This month has been like an episode of "House"

Have you ever seen the TV show House?  Back in college, I thought this show was about landscaping or gardening, but then, after a lot of laughs, my friends told me it was a medical TV show.   :) The basic premise of the show is that it's about this crazy/brilliant doctor (Dr. House) who diagnoses un-solvable medical cases and often uses unconventional methods and medicines to do so.  (More about the show here: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0412142/)

Well, our life has been a little bit like an episode of House for the past month because Drew has been sick with an, as of yet, un-diagnosable sickness.  We live and work in a rural bush village setting (even the "town" we live in is pretty village-like in terms of cleanliness, at least) here in southwest Madagascar, so it's pretty normal that we are often sick.  But, about 3 weeks ago, Drew became more than sick after a visit to a forest village and has stayed that way.  We went to our doctor in our local town and she immediately diagnosed Drew with tyhpoid and gave him some antibiotics.  But, after a week, his symptoms didn't get better, so we flew up to the capital of Madagascar, Antananarivo, and sought better medical treatment at a hospital there.  The doctor in Antananarivo has said that Drew has an antibiotic-resistant bacterial infection.  But then a few days later, this same doctor said Drew has E.Coli.  We have also consulted with our company's doctor in America, who has said Drew may have chronic diarrhea, or something more severe having to do with his liver or colon.  Poor Drew has been on countless medicines, antibiotics, de-worming medicines, de-parasite medicines, liquids, powders, vitamins, and more.  He's had blood and stool tests, IV's and shots.  Still we have yet to have a clear diagnosis or treatment plan. 

Fortunately, I am a believer in God and his power to completely heal Drew.  Unlike Dr. House or any of the doctors here in Madagascar or in America, I know that God can and will ultimately make Drew whole again.  I have come to the (often difficult for me) fact that there is literally nothing I can do to make Drew better, but I must trust and rest in God's healing and faithfulness.  Despite all the ups and downs, the treatments and mis-diagnoses, God is in control and He's going to show up in a big way here.  I'm counting on it and expecting it.

----------Some TRUTHS I can cling to-----------

• I know that Jesus has the power to heal everything and everyone.  While he was on earth he went "throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people." (Matthew 4:23)
•  I know that there is a time for everything and that God will bring glory to Himself here. (Ecclesiastes 3)
• I know that God is our ultimate Comforter and he also enables us to comfort others.  ^"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,  who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God." (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)

Thumb's up! After Drew got out of the hospital and before more treatment began