A Bump in the Road

Here I sit in my apartment after being released from the hospital this morning blogging about my bump in the road.

Tuesday afternoon I started having really bad pain on my right side, nothing like I had ever felt before, so we went to the mall and got some pain meds to see if that would help. The pain just worsened and worsened to the point where I was shaking, sweating, and could barely walk. We ended up going to the hospital in Chiang Mai where I was admitted and later found out I have multiple stones in both my kidneys, and one that was trying to pass which caused all the pain. After multiple ultrasounds and xrays I was told I had to stay overnight. I got really upset, and also in a way angry at God because here I am in a foreign country - half a world away from my family - in the hospital feeling so alone and in incredible pain. Questions started racing through my mind, why would God allow something like this to happen, why could He not have stopped this, if he really was all powerful then He could have stopped all of this - but He didnt. I started pushing him away, instead of leaning on Him. I was ready to have my dad book my flight back home the next day and be done with this whole mission trip. Talk about a stubborn mule! My second night in the hospital 10 people from The Light who I had just met a couple days prior all came to visit and hang out. We prayed together, and I felt a power in that and finally let down my guard and stubborn-ness and let myself lean on God. I had to understand that God did not cause this pain, it all goes back to our decision of free will that let evil into the world, but God uses all trials and pain for the good, as hard as that is to understand at times. I come from a lot of pain and shame from my past, but God has been using it for the good - He has an amazing plan for my life - and I would not be here if it weren't for Him. I continued to ask for comfort, peace, and healing. The hardest part was feeling so alone, not having my family there and I kind of swam in the puddle of self-pity instead of asking God for that comfort, and remembering that He is always there even when times are hard and seem impossible to overcome. He has continued to show his grace and faithfulness in every obstacle I come across.

I finally was released from the hospital this morning! Yawhooo! I was ready to rip those IV's out of me and run out that door. The stones still have not passed, they gave me about six different medicines and I go back in for a check up next Wednesday, so pray they pass because no way do I want to stay in a hospital again! Pi Ann and Pi Sinn were amazing at making sure I had everything I needed, they took the place of my parents and did a very good job!

After I was let out of the hospital, our other friend Anna, flew in so we went to a temple at the top of this mountain. It is about a 30 min drive up or a 4-5 hour walk. When Ryan and I first arrived here last week, the freshman at Chiang Mai University have a ritual of having to walk all the way to the temple and back down. They believe they need to make that walk and pray in that temple in order to graduate. It has been interesting learning about the buddhist culture and religion, in a way it is a bit saddening because it tends to be such a empty and non-purposeful way of life. But here are some pics up at the temple! Enjoy!

The never-ending stairs to the temple!

All shoes are taken off in order to enter the temple

This is where they burn incense, light the candles and pray for things they want

The Monks! I would be so bored if I ever had to be a monk

Ringing these bells are a sign for good luck, and boy are they beautifully loud bells

People put coins in these and also pour water over the idols 

Hope you enjoyed these pictures!