Meet Rommel

Meet Rommel. For almost two months now, he has been unable to stand on his own, which has caused him to experience depression and anxiety.

Last January, his wife told us that Rommel was experiencing extreme lower back pain that kept him from sleeping. He was admitted to the hospital, but after a couple of days, financial struggles forced his wife to discharge him without a clear diagnosis.

One night, I had a dream that I was driving my motorcycle. In the dream, I saw Rommel sitting happily on a wooden chair by the side of the road. He shouted out to me, “You forgot to visit me!” However, I just kept driving and did not look back. When I woke up the next morning, I told my wife, Dian, that we needed to visit Rommel. I felt strongly that the Lord was using that dream to tell me to go see him that very day.

So, we went to visit him. When we walked into his house, I saw him leaning over the table. He told us that was how he had been sleeping for over a month because he could no longer lie down flat. My heart broke seeing him like that. I could not believe how serious his condition had become.

Rommel cried throughout our conversation. He felt useless because he could no longer work to provide for his family. He felt abandoned by his siblings and friends; he could not sleep from the pain, and he had so many questions about why God was making him suffer. I comforted him and said that God does not cause our suffering. Sometimes He allows tests to come our way so that, in our weakest moments, we can experience His great mercy and goodness. I reminded him that God can deliver us from our greatest trials and bring us into His everlasting grace and love.

Rommel also knew what I’ve been through. I told him that the same God who rescued me from dialysis and near-death experiences will rescue you from your pain and suffering. We prayed over him, encouraged him to pray, and thanked God even through these sufferings. 

Romans 5: 3-5, “Not only so, but we glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance. Perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, who  has been given to us.” Because of God’s provision, we can bring Rommel to the chiropractor for therapy sessions twice a week. We drive three hours to get to the clinic, and we have also purchased vitamins for him. Hopefully, this is the beginning of his journey to stand and walk on his own again, so that he will be able to work and provide for his family’s needs.

Rommel’s story reminds us that there are many brothers and sisters out there crying out to the Lord for help, both in physical and spiritual pain. By stepping into their suffering, we become the hands and feet of Jesus, offering tangible hope and reminding our hurting brothers that they are never abandoned nor forgotten. In Matthew 25:40, Jesus reminds us that whenever we show kindness to the least of our brothers and sisters, we are doing it directly unto Him. I am a kidney transplant recipient myself, and I have many limitations because of my health. However, I cannot just watch my brother in Christ cry out for help. I know that Jesus will give me the strength to serve.

Please pray for Rommel’s continuous healing and progress, and please pray for our strength as we continue to walk with him in these challenging times of his life.