Serving in the Caribbean

This article should actually be titled “God’s Faithfulness and Provision – again”. It’s funny how God uses things that may seem bad to show us just how good He is.

It all started about two and a half weeks after Sadie was born when we were still in Ohio. One night I got terrible pain in my stomach that lasted almost the whole night. We contemplated going to the ER several times that night, but didn’t.

The pain eventually stopped, and in the morning my mom said “hopefully it isn’t gull stones, I had to have my gallbladder removed.” I didn’t think very much about it anymore because I didn’t have any other super bad pains after that. In the next weeks my stomach hurt at times a little, but not enough to make me think it was anything abnormal. Then on August 17th we were in Spanish Wells, and the pain returned with a vengeance. It lasted all night and was still hurting at 9 in the morning and I went to the clinic as soon as they opened.

They weren’t sure what was wrong, but they gave me two shots for the pain. I asked if it could be gullstones, and they said it was a possibility. We were headed home Wednesday, and there happened to be a ultrasound machine coming to the island from Nassau that day, so before we left I went and got and ultrasound, and found out it was gull stones.

We headed back to Eleuthera and prayed for God to guide us in the next steps. We got some great comforting advise from a great doctor in Texas who said that we didn’t need to rush back to the States right then but to wait and if it happens more often or gets worse to go back, but it was comforting to know that at least I wasn’t going to die then.

A few days after that though my stomach hurt a tiny bit, just enough to make me fear an attack again, and advise from our director came that I should go back to the States and have it taken care of. We had planned to call on Monday August 25th and talk to a doctor in Ohio and see what a timeline would be and more information about everything and then maybe go to Ohio at the end of that week, but then on Saturday the 23rd we noticed a Tropical storm headed straight for Eleuthera that would turn into a Hurricane as it passed over us, which meant either I stay there through the storm or go home quickly. We opted for the going back quickly just to be safe. I didn’t want to be in Eleuthera in a hurricane and have another attack!

So Saturday night we bought the last ticket on either Sunday or Monday off the island, and it was for Sunday morning from North Eleuthera at 8:00 which meant only 13 hours until we would leave. It was a rush to pack for Sadie and me but we got it done and headed for the airport early Sunday morning. Our flights were great! Sadie did awesome! God let her sleep for the first two, then she was awake and quiet and happy on the last one. Praise the Lord!
God was at work before we even knew it. That Sunday while we were flying, my parents were at church and my mom saw the doctor and surgeon talking together, so she went up and told them about my situation. Right there in church the doctor said “I’ll see her Monday” and the surgeon said “I’ll do the surgery Wednesday!” We had it already planned out and taken care of before we even got to Ohio! Not only were they from church, but it ended up that my nurse at the hospital goes to Grace too! It was amazing that I had a surgeon that prayed with me before the surgery! God is just so good!

Pastor Bob and Pastor Greg came to the hospital and prayed with me too. And I had a great prayer time with my family the night before too. The surgery went really well. It took me practically the whole day to wake up completely though. I was still pretty much asleep when I left the hospital, but it was good that I only had to be there for a few hours.

Sadie and I had a great time with family, and Aunt Susan and Uncle Mike were even able to come for the weekend. We got to go to Noah’s football game too! And of course we got Belgrades and an ice cream cake! I also got to have girls night out with some friends and I got to see some other friends throughout the week too! It ended up being a good trip. My mom and dad got lots of good cuddle time with Sadie too!

It’s funny, on the way to the airport to go to Ohio Ryan said “if only we would have gone to the hospital when we were still in Ohio that one night we could have avoided all of this. I wonder why God wants you to go back.” I have thought about that this whole trip. I can look back though and see a lot of reasons. First, I think maybe my mom has been praying that she would get to see Sadie again! And I have seen God work and provide so clearly the whole trip! He has used what seemed like a bad thing to show me how good He really is!

Also though, the biggest thing that I learned actually came from a prayer that Pastor Greg prayed. He came to see me in the hospital. My dad and I walked through the door at 6 in the morning, and he was there in the lobby. Lots of people had prayed for me and with me until that point. And I didn’t have too much time to fear the operation, but I have to admit being a little nervous. The night before, I prayed for peace, and I feel like the Lord answered my prayers. I felt peaceful going into the hospital, but there was still a little bit of me that was nervous. But standing there in the lobby of the hospital, God opened my eyes to something I had not realized before (you would think that I should have learned this before).

Pastor Greg prayed that I would be at peace about the operation so that I would be a light to those around me and the doctors and nurses and everyone else would see God’s peace in me. Suddenly my eyes were opened – God giving me peace isn’t for me!!!! It’s to glorify God!!! Up until that point I have always prayed for peace for me. Really though, when you are peaceful, others see that and God is glorified! That was the first time that I really had peace, and I was able to walk into the hospital knowing that I was there so that I could be a light for the Lord. I’m thankful for that prayer. God really has been so good to us. I am humbled by His faithfulness, grace and mercy. We are so undeserving of everything He gives us!