Taking care of things!

God shows his glory to us in so many different ways. One of those ways is by taking care of things as only he can!

I have posted before about Elmer, a 19 year old that lives with Loren and Karen. Elmer has been given so much. Where he is from most kids go to school until about the 5th or 6th grade. Elmer moved in with Loren and Karen so that he would be able to finish high school. This is a huge oppurtountiy for him. He lives here for free and is able to get a start at a good job. However, he is sortof lazy, all talk, and has proven himself untrustworthy. He doesn't really realize how good he has it (of course I didn't realize how good I had it either growing up and often acted just like him-thankyou for your grace God)!

Well, on Tuesday morning about 1:30am I awoke to the sound of Elmer banging on the hall door. It scared me at 1st because I wasn't sure if someone was in the house or what? We keep the hall door locked in the evening. I soon realized that Elmer was crying out in pain. I opened the door and found him laying on the floor with his hands and feet cramping and his arms wrapped around his stomach. He was sweating profusely and moaning in pain. I ran and got Loren. We both figured it was an appendicitis.

Loren an Karen live off the normal streets of Nicaragua so to call and ambulance would take forever and they might not even find the house. So, Loren loaded Elmer into his vehicle and took off for the hospital. Elmer's family lives 4-5 hours away (and you have to take a boat for the 1st part) and they have no phone. So, there was no next of kin. Loren started praying about where to take Elmer. There is a local hosptial but it is pretty rough here. He decided instead to take him to the Baptist Hospital here in Managua. He wasn't sure if they would treat him without a next of kin. However, they were willing to treat Elmer if Loren gave them his credit card. So, of course Loren did...it was that or let Elmer die. They rushed Elmer back to surgery and took his appendix out. There was no infection and the appendix had not burst. He was out of surgery by about 5:00am Tuesday morning and doing well. We went back and forth from the hospital for a few days but Elmer is home now and healing up very well.

Okay so here is some Glory to God taking care of things stuff:

1. Elmer usually stays at the house to watch over things while we all go out with teams. We are usually gone a week at a time an he is here alone. Glory to God that we were here. Elmer would have died had we not been.

2. The hopstial was willing to treat him and quickly! That is not always the case here. This prevented a possiblity of his appendix rupturing and causing blood posioning or infection.

3. Are you ready for this?
Loren and I were talking after the surgery and I said..."so what happens? Elmer has no insurance and his family can't pay." Loren said, "well, it will just be on me personally. I gave them my credit card. I prayed about where to take him so we shall see"

The next day Serhio was at the hosptial watching over Elmer when we got there. (Serhio is an amazing man of God. He has worked with Loren for years and he will be the one to take over when Loren and Karen leave in August. God has called him to this work here in his own country and it is awesome to go out with him. I trust him completely and we can't even talk to each other because he speaks very little English and I speak very little Spanish...ha!) Anyways Serhio has worked with and knows alot of people in this country. He told Loren, "let me go and talk with some people here at the hosptial and see what can be done." Loren was hoping for maybe a 20% discount or something. Serhio comes back about an hour later and says...."It is taken care of." ALL OF IT. The hospital is covering the bill completly because Elmer is a pastor's son. I just turned and looked out the window and grinned. Yep, this is God in his infinite glory just taking care of things!

So, keep praying for Elmer and his healing, but most of all pray for his salvation. God has a purpose for this young guy and I pray that his eyes will be opened. Many people in this country die of an appendicitis. Pray that Elmer will be saved and bear much fruit because apart from God we can do nothing!

John 15:5
I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.