Nothing Is Impossible

With three older sisters, Michael was the youngest and only son. 

Therefore, when he took Esther to be his wife, his whole family rejoiced. They all loved Esther and treated her kindly because she was their baby boy's bride. 

We sat around a table in the living room of Michael and Esther, who both work alongside us as a part of our national team here in Burkina, but whose names I have changed in the rebelling of their story. We asked them to tell us their story, and so Esther began. 

Michael and Esther lived in the village together for eight months before she became pregnant with their first child. When she reached her sixth month, she woke up one morning with a strange pain in her stomach and back at the level of her kidneys. Frightened, she went to the local medical center only to deliver a premature baby boy, who was fighting with every breath for survival. "The baby won't live," the doctors said, "but we can try to transfer the child to another better equipped facility in a bigger city." However, the chances of the baby surviving such a long transfer on such bumpy roads were rare. Before they could make a decision, the baby died. He lived three hours. "It was one of the hardest times of our lives," Esther said. 

Esther soon got pregnant again, and believed with all her heart that everything would be okay this time. She sought prenatal care in a bigger city and spent lots of money on her appointments only to have the same exact thing happen again at six and a half months. 

After the second loss, Michael's family began to doubt that Esther could have children at all. According to the customs of the culture, Michael's father counseled him to take a second wife. 

Michael jumped in to the story at this point and said, "My father is a very authoritative man. What he says happens. And whatever he says, you must accept it." However, when Michael's father found him a second wife and brought her to him, he would not accept her. "I told my father that I was not in agreement. Such a thing was not in the marriage vows I took with Esther." This started a big conflict within Michael's family, which got so bad that they felt like they had to leave. 

Esther went back to her village to stay with her family while Daniel packed up their belongings in preparation to move out of the family compound of his father. "While I was with them," she said, "I didn't tell them anything about my problems and struggles. I was so sad, but I kept it all inside." When it was time, Esther returned to Michael, and they took their possessions and left for the bus station. Yet even at the bus station, Michael's father showed up on his moto with the second wife, demanding Michael to take her. Just in order to be able to leave in peace, Michael took the second wife with him on the bus, but he explained to her that he could not take her as his wife. 

They went to a new village where Michael had been stationed to work. There was a local pastor there who often prayed for and encouraged Esther. "While we lived in this village, he told me that I would have a son, that he would live, and that he would be there on the day of delivery to name the child." It was at this time that Esther got pregnant again. 

Determined and hopeful, Esther and Michael went to the capital city of Ouagadougou to seek the best possible care. Esther's sister worked in the medical field and was able to find her a doctor, the first  specialized OBGYN in Burkina. After the consultation with this doctor one Thursday mornin, they determined that a surgical procedure called a cerclage was necessary to help Esther make it to nine months gestation. In order to have the procedure, Esther had to fill out all the paperwork and get a signature from the doctor. She stayed after her appointment to fill out the forms, but by the time she had finished, the doctor had already left. The secretary told her that this doctor only works on Thursdays, so she would have to come back in one week. The next Thursday, Esther showed up again, only to find out that the doctor was on vacation. The next Thursday, the doctor was also unavailable. 

With time ticking away, Esther decided to present the papers to the surgeon even without the doctors signature. "At this point, you are already six months pregnant. We only so the operation at three months or less," the surgeon said. "At this point, all you can do is comlplete, strict bed rest." 

Esther found a place to stay in Ouaga with Michael's uncle and his wife while Michael returned to he village to work. One day, the uncle became so angry and unforgiving towards his wife that he chased her out of the house. Feeling unsafe and now being the only woman in the house, Esther told Michael that she must return home. 

"So he came to get me on his moto," Esther said. "I was supposed to be resting and bed, and here I was, bumping down dirt roads for kilometer after kilometer. 

At one point, they came to a river where their water was waist high. Unable to cross with both of them on the moto, Michael asked Esther to get off and cross first. Terrified, she said, "You're the man! You go first!" We all laughed at this point in the story as Esther told it like it was comic relief. "Plus, you are only one person and I am two!" No matter how hard she tried, Michael insisted that it was better for her to go first, so she crossed dangerously fast flowing river and made it safe to the other side. "I was so mad," she said, "that I did not wait for Michael. I just kept walking! After he crossed with the moto, the engine would not start. I could here him calling, 'Wait! Wait!' but I just kept going!" She smiled.

After our laughter died down, Esther continued their story. 

They arrived to the village and Esther miraculously made it to nine months. "One good morning," she said, "I woke up with a little pain in my stomach and back."  

"That same morning," Michael added, "I felt deep in my heart that she would deliver that day, so I got up early, called my mother to come and help, and went into the market with her to buy supplies for the baby. When I got home, I busted through the door and saw my baby wrapped up and laying on a mat."

"I had gotten up around 8:00 that morning with my pains," Esther continued, "and Michael had returned by 10:00. My delivery was so quick and easy, and I hardly felt pain because of all the joy in my heart."  

"All the women in the village came to visit me and share in my joy. Even the pastor came, and he chose the name for my baby. Samuel." 

The day of Samuel's birth, Michael's family received the news that Esther had given birth to a son. In response, they gave Samuel his middle name, a name in their heart language tha means "forgiveness".

After Samuel, they have had two more children without any difficulty whatsoever. They are now 12, 9, and 5 years old. "It's time for another child!" I said. "Do you want to have another one?" Esther smiled at me and said, "I prayed for just one and God has given me three. That is more than enough!" 

Esther finished by saying her most powerful words. "I like to tell this story to young people because it is good for them to hear. Difficulties for couples will come, even it is not the exact same thing that I faced. When the trials come, place all your confidence in God. For even what seems impossible in the eyes of the world is not impossible with Him. Nothing is impossible with him."