My daughter, Karisa-17 years old (at left), went to Ghana in July for a two week mission trip. She got sick a couple days before leaving the country and by the time she got home, we took her to the hospital within twenty-four hours. After three days of testing she was diagnosed with typhoid fever--she was one of the few percent where the vaccination did not work. As soon as they found out what the cause was for her illness, she was treated with the right antibiotics and will make a full recovery. She spent 9 days at the children's hospital here in Louisville.
Karisa used her gifts with children over in Ghana in orphanages, villages, and schools---teaching, playing, singing, and telling them about Jesus. She loved the kids and they loved her. But as she cried out in pain in the hospital (more from a spinal tap headache than the actual typhoid), she was wondering whether she should stick to the United States (she went to Honduras last summer and got sick from the water).
However, as she was in her room in massive pain, there was an eleven year old boy next door with the brain of a six month old. His mother told us that the only thing that brought him real joy was to look at different lights. My other kids and Karisa decided that we should get him one of the lights that shines stars on the ceiling. Karisa (with Kari's help) wrote a letter (including a "GRACE" evangelistic tract) to go with the special light telling him and his mother about Jesus. Karisa was struck with the realization of how important it was not just to GO to Ghana to tell kids about Jesus, but to tell them right where she was (i.e. the hospital). Before they were discharged, the mother told Karisa that was the nicest thing anyone had ever done for them outside family and she wanted to know where Tim (my husband) preached. The door was opened and we exchanged phone numbers.
"Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace seasoned with salt..." (Galatians 4:5,6a)
