Missing People 1st October 2025

 We were walking through the dense jungle at Mossman Gorge when we heard a man calling out in another language. We soon caught up to him and asked if he was okay. He shook his head and said, “No — my wife and son are missing.”

He explained that he had stopped to take some photos, and when he turned around, they were gone. He’d been calling out for them but couldn’t find them anywhere.  . There was no mobile coverage in the area, so he couldn’t call or message them.

We decided to help. We backtracked a little and checked a few turn-offs, but there was no sign of them. So we continued in the same direction, praying that we’d somehow be able to find his family

As we walked, we started asking people if they’d seen a Korean woman wearing a white hat and a young boy. Eventually, someone told us they were only about 50 metres ahead. I took off running, following the track for about three or four hundred metres, until I reached a turn-off. I stopped there, scanning the swimming area below, but there was still no sign of them.

A few moments later, Robyn caught up to me — and then I heard her shout, “I found them!” They had taken a small side track that I hadn’t checked because I thought they were further ahead.

We were so relieved and thankful that Robyn had found them. It really felt like an answered prayer.

We expected a joyful reunion, but instead, it was a little tense. The husband was upset and angry that they had left him behind. I gently suggested that they be kind to each other — after all, it was an accident, and hopefully, they’d learned not to get separated in the jungle again.

C-Spine Injection – 7th October 2025

 After months of pain, numbness, and tingling in my left arm from a pinched nerve in my neck, I was finally scheduled for a cervical spine (C-spine) injection at C7 on the 7th of October. Then, on the Friday night before the appointment, I noticed numbness along the inner side of my thumb — a sign of C6 nerve involvement.

I tried calling the GP clinic on Sabbath morning, but it was the long weekend and they were closed on both Sabbath and Monday. I prayed that I’d be able to get an appointment on Tuesday morning, just before my procedure at 11:30 a.m.

I was planning to call my GP clinic right at 8:00 a.m. when they opened, but around 7:30 I was suddenly impressed that New South Wales was one hour ahead due to daylight savings. Acting on that thought, I called immediately. The receptionist told me there were no appointments available with my GP or any of the other doctors.

However, after I explained the situation, she kindly went and spoke to my GP, who took my call.  She agreed that the injections should be done at both C6 and C7, and quickly sent through the updated referral.

After more prayer I took the new request to the imaging clinic at 11am.  The receptionist said that I would probably have to make a new booking for the C6 injection as they were running behind, but praise God that even though they were running behind, the doctor agreed to inject both levels.

At other clinics I had tried to get into, I’d been quoted hundreds of dollars out of pocket for this procedure. So I was absolutely delighted when, after the injections were completed, the receptionist told me that for both injections, they agreed to bulk bill under Medicare — no charge at all.

It felt like one more reminder that prayers really are answered in the smallest, most perfectly timed ways.

 

Booking in for Cardiac Stress Echo – 18th September 2025

 After discovering I had a very high calcium score of 1425 — which usually means I’m a sitting duck for a heart attack — I was keen to book in for a cardiac stress echo test. Unfortunately, I was having trouble finding a clinic that could fit me in. Thankfully, my former work colleague, Dr. Allison Main, who lives in Cairns, had a friend who happens to be a cardiologist there.

I called and dropped Alison’s name.  The receptionist, Lisa, went above and beyond to try to find a spot for me. She mentioned that one person hadn’t yet confirmed for the following day, so we were hoping and praying that I might get their place. But the next morning, Lisa called to say they had confirmed — darn!

An hour or so later, however, she called again with great news: they would fit me in during the lunch break. The only catch was that the cardiologist required a referral from my GP (as well as a formal request for the stress echo).

I contacted my GP for an appointment, and she called back while we were driving down the Gillies Highway. With only a few minutes to spare, she sent through the referral — just in time!

On our way to the clinic, we stopped to buy a couple of boxes of chocolates to thank both Lisa and Dr. Sean Nguyen for their kindness in fitting me in at short notice.

I was relieved and grateful to hear that the stress echo showed no abnormalities, even after pushing hard on the treadmill. And to top it off, I was pleasantly surprised to learn at the end of the appointment that there was no charge, as it was fully covered by Medicare. This was especially appreciated, since I had previously been quoted several hundred dollars at other clinics.