have a second surgery?

This was when I realized I was only flesh and blood. I was reluctant to go through a second surgery. But after undergoing more tests, I was diagnosed with prostate cancer. This was about four months after the first surgery. I felt discouraged. But with the encouragement of some doctors, my wife, and church members, I agreed to go through with it. Like the first surgery, it lasted five hours.

 

They have made me sober-minded, and I realize that this life is nothing. After the brain surgery I experienced few challenges, but the prostate cancer was a different ball game. That was when I realized I was human after all.

 

After the first surgery I had to relearn how to do many things—to speak, to position my mouth to say a word, and even to chew and walk. I had to learn to move my arms as I walked. When people see me now, they say this is nothing short of a miracle. They are right. It’s been quite an experience. When all is well you’re complacent, carefree, and sometimes careless. When crises come, you’re put on the spot.

 

Ironically, there was nothing for me to be anxious about. First, I trusted God. Then the Loma Linda staff also saw to my other needs. Besides the good medical care, my wife and I were well cared for in other ways during our stay. The staff even arranged outings to help keep us happy. I was also invited to the local African church where I preached my first sermon after the surgery. It was quite an experience—one I’ll never forget.

 

Risikat not only played the role of a wife but of a professional bedside nurse. Her training as a nurse came in handy. She was a real blessing to me. My wife not only prepared my favorite meals, she also encouraged and prayed for me. She was always there, taking me out on long walks to restore my strength. Loma Linda is quite hilly. These walks ultimately prepared me for the 20-hour flight back to Abidjan.

 

Other family members were also helpful. Both our daughters came to visit me, and our son and his wife flew in from Nigeria. I’m also grateful to other church family members, colleagues, and friends, who kept encouraging me through their calls, visits, and prayers. I cannot thank them enough.

 

Yes, of course. Now I take medical counsel concerning mealtimes and rest more seriously. I no longer take anything for granted. I also delegate duties more than I used to. Pastor Gilbert Wari, the West-Central Africa Division secretary, now takes on most of my travels.

 

I’m learning to rest. I used to work about 16 hours a day when I was in Bukuru, near Jos, Plateau state, Nigeria. I wish I could do more traveling, but I’ve learned to slow down and take one day at a time.

 

Make God first, maintain a positive outlook, and slow down. God has a time for everything. My advice is, do as much as you can each day and leave the rest to the morrow—or to the next generation. God has His own time. Though my complications were not traced to stress or diet, I still say, let’s eat well and rest when we can.

 

Some people have asked me, “Why you?” The implication to that question is, “Are you the greatest sinner?” This has led me to read the book of Job more closely. Job lost all—children, property, and health. What did I lose in comparison?

 

I thank God for keeping this ailment at the level He did. So to those who ask, “Why you?” I have this response: “Why not me?”