Mama Agnes

YALL!  I HAVE to share this incredible testimony of God's great goodness.  Our kids at Mattaw sing a song that says "we serve a miracle working God, we serve a miracle working God.... He's the alpha and omega, we serve a miracle working God.  You are my Papa, hey, yeah, yeah.  You are my Papa, hey, God of miracles".  OH how true that IS!  From the mouth of babes.  He is a God full of miracles.  This is a story to give God all glory and credit.  He has blown our minds with His goodness, power and mercy.  This is a long story but hang in there until the end!  The best part is at the end. 

This story is about one of the strongest mamas in the world.  She's quite the example of a life full of strength and determination.  Towards the end of July, we got a phone call letting us know one of our mamas at the Kimbilio Girls Home was in a motorcycle accident.  Her son was driving her to work that morning and another motorcycle collided into them.  The other driver knocked heads with Mama Agnes and she fell to the ground with a leg and arm injury.  They rushed her to the hospital and she stood in line from 9am up until 2pm when she fainted and went into a coma.  We kept getting updates for a few hours after that until it reached the point of urgency.  It felt like if we didn't show up, she would be neglected in the hospital.  Rebecca and I went, not knowing any idea what we could do and knew there was nothing financially we had ourself to give at the time... But God said go.  Sometimes, you just gotta show up. So we did.  Praise the Lord for those nudges He gives us to go.  I was shocked when we got to the hospital.  She was on a stretcher in the entry way to a ward.  In a coma.  With oxygen on.  Which we later found out that the oxygen was basically just for show.  She was also laying flat and her head turned to the side.  Which also could have made the brain bleed spread to other parts of her brain.  Nurse Rebecca got on the phone with Dr's and ICU nurses from the states and they started coaching her through some tests in order to give us some sort of a clue as to how serious this was.  Oh and the ward she was in the entry way to was for burn victims that needed surgery.  There was at least 200 people in this room with maybe 50 beds.  And I think we counted 3 nurses on duty.  None of which were tending to Mama Agnes.  So Rebecca starts doing some general tests to see how bad of a coma she is in.  And almost all of those 200 patience were watching us.  We at least made some sweet little kids smile that looked like they were in a lot of pain.  So Rebecca went at it, things like pressing a pen on places on her toes and fingernail beds.  (excuse my lack of medical terms here!)  There was no response.  And then we sent the brain scan that they had taken earlier in the day and we found it wasn't looking good.  Around 7pm, we figured out she wasn't going to be given any attention and she needed to be transferred to an ICU in another region.  We went to the hospital admin room and they started making calls to hospitals to see if anyone would take her.  We called around 4 major cities and all ICU rooms were full.  They didn't have numbers to some hospitals so we were on the hunt down.  Eventually we got through to a private hospital in a town 1 1/2 hours away and they accepted her.  Miracle.  We put out word on social media of the urgent need, the hospital required a pretty big deposit up front.  SO many people responded!  Miracle.  We then were able to find an ambulance.  Miracle.  Ha.  We then got her loaded up after waiting for 30 plus minutes.  

They loaded her up.  And all the medical people left in a scramble to go get stuff.  Not sure what stuff.  But there we were, just us and Mama Agnes.  Then we find out the ambulance needs fuel so we have to run to Rebecca's house to grab money and meet the ambulance at the gas station.  At this point, Rebecca and I are like "what is going on?!".  They fill up and drive off to Eldoret.  Upon arrival, they pay the deposit and realize she needs emergency brain surgery.  It "just so happens" that the ONLY brain surgeon that serve three regions and usually is on rotation, well he was THERE.  And within 10 minutes of arrival, they started brain surgery.  Miracle.  They felt it was successful and admit her into the ICU.  Praise the Lord!   A few days later, we went to visit and were so heartbroken to see her still in a coma.  We could hardly recognize her because of the swelling from surgery.  Oh but then we felt the tangible presence of Jesus.  The nurses were SO kind and attentive to Mama Agnes.  They told us she hadn't opened her eyes yet but encouraged us to talk to her because she could hear us.  So I was believing in faith that she was going to open her eyes.  We talked with her and she would struggle hard to respond with movement.  We held her hands, prayed over her and kept speaking LIFE.  I kept telling her how much time we had left with her until they kicked us out so we REALLY wanted our Mama to open her eyes.  We would ask her to squeeze our hand and she did a few times.  Then when we had just a few minutes left, Mama Agnes opened her eyes for us!  Oh what a boost of faith it gave us.  Over the next couple of weeks, she fought hard and God was healing her.  Eventually she woke up and the whole Mattaw family rejoiced.  We went to visit her a few weeks later with Brandy and Lauren, from our home church that flew in for a week.  They prayed and wow, was the presence of the Lord SO thick.  Brandy heard the Father say "it's because of her great love for me that she is healed" and she kept speaking that over Agnes.  I asked Agnes if she really knows Jesus and tears began to roll down her cheek as she said in swahili how much she loves Jesus.  At this point, she was in a wheel chair, couldn't walk yet, couldn't see much, had slurred speech and was in a lot of pain.  Not to mention half her head shaved with a wound and stitches from surgery. Her arm was also severely broken in two places.  We SAW the X-ray of it.  They couldn't operate until her hospital bill was cleared and she could pay for the surgery.  They said it was VERY urgent to get surgery though, otherwise it would have to be amputated.  Miracle after miracle as individuals gave to cover costs.  Oh how Papa God LOVES His children.  We then leave, trusting she will be healed.  Over the next week the bills were paid and she was transferred to a hospital next door so that she could have a surgery on her arm for a bit cheaper.  They then needed more blood for her so her family beautifully offered and gave.  We kept seeing moments like this through the whole journey where her family would do anything they could.  Before we knew people would give to her hospital bill, the family was preparing to sell off their farm land to cover expenses.  SO... about that arm.  She finally was able to go into surgery.  They had her in line to be next and the Dr wanted one more X-ray before operating.  

They bring it back and her ARM IS HEALED!  MIRACLE.  

Like, seriously!  Glory to GOD!  The Dr informs the family that he is unable to operate on her arm because there's no problem!  So she was able to be discharged and sent home.  Over the past two months, she's been home and healing.  We went to visit her today and I was COMPLETELY OVERWHELMED by the LOVE of God displayed in this woman's life.  She walked out of her home to greet us, there's the first sign of a miracle.  

She was able to have full conversations with us in swahili AND english.  We talked about what she remembers before going into a coma and also she remembered Brandy and Lauren praying with her.  We were able to share testimony with her and how many people across the sea were praying and loving her big.  Oh my heart.  My heart literally exploded with thankfulness.  I could hardly believe what a sign and wonder her life is.  She couldn't stop praising God and telling me to tell everyone thank you.  So I am.  From Mama Agnes to all those that gave and prayed: THANK YOU!  

Today, my perspective on life was flipped upside down... again.  There's a fight in this woman to live that is so contagious.  And a deep gratitude that she carries for every big and small thing in life.  Keep on keepin on regardless the battle you face.