#90 - Home! "He enables me..."

Vol.# 90

My apologies for not writing sooner, but I have been adjusting to another new rhythm of dance with Jesus because I AM HOME! 

Yay!

Annette graciously came with me to help me take my stuff home; and Dong, one of my brothers here, was giving the tuk tuk driver (a new one) directions on how to get here on the phone as we travelled! It was a LONG trip since the tuk tuk driver had mistakenly heard one thing and was taking us far from where we had to go! But we had prayed before and God allowed me to figure out, “Hey! This is not the direction we should be going!” (Ha! for those of you who know me, directionally-challenged Vidya, this was truly a God thing!) However, we finally made it home, and then up the 3 flights of stairs at my pace!

Praise God: For Annette, for her generosity, not only of her home but also of her time; I enjoyed our prayer times together. Also for Dong, keeping his phone on to give the driver directions!

Praise and Prayer: The insurance company was able to give me one physio clinic here that did direct billing, but I would have to get my medical info to them, which meant going there. Channak called the insurance company and was able to get the insurance company to deal directly with the physio clinic so I would not gave to do anything! 

So thank God for giving Channak wisdom and favour with them.

Prayer: The insurance company has sent in their forms but the physio clinic has not yet responded. Please pray for a quick resolution over this so that I can either start physio with them or look for another option. Thank you.

I still had my Christmas tree up, so I have put on the lights and I watch them twinkling and I smile! I missed doing this over the month I was in hospital so now I am enjoying them!

Recovery is a slow process but yesterday I realized how I was judging my progress and it was by how much I could dance! I have a friend who sends me her worship song for the week so I had it on and just felt like I should get up and do a waltz with Jesus! And I did! I am able to raise my arms up in praise to Him yet really cannot write with a pen!

Here is a photo of my former students visiting me in the ICU and praying for me, all arranged by Channak.

Grateful: I am so grateful for all of you who have truly been my family, in addition to my own blood family! My brothers and sisters and parents have been in constant contact as well as my cousins from Trinidad, but you also, my RAC family, have been with me each step of the way! 

In my readings HE has given me many assurances of my healing: Psalm 18: 32- ...He makes my feet like the feet of a deer, He enables me to stand on the heights, He trains my hands for battle...You broaden the path beneath me so that my ankles do not turn....’ That is in my daily reading and it is NOT a coincidence that I am reading these particular Psalms at this time! 

Isn't it humbling that the GREAT I AM would do this for me, to allow me to read His Words specifically addressed to my needs at such a time as this? I laughed and cried as I read this.

Please continue to pass along your prayer requests to me and share your stories of what is going on in your lives as well.

Love, His Warrior and Disciple, submitting to be His dance partner here in Cambodia,

Your sister, Vidya

** (P.S. I am at 90 percent of my monthly support, would you consider becoming one of my dance partners? Please email me!)

#89 - A New Rhythm In The Orchard

Vol.# 89

Thank you for your continued words of advice and support!

I have been discharged from the hospital and am now staying at my friend Annette's place. 

Physiotherapy has not begun yet but I have been doing my stretching and walking up and down the stairs as I have been taught!

So much drama has happened over the last month that I thought I would share the light-hearted moments.

Yes, I have learnt a new dance move! It is called the Pampers shuffle!

Picture this: There I am walking in the corridor, with the IV attached to one arm, and wearing the hospital's underwear of choice, (yes, too much info for some of you but that is reality here!), when I felt the Pampers heading southwards down to my knees! Let me tell you, you have to adjust the way you are walking, a new rhythm so to speak, just to get back to your room before it goes all the way down! 

Apparently one size fits all is the norm here!

To all of you moms and caregivers who have put on diapers of any size on squirming babies and kids, you have my respect! I was having trouble putting them on!

I was popular at the hospital, not for any skills that I had or my sense of humour, but popular as to how HE created me. They never had anyone with a blood pressure as low as I had, so frequently I would have teams come into ICU just to look at me! And, of course, my blood pressure would be taken every four hours even at nighttime!

Well, I had been watching a lot of Agatha Christie TV shows, and the only English station on the TV was the Crime channel with CSI etc. It was around 2 in the morning, and I was awakened by this voice saying, "I want to take your blood ma’am". The voice was attached to this guy who looked like the bad guy in the shows I was watching, who naturally was the one who killed the patients in the show!  I must have either gasped or gave him such a look that he drew back and said hesitantly, “Ma'am?” I shook my head and waved him out of the room!

In hindsight, the poor man whose name is Ryan was saying, “I have come to take your blood pressure!” But with English as his second language, and in my medicated sleep, I, of course, did not hear that and scared the poor guy! The good news is I can still put the fear in someone even when I am so sick! (LOL)

SO for the next few days I was extra nice to Ryan, making conversation with him and finding out his story. He came from the Philippines with his brother and sister to find work so they could send money back home to his family! He loved to listen to the worship songs I would be playing on my laptop and told me of the missionaries who came to the Philippines! His English was very good, so often he would translate to the Thai nurses what I wanted and would come and assist me!

My doctor from Thailand

I had a wonderful female doctor from Thailand who was gentle and sympathetic. She had been asking the nurses to send me the updated medical report so I could send it to Dr. Gamble, (Bless you Dr. Gamble, you were one of my life lines of support), but they would never do it! 

So I told her I had a plan: at 12 that day I would go and sweetly ask them if they had my correct email address, since I apparently had not been sent any updates. Then after checking with them, I would say thank you with a big smile and bow! Three hours later, if I had not received the report, I would then return to the desk, and say, "I notice you are very busy, and you may not have time to do this task, so this is what I am going to do, I am going to stand here and help you! Just turn your computer towards me, get my file and I would send it to myself! Or I would just hang out here at the desk! 

Well I got my file within 10 minutes! The doctor came in that night and asked, “Did your plan work? I said, “Yes, it did!”

She laughed so hard, so now she is using my method!

I got a chance to talk to her about how grateful I am to God for giving me a community from my church who not only prays for me, but for her and the other doctors as well! 

The heart specialist came to say goodbye and I asked to take a pic with them. His first response was, “Do you want to put on some makeup?”

Making my heart specialist look good!

I gave him a look. Really?

Channak, who was there, fell over laughing at my response! I had not worn any makeup for a month, so the nurses said I have to come back when I was all made up so they could see how I might look! (?????) (I prefer not to go too deeply to analyse that statement!)

Oh by the way, my response to the doctor? “Enjoy this moment, I am going to make you look good!" Yes, I was being cheeky!

But seriously, I know if it was not for the insurance, I would not be able to have access to medical treatment. So I am very grateful to God for leading me to the Great Commission, as they made sure I had coverage etc. I know the average Khmer does not have access to really good medical care, so I am praying for a change for them.

I am very thankful to Annette, my angel here, who has taken me in, but I am looking forward to planning a thanksgiving time for what HE has done through many of you! 

Channak has been my mediator with the insurance company and the hospital administrator; my sister Sita has been sending the updates out to you; Ian and Ramona have been my advocates in Canada with Great Commission and ensuring I do not worry about things here!  Ruby has been my prayer warrior and constant encourager!

There are so many people to thank. How blessed am I?  There are too many to name, but HE knows, and I pray that the time you have all invested will be returned many times over to you!

I am learning a new rhythm of life in Him, so my dance moves are changing, but I want to be like one in the 'orchard' that Barb Manchester spoke of, with His fruit going deep within me as I cling to the vine, My Jesus, the Christ!

I also still need to bolster my financial support. Please email me. Thank you so much!

Love, His Warrior and Disciple, submitting to be His dance partner here in Cambodia,

Your servant, Vidya

** (P.S. I am at 90 percent of my monthly support, would you consider becoming one of my dance partners? Please email me!)

#88 - Lifted Up On His Shoulders!

Vol.# 88

Finally! I am able to write! 
My hands are free from the IV and I am feeling so much better!

For those of you who are not aware of what's been happening, here is a synopsis of the past 3 weeks:

On December 21st, I felt extreme pain in all of my joints and could not move. I called my friend Channak at 3 in the morning and all he could hear was me crying! So he came over with Jonny, another friend, and within the next hour, got a taxi, got me down 3 flights of stairs, and with the help of another couple from my church here, Liep and Krong, I was taken to the hospital. I spent 2 weeks in the ICU, so Christmas and New Year is a blur. Then one week ago I transferred to a normal room.

Friends visiting in the ICU

Diagnosis: Streptococcus group B: septicaemia.

I was given massive doses of antibiotics until they were able to figure out the specific bacteria and am now on antibiotics (IV) once a day:

Praise God: for His mercy and grace. Channak was able to connect with Ian and Ramona re: insurance, and he became my advocate here at the hospital. Ian and Ramona were my advocates from Canada making sure things went smoothly. So I want to thank God for those three!

I was not able to communicate as I was medicated all the time, but now I am able to advocate for my own health care. They give you pain killers if you just groan! I have had to say no so we can figure out where the pain still exists in my joints and the level of pain!

Praise God: I was able to live stream Solemn Assembly at Rexdale Alliance church. I got to see your beautiful faces and it made me cry and laugh at the same time! Thank you to those who sent me words of encouragement and who have been praying.

Praise God: I had God conversations with 3 of the nurses in ICU. I was depressed because I was using my Khmer to communicate and they could not understand. To my relief, I discovered they are all Thai, so that is why they did not understand! I have begun to have deep conversations with my doctor who is also Thai. She is lovely and gentle and yes, she says I am her most 'vocal' or really the only patient she has who is vocal about health care! That should not come as a surprise to many of you!

Apparently I have given them many things to consider for treating the patient as a whole person, not just giving meds on time etc. I told her Jesus Whom I serve is concerned not only with the physical parts of my body, but the emotional and spiritual as well! I pray we can continue to talk after I leave here.

Prayer request: that my strength will grow. I walk in the corridors but I have to be able to walk up stairs. Pray that I would exhibit His fruit of the Spirit. In this culture if you ask for something they interpret it as complaining, so I need to be wise in how I address issues! 

I had one nurse from ICU come down and give me a hug saying they missed me in ICU! That is in spite of me! Only His Holy Spirit can do that!

I will write more later. I just wanted to keep you updated!

Please send me your prayer requests. Yes I am in the hospital but I can pray!

The hospital is built near the poorest area, so on my walks I pray over my Khmer people, and I know that many of them do not have access to good health care like I do.

I am grateful to the Great Commission for their prayers and support for me here. I do not know why I was allowed to go through what I did, but one thing I do know, HE is my GOD, HE is my breath, HE is my all in all!

TO my family: thank you to my parents and siblings and extended family for prayers. I am in His arms!

I was sent this song, Shoulders ~For King and Country:

When confusion's my companion

and despair holds me for ransom

I will feel no fear

I know that You are near

When I'm caught deep in the valley

with chaos for my company

I find my comfort here

'Cause I know that You are near

My help comes from You

You're right here pulling me through

You carry my weakness, my sickness, my brokenness

all on Your shoulders, Your shoulders

My help comes from You

You are my rest, my rescue

I don't have to see to believe

that You're lifting me up

on Your shoulders, Your shoulders

You mend what once was shattered

and You turn my tears to laughter

Your forgiveness is my fortress

oh, Your mercy is relentless

My help comes from You

You're right here pulling me through

You carry my weakness, my sickness, my brokenness

all on Your shoulders, Your shoulders

My help comes from You

You are my rest, my rescue

I don't have to see to believe

that You're lifting me up

on Your shoulders, Your shoulders

My help is from You

(Don't have to see it to believe it)

My help is from You

(Don't have to see it 'cause I know, 'cause I know it's true)

My help is from You

(Don't have to see it to believe it)

My help is from You

(Don't have to see it 'cause I know, 'cause I know it's true)

My help comes from You

You're right here pulling me through

You carry my weakness, my sickness, my brokenness

all on Your shoulders, Your shoulders

My help comes from You

You are my rest, my rescue

I don't have to see to believe

that You're lifting me up

on Your shoulders, Your shoulders

My help is from You

(Don't have to see it to believe it)

My help is from You

(Don't have to see it 'cause I know, 'cause I know it's true)

My help is from You

(Don't have to see it to believe it)

My help is from You

(Don't have to see it 'cause I know, 'cause I know it's true)

My help is from You

(Don't have to see it to believe it)

My help is from You

(Don't have to see it 'cause I know, 'cause I know it's true)

My help is from You

(Don't have to see it to believe it)

My help is from You

(Don't have to see it 'cause I know, 'cause I know it's true)

The line that I love the most is this: I do not have to see to believe that You are lifting me up on Your shoulders!  I have to trust God.

I give this song to you all to encourage you. I pray that it does, as it has become one of my faves in the hospital (Oceans as well), along with Isaiah 40, which was read to me last night by Patti Russell! For those who may be going through a tough time, I dedicate this to you!

Love, His Warrior and Disciple, submitting to be His dance partner here in Cambodia,

Your servant, Vidya