Praise Report: Evidence Of God's Love...Overseas!

All of my family and friends know already that about 5 years ago I moved to Seoul, South Korea for a year to teach English as a Second Language.  While I was there I blogged about my experiences to chronicle my time there and to keep my loved ones aware of my well-being (My Korean Experience).  Living in an unfamiliar place away from family (especially overseas), you pray that nothing bad happens while you're away for obvious reasons.  Well, a couple of years ago, a friend of mine and fellow Alum of Norfolk State University inquired about overseas travel and living abroad.  Recently, she made the decision to go ahead, be fearless and take the leap of faith by accepting a teaching position in Abu Dhabi.  She was so happy and I was happy for her because I knew how much fun she would have.  She was enjoying herself until something unfortunate happened and this is why some people are so apprehensive about traveling and living overseas sometimes.  This is what happened...

"On Thursday night, I was attacked. I came to Dubai with some friends and we went out. A guy was sitting in a chair and got up and walked away. When he left, I sat down. He came back expecting for me to get up and started to glare at me. I did not say anything or even look at him. I continued to speak to my friend who was next to me.

He kept moving closer to me and had his foot against mine. I moved my feet. A few seconds later, as he was walking away, he kicked me. I got up to confront him and he took the glass he was drinking out of and hit me in my face with it. It broke. There was a lot of commotion. I was then taken to the hospital when I got stitches for a cut under my eye. I was then transferred to another hospital where I underwent surgery. The doctor said something about a cat eye.

The next day, I saw the doctor. She said that there was a long cut on my eyeball that they sewed up. They don't know how deep it is or if there are glass particles inside. She said because I could see light, there is a chance of regaining my sight, but I have to get a retina scan for the retina team to get their opinion tomorrow afternoon (Sunday). There is blood on my eye that is blocking my vision and that will take some time to absorb. 

My lens is clear, my cornea is good, retina is good, and interior of eye is good. In the posterior of my eye, there is hemorrhage in the vitreous gel. I will continue taking antibiotics to prevent infection and they will do another ultrasound tomorrow. I'm praying y'all and prayer changes things. I'm just trusting in my amazing and magnificent God."

Pita Gay posted this message on Facebook and her family, friends, and all of NSU began to pray.  Pita Gay also posted this appeal concerning the bill for the immediate surgery that she needed because her insurance didn't cover the surgery (EVERYONE, PLEASE GO OUT AND VOTE...FOR OBAMA!).  Here is the appeal below.

Before I knew it, my timeline and my instagram blew up because our NSU family showed up and showed out with support.  People were reposting and sharing and liking and most importantly donating.  Her hospital bill was $10,000!  A few days later, I was on Instagram and I saw these pics below from Ms. Pita Gay herself.

And then the next day, I saw this...

"Because of you, I was able to be discharged and cover my bill. The hospital gave me a discount that brought the bill down to $6800 and your donations and generosity covered $3000 of it. I cannot verbalize how thankful I am to you ALL. Here is the low down on my eyes: No bleeding under retina, but there is 5% behind, but not center and will absorb over time.
Retina was incarcerated where the glass ...

went it, so they had to cut it to release it and the reattach. They put oil in my eye as a weight to keep the retina pushed again the cell wall and stabilize. I must keep my Head down for two weeks.
They had to Remove lens because there was blood and gel stuck on it. After retina is stabilized, they will insert a silicone lens. Retina looks stable now. Vision will improve with time. 6 weeks more info. There was no scarring on the table. The amount of scarring determines the percentage of vision I will regain. They will know more after 6 weeks or so. I can see a little bit from the front now although it is blurry. The doctor wants to see me next Monday. I was discharged today."

The evidence of God's love is so clear in this situation. Even in this horrid economy, people sacrificed to help someone in need! I pray that Pita Gay continues to enjoy her stay in Abu Dhabi...I'm sure she will because the favor of God is on her life. She remained filled with faith and she prayed daily!

Thank you, NSU! Behold the Green & Gold!

See you at Homecoming 2012!!!

Until next time, continue to be a blessing in someone's life!

Christoph Writes...

"If my words have the ability to develop wings of encouragement, I hope they take flight in someone's life." ~Christoph Jenkins

Discussions of Success: How Do You Know You're Waiting On God the Way HE Wants You To Wait?

Am I truly leaning on God while I wait on Him to open the next door in my life?  This is just me taking an honest inventory of myself.  I am confident that I am being obedient by excericing patience.  The quarrel I have with waiting on God is understanding the thin line between actively waiting and getting in God's way by trying to make things happen on my own.  Take my situation for instance.  I feel that it is time for a career change because where I currently work, it feels like more of a job and less of a career.  Don't get me wrong...I appreciate having a job in this unstable economy and I thank God every day for blessing me with the affordability to pay my bills and stay above water drowning waters.  At the same time though, being the progressive thinker/dreamer that I am, I know that more is possible.  I know that having a career that promotes upward mobility is feasible.  And I believe that while you wait on God you must do your part... but I struggle with determining whether or not I have gone past actively waiting" and entered into "getting in God's way." 

I can go on and on about this but I want to hear from some friends and family.  I know for sure that  many people feel the same way I feel right now.  You may not be waiting on a new job/career like a lot of us are, but it may be that you're waiting on God to send you a significant other or you may be waiting on God to make a way for you to purchase a house or a car.  Some married couples are trying to conceive a child and are waiting on God make their dream come true. 

How do you know that you are waiting the way that God wants you to wait?  Through this discussion, we all may learn a more EFFECTIVE way of waiting on God.

Until next time... until God opens that next door for you, praise Him in the hallway!

Christoph Writes...

Passion 4 Christ: Jesus Take the Wheel... As It Relates To My Career

Long time no post!  My apologies for this recent hiatus from the blogosphere.  I believe God has been training and preparing me for my upcoming career transition and I honestly say I can appreciate the exercise.  There are periods and seasons in our lives when we should be able to recognize when God requests that we humbly let go of the steering wheel and relinquish control of our lives.  There have been times when I have been reluctant to give God complete control of my life but I eventually got so tired of trying to manage and control my own life, that I was actually relieved to hand it over to God. I think for me, I began to really focus on His track record in my life.  There hasn't been one time where he has failed me.  I'm going on 30 years this coming October and to know that time and time again God has fought and won every battle on my behalf is amazing to me.  This is why I delightfully allow God to steer me in the direction He wants me to go.  Psalm 37:4 says it simple and plain... "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart."  God knows that I have dreams and aspirations but at the same time I know that if I just parallel my goals with His plans for my life... WOW!  I can't can only imagine where He'll take me!


Some people are reluctant to give God control of their lives because they don't really believe that His plans for them are actually better than their own. But the truth is that the Lord created us with specific plans and purposes in mind, and there's simply no way we could improve upon them. I like the way one godly man put it: "God will choose for you what you would choose for yourself, if you had enough sense to choose it." Scripture says: "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord,' plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'" (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV)

 Prayer: Lord, I'm tired of being in control of my life. Today, I surrender my whole self to You, and I ask that You help me to fulfill my God-given purpose and potential. Teach me how to do my part by seeking Your guidance and grace daily through prayer and the reading of Your Word. Thank You that Your promise is true--"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him"! (1 Corinthians 2:9 NIV)

Until next time... allow God to take control and watch Him work!

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