Rev. Zaki L. Zaki

When I was 11 years old I was a good basketball player and one night we had a major basketball game to determine who would be the citywide champion. I was playing in this game for my school. I played very well that night. Toward the end of the game I began to feel drowsy and sick. I wanted very much to finish the game, and I did finish playing.

As soon as the game ended the sickness overtook me. My parents had to rush me to the Emergency Room in our city's one hospital. Imagine with me, being in a city with only one hospital to serve all the members of that community. It was not like Chicago, in this city there was only one hospital. 

I was very sick with a high fever, chills, nausea. At the hospital I was diagnosed with malaria. My parents became very worried. From their experience as missionaries they knew that most children that got malaria died.

I was sick for a whole week, during that whole time I battled the disease. By the grace of God I was one of the very few that survived malaria. But many children my age, who lived where I lived, who got malaria did not survive. I cannot thank God enough that he kept me alive.

Today the victims of malaria are the most vulnerable: the children, the pregnant women and the elderly. Every 60 seconds someone dies of malaria. Imagine if I had died at age 11, all the things I have done in my life would not have happened. I spent years of my life servings refugees, and if I died none of that would have happened. I am now a pastor and in this job, I help many people. If I had died that would not have happened. Malaria would have eliminated the possibility of so much good that can be done with one life. 

Myra Zaki sells Rainbow Loom bracelets at church and school to support Imagine No Malaria

We can mobilize in our communities beyond the church became this is worthy cause. Children can take this message to schools and teachers and classmate and as you share this cause with people outside the church they will be excited about this mission. This is a worthy cause and we are not doing it alone, we are doing it with the United Nations Foundation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the World Health Organization and other non-profits. When we invite others to join us, they are excited to engage in this important mission. 

I am so thankful that God saved my life. I now have a responsibility to do everything I can to join hands with you and with United Methodist churches all over the country to make malaria a thing of the past.  

Every life we save is precious and important in the eyes of God, and the question is how many lives are we going to save?

Set a Church-wide Fundraising Goal or Give today at  www.umcnic.org/imaginenomalaria.