- Please pray for the people of Haiti in the aftermath of the 7.0 earthquake that has caused so much death and destruction for that already poor and battered nation…our hearts ache for those who have lost their loved ones...
- We have friends here who are suffering their own loss…Miss Ruby is now seeing the face of the One she so often sang about and encouraged others to come to know. She went to be with Jesus last night a little before 8:00 p.m. I ask that you pray for the friends and family she has left behind who will miss her mighty presence. There is no doubt that even though they are rejoicing that she is now completely healed and free of all pain, her Home-going will leave a void in the hearts of those who knew and loved her. There are a few of you who were with us on our mission trips here to Managua who remember Miss Ruby and others of you may remember reading about her. A trip to see Miss Ruby, locally known as a prophetess, was always a memorable visit.
- Kenneth is beginning another round of chemo today. I’m not sure of my feelings on this…it doesn’t really matter how I feel about it. What I am asking for is prayer for healing for Kenneth. If he has to undergo this horrible treatment, that he will better tolerate this round of chemo than the last, that God would minimize the nausea and vomiting that he experiences and that God would spare him any damage to the heart. I love this little boy so much and it is difficult to watch him go through this. But it’s not just because I love him so much that I’m going to say this but because it’s true…he’s one of the bravest people I know. He never complains, not even when he’s so sick. He is one who does not want others around him to suffer because he’s suffering. He doesn’t have to draw attention to himself nor does he feel that he’s special because of his cancer. Yet that’s much of what makes him so special…the way he handles all that life is throwing at him. I know adults who could learn a lot from him. Please continue to pray for him, if you would.
- Our day guard’s name is Felix and his wife’s name is Blanca. Blanca’s grandmother, Virginia Flores, age 52, is diabetic and recently had to have her foot amputated. She got an infection while in the hospital at the site of amputation and they then amputated her leg just above the knee. While still in the hospital, she contracted yet another infection and has now had her entire leg amputated. We were able to help with some personal items for Virginia…things we just take for granted, like soap, washcloth, shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrush, etc. These are all things the family has to supply and these kinds of things can be very costly…a tube of toothpaste is $1.00 at the market…cheap for us, but an extra for them. I made up a “girly” bag for Virginia with these personal care items and a Spanish 31 Day Devotional – one of several that Linda Lowe left with us when she was here. (Thanks so much, Linda!) The hospital will also only give the most basic of a meal…beans, rice & possibly, a very small amount of chicken. The family is responsible for the rest as well as the medicines that she needs while in the hospital. They didn’t have any insulin. This was an area where we were able to financially help along with some other costs. Virginia needs your prayers for protection from further infection and healing of the amputation site as well as being able to control her diabetes. Diabetes is such a serious problem here...
- As if that weren’t enough for Felix to worry about, a few days ago, his mother, Lorena Gonzalez, age 53, experienced several days of headache, dizziness and fever. Then she woke up with one side of her face paralyzed. It didn’t seem to affect her body as a stroke would but although the doctors haven’t given a diagnosis, it sounds more like Bell’s Palsy. This has been terrifying to the entire family as her father died two years ago, after apparently suffering something similar – although I think he probably died of a stroke. Regardless, this has definitely affected their lives. Felix and Freddy (our gardener) are brothers-in-law and Freddy’s wife, Mary, is Felix’s sister. Freddy, Mary and three of Mary’s brothers live with Lorena and her husband whereas Felix and his family live in the same barrio but in a separate residence. The family has really pulled together to help with this. When this happened, they took Lorena to a clinic in El Crucero where they normally go for medical treatment. The clinic referred her on to a hospital on the north side of Managua. This family lives 5 km south of us and we’re on the southwest side of Managua. The hospital is not at all convenient but it is a hospital for the poor and happens to be the same hospital where Blanca’s grandmother, Virginia, is now. They basically said the only thing they can do for her is to give her daily therapeutic treatments for the next 15 days and then sent her home. So, every day, she has to go in a taxi (the bus is too crowded and she has other medical issues which make riding the bus difficult) which costs $7.00 round trip to get her therapy. She receives a daily injection, which the family has to buy and costs about $3.00 from the market pharmacy…about twice that from the regular pharmacies where we shop. She can’t open her jaw wide enough to eat regular food and for now, is only able to eat soup or very soft, mushed up food. She has to wear gauze over her eye in the house and sunglasses when outside. The family is overwhelmed with this right now. Again, we’ve been able to help the family with many of their needs. Lorena is another who needs your prayers right now as well as Felix, Mary, Freddy and the rest of the families of both of these women. I just want to thank you…it is because of you who help support our work here that we are able to help these families at this time. Please don’t underestimate the good that your giving is doing…you are touching so many lives and we are only the ones who are delivering your help. Believe me when I tell you that your help is so appreciated by each one.
"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' Matthew 25:40 - And along those lines…many of you have asked how Jim and I are doing health-wise. Jim’s ear problem seems to be gone for now. He has finished all his medication, drops and weird treatments prescribed by the doctor…hopefully, they have done their job and we won’t have to resort to killing a chicken and wrapping it around his neck or some such thing! Just joking… The place on my face has been a little bit more stubborn to responding to treatment…and who is surprised at that??? I finished using the ridiculously expensive “caustic cream” and returned to the dermatologist last Friday for a check-up. He decided he needed to do several more blasts of the liquid nitrogen. He “burned” a larger area and did it a little longer than last time so that the depth of the cell destruction would be deeper in hopes of getting rid of all the questionable cells this time. The blistering occurred immediately and the first day was a yukky face day, with lots of oozing and weeping from the area. So nasty and very painful the first few days. He prescribed an astringent powder that I mixed with water and applied as a poultice twice a day. The area that was treated is now at the ever-so-attractive nasty scab stage but definitely feels much better than it did a few days ago. I don’t go back until the end of February for my next check-up so we’re hoping this time will be the last treatment necessary…so we won’t have to resort to killing a chicken and…you know.
- Also to let you know what’s on our plate the next few weeks… Leonard and Nancy Hopkins, from Cassville and Leonard’s sister, Debbie, from Texas, are coming to spend the 15th through the 19th with us. Leonard has been here before on a mission trip but this will be the first visit for Nancy and Debbie. We are excited to have them with us and are looking forward to their arrival. I know the time will fly by when they’re here…it always does when we have friends or family from home. Two days after they leave, Jim and I are going to be taking a few days away, combining our mandatory 3 day exit time from the country with a mini R&R to Miami! While planning our time away, initially to Costa Rica, God opened the door for us to be able to go State-side for a few days. Although we would have loved to go home for that time, it was not financially feasible. Still, we are very excited to just have those few days away in the States. We are both tired – physically and emotionally and we would appreciate your prayers for a restful time and that we return rejuvenated and ready for whatever it is that we feel God is calling us to do next.
Well, that’s it for now. Thank you for your prayers…for us and for those we bring before you. One of my frequent prayers is that God blesses those who intercede on our behalf and I trust that prayer is always answered for you cannot humbly and prayerfully enter in to the presence of our Lord without being blessed. He still makes my heart swell…
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