The rain pattered softly on the roof of my partner’s hut as we sat relaxing in the damp darkness. It had been a long day, and it felt good just to sit and do nothing. Suddenly, a hooded figure burst through the doorway sending showers of spray across the floor. Rain dripped from his disheveled hair, and his eyes were wild. After pausing for a moment to let his eyes adjust, he caught sight of me and immediately asked, “What is the medicine if a child drinks kerosene?”

I jumped up and headed to my house for supplies, interrogating the man along the way. A few minutes later, I was greeted by the reek of kerosene as I crowded in among the anxious relatives. The baby gasped for breath as an ominous gurgling came from his throat. Immediately placing my hands on the tiny head, I prayed for him, then I gave him an injection. Within five minutes, his breathing had calmed dramatically, and we began administering milk and charcoal. By the wee hours of the morning, he was sleeping soundly with no signs of distress.

Nothing can top the satisfaction of saving a life, except, perhaps, the fulfillment of saving a life for eternity. What are you doing that will last forever? —John Holbrook

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