MISSION OF FAITH by Doug Hoover

Back in 1994, a movie came out that captured a lot of viewer’s hearts. The movie’s name was Forrest Gump. One of the most famous lines from the movie was “Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you are going to get.” You go through life and each day brings a new challenge, a new trial. Sometimes there are days you wish would get done faster so you can just try to forget about it. Do you wish, don’t you wish, you knew when a storm in life is coming? If only we knew when events like being let go from a job or a medical emergency were imminent! We would have time to prepare, time to find things to prevent it from coming, but God wants us to put our faith in Him.

Twenty-five years ago, I did mission work in a small village named San Narciso in Belize. Belize is a small country south of Mexico. I fell in love with this village in 1994 when I was there with a team of others. In 1996, I returned, solo, and was planning to live there for a year. I did many things while I was there; children’s ministry, youth ministry, helped a small church by preaching, visiting people, and doing other activities. I also did children’s ministry in another village.

That August, I began experiencing severe stomach pain. I continued to do ministry despite walking the village sand roads in hot temperatures and working long days. Instead of leading a church meeting from the platform, I sat on the front bench in intense pain. The locals encouraged me to go see a local doctor, but I declined as I thought it was just an upset stomach. I drank Sprite and took Pepto Bismol to feel better. I finally agreed to go see the doctor on a Thursday, after more urging. The doctor told me he thought it was food poisoning and sent me home. Instead of going back to the village where my house was, I stayed with a local pastor and his family in his town. He gave me some medication that night, but by Friday morning I was still feeling terrible. I returned to the doctor, and he now suspected appendicitis and recommended immediate surgery. Instead of having surgery in Belize, they took me to Mexico, which was a 3-hour drive. But first, I was driven back to my village so I could take care of some details and pack some clothes. I was very weak, so I lay down on my bed. When it was time to leave, I could not stand on my own and needed to be pulled up from the bed whereupon I fainted. The pain subsided, and this is when it is believed my appendix burst.

The pastor I had stayed with drove me to a city in Mexico but first had to cross the border and get out to talk to the authorities at the border. I was finally taken to a hospital, which was more like a clinic. There were only 5 beds and an operating room that looked like it was from the 1950s. I don’t recall much more from that Friday as I had surgery and was all alone in a Mexican clinic. The pastor who drove me to Mexico returned to his home in Belize and left a voice mail informing my parents about my situation.

At that time, my mom was a nurse for a local gastroenterologist and her motherly instincts knew she needed to come to be with me as I recuperated. Somehow, which I believe was a God Thing, she got the last airplane ticket to Belize. She quickly packed items I might need medically and also some food for me, as she knew that local food might be too spicy for my sensitive stomach. She flew into Belize and then was driven to Mexico by the pastor and was by my bedside less than 24 hours after my surgery.

During that time, my mom had to shop for food as the clinic didn’t have a kitchen. The hospital food was brought to me by a neighbor of the clinic with bugs on the plate. She also had to find a way to pay my bill and there were no ATMs at the time. I tried to help her with the language when she went out, but I was too weak. After visiting five banks, waiting in long lines, and having her credit card rejected, she finally found a bank that knew what to do with a credit card. She returned to the hospital with the cash needed for my discharge.

During that time, my faith was strengthened, but I believe I had to be taken to my knees to grow closer to God. Isaiah 55: 8 tells us that His thoughts are not our thoughts or our ways. I was planning to stay a year and even though my time was challenging down there, I felt I was doing His will. When we go through hardships, whether they are financial troubles, painful relationships, damaged health, or questioning our self-worth, it is hard for us to realize that God is still always working in us. This is because as humans, our belief is based on what we see and not by faith, which is is what God tells us to focus on. Second Corinthians 5:7 tells us it’s difficult to trust God during uncertain times. My faith made me trust God as He was with me during that time. I was scared, but He comforted me. I felt alone, but He was with me, and He was with my mom as she helped me get better.

Even as I returned home after I got some of my strength back, I knew God was with me the whole time and that my faith in Him should never waver.

Doug Hoover

Doug lives in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania with his wife. He is a project manager for a nonprofit offering vocational training and employment opportunities for Lancaster County adults with developmental disabilities. Photography is his passion, and he never misses an opportunity to take photographs. Doug’s photographic art can be seen and purchased at:

https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/doug-hoover