Panama  6^th Week – 2010

‘Thank God that’s over’, is what I can honestly say about this week.  J  We went to the doctor on Thursday and he took some x-rays of her foot in the office.  He decided that it was unstable and needed immediate surgery.  When I say immediate I mean that night.  He said he did not operate on Fridays and he did not want to wait until Monday to do it, so after a great deal of anxiety over getting the money together that they wanted up front we headed to the hospital around 6 pm.  It was a very stressful getting through admissions because we were told the wrong percentage of what they wanted up front.  In the doctor’s office we were told they wanted 20% and found out that really it was 80%.  Well you can imagine the difference and after some haggling they took what we had and admitted her.  Right when they were about to take her into surgery Pastor Roosevelt and Ines showed up.  We both about cried because up until then we had been alone and were honestly pretty nervous.  This was Lindy’s first surgery, ever, and for her to have to do it in a foreign country with the language barrier was a pretty scary experience.  Pastor Roosevelt and Ines sat with me for 3 hours as Lindy was in surgery.  After the surgery Keith and Wilma Forster came as well.  I cannot tell you the comfort we received by having these two precious couples there at the hospital with us.  Lindy said the first voice she heard when she woke up in her room was Wilma’s and she instantly felt relieved. 

That night was a pretty miserable night for Lindy.  The pain medicine they gave her at first did not work.  After four hours of her lying there squeezing the side of the bed in pain I finally had to get a little firm and tell them they had to give her something else.  They gave her another type of medicine and it made her throw up.  I asked for something for nausea and they told me no at first.  After the second dose made her sick I insisted they give her something, which they did finally.  After that she was able to rest for a few hours and the pain was more tolerable.  Going through that experience made us both miss home desperately.  We missed the level of nursing care we have in the states, the ability to communicate in English, the ability to be knocked out when you are in severe pain…I think Lindy missed that most of all.

We are now back home and trying to keep Lindy as comfortable as possible.  Most of you may know the difficulty of recovering from surgery.  Add to that the heat, no air conditioning, an uncomfortable bed, difficulty in taking a shower because of how small the bathroom is and you get a picture of what Lindy has to deal with right now.  Please pray for cooler days and for the swelling that is causing some pressure and a great deal of pain in her ankle to ease.  Our friend Shelly is flying in tomorrow to help take care of her.  She has already bought Lindy a ticket to go back home on March 6^th. 

This brings me to the difficult decision that I am faced with at the moment.  I had originally planned to stay here until June, coming with the purpose in figuring out if Panama was were God wanted me full time.  Over the past few months I have been struggling with that decision and with trying to figure out what my purpose here is supposed to be.  I will be completely honest in telling you a very big part of me wants to pack my bags and head back with Lindy and Shelly.  I can endure almost anything; sacrifice almost anything if I know that the reason behind it is that God’s kingdom is being grown.  Over the past four months I have seen very little evidence that I am impacting the kingdom here.  I know that it takes time to learn the language and adjust to the culture.  That is why I have not made a rash, emotional decision and bought a ticket home yet.  I have decided to take this next week to earnestly seek God’s guidance.  I am asking for one of those ‘wet fleece’ confirmations on whether I should stay or not.  Clara has offered to come back, but asks that we find a place with air conditioning.  So that is an option that I am also considering.  Those of you, who know me, understand that I want more than anything to follow God’s plan for my life.  Sometimes two options present themselves, neither one being a bad choice, and it is in those moments that an internal struggle takes place.  Which path will impact God’s kingdom the most?  That is the question I am faced with, the question that I have asked for several years now.  Once I receive that answer the doubts will cease and His joy will fill me with no hesitation. I am asking for to intercede on my behalf this week, as I wait for His answer for my future.   

God Bless,

Christy and Lindy

Lindy's doctor had a sense of humor