Wednesday February 19, 2025
After singing “Here I Come to Worship,” accompanied by Pastor Dave on guitar and Cari Hall on ukelele, Pastor Dave segued to Isaiah 40:31, “Those who wait on the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint.”
Frequently we hear from our patients that they have been waiting months or years for medical help, often for simple procedures that we take for granted at home. They have prayed and prayed, and finally their prayers are answered when a team comes along that can provide the care they need.
My favorite part of my role here is interacting with the patients, meeting their families, hearing their stories, and praying with them. Prayer here seems so much deeper and heartfelt. I watch in awe as tears flow down people’s cheeks as they humbly seek God’s intervention through medical care. Even if they don’t achieve the desired outcome, their gratitude is immeasurable.
Today’s Procedures:
Pastor Dave and I had the opportunity to talk to Devora, a lovely 46-year-old lady, who is here for a meniscus repair of her right knee. She originally injured her knee 13 years ago in a motorcycle accident, where she was thrown into a car and then onto the asphalt. She was taken to a hospital, but because no fracture was found, she was sent home.
Five years ago, her knee started swelling, and in the last year and a half it became so severe that she could barely walk, and she could hear her knee cracking. She had two steroid injections, but they were only temporary fixes.
She has a lot of confidence in the Obras Hospital because she had 2 previous surgeries here (gall bladder and vein). A local doctor recommended she see a trauma specialist, but she said, “No way,” and chose to be seen here by Faith in Practice. She is not nervous, she shared, because she is putting herself in God’s hands. Dr. Stehly will be performing arthroscopy with a medial meniscectomy.
15-year-old Debora fell on her shoulder one year ago. She and her mom drove five hours to Antigua and have been waiting since last Friday for her procedure. Dr. Stehly performed a capsulorrhaphy, a surgical procedure that tightens the shoulder joint’s capsule to relieve pain and improve shoulder function.
Many thanks for your prayers! Tomorrow is our last surgical day. We wait upon the Lord for more opportunities to change lives!
Therese Kiernan, Photojournalist
