A few weeks ago, we had thirty teens, doing a short term mission staying at our Community Center for the week. They reach out to the community, running Vacation Bible Schools each day, helping us with what we need and learning about City Heights, “the melting pot of the nations”

In our upstairs apartment, we have a beautiful couple and her mother living there, ready to give birth any day.

On my way home from a prayer meeting, I got a call from Scott, who runs the missions teams. He told me that water was coming up out of the drains in both the boys and girls bathrooms, as well as sewage.  I ran over there. I called my husband to join me.  When we arrived it was a total mess, to say the least.  We needed a solution quickly!!!

I started calling , looking for a plumber to get over there ASAP.  My husband started snaking the drains where he could.  It was a nightmare. I began mopping up the mess. My pants and shoes were soaked.  I ran upstairs to tell my tenants to not flush the toilet or use the shower.  They only speak Spanish and could not understand me.  They kept asking me to come in. I could not because of the sewage water all over me.  I began calling everyone I knew, who spoke Spanish, to please translate for me. I finally found someone. At the same time, mom, who is due to give birth in a week, was trying to tell me she could not feel the baby moving. She had not felt him since 12:00 p.m. that day, it was now 8:00 p.m. She was begging me to come inside to lay hands on her baby and pray for him.  I could not go in and she couldn’t understand why.   I grabbed her belly in the doorway and started to pray, as my friend Tammy was translating to her mother, to not flush the toilet.  I prayed, but totally distracted, in a flurry of panic, about the thirty teens, and the sewage all over the place.  She was crying as I prayed. I was thinking this was new mother jitters  I said, ” you will be ok.”  Her husband returned about thirty minutes later to take her to the hospital.

The plumber finally showed up at around 10:00 p.m. He cleared the drains, praise God, but discovered a fallen sewer line. By the grace of God, we got it all cleaned up, disinfected, and the teens could use the toilets for the duration of their stay.

However, the baby was not ok. When they had arrived to the hospital, she was taken in for a emergency C section. The baby’s oxygen had been cut off due to the umbilical cord around his neck, and was placed in ICU for two weeks due to brain damage and a blood clot.

I cannot tell you how that has hit me. Even writing this makes me cry.  I could not help her!!! I could not understand her!! I had sewage everywhere and was dealing with a different kind of emergency. I could not see or hear what was most important at the time. I wish I could of understood, and taken her myself right to the hospital at that very moment. Maybe I could of gotten him there sooner and he would be ok.  Oh God, help me.  This has been a difficult situation for me to process.

I write those things, knowing God is in control, was in control, and is everywhere all the time…. But I am human and face these situations in ministry and in life, and feel like I fail, even knowing what I know about My God, who is their God too.

I lost a son 30 years ago. I knew something was wrong, but my doctor was not listening to me…. I felt like I did not listen to her. This brought up a lot for me that I am asking God to help me see.

The family is strong in faith. They are believing God for total healing. Please hold them all up in prayer.

The baby’s name is David. My son’s name was David too-  he is a fighter.

Indeed the darkness shall not hide from You. But the night shines as the day; The darkness and the light are both alike to You. For You formed my inward parts. You covered me in my mother’s womb. Psalm 139 11-13

 

 

Th