Charis Li, Chicago, IL

I contracted Lyme disease while on a canoe trip in beautiful northern Minnesota. The disease left me sick throughout my teenage years and early twenties. I struggled to regain my health, all the while hearing that women with Lyme disease who reach childbearing age often miscarry or give birth to stillborn babies.

In 2012, my health improved and I attended my first classes at Moody Bible Institute’s Spokane, Wash. campus. I later transferred to the Chicago campus and met Robin while studying there. He and I were married two years later and he became a frequent guest speaker in local Chinese churches.

On Father’s Day 2015, while getting ready for church, I discovered some extraordinary news: I was pregnant! While grateful and overjoyed, I was also anxious and worried about our baby’s health.

That summer I battled severe morning sickness, unable even to keep down water. We feared losing the baby.

A home remedy offered some relief. Knowing my pregnancy was high-risk, Robin and I sought a good doctor. We found one with great experience and began prenatal care. Sadly, however, the doctor passed away and a midwife took over my care.

In August I felt better and was able to return to school, but my midwife was still concerned because my uterus wasn’t growing at the normal rate. She referred me to a perinatologist, who performed ultrasounds and monitored me carefully.

In the meantime, family and friends prayed diligently with and for us.

Our prayers were answered on February 13, 2016, when I gave birth to a four-pound, 14-ounce, healthy baby girl we named Grace. After a few days we returned home with our precious little one.

I’m grateful that, after having shared tens of thousands of dollars in medical expenses from my Lyme disease, CHM shared our maternity bills of over $11,000 after $20,000 in discounts. God has been faithful to meet our needs through His children who didn’t know our story until now. The CHM family is like that: when my parents became members many years ago, the ministry always took care of our medical bills and of us.

My prayer is that CHM members see the faithfulness of our Lord through my story. Some dreams and healing acts will be fulfilled only when we get to heaven, but God reminds us often in Scripture that He cares about the dreams and needs of His children while we live on earth. Though I still struggle with Lyme disease, our recent miracle is proof that He is able to overcome all odds.