Unlikely Connection Saves Pastor’s Life When Pastor Dan Anderson of Monument Bible Church in Scottsbluff and Pastor Moses Paye of Liberia met at a conference in Liberia, they never could have imagined that their chance encounter would end up saving Paye’s life. Paye was suffering from throat problems that left him unable to fulfill his speaking duties. After conducting a three-day training conference a year prior, his voice just stopped working. He could only manage a raspy whisper. “We thought it was just a hoarse voice,” he said, “and I could drink a lot of fluid and it would come back.” When his condition didn’t improve, he had to step down from his speaking duties. For a pastor that oversees more than 90 churches, it was a disappointing blow. In addition, he needed surgery to make a full recovery. An American doctor visiting Liberia diagnosed vocal nodules, tissue masses that grow on the vocal cords because of severe vocal strain from talking too much or yelling. The diagnosis in itself was a step forward. For months doctors had turned him away, telling him that he needed a throat specialist, when there were none. Affording the surgery would be another problem. Many people in Liberia, like Paye, survive on just a dollar a day and eat just one meal a day. The country is still very poor. Paye said Liberia was ravaged by a civil war lasting over a decade, and the country is still in the long process of recovery. There were times when a throat doctor would come to town and want to help him. After hours in the waiting room, he would be told that the doctor would have to see him the next day. But by the next day, the doctor would be gone. “My faith was really stretched,” he said. “There was disappointment and frustration.” Anderson and Paye remained in contact. They prayed for better options, that somebody would come along to perform the surgery. In May, Anderson contacted Paye with good news. He found a doctor in Scottsbluff that would be able to perform the surgery and made arrangements for the trip. The surgery went well, but a biopsy of the tissue removed revealed something Paye didn’t expect. The growth was cancerous. But that didn’t mean they were going to give up. Dr. Lou Kleager, Paye’s doctor in Scottsbluff, said that a bout of radiation treatments would give him a clean bill of health. They caught it early; it hadn’t spread to the rest of his body. Anderson postponed Paye’s flight home so he could complete his treatment. Anderson said he sees it as a miracle. “If God hadn’t brought him here, he probably would have died,” he said. Paye said the experience has reminded him to trust God. “I couldn’t understand what was going on,” he said, “but He had a better plan carved out for me. I’ve just learned that waiting on the Lord is not a waste of time, for He knows what’s best for us. He has already made great strides in his recovery. Just days after the surgery, he found that he could sing again. He said he hasn’t sung for over a year. He still has about 20 treatments left. Even though he is still in recovery, he said he is enjoying his time in Scottsbluff, living with Anderson and his family. “Coming here is a very new experience for me. I’ve come to know people, establish new relationships. I’ve come to learn a lot,” he said. “There’s been a little bit of culture shock,” he added with a laugh, after Anderson mention the time he taught Paye how to mow the lawn. But he said he couldn’t wait to return home to resume his preaching duties. He said that all he has been through has only made his faith stronger, and he will be a better pastor because of it.
Posted on: Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:21:08 +0000