I once heard it said that all those God has used greatly, He has also greatly broken. I thought It sounded a bit odd. More poetic than rational. But I don’t think that anymore.
I believe that God is about to do great things for His name among the Hungarian people. I do NOT believe it is because of me. I do know that He has called me, Christina, Grace, Emma, and Amelia to be part of it. He has chosen to use us. In His truly amazing grace, He has called us, offering us the chance to be a conduit of His great works. I believe that God took me through brain surgery to get me to Budapest.
I don’t mean that He used the surgery to get us to say ‘yes’ to the call. He used many other means to achieve that. I mean that He used a granular cell tumor in my left orbital apex to change me in ways that had to happen before we arrived in Hungary.
This June it would have been three years of living with the tumor. It would have been a bit over two years since the onset of the painful symptoms. Two years of increasing headaches, burning eyelids, light sensitivity, and random lightening-like shooting pains. God used all this to teach me patience and compassion in a way that I could not have learned it unless I lived in pain.
The first 36 hours after my surgery may well be the spiritually richest time of my life. Yes, I was overwhelmed at the thought that 
the doctors had successfully removed the entire tumor. Yes, I was amazed at how I did not have any vision loss. But more than this, God showed me that for three years He had been teaching me patience and compassion, and that He was getting my attention. He was showing me anew all that He’s placed within me and around me to serve in Hungary and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ to the nations.
There is so much that could be said. Know that your Father in heaven hears prayer. Know that He wrenches joy from suffering and trial. He did not need or have to give me healing now. I am assured healing when I stand with Christ at His return. But there is more to be done. The ministry of the gospel upon this earth is not complete. That is why I am still here. That is what I live for.
