After a week of progressive abdominal pain, I decided I should face my fears and go to the doctor. Those of you who know me know it had to be pretty painful for me to even consider going to a doctor, let alone in a third-world country where I may or may not be able to communicate effectively.
Good news, between my Spanish and the doctors' English, everyone was understood.
Bad news, I'm not well.
A blood test, urine test, and sonogram later, I'm on four different medications to treat inflammation and infection. The way things work down here, I didn't get prescribed medication till the following day, enduring a sleepless night. I've had my first day of medications, but I'm still in quite a bit of pain. (Soliciting your prayers)
We had our women's bible study this afternoon and I didn't want to miss it. The way I saw it, I could be miserable at home or miserable in God's Word and fellowship. Pretty easy choice.
God has truly blessed me and shown me how His church is to be, act, and respond, living out His word. Today we prayed the commands James gave,
Having been anointed with oil in the name of the Lord, I know healing is here, because Jesus is here.
I figure if I'm to fully capture my experiences in the Dominican Republic, I ought to give you the real picture. We get miserably sick down here, too. More evidence? A member of our church here recently contracted Dengue and for a while was out for the count. Others are battling head colds brought on by climate changes and various other illnesses. It's certainly not easy living in a country with amoeba and bacteria-filled water, disease-carrying mosquitoes, and unclean conditions.
But you do your best to get by and God's healing protection covers it all.
Why, then, do we get sick? Did I do something to warrant this, to open the door? It could be, but more than likely, it's just the susceptibility of the environment around me. That's the world we live in. It can either defeat us or make us stronger.
I'm choosing the later.
Good news, between my Spanish and the doctors' English, everyone was understood.
Bad news, I'm not well.
A blood test, urine test, and sonogram later, I'm on four different medications to treat inflammation and infection. The way things work down here, I didn't get prescribed medication till the following day, enduring a sleepless night. I've had my first day of medications, but I'm still in quite a bit of pain. (Soliciting your prayers)
We had our women's bible study this afternoon and I didn't want to miss it. The way I saw it, I could be miserable at home or miserable in God's Word and fellowship. Pretty easy choice.
God has truly blessed me and shown me how His church is to be, act, and respond, living out His word. Today we prayed the commands James gave,
"Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working." James 5:13-16
Having been anointed with oil in the name of the Lord, I know healing is here, because Jesus is here.
I figure if I'm to fully capture my experiences in the Dominican Republic, I ought to give you the real picture. We get miserably sick down here, too. More evidence? A member of our church here recently contracted Dengue and for a while was out for the count. Others are battling head colds brought on by climate changes and various other illnesses. It's certainly not easy living in a country with amoeba and bacteria-filled water, disease-carrying mosquitoes, and unclean conditions.
But you do your best to get by and God's healing protection covers it all.
Why, then, do we get sick? Did I do something to warrant this, to open the door? It could be, but more than likely, it's just the susceptibility of the environment around me. That's the world we live in. It can either defeat us or make us stronger.
I'm choosing the later.
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