I realize that a few days have passed since my last post and if you were at the Family Bible Church worship service on 6/29, you already have an idea why. Let me see if I can catch you up a bit:
Friday, June 27
In that day’s post I mentioned the distant sound of emergency vehicles as I mused about entering into the messiness of the world below. Little did I know I would be traveling in one of those emergency vehicles later in the day. Our plan for the day was to spend some time with Josh, Anežka and Krištof Dietz – full time missionaries in Prague. Our plans took a slight detour though.
For me, the day started off normal enough. I had a good night of sleep and an early breakfast at our hotel with Sarah. The others woke slightly later and did the same. I made a short blog post (https://fbcaz.com/arrivals-june-27-2025/) and we prepared make the 30 minute metro trek to see our missionary friends.
Somewhere during this time, I realized that I was feeling a little bit off. I had discomfort in my abdomen that was difficult to pinpoint. I shrugged it off as being due to the previous day’s travels. These were the warning signs of what was yet to come.
An aside about kidney stones:
I have a family history of kidney stones that have resulted in about 5 “serious” episodes in the last 25 years. In my case, excess calcium and other compounds crystalize in my kidneys and begin to grow. When the stones break loose and start to travel downward from the kidneys, they can get stuck, blocking normal functions. Then the pain begins. The pain only grows until the stone moves again, or it is surgically removed.
We met the Dietz family at our rendezvous point and began a nice walk through a regional park. I normally enjoy talking with Josh about his ministry efforts and comparing notes about serving God. This day, was no different, however, I became increasingly distracted by the discomfort in my abdomen. So much so, that I excused myself from the visit and returned to the hotel so that I could rest.
The rest of the day is a bit of a blur but follows roughly this timeline:
- I recognized the pain was a kidney stone that would require emergency attention. I called Chris (who was still spending time with the Dietz family) and with the advice of Josh, had the hotel front desk call an ambulance for me.
- Josh and Chris met me at the hospital and stayed with me for the day. Testing confirmed that I was suffering from a kidney stone. Based on the size, position of the stone, and lack of infection, it was determined that no surgery was required (big praise)!
- During the waiting between tests, Chris maintained communications with our kids (who were at the hotel) and sent many prayer requests
- The stone shifted, relieving the pressure (another big praise).
- I was released from the hospital with prescriptions to help with pain and the remaining process of eliminating the stone.
- Josh Dietz took Chris and me from the hospital back to the hotel where we were reunited with our very thankful kids.
At this point, we had much to praise God for. And we began looking forward to the next day’s adventure. That I will save for my next blog post.
So what do I think God was trying to show us through all of this? What comes most to mind is how wonderfully the body of Christ can come together. I know many of you were praying as you learned of my condition. And of course, Josh and Anežka went above and beyond to make sure that were supported. They truly modeled looking after the sick and the needy that is honored by our King (Matthew 25:40). We are thankful for all of you.
On another note, God is a wonderful provider. Last summer He connected me with a urologist in the Czech Church who is available to help if I need further treatment.
That’s all for now. Thank you for joining us in prayer this summer. I will post again later today to catch you up about how we got to Český Těšín. After that, I hope our posts will be much less exciting.