Grace's Healing

As many of you know we took Grace to Kampala Sunday with severe stomach pain.  I am tired just thinking about what all just took place.  Life and plans can change so quickly. 

It actually started Christmas Eve when Grace had terrible stomach pain and just cried out when the pain came.  We took her to a doctor friend in Soroti and for an ultra sound which showed everything was normal.  Unfortunately, we can’t trust the medical care in Soroti and we were left without answers.  Christmas Day she was in pain again but I gave her strong pain killer and by afternoon she was feeling better.  Since then she has stomach aches and about a day a week where she has to just lay on the couch but no more extreme pain.

Then Saturday night we were reading the Bible and suddenly Grace got intense stomach pain.  She just cried out for us, shook, and was very nauseated.  The only way I can describe it is it was like she was in labor.  It was so scary!  She was miserable and there was nothing we could do and no where to go for help.  We just prayed over her and called on Jesus and His power to heal.  I don’t think you can understand until you are in a moment like that where you are totally helpless - the nearest good medical care is 6 hours away, you don’t know what is happening to your child, and you have to watch her in sever pain. 

After about 30-45 minutes the pain started to calm down.  Josh stayed with her while I called our doctor friend in Soroti and called home to get a hold of our doctor in the States.   The fear was appendicitis and by midnight we knew were would be taking her to Kampala in the morning and maybe flying on to Nairobi, Kenya.  I felt sick to my stomach.  I didn’t want to leave, travel 6 hours or fly to another country, I didn’t want to leave Lydia and Luka and Sarah (although I am so thankful she was here to care for our children), I didn’t want Grace to be in such pain…  But we had to do what was best for Grace.  We packed for who knows what and how long, got all our documents and things to take, tried to get our van that was in the shop being but couldn’t get a hold of the mechanic to get it, and prepared the house and Sarah for staying there with Lydia and Luka.  Then tried to sleep but mostly prayed and listened for Grace.  Thankfully she slept well all night.

Lydia and Grace were both crying when we left in the morning.  The unknown is hard on everyone.  Grace’s terrible pain came back on our drive and she just cried for us, begged us to stop, told us she couldn’t do it, and wanted to throw up but couldn’t.  It is an awful feeling not being able to help your child when they look at you in such pain.  Josh and I just kept praying!  Begging God to heal Grace, take away her pain, protect her, and get us to the medical care we needed!  At some points we were all crying.  Josh did a great job driving smart under such difficult circumstances.  I kept praying for God to send help.  We needed an ambulance, or to fly to get there quicker, or something.  I didn’t know how Grace was going to make it.  We finally got strong pain meds down her and the pain slowly calmed down and Grace slept.  Praise God.

We went to the clinic and they checked her urine and stool.  Which showed a bladder infection and a fungus infection in her stomach, but this was not causing the intense pain.  Grace was not feeling better and so happy about it.  We had to beg the doctor to do an ultra sound.  We came all that way and we needed to check everything.  The scan was normal and the appendix was ok.  Thank you Lord! 

We talked to Grace’s doctor in the US and the doctor in Kenya and they think it may have been stones or abdominal migraines.  We plan to have some through testing when we are back in MI.         

THANK YOU for praying for Grace and all of us!  God was with us.  He is faithful, true, powerful, healer, and provider.  When we were praying so hard in the car sometimes I thought, “God we are calling on you and believing your promises – so do something now!”  Looking back He did.  We drove to Kampala in record time because traffic was so good, He stopped or healed the pain, we were able to talk to the doctors we needed to, and Sarah was there to care for our other children.  I have over and over experienced God as my refuge, my Rock, and my fortress.  When troubles in life come I know to claim His truth and trust Him.  He is present and powerful.  In our time of need He is who we look to.

Thank you Sarah for caring for and loving our children, Steve and team for praying and helping, my husband Josh for taking Christ authority seriously and protecting our children, to Lydia for loving his siblings so well, thank you to our parents for praying and caring at all hours of the day and night, and everyone who took the time to cry out to God on our behalf. 

Side note, cost to see the doctor here – three days, 12hrs plus of driving, $150 plus in gas, two nights in a hotel, four meals, and the doctor, lab, and scan.  What an ordeal.