Hospitals and Hope

   
    I hope that you all had a good transition into the New Year. And soon it will be Valentine's Day. It is commonly recognized as the most romantic holiday of the year, but to me it full of precious memories of family and friendship. I know a lot of people are searching for their romantic 'others,' but I confess that I am happy for the Lord to be my Valentine. He's been with me and carried me through so much that I honestly cannot believe anyone else could be better.

    I owe everyone an apology though. I have slacked off on both my newsletters and my blog. I didn't really have much to say for Dec, and I'm afraid that I had a bit of a draw back for Jan. But before I share that story I want to first begin by acknowledging how great the Lord is. When I first committed my life as a missionary I also vowed to trust Him with everything that I am, including my financial well-being and my health. (Not that it wasn't always in His hands to begin with. But now I am trusting Him with it.) He has been so gentle and patient with me through His lessons. He told me to come to my Bible School in Mexico even though I didn't have the money and to trust Him. My first trimester He showed me that He will always provide for my financial needs and covered my first trimester's fees as well as some other things that rose up. I expected the same thing during my second trimester, and I expect He will, but so far I had a rather 'unexpected' experience.

    On Jan 10th I woke about 4am with extreme pain on my left side. I had assumed I had strained a muscle or bruised my rib somehow so I decided to tough it out. About a week later I realized I was also having chills and cold sweats I finally decided to go to the ER. I was admitted into the hospital when they discovered my left lung was full of fluid and scheduled me for surgery to drain it out where they discovered infection. Long story short, I had pneumonia. ...And I had no idea I had it or for how long before I went to the doctor, and neither do they. I could have had it long before the pain started. I am truly in awe of how this all happened. Originally, they were just going to drain the fluid from my lung with a tube, but because there were two separate sacs of fluid they had to operate -which led to the discovery of infection -which led to the discovery of pneumonia. If they had not operated and found the infection I might not have received the proper antibiotics. I praise God for the way He handled that.


    I am also greatly humbled by the amount of love and support I have received from the staff and my classmates here on the base. My staff leaders have been there to help me through every obstacle and my classmates have shown deep love through their gestures. And a volunteer nurse on the base made it possible for me to be able to receive the rest of my IV antibiotics here on base instead of the hospital. My friends and staff have been spoiling me rotten, and I am so grateful for their kindness. Everything and everyone that I needed to get me through this has been here. Even the timing that our volunteer nurse would be on the base. And I haven't had to figure out all the paperwork on my own. My staff have helped carry that burden so that I could find rest. And all my friends here have taken turns looking out for me. Through all of this, God has shown me that He will look after my health. I know that He will continue to look out for my finances. I almost worry that I am getting used to God taking care of me rather fast considering how stubborn and independent I have always been. But it is amazingly comforting to know that, of course I need to be wise, but the Lord will take care of all my needs if I just look to Him and trust Him to do so. I feel like He is just gently easing me into a mindset of trust as He teaches me His Word and deepens my understanding of my own faith as I prepare for a life as a full-time missionary.

    I was also reminded of something during my week in the hospital: It is a wonderful mission field full of opportunity to share God's love. I would never have expected the response that I got when people in the hospital learned that I was a missionary. I was asked many questions, spoke freely of my Jesus, and several nurses asked me for info for them to look into serving on mission trips. From the doctors who treated me, to the nurses who tended me, to lab techs, x-ray techs, etc. I met so many people who's hearts were open to hearing about Jesus. It's amazing how intimidated I've been thinking that 'I'm not an evangelist' and 'people are resistant to Christ.' And while I may not be the most eloquent person, and some people are resistant, the Lord showed me that people are really hungry to hear about Him.

    I want to encourage everyone who reads this to remember that. People don't really care if you're great with words. They care if you're genuine. And when people are hurting and vulnerable they are even more open to hearing about God's love and hope. Valentine's Day is another one of those days that will be full of lonely and broken-hearted people. Remember to be kind and sensitive to others you meet. Not just during this time, but every day. Even if they seem to have a bad attitude, remember that you don't know their story. Be kind and show the same love to them that the Lord has shown to you. The same love that you have shown to me.

 God bless you all for your love!

 Happy Valentine's Day!

 Karen