Blessings and troubles on the field

This past trip has shown me that not all that is done for Jesus' fame happens just perfectly. I led a team of 4 to South Asia last week, and boy was I taught some important lessons.

One of our team members was ill with bronchitis before we left, but doctors said she was ok to travel. She really was a trooper, after the long flight we reached our temporary destination before flying out to it the next day. She really struggled with the medication, jet-lag, high temperatures as well as labored breathing. As we flew to our final destination, she became worse. She still wanted to go on, despite our cautions to stay with our partners on the field to rest. She accompanied us to a village, and we preached, prayed and worshiped, as well as accepted the local hospitality of sitting in the main room of a small house and being served whatever food they could scratch up for us. We were all blessed and then made our way back to the city to prepare for our introductions to the training conference that evening.

As we sat to relax and eat lunch, our sick team member took a bad turn, and I told her to lay down in a room with air-conditioning. We then asked our company partners to take her to the local clinic just in case. While we began our training conference, bad news came. Her heart rate was off, her kidneys were in bad shape and her breathing very labored. The doctor at the clinic said that she should be taken to better facilities in a larger city. After cutting our evening session short, we decided to call her husband, and send her and one other team member back with her to a good hospital in the main city. We prayed and sent them off, myself and one other team member to finish our commitment to our partner who had brought about 60 people from as far as 12 hour journey away. This was the best decision, as the person I sent is one of our ministers on staff at church. So our worship pastor went back with her, and more company personnel helped them straight to the airport. She was put into ICU with a possible blood clot and high blood pressure. Her status began to improve immediately. The conference went on as planned, while she was taken care of by the best doctors in the country.

It was a difficult decision as leader of the team to send her off and go on with our commitment. Another difficult decision was to leave them both there to come home. It was decided that the church staff member be the one to stay with her, which is where they still are. She is improving every day, and out of ICU. The rest of the team may be able to come home by Tuesday. I have spoken to her husband, who is doing fine and has spoken to her by phone and has been kept informed about every decision. His company has agreed to pay to get his passport, visa and pay for all travel should she need to stay longer than a few more days. What support. How many companies would do that?

I know that God has had this entire situation in His hands. He is the one glorified in all of this. For what purpose, He only knows and will reveal itself in His time. This was the troubles of our journey. The blessings? We had an incredible time of worship and teaching, which I will post about later. Bittersweet blessings, considering the situation. Oh, and by the way, we received and accepted a good offer for the house to close on June 1. God is in control. Blessings come at the strangest times. I have mixed emotions, but there will be time for celebrating soon enough. Thank you for all your prayers concerning all these matters. Continue to pray for our two remaining team members as they prepare to travel home, hopefully soon.