PRAYERS

Prayer ceremony at Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Bhutan, monks praying for Jack’s recovery

Thimphu, capital of the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan.  The room service waiter upon delivery told my wife Rebel, “I want to meet Jack.” I’d been bedridden here for several days diagnosed with pneumonia.  He wanted to meet the American being cared for every morning and evening by the doctor of the King and Queen. He had never heard of such a thing.

I evidently contracted it on the plane from Istanbul to Bangkok to connect to here by a woman sitting near me with this constant terrible cough she wouldn’t do anything about.  Thank heavens Rebel was unaffected.  If you have adult-onset asthma like I do, getting pneumonia is really not good.  That’s compounded by the altitude of Thimphu at 8,200 feet.  Oh, then add in the thick smoke from forest fires nearby blanketing the air.

So I ended up in the hospital where after a battery of tests, my pneumonia was confirmed and was told recovery would take two weeks.  I messaged Miko, and was soon told the entire TTP Team – Mellie, Mike Ryan, Mark Deuce, Joel Wade, Greg and Michelle Pryor – were praying for me daily.  Miko’s Mom had her prayer group in Manila praying for me every day.

A Bhutanese friend’s brother was a monk in a monastery. The monks began holding prayer ceremonies for my recovery, the short vid clip above shows a part of it.

Our son Jackson prayed for me every morning and night.

The results began quickly.  Rebel befriended one of the doctors on the hospital staff.  There was something about him that she felt was very special.  Dr. Sonam arranged for me to receive medical care in our hotel room which he would provide.  We learned that he was physician to the King and Queen in the Royal Palace, and would volunteer at the hospital when they were away – which they were, on a Royal visit to see the King and Queen of Thailand in Bangkok.

Every morning and evening, Dr. Sonam treated me with such kind and personal attention.  He took blood and other tests, and within days I showed improvement.  It’s been seven days now. The last test came in plus a chest x-ray this morning.  They all show my lungs were clear, white blood cells and other measurements back to normal. The pneumonia is gone.

I simply can’t be more grateful and appreciative of the TTP Team’s prayers and support.  Thank you all so very much – you sure can see the results!

Which are – I am cleared for takeoff. Rebel and I will be back home on Thursday.  Rebel has simply been angelic during all of this.  I am truly blessed by her — and by all those who prayed for me.  Blue skies to you all.

– Jack