Part II: Being Sick in South Korea: A Time of Prayer and Community

If the next part of this story could be defined by one word it would be prayer. Prayer has been a integral part of our lives and it is often during difficult times that people are drawn closer to God in prayer. This was certainly the case for us.

It was impossible for me to comprehend the fact that Josh's condition could be fatal. Exactly one week earlier, I was out walking with my friend Carrie and the topic of death and loss came up. When the idea that one day we might be without our spouses trickled into our conversation we simply stopped talking. It was too painful to even imagine.

When I was told that Josh had bacterial meningitis, I felt a desperate need to get a hold of people and ask for prayer. It was hard for me to have an accurate idea of time – but for what seemed like hours -- I was either kneeling at Josh's bedside praying with all my heart for his recovery or on the phone begging for prayers from everyone and anyone that answered the phone.

After a few failed attempts, I was able to connect with Joanne (Josh's Mother). I knew that despite the fact that it was after 2:00am in Canada she would get family and friends together to pray for Josh. She was able to briefly speak with Josh and exchange “I-love-yous”. At this point I was quite frantic. I remember Joanne saying that Josh was in God's hands and so was I.

The next person I was able to get in touch with from Canada was my dear friend, Nathalie. She has always been a friend on whom I can rely. It meant so much to me that she got on the phone in the middle of the night to let people know what was going on and to convey my request for prayer. The following day I received messages from my other dear friends Holly and Rookie that they had connected with friends and family and asked for more prayers.

It was a normal Monday afternoon for our friends in Hongseong. The first person I was able to get a hold of was my friend Courtney. By this point, our phone had died and I was using May's cellphone. I caught Courtney between classes and, despite seeing an unknown number pop up on her phone, she answered my call. I frantically explained how serious Josh's condition had become and asked her to pray and to get people to pray. It was only later that I found out that she contacted all our friends and posted a message on our town's facebook page asking people to pray for Josh during any spare moment – even between classes!

It was in the frantic time between making calls, getting results, and looking up translations that Professor Kim came on the scene. She was the first medical staff at DKU Hospital that I was able to communicate with in English. She told me that she had never seen a patient with such a high WBC count (white blood cell) in a spinal tap sample (Josh had over 30 000 WBCs in his spinal tap-- a normal amount is between 0-5) She asked him “What is your name?” "How old are you?" "Where are you from?" Despite running a fever, being in severe pain, and having a swollen brain, he was able to answer all of these questions correctly. She said it was a very good sign that he was still conscious let alone coherent. This was the first bit of hope I had been given. “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news”. From that moment on I was in love with Professor Kim  (my family and friends can attest to this fact!):

Isn't she lovely? Isn't she WONDERFUL?

Josh was given his first dose of antibiotic and we were told that we had to wait to see how he would respond to the medicine. That night would be the climax.

May --who remained by my side throughout-- was given a message by one of the nurses. She grabbed by hand and said we must run to book a room for Josh in the ICU. We arrived at the reception desk and put Josh on the waiting list for a bed. The clerk at the reception desk handed us a list of items we would need from the hospital store: tissue, wet-naps, diapers, towels. The difference between Korean hospitals and Canadian hospitals was becoming evermore apparent.

While making our purchases, May received a phone call. Our friends had arrived and they were waiting in the hospital lobby. The first faces I saw were Courtney, Braden, Lisa, and Chris. They had left after school and taken an hour long cab ride to the hospital. It was so comforting to see them and feel their love and support.

Throughout the evening more and more people arrived. By the end of the night it seemed as though all of our friends had come to the hospital. The comfort and support we received was very moving. At one point, while waiting in the lobby, we all held hands and lifted Josh up in prayer. It was during this difficult time that our Hongseong friends became our Hongseong family. Thank-you Courtney, Braden, Lisa, Chris, Mikaela, Bryce, Auroura, Kati, Clare, Yoon, Matt, Carrie, Gloria, and Mr. Gloria for all coming that first day.

I was surrounded by support and love as I waited for visiting hours. When they finally opened, I was very thankful to be with our Korean friend, Dr. Yoon, who helped to not only translate, but assess the situation from a medical point of view.

The ICU nurses were very gracious with us, and we remained long after visiting hours had ended. We found out that an exception had been made earlier for two men from a nearby English church. They had come to visit and pray for the expat who was in critical condition. The love and care we were receiving was overwhelming. It was so hard to leave Josh that night; I could hardly bring myself to move away from his bed. As we were about to leave, a particularly kind nurse gave me a comforting look and spoke to me in Korean- Yoon translated that she said "trust me".

By this time, a second wave of friends had arrived from Hongseong. Before leaving the hospital for the night we ,once again, gathered together to pray for Josh.

With the help of Yoon, we were able to find a nearby hotel where I could spend the night. My friends Carrie and Kati volunteered to stay with me. I was never alone. After arriving at the hotel I was finally able to get into contact with my mother. She had been in the USA for the weekend. Unable to reach her by phone, my sister left work and drove out to our cottage to tell her the news. By the time I reached her she had contacted friends, family, and the church to ask everyone to pray for Josh.

Surrounded by love and covered by prayers, we made it through the worst night.