We stopped and got our usual load of fruits and veggies to take to them and got there a few minutes after 11:00. As soon as we came down their road, we saw Kenneth out riding his bike. He seems to love his bike! We pulled up in front of the house and Danelia came walking down the road to meet us…we must have passed her on the way but I hadn’t notice her as there are always so many people out walking around.
We greeted one another and Arturo and Danelia asked us to come in and sit down. Danelia asked me to sit in one of their plastic chairs next to her. I could tell she was nervous and we spent a few minutes just making small talk. Finally, I told her that I thought she was worried about something and asked her if she could tell me what was wrong.
She looked at me for a minute and her face got very red. She told me that the new pastor at their church had decided that we couldn’t hold our classes there anymore, effective immediately. Before I could even react, Danelia apologized and said that the pastor was very jealous of us…I’m not sure how that can be as we just met him for the first time last week. He had asked us for a ride to his house in Managua when we were leaving and I had thought we had a good visit all the way to his home. Guess it wasn’t that great, after all.
Danelia said that he didn’t want us there as we were Baptists and that he was afraid we would want to “change” everyone. She said that he said he had to protect his church and that we could not come back. Danelia was getting angrier and angrier as she continued telling me of the conversation she had had with the pastor.
Danelia and I had talked about this a little last week. Evidently, the pastor had mentioned something to her earlier about us being there. When she introduced us to him, he seemed polite enough although he was perhaps a little stiff. She had told me then that he had asked if we were making the people pay money to come to our classes. She assured him we were not. He then asked her if we were asking anybody to give us anything. Again, she assured him we were not there to take anything from anyone. She said that she told him we were there to help the community by offering the classes for free and that we had been very well received by all of them. He told her that there are Americans who want to come her to take advantage of the Nicaraguan people and that they needed to be very careful about us.
I had noticed last week, while we were all waiting after class for a thunderstorm to end, that the Pastor was sitting by himself and not talking at all to any of the people there. The kids were playing back by him and he only watched them, never smiling at them. I asked Danelia if he was a good pastor and she said yes, but that he didn’t talk to anyone and that he seemed very serious all the time.
On the way back to Managua, he seemed friendly enough. He asked us how we knew Danelia and her family. He asked how many students we had each week in our classes and how long we had been teaching there. He asked what our denomination was (asking us this time) and what church we attended in Managua. He also wanted to know what other ministry work we had done and what we were currently doing in Nicaragua and how long we were going to stay here. He wanted to know where we lived and he wanted to know if our children were Christians. We talked about the difference of knowing about Jesus and the difference in having a relationship with Him. I didn’t think anything about his questions as Nicas are very curious people. I didn’t realize we were being interviewed. It looks like we didn’t fare too well with him.
Danelia was very upset and her eyes were filled with tears. She kept telling me that he was jealous of us. I was puzzled by that comment but I assured Danelia that it was fine and that his decision didn’t change anything between us. I told her that God was in control and that she and I love, worship and serve the same God. I told her that it didn’t matter to me what the name was on our churches as long as we knew Jesus Christ alone is our Lord and Savior. She agreed and she told me that she was so sorry that the pastor was being that way.
Danelia said she had served in that church for a long time and that she was angry that the new pastor would come in and do something like this and would not even listen to her. She said that all the people who knew us there were very glad we were there and she was very afraid we would be offended. I told her we were not offended at all and that although we didn’t necessarily like or agree with that decision, we could understand that the pastor wanted to protect his flock from those he might perceive as a threat.
I asked her if she wanted me to go ahead and teach English to her students or if it would be better if I didn’t. I told her I didn’t want her to have problems with the pastor because of us. Her face immediately brightened and she told me she definitely wanted me to teach and that she was afraid that I wouldn’t want to come back anymore because of the pastor’s decision. I told her that I would love to teach the kids. Danelia said that she was trying to find another place for us to teach. (There’s another whole story with that but that’s for another blog).
I asked her if the students knew what had happened and she told me no and that she hadn’t had time to tell them. At that, I felt sick. I didn’t want them to think that we had just decided that we didn’t want to teach them anymore. Danelia said that she would get hold of all of them and tell them what happened and that we were trying to find an alternative location.
About that time, Arturo stuck his head around the corner and said that it was time for some good news. I asked what the good news was and Danelia and Arturo looked at each other and she began to tell me about her visit with Kenneth’s doctor this week. The head of the oncology department asked to speak with her after they had the results from his liver test. She said she was very nervous to go talk to him as he was the doctor who had been so blunt that Kenneth was going to die and that nothing could be done to save his life, but only stretch his time here.
When Danelia had told him some time back that she believed that God had His hand on Kenneth, the doctor said that he had seen too many mothers who had said the same thing and then watched their children die. He told her that her faith wasn’t going to save her son. This was the same oncologist who lost his own son to the same type of cancer as Kenneth. I can understand why she was nervous to see him again.
When she went in to talk to him, there were several other doctors there. They had Kenneth’s reports and test results. They said that something had happened that they couldn’t explain. Kenneth’s kidneys and liver were fine. Recently, there had been 3 small tumors appear in his abdomen in addition to the 3 larger ones in his chest. All of those are now gone – his chest and abdomen x-rays came out clear! His blood work is good. He’s started to gain weight. He has new energy. His color is good. He hasn’t had a fever for several weeks and he hasn’t had any pain at all. They said they have one more thing they want to do and that’s to check his bones – probably more x-rays, I would imagine and he’s to have that done on Wednesday.
She said the doctor told her that the chemo could not have taken away that cancer as it was too far advanced. He said again that at best, it would only prolong his life. He shrugged his shoulders as he told her that they weren’t sure what was going on. She immediately told that room full of doctors that she knew and that it was God who had healed Kenneth and that she knew He had a great plan for Kenneth’s life.
Danelia broke down at this point and sobbed. She said that every child that had been in the same room with Kenneth each time he had been hospitalized has since died and she said she would often wonder if Kenneth was going to be next. She said that her life had become centered around prayer and that in those prayers, God told her that she was to serve Him by helping others and by being bold about what God has done in their lives. She said that God told her that she isn’t just supposed to tell others about Jesus but that she is to show others the love of Jesus.
This is where I got teary…this woman…this family…they have such mission hearts. How many folks have I known who had so much and yet gave so little? Too many…too many. Too many Christians have Heaven in their hearts but don't share it with those who are dying to an eternal death. For Pete’s sake…there are Christians who don’t even share with their brothers and sisters in Christ, let alone with those who aren’t believers! But this family shares what they do have with those who don’t have. My goodness, how God has used this family to open my eyes to the sin of selfishness in my own life. You know, when God’s conviction pours over you, He has a unique way of using the very thing that breaks your heart to heal your heart.
Back to the generosity of Danelia…here is a good case in point – the lady who cleans at the church also has been diagnosed with cancer. Her name is Claudia and she has leukemia. She is one of our students and she loves English class. What first struck me about Claudia wasn’t the scarf that covered her bare head but her beautiful smile. When Claudia smiles, that smile moves upward and her eyes sparkle like fire. She loves the Lord and that love lights up her face.
Claudia has five children and she is the sole supporter of the family. When she became sick, her husband left. She struggles to feed her children and even though she needs to be worried about her own health right now, her children are her priority. We have seen her clean when she was sick and in pain. Her job is physically taxing and she works hard at it. Claudia takes pride in what she does and is thankful that the Lord has provided her a job. Mopping and cleaning here is not an easy task at any time, but in the rainy season, the work is even harder but Claudia’s floors shine as brightly as her smile.
Danelia told me two weeks ago, that she had been sharing the Sustagen and the milk that we had given to Kenneth with Claudia. She told me that right now, Claudia needed it more than Kenneth since we were helping them with the added fruits and vegetables and that Claudia was getting weaker from the chemo.
Danelia was initially a little tentative about telling me that but I told her I was glad that she saw a need and that through what others had given, that God was helping her meet that need. I told her that’s what missionaries did. I told her that’s how we were able to help them was through what others had given to us. She thought about that for a minute and then nodded thoughtfully.
I had brought an extra can of Sustagen that day for Claudia and asked Danelia to make sure that Claudia would receive it. Danelia assured me that she would and said that she knew it was going to be a real blessing to Claudia and that she knew Claudia would be so grateful. So are we…let me just say right now, thank you for helping us meet these kinds of needs.
Okay, I digressed with my story about Danelia speaking with the doctors…back to it. Danelia said that she reminded the doctors that there were people in her church and in the United States praying for Kenneth. The head doctor said he remembered that she had American friends. He asked her if she was still going to church and if she still had faith. She said she was and the doctor said very softly not to quit.
She said she didn’t know why he said that because the tests show that Kenneth is “cancer free” and that she and Arturo know that God has done a miracle of healing in Kenneth. She began to cry again and I knew then how difficult it was for her to be free from that fear that has had its fierce grip on her heart for the last couple of years. She kept saying the tests show that there are no more tumors.
I put my arm around her and told her that God does indeed have a great plan for Kenneth’s life and that if he gives him many more years or whether his time here with us is short, it is a time that God has chosen and it is part of His plan. I told her that Kenneth’s story has been told many times and that there are so many who have come to know our Lord in a deeper way because of him. She slowly nodded her head in agreement. I told her that God was using Kenneth to soften the heart of the head doctor and that because of him, all of those doctors had heard about Jesus. At that, Danelia’s smile returned.
And now…our walk of faith continues. Only God knows what He has planned for Kenneth. I’m ashamed to say that there is that part of me that says maybe we are rejoicing a little prematurely, maybe we need to wait until next week’s results…but then there’s this Voice inside of me that says, “In whom are you putting your faith, your trust, your confidence…in man or in Me?”
So, for now, we are filled with joy and are praising His name, thanking Him for His faithfulness to Kenneth and this family. And regardless of what the bone test shows this week, our God is still our God and He is Lord! He is the same yesterday, today and forever. His name was Jehovah Rapha…is it not now?
He said, "If you listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, who heals you.” Exodus 15:26
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