Two of My boy’s Birthdays - two years ago.
My middle son was turning 6 years old, and my oldest was
turning 9. They were so cute and we planned to bake a cake and celebrate their
birthdays with all the children at the center.
Unfortunately, I had been feeling a little achy in my joints
and muscles. I thought it was still left over from my International Travels a
few weeks earlier. So I took some long
salt baths, and drank juice and water. I wasn’t feeling hungry, in my mind it
was because of all the excitement about traveling back from the states to
Mozambique. I got to reconnect with my boys and hubby. We spent a bunch of time
with the children and staff at the children’s center. We had guests arriving at
the local bus station. The weekend was full of fun plans and a shared birthday
party.
I imagined that the sore muscles were from playing with the
children. But on the third day of aching joints and muscles, my head started to
ache while I was taking a mineral salt bath. I just started praying in the
spirit because I hadn’t had a head ache like that ever before. My eyes were
burning and my head was exploding. I couldn’t think. I just prayed.
I called for my husband to help me to my bed. That was the afternoon
before my middle son’s birthday. Something was really off inside my body. I had
just taken a hot salt bath, but I was on the bed shivering and shaking from
cold. All I could do was pray in the Spirit and call out to Jesus to calm my
mind and help me know what to do. We prayed for healing, and God directed our
actions that followed.
Joao covered me with blankets, and I realized that I shouldn’t
be cold, something was seriously wrong. I felt like God reminded me of some
medical information that I had read on the flight back home from Colorado. So I
asked him to look at my eyes to see if they were dilated even though I was
looking towards a bright light. I remembered that the cold, and dilated Irises
in my eyes were signs of severe dehydration. I needed fluids.
I asked my husband to make re-hydration drink and I sat at
the table drinking sweet and salty water for the next four hours – instead of
going to the clinic 2 minutes away and getting an IV.
It never even entered into my head to go straight to the
clinic. We felt peace and comfort as the Holy Spirit stopped my chills, and the
pain literally stopped. Jesus healing washed over my body and the pain was
gone. I felt like the Holy Spirit said to stay awake and get hydrated. So I kept
sipping away at the homemade rehydration drink. It was saving my life. Thank
you Jesus for your mercy! An IV could have saved my life too, but I wanted to
be with my kids for their birthdays. I didn’t want to believe that I had
anything wrong with my body other than dehydration. I thought the salt baths must
be to blame for the dehydration. I didn’t really ask Jesus if I should stay in
my house or go to the clinic. God said, “You need fluids.” I found a way, But
it was risky and stubborn wat to get fluids.
When you live in a high risk zone for Malaria, it’s good to
get Malaria tests for almost any weird body symptom. People don’t think it’s
Malaria, or don’t ever feel very different at all. Sorry this is a downer, but
that’s how people die of Malaria who have had it before. Someone who has never
had Malaria might think they have the flu or a bad case of the runs.
I didn’t have flu symptoms or the runs, no stomach trouble at all -but I remembered that I hadn’t felt hungry or thirsty for a couple days….I started
running through the less common Malaria symptoms. I begged my husband to take
me to the clinic in the morning after I was re-hydrated because I didn’t want to
have to stay at the clinic or be separated from my boys for their birthdays. I
thought that it could be Malaria, could be something worse. Maybe since the pain
was gone after we prayed, I could go to the clinic and get evidence that Jesus had healed me of
something…
After hours of sipping rehydration drink, we loaded into the
truck. We knew it was time to see what the doctor had to say. God had reduced
my pain supernaturally when no amount of Ibuprofen or Acetaminophen had helped earlier in the day- after my bath.
That was proof pudding that God had healed my muscles and joints and headache. I
hoped nothing was wrong and it was just a case of severe dehydration. I looked at
my husband with very tired eyes. We hadn’t slept much that night. I didn’t tell
him that I thought the illness might be Malaria, but he was already thinking
that as well.
He had had mercy on me, and let me sit in our home near my
boys bedroom until early in the morning.
We went to the private clinic when we knew our
doctor would be there. He did shake his head when I described how terribly achy
and dehydrated I had been that night. ‘You should have come in, I wouldn’t have
made you stay here, but let you go home after the IV and first treatment for
Malaria.” That’s right, the Malaria test was positive, and a very bad case.
Lots of parasites in my blood. I needed treatment right away. The treatment he prescribed was
for seven days. He was surprised that I wasn’t feeling worse and showing other
signs of the parasite. I’m pretty stubborn. Part of my stubbornness in staying
at home had been that I didn't want to believe I had contracted Malaria again - for more
than the 30th time in 10 years on the mission field. I sighed so
deeply. It was Malaria again.
I wondered if I was just ignoring symptoms, but I really
felt much better after we prayed together and was still fine by the time we
showed up in the clinic. I just really didn’t want to face what my doctor was
saying because I hated having Malaria. I felt like Malaria kept stealing my
days and nights. I didn’t want Malaria to steal another day from me, my
husband, or my children. How many times had our kids been treated for Malaria.
This pesky parasite is a killer, I didn’t want to face it again. Sometimes the
treatment knocked me down worse than the bug. ….I just grit my teeth and
thought, ‘It can’t kill me Jesus!’
I looked up at the ceiling as if to glance at Jesus and ask,
“Really?” Why relieve me of the symptoms, and not heal me from the cause
of the symptoms. Holy Spirit whispered in my spirit, “I am using this doctor
and the medicine he proscribes to heal you. Bless your body to be healed
through your medical treatment with this medicine.”
I had injections with anti-malaria meds for one week. That
got the job done. That was the last case of Malaria that I have had to date.
Jesus loves to heal his children, and he will show his power how he chooses.
I'm in love with him for knowing what is best for me. I know how to love my children better when they have to take their treatment. I celebrate their healing via medicine or through the supernatural touch of Jesus Christ.
Jesus is the source of all good things, he can turn medical treatment into a blessing for the body that he created. There is a mystery. I love supernatural healing testimonies. They are splendid to celebrate. Treatment via medicine doesn't mean that Jesus somehow looses the victory. He wins when we are well and we grow in faith. Jesus knows how to love us, and help us love others with a pure heart.
He sometimes woos us to a different level of trust. Because I obeyed the leading of the Holy Spirit, and took the medical treatment I am here to celebrate my sons' birthdays two years later.
Missionary Momma Mia
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