With faith, all things are possible...

About 4 months ago in June, when Julie was translating for a team who was distributing radios, she found a 30 year old guy in a zone called Balan which is a half hour from where we live. This young man, Berlota, had fallen from a tree a few weeks before, landed on his back, and was paralyzed from the waist down. He had been laying on hard ground in his house and had developed a large pressure sore on his backside. It had become severely infected because it had not been kept clean or covered with anything. She came home and told me about it and we decided that if he didn't get to a hospital soon, he would definitely die. So that Monday we drove out to Balan to pick up Berlota, his cousin, and his mom and took them to Milot hospital with us. When we got to the hospital, the first doctor we talked to said that there was really nothing they could do and that he would most likely die. They kept him at the hospital, gave him antibiotics, cleaned the wound, and gave him a bed to sleep on. We were worried because the family literally had nothing and could not possibly afford to keep him there and pay for all the treatment he needed. Julie wrote about it on her blog but didn't ask for any help other than that people would pray for the situation. A week later a woman she didn't know but who had read her blog, emailed her and said that she read about Berlota and wanted to send some money to help. She ended up sending about $1500 dollars towards his treatment and care, which covered everything he has needed. I praise God for how he faithfully answered our prayers and provided a way for us to help Him. The money has covered all of his medical care up until about 2 weeks ago. The last of the money had been used up and we weren't sure what we were going to do. Berlota had made a miraculous recovery. He had an operation to put a flap of skin over the pressure sore which was healing very well, and he just looked much healthier and happier. But there were still medical bills that needed to be paid plus he will need ongoing care for a few more months until he heals completely.

Then Sunday night about 2 weeks ago , Julie received an email from that same lady saying that she wanted to send $800 more dollars for Berlota's ongoing treatment. Amen! The Lord gave us our answer plain as day. The very next day we were working in Milot and the hospital said that they were going to discharge him with orders to come back every two days for dressing changes and antibiotics. It was just crazy how we happened to be there the very day they were sending him home, to be able to drive him to his house ourselves so that he didn't have to pay and endure public transportation.

We also found out that since coming to Milot, both Berlota and his mom became Christians. Berlota said He realized that it was God who had saved his life and who had provided everything he needed each step of the way. His mom had a similar response, and both of them never mentioned anyone other than God who had brought them to where they were today.Berlota and his mom

It was just cool because we never said anything other than who we were and what we were doing in Haiti. It is amazing how God uses us when we least expect it and in ways we would never expect, to allow us to boast only in God's glory and faithfulness.

I wish I had taken a picture of when we first found Berlota to compare it to the one I took on the way home. I just remember the first trip to Milot, the hassle it was to get him in and out of the car, that he had to lay on his stomach in the back seat because of the open sore, the terrible smell of infection, and the look of hopelessness on everyone's faces. When we brought him home this time, he was sitting up, looked much healthier due to good nutrition and antibiotics, actually smiled, and was thankful to be be going home.When we started to drive through his town, people on the side of the road and from their houses started pointing and shouting his name as they realized who was in the car. When I looked behind us, there were about 30 people following, running after our car! By the time we reached his house, there was a large group ready to welcome him home and many more on their way.We had gotten a nice wheelchair that was sent up from Port-au-Prince to give to him and we wheeled him up to his front door with friends and family crowded all around him.Outside Berlota's house

It was a time of joy and celebration as he was reunited with these people he hadn't seen in over 4 months. We all sat in his house, him on his new bed surrounded by friends and family.We took some pictures, laughed and hugged, and then prayed for him and his family before we left.There were many miracles that happened in this young man's life to bring him to this point. The Lord not only saved Berlota's life here on this earth, but more importantly He saved him spiritually for all of eternity.

"Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents." Luke 15:10