Appendicitis with a purpose

Surrounded by love

Yes, I have had an appendicitis, in Israel! As this is something you never plan, it also came for me as a total surprise. It started on Sunday evening, October the 12th. I had just arrived at the Baptist village to be part of the prayer team of the Festival of Life, a new festival organized by Messianic believers to bring hope to Israel and to pray for the unity in the Body of Messiah. This festival was being organized before there was any clear hope of a release of the hostages. Since unity and restored hope are both things that are dear to my heart, I had said yes to being part of the prayer team. That Sunday evening, I ate a bit too much and felt bloated, but I expected it to pass. But that whole night, it continued to bother me. This was unusual for me. Even though I hardly slept that night, I remained in full shalom and in a heart attitude of prayer and worship. I thought of what this physical indigestion could be an image of: perhaps of how we often don't "digest" brothers and sisters in the Body of Messiah and keep things against them in our hearts. So, I repented for this and prayed about it.

The next day I continued as much as possible as usual, even though the discomfort remained and was growing slowly.

Since my belly wasn't any better the next morning, I prayed again with my prayer partners for healing and made a deal with God: if by the end of the Lord's Supper (which would be at noon) nothing has changed, I am going to see my doctor friend who was present, because I had a growing suspicion of an appendicitis.

That morning, the prayer time and the Lord's Supper were very deep. The participants came from very diverse backgrounds, Jewish, Arab and gentile believers with the same desire to come together before the King of Glory. I felt God's presence strongly, but I didn't receive His healing touch for my body. This was not a disappointment for me. I had already felt that perhaps I would just have to go through this process. First of all, for myself to receive deeper healing in that place where I feel easily lonely and abandoned when I am sick. And then perhaps also as a prophetic picture of what God wants to do with these undigested particals (these offenses that we keep toward our brothers and sisters), that we keep stored inside and that sooner or later risk getting infected. So, I was in total shalom and surrender to what Abba wanted to give me in this process.

I went to see my friend doctor, who confirmed my suspicion and advised me to go to a hospital. Going to the hospital was difficult for me. I was afraid; afraid of being alone, afraid of not knowing how to go about it in an Israeli hospital, afraid of not understanding. Because even though my Hebrew is quite alright, medical terms have never been part of it. And when Israelis speak really fast, I also have difficulties in understanding. But I tried to lean on the Lord, and the moment I entered the hospital, these fears were gone, and I felt entirely carried by God's grace and shalom! There is only one more moment that a feeling of loneliness tried to take hold of me, and that is when I was brought to the OR. I went against that feeling by proclaiming the truth, that God is with me: 🎶 You are here, present in our midst, I worship You 🎶. All the rest of the time, I was in total shalom and patient trust, even in the long hours of waiting. And when I got to the OR, the first response of the nurse receiving me was: "What a smile!". This was really God, because I was totally unaware of it...

In the whole process of going to the emergency room, getting diagnosed, being hospitalized, waiting for the surgery, getting the surgery, and the short day of recovery before being discharged I have met many nurses, doctors and other patients. To many, I have been able to be a Christian, Hebrew speaking witness, of God's love for Israel. Because my name was written in English on my name band, it was clear that I was a tourist. But then I spoke Hebrew. How was this possible? So I shared that I studied about the Jewish roots of Christian faith, and that in itself was a beautiful surprise to them. They would respond with: "You are here in a special time" because of the releases of the hostages. "Yes, it is special, especially since I was also here on October 7th (eyes growing bigger), and last year during the second big attack from Iran (incredulity on the faces) and in spring during the war with Iran (total confusion, all their ideas about Christians are being shaken). I even asked God some years ago that if ever something really big would happen in Israel, that i wanted to be there with her in her pain." Those moments were so special because you saw the hearts being touched. It was SUCH a privilege for me to be a tool in God's hands in these moments!!!

Another very special and amazing privilege was for me to find out that I was hospitalized in the same hospital as five of the released hostages... Of course, I have not met them, but being so close to them and being able to pray for them from under the same roof was just beyond what I could have imagined...

In all of it, I just feel and have felt so much purpose and so much privilege that it leaves me without words, and at the same time, I want to scream it from the rooftops...

So, with a heart overflowing of gratefulness to God, for all this grace, and to many dear friends and family who have stood by me in all possible kind of ways, I continue the road of recovery and keep on pondering on all that God has done here.

Give thanks to the Lord for He is good, for His mercy endures forever.

My room: a safe room and nr 18, the number of life!

A special place to recover, close to the tomb of sister Paula

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