Challenges and Blessings

You know when you think life is going good and then all of a sudden there are challenges? What do you do in those challenges? The right answer is 'turn to God', but that isn't the truth for everyone. Many people ask, "Why God?"  We have been finding blessings within all of our challenges. Right now our two long term missionaries have left the field because their terms ended, Michael is in our village with all of our kids alone right now because I am with a little girl that is about to face a challenge. While Michael and I could dwell on the challenges of being apart, him being home with the kids alone, and struggling our way through the language, we are seeing Gods hand in all of this. Our God has a big plan for us, and if we dwell on the challenges, we miss His blessings. 

I left on Wednesday with a husband and wife from our village and their daughter to go to The Gambia. Their daughter, Ramatouli, has cleft palate, and an opportunity has come up for her to have it repaired. You see, I'm not a nurse, I can barely speak the language, I've only lived here for six months and I definitely don't know The Gambia, but God had it planned for me to be here. Our nurse in the village had to go home with her husband because his mom died. Michael couldn't come because he doesn't have his Senegalese visa, so that left me. The morning we were to leave, I didn't even know the hospital name or the doctors name we were meeting.  All I knew was that there is a group from the Mercy Ship (learn more about the Mercy Ship here or to read about where Ramatouoli will be, click here) at the hospital. I was to meet the family at 10:00 but at 10:00 I decided to check our email one more time. It miraculously worked and there was an email from the doctor. I learned what time to be there and where to go. That was a relief and a blessing from God. We arrived in Gambia after a very long day of traveling and stayed with a friend for the night. That is when I started to see a miracle. Truly it was supernatural, I was able to speak and understand creole! It was a blessing. The next day we went to the hospital, and God went before us making our travels smooth and we found the place easily. We were early, so we got a sandwich for breakfast and waited. Once the doctors arrived, they right away knew who we were from email contacts and Ramatouli was the first child to be examined and admitted. They saw her mouth and said it would be an easy repair (this doctor has done 100's of these repairs) and because we came from so far Ramatouli would be one of the first surgeries. This was a blessing. God works in good times and difficult times. Even in our challenges we can see blessings. 

Ramatouli will be having her surgery on Monday. We would appreciate prayers on her behalf and for her mom and dad. This will be a challenging time, but my  prayer is they all see the blessing in it. Please pray for the doctors for they will be doing many surgeries starting Monday. Also pray that this family will be strengthened in their faith.