When Norman Got Malaria

The Norman Transcript has published a story about NorthHaven Church's recent conference on "Norman 'Gets' Malaria."

Oklahoma's first lady, Kim Henry, was the featured speaker. Here's an excerpt:

Keynote speaker Kim Henry spoke about a Ghana trip and presented a slide show of photographs she snapped in the African nation.

"This is really an important issue for many reasons," Henry said.

She described the week-long journey as an "incredible, life changing experience."

The First Lady said it's clear that poverty is an issue for the people of Ghana. The annual income is about $300 per person.

During the trip, Henry visited hospitals that were overwhelmed with patients suffering from diseases including malaria. She noted Ghana's mortality rate is 50 percent.

"We didn't just go into the village and hand out nets," she said.

Henry said she discovered that individuals find peace in their spiritual lives and relationships with a higher power. Whether someone was Christian or Muslim didn't matter.

"People seem to be so spiritual and in tune with God," she said.