It’s kind of ironic that I sit writing this blog from the hospital chaplains office. So here it goes…
It all began on our hospital visit day and I had already struggled to get through visiting the Turkana Tribe down in the valley the day before. I tried my best to make it through the morning in my pain but couldn’t pull it out. As Jenna J patiently walked me back home (the fellowship hall) I felt a fever come over me. I layed in my sleeping bag and it all went downhill from there.
My fever spiked and my body began to shake. I couldn’t control them and just started praying out Jesus’ name in authority. I was not going to let Satan fill my head with lies and win. As I shivered violently I began to feel hands being laid on me by all my teammates. It is so encouraging and such a blessing to have the love and community I do here. After fighting for about 2 hours Patrice ripped open my sleeping bag and screamed, “Are you ready? Do you have enough strength? The car is here let’s go!!” I had no idea what was going on and only remember the majority of this from my teammates telling me. They carried me in with my unmatched flip flops and we bolted down the mountain to the hospital. Apparently almost hitting a few people and honking the whole way.
Next thing I knew I was going through the gates of the Casualty (E.R.) got carried out of the car and all feeling in my legs went out for at least an hour and a half. Both the Jennas were with me along with Vicki, our trusted cook, ministry partner and friend. Vicki and Jenna J ran around the hospital getting all my paperwork together as Jenna G found me a rollingchair and was pushing me around to my casuatly bed. My fever hit the high 39 degree mark celsius which is apparently “dangerously high” and after some fever reducer my shivers went down and my blood sugar level went back to normal as Jenna fed me very juicy pineapple.
With the help of the chaplains here and connections we’ve made through ministry I was able to be seen by a doctor only after 3 hours of waiting instead of 5 hours of waiting.Quite a blessing huh? Saw the doctor, I was so weak and there were so many infections and weird spiked fevers all the time that they decided to admit me. We got word at first that it would be 10-14 days! I went up to the private ward and ended up only staying 3 days.
The overall experience was scary, confusing and definetly an attack. But I am convinced that if it weren’t for my team fasting and in constant prayer for me, plus after every nurse and doctor left they would lay hands on me and a chaplain coming in every hour just to encourage me and pray, I would’ve never been able to maintain the spirit of joy I had. I also am so encouraged that I had the overwhelming amount of prayers from everyone back in the states. Although not yet fully healed, I will not let the father of lies fill my head and I will continue to do some serious damage for God’s Kingdom.
Proverbs 17:22 A cheerful heart is good medicine but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.
