Despite my physical limitations, I not only traveled to Kenya but, obviously, I lived to tell about it! (Albeit this "telling" is 8 years after the fact.) One of the first things I did when I returned was to go back to see my physical therapist. The one who rescued me from excruciating pain just before we left was now called on to put Humpty Dumpty together again.
He asked me to tell him about our trip, and since I was bursting with experiences I told him all about the challenges:
A horrible first day in Kenya, which included re-injuring my recently corrected hip
Exhaustion from the jam-packed days
Foreign cuisine such as goat and ugali and fish looking back at me
Scorching heat near the equator
Unexpected obstacles at every turn
 |
| Lower right, injury from said obstacle en route to church. |
Over-loaded canoes (our record was 62 people)
Riding out a storm in a canoe on Lake Victoria with no life jackets
Leaky tents
Walking for a distance that was "less than a throw of a stone."
(Evidently they can throw pretty far because we walked for an hour!)
Parasites in the water, which we took home with us despite our best efforts
But I was also able to share with him the joys:
A new market experience
Hearts hungry for the gospel
A taste of home half a world away. Imagine our surprise to see this t-shirt from the softball fields just down the street from home - only God!
 |
| These softball fields are literally 2 miles from our house! |
Seeing in person the wonders of God's creation
At first, I thought the therapist was just really interested in my trip, but after he inquired about it for the third time I asked him why he kept questioning me.
His answer shocked me.
"Because," he said, "you have exactly the same injury you had just before you left, when you could barely move, but you don't act like it."
I knew it!
I knew when I stepped into that hole on that first day in Kenya that I had duplicated my recent injury; yet look at all I was able to do! Saying that this trip was difficult for me would be the understatement of the century, yet with the injury I sustained I shouldn't have been able to do anything. It took me a while to process this information, and then suddenly God made the connection.
He told me He was going to do this!
Three weeks before we were to leave, I was still questioning if God really wanted me to go to Kenya because it made absolutely no sense. I was having a hard enough time functioning at home, let alone in primitive conditions on the other side of the planet. I had written in my journal that day,
"I don't care to travel literally half-way around the world only to find myself
incapacitated with excruciating pain."
Oh me of little faith!
I was caring for my nephew in the mornings, and each day before school we would have devotions. Earlier that week he had been asking about martyrs so on this particular morning I gave him the choice of our usual devotional, "Keys for Kids" or reading a story from "Jesus Freaks" and he chose the latter. I had been reading it off and on with my own kids, but we hadn't looked at it in quite some time so the bookmark was in some "random" place in the book.
I wrote, with "cool God stuff" in purple for easy reference:
"I believe...God can prevent me from feeling the full effect of the pain..."
And that's exactly what He did!
"In a desert land He found [her], in a barren and howling waste.
He shielded [her] and cared for [her]; He guarded [her] as the apple of His eye,
like an eagle that stirs up its nest and hovers over its young,
that spreads its wings to catch them and carries them on its pinions."
~ Deuteronomy 32:10-11
God book-ended my trip with identical injuries and had them verified by a medical professional so there would be no doubt about the extent of my injury or the source of my relief! Yet I myself had missed it until God used the therapist's words to connect the dots for me.
This trip was the adventure of a lifetime, complete with a miracle! Yet I was glad it was over with and thankful I wouldn't have to go through that again.
God, however, had other plans...
To be continued here.
Lisa
I've been known to link up with: Monday's Reflections, Inspire
Me Monday, Living Proverbs 31, The
Beauty in His Grip, Make
Your Home Sing Monday, Playdates
With God, Unite, M,M and M,
Monday Musings,
Whole-Hearted Home,
Soli
Deo Gloria, Tell Me a Story,
Titus
2sdays, Growing Homemakers,
Women Helping Women,
Wise Woman,
Tell
His Story, Works for Me Wednesday, Winsome
Wednesday, Wordless Wednesday, Feed Me Dearly, Wednesdays Prayer Girls,
Three Word
Wednesday, Whimsical Wednesday,
Messy Marriage,
A
Little R&R, Wholehearted
Wednesdays, From House to Home,
The Girls Link Up,
Doing You Well
Wednesday, Think Tank
Thursday, Thriving Thursday,
The
HomeAcre Hop, Little Things Thursdays, Thursday Favorite Things, Mama
Kats Losin’ it, Thrive at Home, Cozy Book Hop, Inspire Me
Please, Thrifty
Things Friday, Spiritual Sunday,
Faith
Filled Friday, Friendship Friday, Heart-Filled Fridays,
#Fellowship Fridays,
Essential Things, Best Blog Post Ever, Make My Saturday Sweet,
The
Weekend Brew, Write
on Edge, Frugal Friday, Think Pink
Sunday, Sunday
Stillness God's
Girl
Hmmm, wonder what God has in store for me? As I'm gasping for every single breath right now, I can't imagine how I'll paddle several hours a day but I really feel I called to be there at this particular time. We shall see...
God always provides a way for His purposes....we just have to look and seek. Thanks for the testimony!
beautiful post!! Enjoyed all your pictures too! I myself have had pain issues and little faith, hehe, it's a process. But what an amazing adventure you had and miracle (: Thanks for sharing!! Found your link through the Faith Filled Friday linkup
Blessings xos
We often look to our limitations and let them hinder us from even considering doing certain things for God. I'm glad you didn't.
So sorry your back is hurt! I hope the rest of your trip gets MUCH better! <3
Amazing recount of God taking your pain and helping you through it! Thank you for sharing your lovely post with us here at “Tell Me a Story.”
I love these teasers at the end!! Now, I have to say, please link up the next chapter next week! :)
I love how God did this -- such a testament to His love, power, and grace.
How amazing, the way our Lord strengthens us beyond what we can handle.
Some of what you were sharing sure fit into Uganda. I so much want to return. SO MUCH!! Our pastor is going to Kenya for a couple weeks, in a couple weeks. I'd LOVE to go with him and the other connector. Opens my heart every time I'm involved in that portion of the world. Oh, well.. things usually can't continue the same way forever. But as I say, God is BIGGER! We are used around and about, and that's all that counts.
What a great testimony of the greatness of God and His care for us! Thank you for sharing this. :)
So inspiring - thanks for sharing! :)
Okay...next chapter...I'm ready! Our God is just awesome! I hope you will be linking up next week. Thank you for sharing with Three Word Wednesday. Blessings. xoxo
I love it when "God has other plans" for our live... they're always amazing! So thankful He doesn't always let us decide what we're up to! Glad I linked near you at Thrive@Home - have a blessed day!
What a life changing experience!
You are one amazing lady!! God is so good!!
Beautiful post! Thanks for linking up for our Worth Casing blog of the month for June at Agent Mystery Case. Our winner is now on the blog and linkup for July now open.