Mast Cell Activation Syndrome. In four words, five years of careful planning, training and preparations were turned upside down. But not for God. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts,” says God Almighty, (Isaiah 55:9).
From the trauma and grief of this last year, has emerged a truly miserable condition that only God could foresee and only He can cure. Practically, it means that my throat tightens, I get weak and dizzy upon exposure to any kind of synthetic fragrance or chemicals – which is everywhere and all the time. Suddenly, any number of things can potentially trigger massive headaches, severe anxiety, exhaustion or anaphylactic shock. According to human knowledge, this condition is incurable and can only be maintained through the careful and complex combination of extremely limited diet and a plethora of prescription medications. Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, or MCAS, does not necessarily shorten lifespan, but it makes that lifespan miserable.
We have to learn to live according to a new set of rules, but no one can tell us what the rules are. Only we, with the help of a specialist, can figure out what my triggers are and experiment to find the right medications. It could take 2-5 years to stabilize my body again; but then, “stable” is relative and we’re not sure what it looks like.
For ministry, this means that our plans to move to New Zealand and Brazil have been set aside, at least for now, in favor of staying where we can better create and control a safe environment. This is heartbreaking for us in so many ways, but we trust that God has a plan in it and that He can use us wherever he places us. For now that will be in Lynchburg, Virginia, where we can be with family as we figure all this out.
We will continue to work with Chosen People Ministries, and are already encouraged by the number of ministry opportunities we can have in Lynchburg. We will keep you updated, and we continue to deeply appreciate and depend on your prayer and support. Our God is a God of healing and miracles, and we are praying for nothing less.
With love,
BJ and Carissa
Here’s praying for strength and patience as you both make it through this testing time. Hugs!!
Praying for strength, comfort, endurance, peace, and longsuffering for both of you. God WILL BE PRESENT with you at all times! He has so much to show you about Himself. All that I thought I understood about God and what He wanted for my life has been tested and changed and refined through various ongoing trials. He will do the same for you. It can be a real struggle to give up the ideas we have of who God is and how He works. But wait and rest, believing that He will replace that earthly idea with a heavenly vision. Lisa Parker, friends of the Kerstetter family from Brazil days.
Praying for wisdom, direction and healing in this season of life. Love you guys 🙂