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Psalm 115: 1 (NIV):

"Not to us, Lord, not to us but to Your name be the glory, because of Your love and faithfulness."

For every step of Grandma's recovery, we give praise and glory to God. We know that He hears our prayers, and He is faithful to provide for all our needs. Grandma was discharged from the hospital this past Monday to Uncle and Aunt's home in Taipei. After visiting a few nursing homes in the area, it was decided not to place Grandma there because of the lack of nursing staff. Praise God that He has provided Grandma with a generous and loving daughter and son-in-law to take her in and provide care for her. Please pray for God to supply them with His strength and compassion, as this will be a huge burden for them to take on.

Grandma is still unable to move her left side due to the stroke she experienced, but she is able to eat, talk, drink, and answer any questions. Praise God for healing her in ways we didn't even expect! Please continue to keep Grandma in your prayers as she recovers. She is still not completely normal in thinking and talking, but complete recovery is very close. Grandma is not self-sufficient yet, so please also pray for her to regain those daily skills, such as feeding and showering herself, and going to the bathroom.

Thank you for persevering in prayer for Grandma's continued recovery! It is your prayers and God's grace that has sustained her through everything.

More progress

This morning, the doctor felt Grandma was stable enough to have the tube in her nose removed. Now there are no tubes on her body- praise the Lord! I am so happy to hear every progress Grandma makes that allows her to be less dependent on hospital equipment. Just less than 2 weeks ago, Grandma would have been discharged with an oxygen tank, and the logistics of renting and using one would've made at-home care more complicated. God continues to answer our prayers to Him, and each answered prayer is a miracle and faith-builder!

Please continue to keep Grandma's recovery in your prayers. She has been complaining about pain in her head, and also numbness in her left leg. Although the numbness in her leg seems like an improvement because at least that indicates there's possibly feeling returning to her left side!

My hope is that this blog will be a way for all of us to remember God's providence and goodness to our family, so these testimonies of faith and answered prayer can be passed from generation to generation. When we declare God's wonderful works in our lives, His glory is made known to everyone!

Psalm 145: 3-7 (NIV)

"Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; His greatness no one can fathom. One generation commends Your works to another; they tell of Your mighty acts. They speak of the glorious splendor of Your majesty- and I will meditate on Your wonderful works. They tell of the power of Your awesome works- and I will proclaim Your great deeds. They celebrate Your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of Your righteousness."

Mustard seed

Jesus said to the disciples in Matthew 17: 20-21 (NIV): "Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."

Since she was hospitalized, Grandma has been pleading to get out of bed. The doctors and nurses have been advising against it, as this is an impossible feat for someone who is partially paralyzed and cannot even sit up on her own. My mom told the doctors that she was able to feed Grandma four meals of solids already (which they were in disbelief about), and suggested perhaps they can try moving her out of bed now. The doctor's response to my mom was: "tu(2) fa(3) lien(4) gang(1)" (not sure if my pinyin is correct).

Yesterday was a particularly trying night, as Grandma went back and forth with my mom about getting out of bed. Grandma also said that she feels really bloated, since she has been wearing diapers ever since being hospitalized and cannot have a normal bowel movement. She did not want to eat anymore because she felt so constipated. She told my mom that she just needs help to get out of bed to go to the toilet. My mom would remind her that the doctors insist it is impossible right now, and she needs more time to improve and recover. She cannot even sit up, how does she expect to get out of bed? But, all these explanations and reasons were useless to Grandma's ears. She insisted that she wanted to get out of bed, and begged and bargained throughout the night.

This morning, my mom woke up feeling hopeless and depressed. Of course, she wanted to grant Grandma her desire, but she was asking for the impossible. After turning to the Bible for some comfort, my mom read the following verses from Isaiah 41: 18-20 (NIV):

"I will make rivers flow on barren heights, and springs within the valleys. I will turn the desert into pools of water, and the parched ground into springs. I will put in the desert the cedar and the acacia, the myrtle and the olive. I will set junipers in the wasteland, the fir and the cypress together, so that people may see and know, may consider and understand, that the hand of the Lord has done this, that the Holy One of Israel has created it."

My mom felt that God was speaking directly to her, and these verses were meant especially for her this morning. Against better judgement and medical advice, my mom decided to just try...but really just to prove to Grandma it cannot be done, so she could finally stop asking.

So, my mom gathered the equipment she needed and enlisted the help of Uncle Chung-chiu when he arrived at the hospital that day for his shift. Since Grandma cannot support her own weight, she was much heavier than normal, and it is extremely difficult to move a person who is even partially paralyzed. Once my mom and uncle were able to maneuver Grandma to a sitting position, my uncle was able to lift Grandma from under her arms by himself to the wheelchair. The wheelchair was equipped with a toilet seat and bedpan, and Grandma finally had her first real bowel movement in a month! Then she was wheeled to the shower, and finally had a real, hot shower after weeks of taking bed baths while bedridden in the hospital.

The whole ordeal took about an hour and a half, but it was all worth it after observing how well Grandma slept afterwards. The sound sleep of a person who is completely comfortable and satisfied- I can only imagine how delighted Grandma was to finally get out of that bed!

This happened not once, but TWICE! The second time, my mom enlisted the help of a nurse. The task at hand seemed to be much bigger than the two women who had to carry it out. But, the nurse was willing to try since Grandma did it before, so she instructed Grandma to try using the little strength in her legs to help them. It was a success, and Grandma was able to get on the wheelchair to have a second bowel movement. Praise the Lord!

Many times, our inclination as humans is to put God in a box and limit what He can do in our lives. I know that I often use my own thinking and common sense to decide what God can and cannot do. But time and time again, God shows that He cannot be estimated and calculated with human intelligence. He is far more powerful than we think, and He shows us glimpses of His power and wisdom when we give Him room to act.

God gave my mom those verses in Isaiah at an opportune time, and my mom and uncle took that step of faith. That first step of faith is always the hardest to take! When you don't know what to do and you haven't seen any confirmation with your eyes, it is scary to move your feet forward. Even though my mom and uncle had their doubts and the doctor's words must have been going through their minds, Jesus said we only need to have faith as small as a mustard seed in order to move mountains. And in this case, that mountain was Grandma! =)

I love how the verses in Isaiah talk about the miracles God will perform, and ends with the purpose: "so that people may see and know, may consider and understand, that the hand of the Lord has done this." I know that in my own life, I have wondered why God makes me go through certain trials. Is all of the stripping away of my desires necessary? Did I really have to go through that dark period and suffer through hard times? And the answer is always a resounding "Yes!" Because it is in those trials that I realize my own strength is not enough. I've exhausted all my resources, and it's obvious I cannot do this by myself and in my own way. And that is when I finally let God in to give Him complete control, and He is able to do far more than I could ever imagine. And I have nowhere to give the credit, except to God.

This would never have happened without my mom turning to the Bible, or without my uncle's great strength, or Grandma's persistence, or the invention of a wheelchair that has a toilet built in...but ultimately, the glory goes to God- it is because of Him that we are praising together this huge improvement today! Something the doctors said was impossible, Jesus said "What is impossible with man is possible with God." (Luke 18:27, NIV).

One step closer

Grandma has been eating solid food for the past four meals, and was able to tolerate it well! Praise God!! That's a huge improvement, since the doctor thought she would have to feed through the feeding tube for a long time. The doctor wants to be more conservative though, and does not want to take the chance of feeding Grandma food that she might choke on (food that is too liquidy). So right now, Grandma is eating chunky and thick food consistently.

I am so encouraged how God is answering our prayers, even the ones we didn't think could ever happen. This is one huge step towards full recovery! What the doctor thought would be impossible is now Grandma's reality...I feel like God is reminding us to trust in Him alone, instead of relying on what we see with our eyes or what we think is rational in our minds.

Please continue praying for Grandma's recovery, specifically for her to be able to sit up and regain use of her left side...and be encouraged by how faithful and amazing God is!

Psalm 40: 4-5, 16 (NIV):

"Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods. Many, Lord my God, are the wonders You have done, the things You planned for us. None can compare with You; were I to speak and tell of Your deeds, they would be too many to declare...

...But may all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; may those who long for Your saving help always say, 'The Lord is great!' "

Nursing home

Grandma will be in the hospital for at least another two more weeks. There is still not much improvement, but we continue to pray and wait on the Lord for healing. She is still not able to sit up, and still receiving nutrition through a feeding tube. Please also pray for her chest pain. She complains about it every night- the doctor suggested surgery as an option to treat the pain. However, since it will only treat the pain and won't improve her condition, the family has opted not to have the surgery performed. Instead, the doctor will try to change her medications to hopefully relieve Grandma's chest pain.

There is a nursing home next to the hospital that Grandma might eventually move to, but there is a waiting list and the wait is currently nine months. In the meantime, the family is trying to figure out at-home care with someone who would be willing to work for seven days a week, 24 hours a day. Please pray that God will open doors for Grandma's care after she is discharged from the hospital.

I can't help but start to worry about how Grandma will continue to receive the best care possible. But, God promises to take care of everything He created. We just need to seek Him and keep our eyes focused on Him, and He will take care of all the details.

Matthew 6: 25-34 (NIV)

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will He not much more clothe you- you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

Encouragement and support

I've been told that Grandma is really happy when she receives phone calls from her grandchildren. I'm sure the voices of her grandchildren (and great-grandchildren!) will really lift her spirits and let her know that we're all thinking of and praying for her.

While she was at the senior center in Santa Ana, CA, she learned a few American songs that she loves to sing. If you know how to sing any of these songs, Grandma would love to hear them!

"You Are My Sunshine"

"One Day When We Were Young"

"Silver Threads Among the Gold"

"America the Beautiful"

"The Star-Spangled Banner"

"Three Coins in the Fountain"

"Too Young"

Also, if you have a favorite hymn to share with her, I'm sure she would love to hear it as well.

She may not say much and it will be hard to understand everything she's trying to say, but she would be delighted to hear from you! And I think it will give her the encouragement and support she needs to get through her recovery. I think we are all so blessed that we can talk to Grandma on the phone now- even though recovery has been slow, this is a huge improvement from her initial state when she was first admitted to the ICU. Praise God!

If anyone wants to call and doesn't have the phone number to her hospital room, I can email it to you! Just let me know.

God hears our prayers

Today I spoke with Grandma on the phone- I was so happy to finally hear her voice! She sounded weak and spoke in short phrases while pausing to catch her breath. But, her voice was definitely present and I was so glad to be able to talk to her!

She wanted to thank everyone for praying for her. She said she is better now, and it is because God heard all our prayers. I hope you are all encouraged, and will continue praying for Grandma as she heals. Yesterday, Grandma had slight movement in her left leg. Not sure if it was a twitch or true movement, but it gave some hope that she may be able to regain use of her left side. She is currently receiving acupuncture twice daily. If she is able to sit up before she is discharged from the hospital, that would be ideal!

1 John 5: 14-15 (NIV):

"This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us- whatever we ask- we know that we have what we asked of Him."