Luisa Undergoing Physical Therapy

Give THANKS unto the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people. 1 Chronicles 16:8 

God truly answers prayers in His own time.  For months, I had been praying for a foundation to sponsor my free therapy since the available ones are beyond my affordability.  I have been like this for three years, previously with on-off treatment because of financial constraint.  The paralysis made me sad because even  the  online tutorial I wanted so much to work for, I was not accepted because of my difficulty in speaking.  I wanted to work and earn for myself so that I would not be dependent on my family anymore.

One day, out of despair, I wrote a question in the Yahoo Question and Answer Forum.  I heard about singing therapy being a good speech-disability cure.  A retired American Pathologist replied that I rather go through formal therapy instead and recommended an American website.  To make the story short, I emailed two foreign websites from USA and UK.  The UK website gave me the website of National Counsel for Disability Affairs, a Non-Government Organization in the Philippines helping disable people.  That was the only time it dawned on me that I was a disabled person already and there is help in the Philippines even for poor people like me.  

I emailed the NGO immediately.  Usually, answers in the other websites abroad took only one or two days.  There was no reply so I just let it go.  I thought it was end of the rope.  Deep in my heart I said, if it is God's will that I would have therapy, something would happen somewhere soon.

After a week of silence, I was surprised that a lady called and told me about the response of NCDA. She was representing NCDA CARAGA Region (where my hometown belongs).  I emailed the national office.  It took one week for them to arrange who should take charge of my case. CARAGA Region NCDA would be willing to help me anywhere I would have treatment in the region.  She would arrange for the therapy clinic, possibly free of charge or with very minor fees. Since she could not understand me, she emailed me with instructions.  The following days were several emails from them and my responses.

This was very unexpected!  God had arranged everything for me.  I had no temporary home to stay in, and no finances to support me.  Most of all, I did not know anybody in the venue of the therapy. But, I asked two IFB pastors for a bible baptist church I would affiliate with. Yet, I completely trust God to provide me everything I needed from finances (people who contributed more than enough), to temporary home, to new friends, and to a very good bible baptist church, too.  Everything He provided, to my great amazement!

Now I am here doing the therapy.  I do not know when it will end.  But, I trust God it would be very soon.  He did it before.  He can do it soon.

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy path. (Proverbs 3:5,6)

Thou art worthy, O Lord, TO receive GLORY and honour and power: (Revelation 4:11a).

(c) Luisa Mercado; August 31, 2011