Dit was 4:33am daardie Sondagoggend toe my foon lui. ANGEL CELL lees ek half deur die slaap. Maar hy is veronderstel om in ‘n vliegtuig êrens tussen Amsterdam en Dubai te wees? Voor ek nog die groen knoppie druk, is my maag reeds op ‘n knop…
Hierdie is my man se storie.
(Sedert hy die grootste gedeelte van sy sentrale visie verloor het, maak hy gebruik van sagteware wat vir hom lees soos wat hy tik. Hierdie sagteware kan egter net in Engels werk… die tannie se Afrikaans is roerend.)
EMIL: I live with a genetic disease that has claimed most of my central vision. To such an extent that I was declared legally blind and was forced into early retirement in 2015. Currently, I only have 2% vision in my right eye and less than a percentage in my left. In November last year, my dad accompanied me to The Netherlands, to investigate the possibility of a new visual aid to assist me.
We were on our way back to South Africa via Dubai. En route from Amsterdam to Dubai my dad got sick on the plane. However, at that point in time we didn't realise the seriousness of the situation.
I immediately called for assistance. The Emirates airhostesses were so helpful, but they are not trained doctors. They assisted my dad the best they could, but after a while realised they were not equipped to deal with this kind of emergency. They then asked if anyone on the plane was a medical doctor.
The first miracle happened when God provided not one, but two doctors. They were in constant communication with a panel of medical professionals from the airline at ground control.
We were about an hour and a half away from Dubai when suddenly the announcement was made that we were going to do a medical emergency landing in Kuwait.
We were off-loaded and immediately taken to the airport clinic. There they stabilised my dad and then informed me that he needed to go to a hospital for further medical investigation to determine exactly what his condition was. At first we all thought that it was his lungs acting up, since at that point he had been a chain smoker for more than 40 years.
The Kuwait Government immediately issued my dad with a temporary visa, but refused to issue me with one. You can imagine the pressure on me due to this. My dad is 77 years old and needed guidance and someone to assist him to remain calm and to clearly explain to him what was going on without stressing him out. But there they went, and I had to stay behind.
This was about 07H00 in the morning.
I immediately called my dear wife to assist and to make contact with the Kuwait Embassy. She phoned the SA International Relationship division and they were extremely helpful. They in turn then established contact with the SA Embassy in Kuwait.
I can assure you that we sometimes far underestimate the power of prayer.
The Kuwait Government absolutely refused to issue me with a temporary visa. But nobody, not even a Muslim country, can stand against the power of prayer to our God.
First God sent us Mr Radebe, First Secretary to the SA Ambassador in Kuwait.
While he was trying to get my visa issued, I had to remain in one location, very literally, and was only allowed to go to the toilet when I needed to. Other than that it was made clear to me that I was not allowed to move around in the airport.
Low and behold - at around 15H30 that afternoon I was issued with my temporary visa.
On arrival at the hospital it was confirmed that my dad had had a heart attack. At that point he was stable and in ICU and I was only allowed to see him for about 10 minutes.
Kuwait has the strongest currency in the world. It is 3.3 times more valuable than the US Dollar. For one Kuwait Dollar (Kuwait Dinari) you will pay R45, which makes it the smallest country in the Gulf, but the richest (in oil).
In the interim the Medical Insurance Company confirmed that they were not going to cover the treatment cost for my dad for this particular medical incident due to his age.
With this in mind, Maxie tried to book accommodation for me via Booking.com and the miracles just continued. She found that for four nights the average in the city of Kuwait was between R18 000 and R30 000. But again God provided and she managed to book a lovely hotel with bed and breakfast for only R5500 (for four nights!).
Finally I arrived at the hotel that first evening… more than exhausted. Two days without sleep by then and all the added stress was taking its toll.
The disappointment of the visual aid we initially went to Europe for not working for me, the incident on the airplane, the whole airport experience and everything else was just too much for me at that point. I cried as I thought how I was going to battle to get around in a foreign country, Muslim country, and the language barriers I’ve already experienced. Couple all that with my limited eye sight and I just couldn’t help myself.
Nearly three years ago I had the privilege to meet reverend August Basson. He is a missionary working in Africa and Afghanistan.
On that Sunday evening I thought: I need help. So I had a look on the internet into how much a return ticket would be for me to ask someone, anyone, to come and assist me. Immediately August came to mind.
Soon afterwards he phoned me as well and said that he would make a plan to get to me – without me even asking. He also then created a Whatsapp support group for me made up of people in Kuwait via his Christian network in Iraq and other countries. But, we would find out, it was not that quick and easy to arrange a visitor’s visa to Kuwait.
On the Monday at the hospital I spoke to so many doctors. I was actually really passed on to one doctor after another. As with all government hospitals, there was never one specific doctor looking after my dad.
So, first round: I was told we would have to remain in-country for 7 days after my dad’s release from hospital before we would be allowed to travel back to SA. Then the next moment I was told we would have to stay in-country for 30 days after his release.
And so all these thoughts came to mind: KD versus rand, missing the December holidays and family time, spending Christmas alone in a Muslim country... It was not a happy feeling.
I have many, many stories to tell about getting around in Kuwait, but that first night was probably the most memorable.
The hospital was quite a distance from the hotel. The traffic there in Kuwaiti City is like Johannesburg peak hour… times 20. So, if Google Maps says it will only take 30 minutes, the actual trip takes about 1h AND 30 minutes.
Earlier on I saved the address for the hotel where I was staying, on my phone. As I got into the taxi late that afternoon on my way back there, I showed it to the taxi driver for him to read it himself as language proved to be a huge barrier.
After spending a long, tiresome day at the hospital, we travelled and the driver of the taxi drove and drove and eventually I phoned the hotel, twice actually, in order for them to speak to the driver themselves to give him directions. He did not know where he was going.
When the taxi driver finally indicated that we had arrived, he wanted me to confirm that this was indeed the hotel where I was staying. By that time it was 17h00 and pitch dark as it would be at 22h00 in winter here in Jeffrey’s Bay.
Well, in my world, with my vision, I cannot see that well and were not able to see if it was indeed the correct hotel. I then phoned hotel reception again and asked if they could maybe go outside and meet me at the taxi. Just to be told that they have been waiting for me in the street since my first call.
Well, I promised myself I would not get out of the car until I was sure we were at the right place. (Moving around in the city, you can clearly feel the hostility from the local people. Keeping in mind their unstable history with the West, America in particular, I should not have been surprised.) Good thing I was a bit cautious, because we only arrived at the correct location 20 minutes later, quite a ways from where he wanted to drop me off!
On the Tuesday morning, after a restless night, the hotel reception phoned to tell me that my taxi back to the hospital had arrived. However, when I reached the foyer, I simply could not leave. I asked them to send it away, that I was not ready to go yet.
I went back to my room and listened to my Audio Bible and started praying and really listening for God’s word and guidance. I remember crying and feeling so lost and alone.
Then, as clear as day God told me: LG. But what does that mean? So, I asked God to tell me more. Told Him I needed more clarity.
We all know the brands like Samsung, Apple and I suppose LG. But by God’s grace I finally understood:
LG – Let Go!
LG – Let God!
Only then did I feel ready to face the day.
On my arrival back at the hospital, my dad was still in ICU but stable.
Not sure if you in your life have ever experienced this. You want to ask something, but you also don’t want to, because you sort of know the answer already…? Well that was how I felt about the medical cost that was sure to have multiplied by then.
But, I decided to stick with LG: I was going to ask what the cost was up to that point and pay some of it and ask what the estimated bill would be for Dad’s treatment and hospitalization in total.
I must just mention here that amounts of 4 000KD, 5 000KD and $20 000 was already mentioned. So, in rand value it is like R180 000, R225 000, and R320 000 for only some of the procedures - excluding the cost of hospitalization and other lab tests. This was just for procedures and only if all goes well…
2 Corinthians 12:9 says:
"My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness."
I can honestly say that I have now experienced this for the first time in my life.
God wanted me to learn that no currency in the world has any effect on him whatsoever. As long as we put our trust, and I mean ALL our trust in Him, He will provide.
And God’s grace just kept manifesting itself.
Quite recently, actually just three months before our emergency landing, a revision was made to the country’s medical policy. It now stated that “in-transit” passengers were not liable for ANY medical fees incurred during an emergency stay in Kuwait. And I mean: Not. One. Cent. Not for hospitalization, not for doctors, specialists, blood tests, medicine, nothing. How great is our God...!!
Well, that Tuesday evening the traffic was even worse because Kuwait hosted the Gulf Countries Summit. And again: Pitch dark outside at 17H00. Every day on my way to hospital I could sort of see that we were traveling along the cityscape. I could see buildings and such.
That Tuesday evening, however, I realised that I was only seeing desert to both my left and right side.
I then realised that I watch too much TV! I’ve seen too many movies where the taxi driver suddenly stops in the desert and makes a run for it just before ISIS arrives.
Right there and then I promised myself that if that’s the case, I would get behind the wheel myself and get out of there!
LG!
You can imagine my relief when I saw buildings again as my taxi driver simply took another route to miss the additional traffic caused by the Summit.
During my time there, the Lord in all His glory sent more than one person my way - some of them very unsuspecting Muslims - to help carry my load:
Tobie & Arina
My cousin, Tobie, lived through his own Kuwait story about two months prior to this. He was diagnosed with a malignant form of melanoma (skin cancer), but it was picked up early enough by God’s grace and with an operation the doctors were able to remove any and all trace of it.
But God used his Kuwait to get him to phone me. He did not hesitate, as did my friend, August, to offer to come over to Kuwait and assist me. He even phoned the High Commissioner in SA, just to be told that he was now the second person inquiring about an emergency visa to Kuwait.
I believe that Tobie’s Kuwait was also God testing his obedience. He and his wife, Arina, also phoned me to ask for my banking details and the amount we needed to cover our costs. Without me even asking. WOW, WOW, WOW! Again. LG.
God knew He had changed the country’s medical policy, but He wanted to see His child’s obedience on the other side of your Kuwait.
Lukas
When our church family is struggling, some of us are called to pray, some are called to assist by giving monetary support, and some are called, like my friend, Lukas, to send me a daily joke to keep my spirits high. And every day it arrived at just the right time!
On this note: God blessed me with a very, very supportive wife. When I phoned her from the plane early on the Sunday morning, 3rd December, she immediately acted and initiated a prayer support group.
The picture I see in my mind is that we as people need to put our hands on the back of a person in spiritual need. Not to pull him or her back, not to push them either, but to help them not to fall backwards.
(This had me thinking about our shepherds, as the same should apply to us in relation to our pastors. How often do we take time to criticise them? When we should rather just support them...)
Ajo
On the first day whilst visiting my dad, a man came in and said he needed to service my dad’s electronic bed in the ICU. We said of course, and started talking to him. His name was Ajo and he was originally from India.
Later I went to the Sister on duty and asked her where I could buy an English newspaper or book, as I needed to keep my dad’s mind busy while I was at the hotel in the evening. But she could not help me.
Ajo, however, overheard our conversation and came to me after he took the initiative to go and buy a newspaper himself.
As the Summit was still on, no taxi wanted to take me back to the hotel that night. The traffic was just too hectic. He then took it upon himself to arrange with a driver he knew personally. He then offered to take me and drop me off at the taxi driver about 10 km from the hospital. Not only that, he stopped along the way at a shop and told me to take some snacks for the road. His treat!
Peter, Paul & Mary
In the meantime, on the South African side, my trusty sidekick August contacted his vast network of missionaries all over the world and found people willing to assist in Kuwait.
Peter (names changed to protect their identities) is an American who has been living and working in Kuwait for over 21 years. He phoned me and said that he lives so close to my hotel, he was coming over. Once there, he wanted to know if I needed anything, and then proceeded to the shops, returning with a mountain load of stuff: Five types of bread, in case I preferred one over the other, a local SIM card, as my phone cost alone at that stage was about R2000 a day. Not only that: He bought me a mountain of food, cold drinks, snacks and underwear. But most importantly - he prayed with me.
The other two angels, let’s call them Paul and Mary, is a married couple that has also lived and worked in Kuwait for many, many years.
But let me put this into perspective for you. August asked me what I needed. I told him I needed a person with medical knowledge as I hear so many different stories from the hospital and I don’t have the knowledge to ask questions and challenge them. As said so many doctors - so many versions…
Mary made contact with me first, and then I found out that her husband is a very knowledgeable professional in Kuwait!
He gave me so much advice, and they both visited my dad in hospital. He even spoke to the doctor on the phone when he couldn’t make it there, and then proceeded to share the doctor’s info with me in laymen’s terms.
I simply cannot express my gratitude enough for the three of them.
Sammy
On the Wednesday morning God sent Sammy on my path. Sammy is a taxi driver that can sort of speak and understand English. From that day onwards, Sammy himself took me to the hospital and back every day. Every morning he asked me: "Mr Emil, did you eat?"
Then one morning the hotel was late with breakfast and I wanted to be at the hospital early enough to speak to the doctors. So there was no time for breakfast.
That day, Sammy asked me again if I had had breakfast and I told him no. He then gave me the only apple and banana he had. And God made those two pieces of fruit last me the whole day – I did not become hungry even once. Again God provided.
The Security Guard
At the entrance to the Intensive Care Ward at the hospital there was a particular guard stationed there every day. The Lord made me see that everybody was talking down on him and treated him with total disrespect.
One day I bought myself two Cokes and after hearing how he was treated, I decided to give him one. He honestly could not believe it. All he could say was: “For me? For me?” This was the extent of the English he knew and he just repeated the words over and over.
Later that day I was sitting outside the room to give my dad time to rest. This guard got up, came to me and offered me one of the two sandwiches he had brought for his lunch.
This means: He gave me 50% of his lunch...
William
God also sent William my way. He has been a driver for the SA Embassy in Kuwait for more than 20 years and is fluent in Arabic. If I can recall correctly, he is actually from Sri-Lanka.
William is the one who arranged with hospital security that they must allow me in to visit my dad. They are very strict with visiting hours there. You are only allowed in from 16H00 till 18H00. But that meant that I would have never been able to see the doctors. Dear William changed that.
After William stood up for me, the Head of the Security Division asked me almost every day how my dad was doing. Then one day he again asked, but his English was not that great. I tried to explain, but he called me into the office where about 14 very intimidating security personnel wearing their traditional Muslim clothing were waiting. The one person had a better handle on the English language and translated between me and the Head of the Division. They were all very kind and not intimidating at all. They even invited me to have a seat and share a traditional Kuwaiti tea with them.
This came in a jug with only two cups between the 16 of us, and a small bowl with water to rinse the cups in. So they drink and rinse and drink and rinse. The water in the bowl made me want to reconsider their offer.
But I had no choice as it was offered with such good intentions.
On one of the pictures I took with them, we both hold up our fingers in the international sign for OK. What he didn’t realise is that it also indicated that it would take not one, not two, but three Imodium’s to recover…
Conclusion
We each have our own Kuwait. But we all also have God on our side, we must just LG.
In my one Kuwait story it worked out the way I hoped it would.
My dad is home safely in SA and has seen the cardiologist here. He would probably still need to have a stent put in, but the real crisis was sufficiently addressed over in Kuwait.
It also worked out from a financial perspective. Sure I had costs for accommodation and so forth, but the greatest cost would have been the medical cost. And God took care of that.
So again, God’s grace worked as I had hoped and prayed for.
But God does not always let it work out the way we want it to work out. My other Kuwait story, my eyes, did not work out as I had hoped, since the visual aid I tested in Den Haag (The Hague) barely made any difference.
However, if it was not for this Kuwait, maybe I would not have been here today to give glory to God. It was never about my eyes, after all.
Whatever your Kuwait is, LG and persevere with thanks.
Focus on God.
Trust God.
And experience His never-ending love.
Jou temalied vir die week: SKEPE
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