Every time I come to India (I am here now) where I'm involved in orphan ministry, there are so many new adventures to be had, unique sights to see in every direction, and holy moments to experience. But an experience this week ranks among one of my favorites.
This week I came down with a flu bug, probably not unusual after all the traveling. It entailed a fever for at least 48 hours, aches, weakness, and a sore throat with cold symptoms. In fact, I'm still getting over it several days later.
Last night, one of our orphan girls who works in the guest home where I'm staying came down with what appeared to be the same flu symptoms. She had a pretty high fever and sore throat, and was laying on the couch quite lethargic. I went and sat down next to her and began to rub her back, as I knew it was aching from the fever.
At first, she resisted because the culture is very rigid about the women taking care of and attending to guests and not the other way around. But I told her to allow me to serve her and take care of her as a mother would since she felt so bad. At that, she began to cry, I'm sure because we all want a mom when we are sick, especially one so young (she is 17).
And then I explained to her that, when we do not have a significant person in our lives that we should have (like a mom), God will often send others to fill that gap at times when we need it. In this case, He sent me to be a mom to her while she needed one, and I explained to her that my TLC was the provision of a loving God.
After that, I prayed over her body, and I also rebuked the fever. Here in India, our ministry is very big into healing prayers, which is quite biblical. They believe that Jesus is the healer as much today as He was in the times of the Bible. In fact, our church and Bible College here in Kota has a fasting and healing service every week with many healings reported continuously, big and small. One man on Sunday shared how he had just been healed of terminal cancer.
So anyhow, after I prayed, I put my hand on her forehead, which was just moments before very hot to the touch. It was COOL! Then I felt her neck and her back, which had just been very hot while I was massaging them, and they were cool and normal! And she had fallen into a peaceful sleep.
She awoke about fifteen minutes later, got up off the couch, and has been completely well ever since! It was such a beautiful moment for both of us.
I don't know who God ministered to more—a sick orphan girl who needed a mom, or a faithless mom who prayed for a miracle. But in the end, we both were healed in a deep place in our hearts.