Health Scare

         "For I know the plans I have for you:, declares the Lord,  plans to  prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will  listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you"  declares the Lord. Jeremiah 29:11-14. I know the Lord has kept me here for a reason.  Fifteen years ago I was diagnosed with a progressive degenerative heart disease.  Today, I am kept alive by a computer in my chest. I have an implanted defibrillator / pacemaker.  It paces my heart, beating at 80- beats per minute and shocks my heart if I go into fibrillation. This shock therapy has occurred five times in the last five years and it feels like a horse kicking me in the chest with his two hind legs. This causes me to live every day as if it were my last day on Earth.  Travelling half way around the world, with an unpredictable heart condition may be a little frightening to some, but I feel so free.  I know The Lord will take me when it is my time to go.

Me teaching a teacher how to do Assessments

         Sooo, I received  a new top of the line computer, via surgery last July.  For the last two weeks , here in Kenya, twice a day, for 30 seconds, I heard a soft beeping, like a phone was going dead. I looked everywhere, listening to all the electronics near me to see where the beeping was coming from.  Anyone sitting near me heard it to.  I told the American visitors that all the electronics in Africa beeped twice a day.  Then on Wednesday night, I heard it again, but this time, I was alone, in bed, when I realized the beeping was coming from inside my chest...I got scared. My implanted computer was beeping. I called the US doctor and waited for a call back but they never came through. I went to sleep. In the morning, I calmly told Mary I needed to go to the hospital. I had a list of hospitals in Nairobi who could read my computer.  Off we went. The first hospital did not understand the urgency of the situation, we waited. Then after some time and discussion, we decided to go try another hospital. The driver drove Isabella and I, we got lost, asked or help and finally arrived at Nairobi Hospital. I told the information booth we needed cardiology. We were directed up to the third floor into a tiny office with 7 African people waiting in the waiting groom.   I did not know what to expect. I was in  a third world country and wondered if they knew how to interrogate my internal defibrillator. God is amazing.  He had it all planned out.
               Within five minutes, the Medtronics ( my computer company) technician greeted me in  the waiting room and said they were all available.  Not only was the high tech machine available, the technician who reads the information was there, as well as the cardiologist Doctor.  They were all African.  I was never so glad to see a familiar machine as the moment when I walked in that tiny room and saw the Medtronics technicians standing there, ready to put the mouse on my chest to read my computer. They were very interested in my "new" technology"..as they were all gathered around the computer screen on the Medtronics machine the Doctor calmly asked, " Where were you on June 20, at 1:08 pm?"  that was a Wednesday...I had no idea. The Doctor told me I was very lucky because I had come in contact with a large magnetic field and it had triggered my computer to deliver shock therapy to my heart, but aborted because I must have walked out of range of the magnetic field.. Who knew...so the alarm on my new computer was telling me I should avoid that area.  I still did not where I had been.  In the slums, there is minimal electronics.  The doctors and others  were very reassuring, they reset the computer alarm so it would stop beeping, said thank you, and sent me on my way. I thanked them. At the desk,  I asked what paperwork I could fill out and they said none.  They gave me the doctors card and told me if I have any  more problems to come back and see them,. They treated me for free!  This service costs over $1,000 in America.  In Kenyan shillings, it would have cost over 100,000 Shillings. I am still reeling from the hospitality, the availability of all the right people, and my machine aborting. This is definitely a blessing from God.  He deserves all the Glory.

God's creation and I got to see it....close up!

        Back at work, we reviewed our schedule and figured out we were at a Children's hospital doing a site visit on June 20.  I will not go back there again.
    I felt compelled to tell my story because, in Christ, all things are possible. But we need to listen to the Lord.  We need to take time to reflect on our own path, reflect on our posture of heart and our motives for doing what we do.  And we need to trust that little voice that talks to us in prayer. Do not doubt yourself. Serve. You have a lot to offer. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and soul and he will set thy path straight.  I honestly never dreamed I would be doing this, here now, living in Kenya for three months.  I listened to a small voice in my head, over year ago, and did not give up.  If we just trust and believe and BE Still and Listen, GOD will do immeasurably more than  we ever imagined. I am so blessed to continue to fulfill God's plan for me.  Thank You Lord for your guidance.