Looking Back

Today my mind wandered very far away to a day just over a year ago, that feels like a lifetime ago. It was the day of our boarder crossing from South Africa to Mozambique. Nerves were running high as our little family stepped onto a big bus for a ride into the unknown.  As if managing 4 suitcases, a pack ‘n play, 2 backpacks, 4 precious passports and other valuables was not worrisome enough on the bus ride, we were faced with another concern. The kids had both picked up eye infections and runny noses from the orphanage we had been staying at. Ever since Josiah was a baby every runny nose has led to a fairly seriously asthma attack. On this day he was taking in deep, labored breaths and resting listlessly in the arms. We were giving him to inhaler in more frequent increments than advisable just to offer relief. The nebulizer would have helped in this moment, but were unable to plug it in on he bus ride.

When we came to the boarder we had to get off the bus and carry baby Annette and three year old Josiah, too weak to walk, across the boarder.  “What are we doing?” I cried out to God as it felt counterintuitive to take a sick child into a less developed country. “Why does he need to suffer like this? I know you can heal him, why don’t you?” It was a prayer that my mama heart had called out many times in the middle of the night sitting by his bed in stiff hospital chairs. 

After six hours on the bus, and a crazy taxi ride through the capital city of Maputo we finally arrived at our guest house where we had just a short nights sleep before going to the airport the next morning to fly to Pemba. I remember that night (we were able to plug in the nebulizer so he could breathe better) sweet Josiah asking over and over again in the middle of the night for a blue bicycle. I wanted to offer him something normal and safe, yet we were about to spend 3 months in the bush. Little did I know that God was about to give him something even better than a bike. 

You see that day, October 3, 2011 was the LAST time Josiah has had asthma. Since he was six months old, he has never gone more that 6 weeks without an attack. We were amazed for 3 months in Mozambique- no asthma. For the first time ever he got a runny nose and we waited and waited- but no breathing problems developed. We went to America, six more months- no asthma. We took him off the daily steroids- still no asthma. We brought him back to the pollution of Hong Kong, where he currently has a runny nose- still no asthma!

It is not uncommon for kids to outgrow asthma (usually around 5). I’m not sure how the healing happened, if his lungs grew larger or God directly touched him. But I do  know the timing was incredibly personal. The same month we crossed into a country without access to oxygen and proper hospital facilities, was the same month of his life he was healed.  I feel God’s love so intensely, that he cares about needs and hears our heart’s cry

And, as promised one year later, here is Josiah on his blue bike. God is so faithful!!