Dear Friends and Family,
I wanted to take a second to let you know that, as expected, God brought just the right people to be my new staff members and we had a start to the school year that was exceedingly and abundantly above my expectations. Along with this, all three boys were healthy the entire month of September, and Zach has made it up to 43 pounds (we are praying for 44 by mid-November). These were HUGE praises. I have pictures and stories… However, it seems like we plummeted off that highpoint straight into a muddy pit, and we would appreciate your prayers, so I decided to send this quick request for prayer and save rest for next time.
This past few weeks Jesse's health has been practically the worst it has ever been. Despite my best efforts at trans-national medicine procurement we ran out of the main pain medicine he is taking, and it is not available here. At the same time as he was cutting back on that med, he put in a lot of strenuous lifting clearing out a container to store a promised donation of furniture and equipment for the ministries here, and after all that the donation still hasn't materialized… Anyway, his pain levels shot up to 9 and he spent several days in bed. He has now started trying a new med that IS available here, and it is helping the pain but has caused severe dizziness. We have read that this is common and may pass with time, but at the moment he can't even walk straight. He has had to postpone teaching his course at Timothy Bible School, but the last possible remaining slot he can teach it in starts this Friday afternoon. Please pray that the dizziness will subside. (For those of you that know Ning Tan and her continuing dizziness, we now have new sympathy!!!!)
Also, all three boys were diagnosed with stomach parasites yesterday and have started the three day treatment for that.
An accountant named Kevin is visiting this month, and I'm sure he would also appreciate prayer as he finishes up his stay (he leaves next Wednesday). He has been digging through his own quagmire trying to reconcile all the facts and figures of Discovery School's financial history and trying to leave us with good financial procedures to use in the future. We just wish he could stay a few months longer!!
We have also been involved in the mudpits of several other people's medical issues. One of the deaf school's employees had a brain tumor that was pushing his right eye almost out of socket. We were able to be a small part of getting him to Rwanda for brain surgery, and we are praising the Lord that he is now back in Burundi and does not seem to have sustained any brain damage during surgery. The second situation involves an orphan girl brought to us by an elder from a southern assembly. It turns out she had a broken leg that was never treated and has now contracted a bone infection. We have gotten her diagnosed and into the hospital, and she should have surgery this week. Please pray it goes well.
We trust him to pull all of us out of the miry clay and gave us a firm place to stand, as he has done many times in the past, but we are counting on your prayers to help!! Please pray also that we would have His strength and wisdom and joy as we go through this... it is possible to have joy in the midst of the mud, as this picture of Micah proves!
Thank you for praying!!!! In His love, Joy
