My dad nearly died (Aad)

Last Friday my Dad got a heart attack while cycling. He nearly died.

Some people saw him falling down and tried to resuscitate him. Fifteen minutes later the ambulance arrived and got his heart back working with an electric shock and rushed him to the hospital. There he got another shock and although his heart started working again. But some heart chambers did not function and there were complications. Docters were worried his heart might fail and family was called to the hospital in case he would not make it. On friday night Aad got the news in Tanzania and took the first plane back to Holland.

Thank God he made it. Pappa's heart starting working again and now he is in a stable condition and responds to voices. But we're not 100% sure yet if he recognises us. When nurses ask him squeeze a hand, he doesn't do it.

Aad is now with his mum and his sister Andrea in Limburg. Although we have a strong hope, meanwhile it is hard to see pappa lying there helpless. You know, he is recovering from a severe heart attack and then being cooled down to 33 degrees for 24hrs. He might be suffering from broken or bruised bones. There is a big tube in his throat and his tongue is tied and he is connected by a spagetti of wires and he can't communicate.

But we see good things happening. Yesterday Remco de Zwart, a local pastor, came to annoint and pray for him. We experienced God was there with us. Pappa looked straight into Remco's eyes. The pastor spoke the truth over my dad: Jesus has paid for all our sins and sickness on the cross.

Thanks to all our friends and Facebook friends who care. We hear that even in Tanzania, Japan, Canada and England are praying. All of us say we experience a strong peace in this tough time. We have faith for a great outcome. I believe God is moved by our prayers.

God is also giving us wisdom to pray. Yesterday Aad was waiting at the hospital with his mum and sister Andrea. At one point Aad grabbed his bible and read the story of Lazarus (John 11 and 12). Jesus woke his friend Lazarus from the dead and after that many people wanted to meet Jesus and meet Lazarus. "That is curious", Aad's mum said while looking up from her bible... "right now i am reading exactly the same passage".

In John 11 we read that people told Jesus not to bother to go to Lazarus because he was dead already for three days. But Jesus said: "this sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it."

Please pray that my dad will be a modern Lazarus and that God might be praised though this story.