“Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.” -Psalm 9:10
As the family and I embark on preparing for our relocation to San Jose, Costa Rica, the amount of details and planning involved can make anyone’s head spin. Before I had traveled to Costa Rica this past February, Laura and I had to address the single biggest challenge/detail to serving overseas, my diabetes. As many of you know, I am a type 1 insulin dependent diabetic. To control my blood sugar levels, I use an insulin pump. It is an amazing piece of technology that makes life so much easier for me. Without access to the supplies that keep my pump going, serving in Costa Rica or anywhere that MAF serves would be impossible.
Laura and I had been in prayer well before my scheduled February trip for the Lord’s provision concerning my healthcare needs. There were so many questions we needed answers to and we were praying that my time in Costa Rica would bring answers to some very difficult questions.
When I finally arrived in San Jose, the Lord began to reveal His answers to many of the pressing questions that Laura and I had. Medical specialist were there, the necessary medical tests were available, and many of the medical supplies that I need were there as well. However, the biggest barrier was not yet taken down. I had no answer concerning the supplies that my insulin pump required. Throughout the week, I had been leaving messages with the gentleman who would be my primary physician and my messages were not being returned. I had also heard that given the high price of insulin pumps, they were not common devices in Costa Rica, so supplies for them could be very difficult to acquire.
By Friday, I still had not heard from the doctor and since I was leaving for home on Monday, I was praying for answers by the end of the day. By two o’clock in the afternoon, all was still silent. I continued to pray and have faith that God would move through circumstances that I had no control over. Without answers, everything else would have to remain on hold.
Around two-thirty that afternoon, the Lord began to move. Dr. Longworth, my future physician, was around the corner from the office where our ministry is located. He was bringing in to a local mechanic shop that a friend had loaned him since the car he would normally drive was not allowed to be driven on this particular Friday. (Costa Rica has laws in place for trying to control the number of cars on city streets on given days.) On the phone he stated that he would take the five minute walk from the mechanic to the office where I was so we could talk about my medical needs.
As Dr. Longworth and I spoke, the conversation was going well until the issue of the insulin pump supplies came up. He was not aware of the insulin pump company nor of any Costa Rican diabetic patients that he has ever had who were on an insulin pump. He made some phone calls to local doctor friends and to diabetic specialists. The answers they gave were disheartening. None of the doctors had experience or knowledge with patients on insulin pumps or where to get supplies for them.
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| Maureen, Me, and Dr. Longworth |
About this time, one of my teammates, Maureen, walked into the room and mentioned that she had just seen on the local news a story of a Costa Rican girl who had just received an insulin pump that looked just like mine. She also mentioned that the girl lived in San Jose. Using my computer, Maureen was able to find the news segment and play it for both the doctor and I. (Here is the segment, if you want to see it: Insulin pump.) As the video clip played, the pump was, in fact, the one that I use. The only difference was in the name. When the doctor of the little girl came on, Dr. Longworth recognized him. At the end of the clip there was a phone number that was given for those interested in getting further information about the pump. Dr. Longworth called the phone number on my behalf and being a doctor, there was little red tape to go through to get the answers that I needed. God was on the move.
The company, called Meditek, was located in downtown San Jose; about thirty minutes from where we were at. The girl on the phone told Dr. Longworth that everything that I needed was available there!! Just to make sure, I had Mauricio, another one of my teammates, drive me down to the company so I could be sure that what I needed was in fact there. When we arrived, I spoke with Grettel from Meditek and what she said on the phone was true. Everything was there!
Our ever faithful Lord, made all of these events come together on the last weekday I had in Costa Rica. Furthermore, all of this was orchestrated by Him (through individuals that did not know each other until this particular week) in about twenty minutes. I marveled and gave thanks to what only He could do. What seemed an impossibility to me was not an impossibility to Him. Praise be to God!
-Tony
