(This is too painful for me to talk about. I cannot bare to think about it, much less put it in writing, but as I cast my eyes up to the narrow road, I see that it is not supposed to be easy. The pain can turn to trust and joy because Jesus is there walking beside us He has trod this path before us and His glorious right arm leads the way)!
It was the morning of December 26. The road was steep, very winding and narrow. Occasionally it was broken away on the shoulder as sections fell abruptly down the steep cliff making passage extremely narrow. The time was 8:30 a.m. We had been driving one hour. The mountain air was cold. We were on our way to Chaing Rai to renew our visas in Mae Sai, Burma. To try to save money, we were driving 2 motorbikes, Bradley on one and Micah and I on the other. Bradley had just passed us to tell us he felt badly about this trip and wanted to go back and take the truck. He failed to return completely back in his lane soon enough – It happened quicker than you can think a thought. A truck whizzed around the corner just as far into our lane as Bradley was in his. The crash still echoes through my head. Bradley’s motorcycle folded up as it struck the man’s front bumper and hood. Bradley flipped up onto the hood and then fell heavily to the road. The truck veered into our lane right to the ditch and hit us a split second later. I had not taken my eyes off Bradley even though we all landed in different directions. I leaped to Bradley’s side in a flash. My first concern was his level of consciousness and breathing – relief – it was excellent. He was telling the man to please turn off his motorbike. The engine was still running. I took off his helmet and did a methodical head to toe examination. He found his broken arm before I did because it was in some crazy angle. My first numb thought was “In all things give thanks for this is the will of God for you.” I began to thank the Lord for each part of his body that did not appear injured. It boiled down to the left forearm and right lower leg somewhere at the knee where his injuries were. This was a huge miracle. All the vital body parts were uninjured, at least as far as my simple one-the-spot examination could tell! There was no spine board, no cervical collar, no warm body to care about us for miles around. Micah had been watching from his position in the ditch. His face was white like Bradley’s and probably like mine too. I asked him where he hurt and he told me he was spitting up blood. I panicked and started head to toe on him. Before I could get to the internal organs he complained of extreme thirst. Now I knew he had internal bleeding somewhere. I cannot express to you my anguish. Just then he said the blood he was spitting came from a small cut on the corner of his lip! What a relief that was! The man driving the truck came upon us like a mad dog. I was astonished at the tone and decibels of his voice, when I was expecting some concern and assistance in helping the injured ones. He was furious that his truck was dented. He put Bradley in the back of his truck while I was examining Micah’s injured right lower leg. We joined Bradley in the back of the truck and thought the man was taking us to a small clinic in Methawah. However he drove the half hour stretch to the Methawah police first to report the damages on his truck, then he took us to the clinic where they simply gave Bradley Ibuprofen right in the back of the truck. I was anxious to get to the closest hospital in Meta. It seemed like an hour before we took off again bumping along in the back of a pick up truck whose driver was furious! Meta was one hour away. Halfway there he stopped, came back to us and in a loud voice demanded 1000 baht to pay for his fuel. Bradley, bless his heart told the man that we would not give it to him until we got to the gas station. The man seemed to drive all the faster, blowing his horn long and loud at everyone in his way. Not because he was trying to get us to the hospital quickly for our sakes, but because he was so angry. He stopped to fill his truck up with fuel first and then he attempted to find the hospital, but he didn’t know how to get there. I had to show him where to turn.
If I weren’t so concerned about him I might have joined Bradley in his embarrassment, because we know all the staff and doctors of this small hospital. Throughout our10 months of service in this area we have brought many seriously ill patients here, spending long hours in this hospital. I call it my second home. This time everyone came out to see Bradley. They were calling his name and asking questions right and left. After x rays were taken showing a broken fibula and crushed radius, they sent Bradley and I off to Mae Sot in an ambulance. Micah’s leg was just badly bruised and abraised, so I called Paul Adams, who was happy to come and get him. At Mae Sot hospital, further x rays showed a hairline fracture at the top of the tibia, (not interfering with the growth plate), and the need for surgery on that crushed radius. He was admitted for surgery that day, and received a long metal plate to the radius of his left arm with 7 screws and a long leg cast.
MAE SOT hospital: When I first visited Mae Sot hospital, or any other hospital here in Thailand for that matter, I was horrified to see the way the patients were all crowded together wall to wall. A caregiver had to stay with each patient because the hospital staff do not give baths or personal care at all. The caregivers do not have a nice bed or chair to sleep in – they bring their own mat and blanket and sleep on the floor underneath the bed!! I determined in my heart that we could not ever occupy that position. We could never be patients under these conditions! Well, now, a year and a half later, here we were! I only had one small backpack with one extra set of clothes, a toothbrush and praise the Lord, my small Bible. Bradley did heroically through the admission and surgery. I am so proud of his ability to maintain his sense of humor, and patiently endure. Most of the men in his ward had worse injuries than he had due to the war on the Burma border, the gun shots and land mine injuries etc. There were 24 beds in our ward with 8 beds in 3 sections, divided by glass. Everyone knew what was going on with everyone. These dear Karen, Thai and Burmese people do not watch out of pure curiosity and nosiness, they really care and jump in and help you whenever they see you struggling. We all became good friends. As Bradley’s condition improved, he really enjoyed speaking Karen to them and getting to know them. We felt a real bond together. Later when Bradley was dismissed, they helped him with the wheelchair and carried our things.
Yes, I slept on the floor underneath that bed and thought that it was nothing. The first night I went to the little shop across the street from the hospital to look for a mat. The only thing I could find was a package of black trash bags. At least I would not have to sleep directly on the dirty floor. I used my backpack for a pillow and my white shirt to cover my arms. At 2 a.m. a very kind lady handed me a nice fuzzy blanket which she let me use the entire time I was there. Later I was able to find a mat to sleep on.
After we were dismissed from the hospital I grew more concerned about Bradley’s injuries. I did not trust Mae Sot hospital and needed a second opinion. Also we still had not gotten our visas taken care of and thought we would be charged 500 baht per person for every day that we were late. Little did we know that we were in more trouble with our visas than we could imagine! But, Bradley was much more important than a visa, so we waited until he was strong enough and then drove to Chaing Mai. Bradley felt stronger and able to go on to the Burma border for the visas first, so we drove on to Mae Sai. Bradley sat on a bench, they did not make him walk across the bridge. But he waited 3 hours! First we had to pay a fine of 60,000 baht for not checking our visas when we first received them, last but not least we were told we must fly out of the country on an international flight before the 20th of January which was just 15 days away. Many people have done the same thing as we had with their one year visas and had no problem, but as we were finding out, the rules can change at any given time, or with any given person who holds a position in immigration or on the border.
We drove to the Chaing Mai Ram hospital next to try to find an orthopedic surgeon that we could trust. On examination and further x rays we were told that the hairline fracture of the tibia could extend behind the knee, which could cause pain and trouble after healing. If the bone were depressed as much as 3 mm he would need surgery. We had a CT scan which much to our relief showed no need for surgery, praise the Lord. We also found out that the ulnar had a dislocated chip at the wrist which needed to be evaluated after a certain amount of healing took place to see if it would interfere with his range of motion. His full leg cast was replaced with a fiberglass full leg cast not including the ankle and foot and we were told to return January 26 for its removal.
We drove back to LKY, as we were told by the police that we had to pay for the damages to the man’s truck, and must meet with them January 13. In Thailand we were told that the Thai citizens are always favored in motor vehicle accidents, not the foreigner, and we soon found this to be true. However, the man and the police were not ready to meet us yet and we had to return to Chaing Mai to work out an international flight out of the country.
I checked with Immigration Bureau and 2 travel agents and each told me a different thing. It seemed that we would not be able to use our 1 year visa that we just purchased. Finally the second travel agent told me after calling the Immigration Bureau that we must take an international flight out of the country were there was a Thai Embassy and they would give us 2 months on this visa, then when we got back to ChaingMai they would give us another month. So in 3 months we could resume using the one year visa, just stamping it in Burma every 3 months until the year was up. The cheapest flight was to Loas. The travel agency told us we could take a 20 minute taxi ride from the Laos airport to Vientiane where the Thai Embassy was located. However, when we got off the plane in Laos we were told that Vientiane was 9 hours bus ride away or 40 mins by plane. We had no choice but to book a flight that day to Vientiane. There was no time for the bus and Bradley could not manage it. We were on standby for the only flight that day but made it on that flight. We then got a taxi to a motel near the embassy. Bradley’s leg was hurting from the cramped position he had to assume in those 2 airplanes and the long hectic day, what a relief to rest in the motel. The next morning Micah and I took off on foot to the Embassy. Alas! They told us they could not help us. We must fly back to Thailand and get 15 days pass to stay in Thailand. We do not know how long we will be allowed to stay in Thailand. Tears stung my eyes as I thought about our work, and of our precious bank account which had dwindled in the last 24 days to the very bottom, all seemingly for nothing! We had planned to finish the wood on our house and begin work building a clinic. We have so much to do. We know all things work together for good to those who love the Lord, so however He wants to handle our life we will trust in Him. We know that the more severe the trials the more God is glorified and the greater the victory. I can sense more than ever before the horrid work of Satan and his heinous efforts to bring to naught God’s work. I received a card from my dear Sister just before the accident. She had mailed it a long time before, but as His providence always works, I received it at a perfect time. She stated: “Be strong and of good, good courage. As Satan heats up his forces from below, God is pouring out His Spirit upon us, empowering us with Himself for this last great conflict. While we are still with the foot soldiers let’s bare hardness as good soldiers so at the swelling of the Jordan we won’t be overcome. This is our strengthening workout for the hour of temptation just ahead. Praise God for practice in gaining sweet victories in trusting God in circumstances most forbidding!” Many times I have read these encouraging words and pledging to go through with the foot soldiers and the Jordan with my hand firmly in His. By His grace alone.
Tomorrow we return as scheduled to Chaing Mai. I do not know what they will tell us as we check into Thailand. I stand alone behind our hotel in Loas and thank God for His faithfulness. How comforting are the words of the second stanza of this song:
IT”S NOT AN EASY ROAD!
“It’s not an easy road we are traveling to heaven for many are the thorns on the way. It’s not an easy road but the Saviour is with us His presence gives us joy every day.
CHORUS: No no it’s not an easy road. No no it’s not an easy road. But Jesus walks bside us and brightens the journey and lightens every heavy load.
It’s not an easy road, there are trials and troubles and many are the dangers we meet. But Jesus guards and keeps us so nothing can harm us and smooths the rugged path for our feet.
Though I am often footsore and weary from travel. Though I am often bowed down with care. A better day is coming when home in the glory we’ll rest in perfect peace over there.”
We greatly desire that you will join us in prayer for complete recovery of Bradley’s leg and arm so that he can play the guitar again and complete the great work in his life that the Lord has given him to do. Also that we will be allowed to return to our work in Thailand.
My favorite inspired writer Mrs. White says: “Blessed be the experience however sever that gives new value to the stone, causing it to shine with living brightness.”