Tags
Anglican, Bishop Leo Michael, dengue fever, Facebook, God, HCCAR, Heaven, Holly Michael, Holy Catholic Church Anglican Rite, India, Jesus Christ, Leo Michael, marked for death, Miracle, nagapattinam, South India, Tsunami, tsunami 2004, Tsunami 2004 Still Wading Through Waves of Hope
I haven’t yet blogged in detail about that one heart-wrenching experience during our return trip to the 2004 tsunami-ravaged villages in Nagapattinam, South India.
My husband and I encountered many difficult situations and joyous ones too, but I’m writing today about the one that still nearly buckles my knees when I continue to hear statements like…
“The devil marked him for death.”
Or when a doctor friend recently said, “It is a true miracle the he survived a multi-organ failure.”
Or the heart tugging statements, said in several different ways:
“I prayed fervently.”
“I shed so many tears.”
“The spirit led me to pray deeply, like I’d never prayed before.”
(statements by even those I hardly know)
It gives me goosebumps, even now, almost three months later, when I think about what happened…in the spiritual sense of it all.
So…going back to late November 2014
…after my husband got bit by an affected mosquito.
…after we finished our mission work in Nagapattinam (my husband growing weak and feverish toward the end.)
…after we rode a bus for 12 hours from the remote villages in Nagapattinam with my beloved nearly lethargic from a spiked fever.
…after we arrived in a Bangalore hospital, my husband dehydrated with 103 fever.
…after the diagnosis of Dengue Fever (my sister-in-law died from dengue fever two years earlier).
…after we were left alone in a room with very little care.
…after I continued my attempts to communicate with the hospital staff that I didn’t think it was normal that my husband had swung from extremely feverish to unresponsive and almost completely cold (and they insisted he was fine).
…after the admitting Hindu doctor woke up in the middle of the night from a dream worried about my husband (one of maybe 200 patients she’d admitted that day) and called the ICU doctor to check on him.
…after he was rushed to the ICU blood pressure dropping and multi-organ failure.
…after I was stopped at the double doors to the ICU by a guard.
….after I sat in the empty hospital room in South India, alone, unable to communicate properly with hospital staff and no phone or means of communicating with anyone but God.
….after I’d finally got onto a hospital computer and asked for prayers through Facebook.
Which leads me to what I believe…
I BELEIVE….
…the heavenly realm, which is all around us always, was busy that night.
…the Holy Spirit touched the hearts of many to pray fervently after hearing my plea on Facebook (as many have testified).
…the Devil had slated my husband (a Bishop in the Holy Catholic Church Anglican Rite) for death.
…the prayers of the saints and all of the faithful allow me now to praise God for his full healing.
…Facebook is awesome and faithful friends and family are amazing. (I love you all).
…God is great, all the time, always!
I chronicled this experience and so much more from our trip to South India in my book, TSUNAMI 2004 – Still Wading through Waves of Hope. I share about the people and villages we visited and those we helped after the 2004 Tsunami, and the experiences upon our return, ten years later.
Ten years ago, after a major fundraiser, we went to the most devastated impassable villages in South India. My husband had a fabulous idea of asking the village headmen (hubby speaks the native language) to bring the orphans to the local bank. We established Bank CD’s in their names, so that ten years later, they would have funds to begin their lives–marriage, college.
Given the arranging of marriages and that the value of women is based on their dowry, the idea paid off literally in dividends.
I share these “then and now” stories and our experience in greater detail in TSUNAMI 2004 – Still Wading Through Waves of Hope. A percentage of the proceeds from the sales will go to support our continuing mission work in India.
Some of our “then and now” pictures (the book also has more picture)
2004 Nagapattinam Harbor
harbor now
We had given funds to the man above on the left of my husband (in the blue shirt/khakis). The man owned a boat repair business, decimated by the tsunami. With funds we gave, he put 50 people to work after the tsunami. Some, (above in boat), after losing loved ones to the sea, did not want to go out and fish again.
Two friends (orphans) we’d helped then, and below now…
Some then photos….
Some now photos…
Seeing herself in the photo from ten years ago
Below, some of the orphans we helped then…
And some of those faces now…
My deepest heartfelt thanks to all of you who helped with fundraising then and all of those who prayed for my husband and to those who also support my writing. Because of you all, we can continue to do the good works that the Lord has prepared for us to do and to go wherever and to whomever He leads us.
*Special thanks to Roger Pierce, the husband of a Facebook friend, who happened to be in Bangalore, had been praying for my husband, and showed up at the hospital later and prayed with us.
To purchase Tsunami 2004 – Still Wading Through Waves of Hope (nonfiction)
and
Crooked Lines (fiction), based on some tsunami experiences. (on sale for .99 Cents now)
All in a week’s work! Well, can’t really call it work. It was a wonderful time. Loved visiting with our church family and welcoming new members. And the views weren’t bad either.
