Thursday, April 28, 2016

3 unexpected things

Unexpected situation #1
In February I checked into the hospital here in Chiang Mai after waking up with my throat nearly swollen closed.  My lymph nodes were swollen the night before and I visited my primary care physician who said it was just a virus and sent me home.  By morning I felt like I may lose the ability to breath if I waited another day to see if it would get better.  Ken stayed home with the kids and I drove to the hospital.

Bible reading before bed. 
I checked in and they said an ENT specialist was in the hospital finishing a surgery and would see me in 30 minutes.  Thank you, Lord!  He looked in my throat, gasped and said, "You have bad infection.  Stay here 1 or 2 days."  While I waited for my room and lady from my Bible study sat down next to me.  She was a sweet gift from the Lord to remind me that I'm not alone.  I stayed in room 617, which was comfortable, and very clean, with kind nurses.  They hooked me up to andIV and gave me 2 different antibiotics, throat spray, and a fizzy drink.  I could barely swallow water.  By the next morning I could talk!  I ate some breakfast and the doctor said my infection was still bad but that I could go home.  So, here I am, at home with a happy little family:)  Ken's a champ and I love and appreciate him so much.

Unexpected situation #2
This was Christmas dinner at our house.  Turkeys were over $100
so we made a pork roast.  It was all delicious and we got to share
it with a few families!

Our neighbors are retired and visit for 90 days every year.  They have a daughter, Oy, who speaks a little English.  She is a sweet woman who loves our family.  She randomly brings the kids popcorn and snacks.  While her parents are in Thailand she comes up from Bangkok to stay with them.  I stopped over to drop off some muffins and she met me in the yard, "Summer, I go Bangkok, accident nit-noy (Thai for "little bit).  Her mother came out to explain that a relative had passed away and that she was leaving that evening to go back to Bangkok.  I hugged her and had to leave for a Thai class.  I wanted to cry.  The next week I prayed, "Lord, send someone to tell her the gospel" (I am still learning Thai!)  The next day I took some bread to her parents and she opened the door!  SHE WAS BACK!  My first thought was, "Lord, that was fast!!"  Her mother had a mini-stroke but had no lasting effects so she came back to care for her. I am still in shock at this!  I am so excited that a friend had a copy of the "Jesus Storybook Bible" in Thai!  We gave it to Oy before she headed back to Bangkok.


Unexpected situation #3
We planned to come back to the states to update all of you on that the Lord is doing and to raise support to continue the work out here!  We want to hug you and share how the Lord is answering your prayers to further the work here in Thailand. Because of a Visa restriction our plans have been changed.  We know this is the Lord's doing and now plan to fly back to America towards the end of the year.

So, life is unpredictable for us, but not for the author of life.  I am trying to leave my worry with him...but I often ask for it back.  Please pray for health for me (Summer) and for the rest of us.  Pollution season is still lingering and it has been 104 degrees or above for a month now (not typical here).  We are grateful to be here and thank the Lord for his beauty all around us, but our hope is that his most beautiful creations, people, will know He is their maker.