Over the past six weeks our team has been consistently visiting a Guatemalan man named Philippe. Philippe suffers from extreme arthritis in his entire body to the point where he can’t leave his bed anymore. The pain is so severe in his feet that he can no longer walk, especially since the weather has been getting cooler.
We’ve visited Philippe 4-5 times over the past 6 weeks, and his condition has worsened. When we first met him during ATL he was out and about his home with his wife and 40 grandchildren (!), and we spent an hour or so getting to know them and praying for his family. He was still walking at this point, but as the weeks continued, his ability to walk became less and less and now he rarely leaves his room.
Besides the constant pain and inconvenience of his conition, Philippe also stuggles with the emotional and mental toil of not being able to provide for his family. Even though it’s something he enjoys, he can no longer work or help his family in any way. He and his family made the decision a few weeks ago to stop buying pain medicine for him because they couldn’t afford it. He now spends his days lying on a bed in a dark room in constant pain.
His faith, however, has remained constant, if not srengthened. Everytime we visit him and pray for him we end up staying and talking with him through our translator. Even though Philippe is one of the more sick people that we visit, he is also the most encouraging. He always tells us to continue what we’re doing, to keep praying for members of the community, to keep loving the children, to keep trusting in God, and to not lose hope.
Philippe first felt pain in his foot when he was a teenager who played a lot of fútball. He didn’t think anything of it and never got it checked out (remember in Guatemala many can’t afford or trust the doctors/medical system so they don’t go until they absolutely have to when it’s already too late). He has now been in pain for around 30 years and his hands and feet are permanently swollen with internal build ups of acid that have developed into sores under his skin. Even though his literal flesh is dying, his hands and feet are failing, he is still being the body of Christ and still ministering to us, who came to minister to him and his people.
He lays in his room in pain each day, but his prayers and beliefs remain faithful.
I asked some members of my team to put into words what they think of when they think of Philippe, and they said he’s a man who carries a lot of joy that pours over into his family, and that his faith is like a waterfall– powerful and overwhelming.
Philippe is a living testimony and example of God’s faithfulness to us. My team and I can’t wait until we see him in heaven with his renewed body.
We have just over 6 weeks left in Guatemala, but with weekends, travel days, and a leadership development weekend before we leave, we only have 30 days of ministry left, and we are urgent to continue what we’ve become a part of in this country.
Thanks Jesus for the life you’ve given me and the people I’ve met here in this country.
Please consider keeping Philippe and his family in your prayers over the next few weeks and months. We love being able to tell people here that our friends and family from the States are praying for them!
