After God showed me scriptures and I started to declare them over my life. All of a sudden, I felt like "something like scales fell from my eyes and I could see again, like Paul when Ananias placed his hands over his eyes after he was blinded by the light on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:18). I was able to see all the ways that God has planned and prepared me for this trail!
1. First of all, when I started to react in Costa Rica was the start of the Bible School we did. Everyday we had work duties to serve the base. Guess where God placed me? COOKING DINNER FOR THE BASE IN THE KITCHEN! When I found out I struggled so much, I will clean the dishes, sweep the floor or wash tables but do not ask me to cook! I did not cook at all and an area I felt every insecure. Almost daily, I had to pray before 400 work duty time just to have a good attitude in the kitchen as I cooked dinner for the base. About half way through the school, my flesh broke and I fully received the place where God put me and started learn from others in the kitchen and prepare me for 4 months of cooking my every meal. During this time I had already identified that I was reacting to dairy and had cut out milk etc completely but I was still reacting to a lot of the food that was cooked at the base and I did not know why. By being in the kitchen I was able to see how much butter the cooks put in the mashed potatoes or oil was used to cook the vegetables and avoid those things and able to put a portion aside for me before they put in the butter or oil. I would only be able to do this by serving in the kitchen for my work duty.
2. Secondly, we had already planned to move to the states, Washington DC in July. The move to July was also completely planned. The ability to access the specialist who I could completely communicate with in English and ask whatever questions I desired, where in Costa Rica communication was a struggle. As well as in the states the knowledge of Yeast infections is way more common and I had more accessibility to healthy, organic food stores.
3. Not only did He plan which country I was to live in during the infection but He planned the exact location and family I would live with. As we moved to DC, we were not sure where we would live as the staff housing was full. The base leaders decided to open their home and guest room for Dan and I to live in with them (Jason and Kimberlee Hershey) and their four children. This was a complete blessing as Kimberlee know how to cook and cooks HEALTHY. Even before I went to the specialist, God had me eating healthy with the Hershey family, and when I was on the strict diet living with a family that does not have sweets or desserts in the house was such a blessing as I was less tempted to cheat and eat sugar. Finally, I knew that I could not eat dairy and as I shared that with Kimberlee one of the first days we arrived, she shared that she also was not eating dairy because she was nursing her youngest child and he was reacting when she ate dairy so she had stopped it in a couple months before, around the same time I did! Come on, that is only GOD and his perfect planning!
4. After I went to the specialist and learned the strict diet that I could eat, I really was overwhelmed. Remember, I never learned to cook. Growing up my mom worked full time and had 4 kids under the age of 5 so she spend her energy on us rather than cooking for us. She cooked maybe about 5 times for my whole childhood. We ate fast food and out at restaurants everyday. Literally everyday! The food I knew was soft or hard at TACO BELL, large frosty at WENDY's and quarter pounder at MCDONALDS. So vegetables like artichoke, eggplant, asparagus or grains like quinoa and millet were foreign concepts to me. Let alone how to cook or eat them! Kimberlee became my teacher and mentor. All day I had a source that I could access all day and night that could guide me through it. And the freedom to cook in a large kitchen and fridge with only one family to schedule around and cook with.
5. The location of the Hershey house is 4 blocks away from a Yes Organic Market. I was able to walk to get fresh organic vegetables everyday if I needed to. And every time I walk back to the house, I had to climb up the victory mountain as a reminder of God words spoken over me. As I climbed the mountain, I was rest keeping my eyes forward and focused on Jesus and declare the words He spoke the first day I walked up the hill.
6. Finally, as we moved to DC, we prayed about the where God was calling us to serve with YWAM DC. Should I serve with finances or administration or planning for worship teams for David's tent etc. As I prayed, the place where my heart jumped was serving at home with Kimberlee with her children as a nanny. This was not something that was presented to me to do but God continued to lay it on my heart. After sharing with the Hershey's it was a need they had been praying for. So before I knew I had the Candida infection and would be low energy and sick often, God placed me serving at home where I had the freedom to say I need to rest today. Kimberlee was so amazing with being flexible and understanding about my needs to rest or cook throughout the day. If I served with David Tent, I would never not had the energy or strength to run with the team or the the freedom to rest and focus on allowing my body to be restored by God.
God is the Master Planner and clearly prepared me personally and orchestrated my life circumstances for the trail of Candida battle. After God opened my eyes to all of this, my perspective on the battle completely changed. God was in CONTROL and my MASTER PLANNER.
Master Planner: a person who makes the perfect and ultimate detailed plan for achieving something and makes it happen
"I am God and there is no other . . . I say: My purpose will stand and I will do all that I please. . . What I have said, that will I bring about what I have planned, that I will do."
Isaiah 46:9-11
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