God’s Amazing Grace Saved My Life

On my most recent trip to Haiti, I arrived with a full schedule and clear expectations. I did not expect that I would leave fighting for my life. Yet, in ways I could not have imagined, I encountered God's amazing grace and his nearness, provision, and sovereignty at every step.

I arrived at the HAFF campus on a Tuesday. Early Thursday morning, I began experiencing pain in my right side. At first, it did not present like a medical emergency. I had no rebound pain and could move without sharp increases in discomfort—signs that, back home, would usually suggest nothing urgent. I was able to supervise work throughout the day, though I could not exert myself much physically. My traveling companion, coworker, and board member, Perry Converse, graciously took on much of the physical work without complaint demonstrating amazing grace to me.

By early evening, I sensed something was not right. Around 7:00 p.m., I notified the missionaries that I needed to see a doctor the next morning. Then, about an hour later, everything changed. The pain in my abdomen suddenly escalated from manageable to overwhelming. It felt like an explosion in my body. In that moment, I was reminded how quickly our sense of control can disappear—and how fully our lives rest in God’s amazing grace.

“In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.” (Proverbs 16:9)

Friday morning, Dr. Mompremier came to the HAFF campus to examine me. He is a 2007 graduate of our high school—one of many lives shaped by the ministry of HAFF. After examining me, he said candidly, “This is not my area of expertise. You need to be examined by a surgeon.” He also shared that HAFF helped make it possible for him to attend university and medical school. Even in that moment of uncertainty, I could see how God had already been at work years earlier, preparing the right people for the right moment - His amazing grace to save me in Haiti.

Dr. Mompremier personally drove Perry and me to the nearby hospital, Hospital de Bienfaisance de Pignon, where he had arranged for me to meet with the medical director and chief of surgery, Dr. Eric Toussaint. After examining me, Dr. Toussaint told me plainly that I needed surgery and would likely not survive traveling elsewhere for treatment. That afternoon, he performed an emergency appendectomy. He quite literally saved my life.

I spent the next five days in hospital without air conditioning, in heat that reached 96 degrees. Yet even there, I experienced the sustaining, amazing grace of God through the loving care and kind attentiveness of members of my staff and the nurses and the knowledge that I was being prayed for by people around the world. God's amazing grace saved my life.

Beneficiance Hospital, Pignon, Haiti

“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:18)

Believing I could travel safely, Dr. Toussaint discharged me Wednesday evening, and I boarded a Missionary Flights International plane to Fort Pierce, Florida Thursday morning. The crew knew my situation and showed exceptional care, allowing me to board and settle first. The one flight attendant was also a registered nurse, and she watched over me attentively throughout the flight. I was deeply aware that God’s amazing grace was meeting me through ordinary people faithfully doing their work.

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him.” (Romans 8:28)

Upon landing in Fort Pierce, I was the first to deplane. An ambulance transported me directly to the hospital, where my wife and daughter were waiting. There, doctors discovered an abdominal abscess that required surgical insertion of a drain. After another week in the hospital, I was finally discharged.

My wife, my daughter, and I stayed for two nights in one of MFI’s hospitality cottages to determine whether I could manage the long journey home—driving to Orlando, flying to Indianapolis, and then driving to Lafayette, Indiana. By that point, I had lost 25 pounds, much of it muscle. Follow-up care at home confirmed what I was already feeling: recovery would be slow. In early October, my doctors told me it would take about six months to return to normal health.

Now, two and a half months later, I am still struggling with some issues, but have gradually returned to work and am able to manage mostly full work days. The journey is not over, but I am deeply grateful for God's amazing grace and the love his people have shown for me around the world.

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)

I thank God for His provision and for the many expressions of His grace throughout this ongoing trial. I am also profoundly thankful for the hundreds of people who prayed—for healing, for wisdom, and for protection—often without knowing all the details. Your prayers mattered. They still do.

In the days ahead, I plan to share more reflections on God’s grace in crisis—how He remains sovereign even when life feels fragile, how He meets us in weakness, and how He faithfully carries His people when they cannot carry themselves. For now, I simply give thanks to a good and faithful God who was present in Haiti, in hospital rooms, in airplanes, and in every step of this unexpected journey.