God is Moving Mountains!

"Behold, the former things have come to pass, Now I declare new things; Before they spring forth I proclaim them to you." Isaiah 42:9

 As I read through Pride and Prejudice for probably the 5^th time, I am reminded how much I love a good story. One thing I have asked of the Lord in these last few years is that He give us stories to tell. Stories that show that He is here. Now. Contending for us. I want to be able to tell stories that give people hope. The Bible is full of miraculous events, and we have the same God now. He doesn’t change. It is so encouraging and faith building to hear about things that are happening now, and to be reminded that God isn’t finished with the miraculous.

 Last fall Matt and I went to Carson City, Nevada to see a world renowned and highly successful doctor. Matt had been reading his research, and, in reading other research, kept coming across his name quoted by other doctors. We went with the hope of seeing this doctor more than once, but travelling that far is expensive, not to mention the cost of the actual treatments.

 I remember thinking “What’s going on here, God? This seems like a great treatment, why aren’t you making a way for this to happen?” Unintentionally, we may have been pushing for it in our own strength a bit, knowing that it is good treatment and trying to work out the kinks ourselves. Our efforts were probably commendable, but in the end the answer was an unavoidable “not now”. So we decided to wait and try our best to be faithful and keep pressing on into healing.

Insert tumultuous and full winter here (remember the whole pneumonia thing?)

Then, Matt and I were stoked to be able to purchase an at-home Ozone generator a few months ago. He contacted our doctor in Nevada to set up a phone consult and just get his opinion on how best to use the machine for his current state etc. After all, this is one of the doctors who has really pioneered Ozone therapy...might as well try to get his input.

After a couple phone chats, and some more blood work, our Doc called Matt to say that he considered Matt's case to be….well…urgent. In his opinion, our at home efforts weren’t going to be as successful as they could because Matt's body is backed up with toxic inflammation like the 405 on a Friday evening. He said that Matt could benefit from more intensive treatment. To the tune of a 3 week stay in Carson City, going to the clinic Monday through Thursday, all day. Ozone Sauna treatments, ozone injections, Ozone IV…and something cool called Irradiation. It’s something to do with taking some blood out, exposing it to ozone and UV (the good kind) and then putting it back in.

 So then the million dollar question was how much will this cost? While he had been very kind and generous to us in September, drastically reducing the cost of the treatments we received, nothing had prepared us for his response.

The doctor answered saying that the Lord has been good to him, and he knows it is good for him to give. So he did not want cost to enter into Matt's thinking at all, but rather to just come, and pay what we can. He said he knows that we could use this, and he didn’t want money to keep it from happening for Matt.

 Brains blown. Having done the research, if Matt could have his pick of all the treatments out there, this would be the one he would choose.

 And then, pieces of the puzzle just kept fitting: A family in Carson City who we had met last time offered for us to stay there as long as we need, another friend generously paid for the gas to get up there, and (since this week is already booked tight for me) a third friend dropped everything he was doing this week to drive Matt to Carson and stay with him.

--That was Corrie writing on Sunday the 19th...the next section is Matt, at the end of Monday the 20th.-- 

Hi everyone!  So that story that you just read from Corrie is how I ended up where I am tonight, in bed, in Carson City, updating our blog after day one of intense treatment.  This has all happened so fast, it's hard to imagine that I'm up here right now.  Just yesterday I was driving home from a wedding in Three Rivers with Corrie and Rebecca!

The experience so far has been fantastic, thanks in large part to our new friends who have so graciously opened their home to us.  I nearly cried when the doctor offered his treatment to me, and I've gotten choked up a couple times since then thanks to the unquestioning generosity of our friends here in Carson City.  Their home is so peaceful and a perfect place to come back to after a long day of treatment.  It's just as much a gift from God as any other piece of this adventure so far.  

But since it is getting late...I will save the details of my time at the clinic for tomorrow.  I would, however, like to add something.  At the beginning of this post, Corrie included the verse from Isaiah 42 that talks about the Lord telling us of new things coming before they even come to pass.  Back in September, when we first visited the clinic for some ozone joint injections, I sensed as clear as I've ever sensed the Lord's voice that he was telling me, "I am making a way for you here.  I am giving you favor here."  At the time, I had no idea how huge that would be.  I could never have guessed that this would happen...hope yes...guess, no.


Then around the time of my first phone appointment in the last month, the Lord said the same thing again, "I am making a way for you here.  I am giving you favor here."  To me, these small whispers of the Holy Spirit are almost even more testimony that this is an opportunity from the Lord.  The fact that he spoke to us in that way shows me that this is more than a benevolent man with compassion for a sick 26-year-old.  This is a benevolent man with compassion spurred by the nudging of the Spirit.  What that means for how successful this treatment will be, I don't know.  I have high hopes indeed.  But whatever the result, Corrie and I are seeing, yet again, how REAL our God is.


He speaks to us.  He speaks through his word, but he also speaks through his Spirit, specifically, where we are, now.  And that shows me that he's not done here.  He hasn't stopped pursuing my healing.  He wants to do something with all of this.  And Corrie and I are thankful that he lets us in on his plans from time to time.