For the afflictions of the righteous are many...

 

For the afflictions of the righteous are many

and the Lord delivers them out of them all…

This is truth.  This is what I will stand on this day.

You know the saying “when it rains, it pours…”?  Well, that could possibly begin to describe the past week we have had as a family, as a ministry as… as a whole.

We had some unfortunate situations happen at our house in which turned into one of our staff stepping down from his position.  He did security, and his position transformed through time into being together with our son Malaki while I worked over the last 2 years.  Honestly, he was and still is like a son to us.  Days have been hard for Kai, he sure did love him and has been crying a lot since he is gone.

There was a fire in one our kids homes, and put out without anyone getting hurt… thankfully.  There has been some division within some of our staff towards one another… best described as character indifferences, low-conflict management right?  Let’s just say we are working towards humility, understanding and communication.

Little things, all adding up… you know like your son getting sick and vomiting everywhere and when you go to get water, there is no water in the pipes all morning… coming from 3 ½ years with no running water we learned to be prepared; but now being in a house with running water all the time we didn’t think about not having water. 

Isai and I feel the pressure from all sides, for quite some time now and are working out a balance – one that is healthy for us, our family and a work that we desire to build in a strong and sustaining way.  He actually headed out on Tuesday for 3 days to go pray and fast at a guest house in the mountains and promised he would text me as soon as he arrived safely.  He needed some time, to just sit before the One who knows the beginning and end of this story...  the story He has chosen to include us in.  No text.  I thought well maybe he jumped right into some quiet time (even though it was out of character for him to not call). 

The next day I headed down to my beloved bible study and I say that because these women are just simply amazing.  Period.  Exhausted and weary I arrive in the city, next thing you know – my car breaks.  A great mechanic came and lifted out the shredded belt for the motor… much appreciated.  Tried to get ahold of Isai because he is our mechanic, well “our everything man” usually.  But no answer or connection.  Picked up Kai from a friend and headed back up country to settle in for the night with the kids. 

Thinking a lot about not having talked with Isai, I called our friend for a man’s perspective to hear his thoughts if I am just a worried wife… or something could have happened.  In the end I think we both came to the same conclusion that where ever Isai was, he would be ok.  Plus, I know all the surrounding mountain people know where to find us if something happened to him up-country (I mean, with few foreigner’s around it’s not hard to know who is who.)

Later that night, I received a text from Isai saying he got really sick and is in the hospital.  It was night time and the road is bad and somewhat dangerous for various reasons… I did have a short lived moment of weakness in the idea that I would drive anyway; until one our Burundian staff was adamant that I shouldn’t take the drive until morning.  I agreed, and really appreciated him holding his ground on how he felt about it.  It’s Interesting… the clinic he was at was one of the 7 clinics that our staff recently visited to conduct some research as we establish our health center;  the most impressive at that, offering free care at times for those who don’t have money as well as a huge facility.

When he arrived at the guest house the day before he began to have a little diarrhea but by the second day he had excessive diarrhea and vomiting; in the evening right before the priest of the guest house went to go get the doctors his temperature reached 104 F and upon the arrival of the doctors they told him to go to the shower to lower his temp before they transported him to the nearby clinic.  The two doctors who came to get him come from Check Slovakia and Romania and speak English which in itself was a miracle… and hour and a half into the rural mountain, these doctors work.  We have never seen them and knew nothing of them, yet at the right time they were there.  They brought him to the hospital and started him on treatment for Typhoid fever and Malaria because they couldn’t do blood testing until the morning and needed some immediate intervention. 

Isai had tried calling me for a day and a half and also me as well his way from different carriers just in case the connection didn’t work because of his location.  But to no avail.  First thing in the morning a few of us headed out with Kai and journeyed on the ibara bara ribi.  (The bad road)… 2 hours later we arrived and it was such a relief and a precious moment just to hold Isai.  He was doing much better and the treatment was surely working.  They did blood tests and are pretty sure it is Malaria, and are continuing treatment.  Please pray that his body will be strengthened and that every bit of that Malaria will be gone.  I had to return home again for Bell, but will go back tomorrow and hopefully be able to bring him home. 

For me, the words from this song resonate and strengthen my soul this night are as follows:

I will sing, sing, sing to my God, my King... let there be a victory, with you singing over me…

Coveting  your prayers, and believing for His strength and joy in this season.