Progress Report

May God be glorified in all the earth!!  Jesus is risen!  Happy Easter to all.

The last few months have been busy to say the least but I can surely say they have been faith building.  At first I had considered using the phrase faith testing but of all the things I can say about my family is that we do not feel our faith has been tested by constant beatings but rather we feel our faith has grown from constant use.  We are approaching the final 3 months of our preparations for Rwanda and I can honestly say that I have seen amazing things.

I first want all to know that I give praise every day for Glenwood for their blessings and support.  Not a day goes by that I have not lifted the elders, staff and members of our family up in prayer because of the weekly encouragement we receive and the commitment they made to us in the way of our mission support.  As many know Glenwood is our sending or home congregation and we could not be were we are without them.  

I cannot give thanks and accolades without thinking of and telling the world how much the Rt. 230 Church of Christ in Pennsylvania means to us.  They were there with us when we hurt and now they have remembered us and we give praise and give glory to God for their love and offering of support.  For a small church they have stood up and committed 1/3 of our ongoing work fund.  In addition great people at Rt 230 have donated almost half of our start up funds to date.  We have enough money to ship our container and this would not have been possible without these wonderful people.

This month I was asked to come back to East Grand Church of Christ were I grew up and speak during mission Sunday.   I love that family and I know they have prayed for me and I cannot say how much it means to me to hear them say it and to have them commit support for our startup and work fund.  Because of them I was able to buy our plane tickets this week.  Praise God.

The hidden blessing in our trip to Springfield to visit the church at East Grand was that we met a young lady there who grew up in Rwanda.  She is the girlfriend of the young man recently hired to be East Grand's youth minister.  We were able to sit down with her and show her our slides and talk to her about Rwanda.  She has been a blessing for me and my mom.  My mom obviously is troubled about our moving to Africa but after spending time with Fotine, she has had so much needed peace.  In addition, Fotine has given the church a rare insight to the needs in Rwanda.  She was 7 during the genocide and she says her family was marked for death and was on the list of people being hunted.  Her father was out of the country at the time and her neighbors were saying he ran away and left his family to die.  After the mob came to their house twice and were bribed with beer to go away they had to walk all the way to Burundi where they could finally meet up with her father.  I asked her if she would be offended by the video I had for my presentation and her comment was that nothing I could show her could come close to what she had seen with her own eyes.  After our presentation she stopped me and thanked me for what our team is doing for her country.  I felt God's hand and voice in this young woman.  Out of her mouth was a direct invitation to go and help.

Next on my list of blessing is the news that a wonderful friend and family will moving to Rwanda as well.  In addition to our team there is another group in Rwanda.  They have paved the way for others to come to Rwanda and we all owe them a debt of gratitude.  My dear friends the Shrecks from Oklahoma City will be joining the other team in Rwanda.  I feel so blessed by the people that God is calling to Rwanda.  I cannot be in better company.  I only pray that God will help me keep be an encouragement and be able to measure up next to these great workers.

Finally, we sold our house.  We have been praying for our home to sell and just felt compelled to sell it ourselves.  We prayed diligently for it to sell as did many of you.  After weeks of frustration with very few showings we had become a little discouraged.  We knew this would not be the wall that stopped us from going to Rwanda because we had come so far already.  One day at lunch a friend said to me that selling our house was like David going out to fight Goliath.  When David reached the battle field his brothers and even Saul said he could not face Goliath.  He was told he was too small and weak.  That Goliath was too big.  David's answer was that he had fought against bears and lions and had defeated them by the power of God.  If God had given the bear and the lion into his hands then why would he not give Goliath into his hands.  Goliath would be slain for the glory of the Living God.  That was my prayer after that.  God has delivered greater things into our hands, we have seen him do greater things than sell a house, this would be easy for God.  I know it sounds mystical but God is God and that very week God showed us the person who would eventually buy your house.  She said she wanted it but could not until hers sold.  We were even asked to consider renting it to her until her old house sold.  We agonized over this but knew it was impossible, we could not risk being landlords while in Africa.  We had to say no.  As we prayed we invited her over to the house to talk about the contract and other options and while she was literally pulling up into our driveway her banker called her and told her that she could get a loan without selling her other house.  She walked in the door and said, "Your house is sold".  Praise to a God who has done even greater things and who's deeds are recorded to remind us of his past faithfulness and to tell us that he is the same God tomorrow as yesterday.

Well as I the title says, this is supposed to be a progress report.  I should have called it "Count Your Blessings".

To date we are 16 weeks from our departure date.   We have movers coming to take all of our stuff away on May 4th and the closing of our house is May 8th.  Another blessing and a reminder to me is that one of my partners at work has a home that she is going to let us stay in when ours is closed.  This reminds me to give thanks for all the individuals out there who make up the largest part of our start up giving and work fund commitment.  Without them we would not be going to Rwanda.  God please bless each of them a thousand times over for their gifts and love.

We have not yet raised the last 1/2 of our monthly work fund and are still praying for someone or a church body to raise up and commit the last 20,000 per year we need for our ongoing ministry funds.  

We have raised 75% of our start up funds.  Most of the money we lack is for a vehicle.  God has been so gracious and we know he is providing.  We are again asking him to raise up someone or a group of people to help us raise the last 40,000 we nee for a vehicle.  I would have thought that a large sum (and it is to us) but I have seen great things and I can tell you, $40,000 is easy for God!  An amazing story about our start up funds it the cost of getting to Rwanda has become cheaper.  We were very anxious about the cost of visas, taxes and work permits.  We have been praying for God to give more money for these items but instead he made them cheaper.  The government of Rwanda has dropped the fees for work permits and resident visas from about $5000 per family to only $400.  We also found out that it is very likely that our container will be tax free on arrival.  This will save over $10,000.  Sometimes God does not do things the way we expect.  Fortunately!

We are still looking for someone to help us with solar equipment.  This is a cost of 4000 and is needed because of the common power outages in the Ruhengeri valley.  A small generator will cost less and probably run our necessary appliances like the freezer and the modem but that add the cost of fuel to run the generator.  After only 6 months of using the solar panels we have saved more in electricity costs than we paid for the equipment.  For you business types, our ROI is only 6 months for the solar equipment.

We are praying for God to help us raise 12,000 for our children to attend school in Kigali for the first year.  This is a onetime expense and will allow us to have time to learn language full time and to prepare for our final move to Ruhengeri without having to worry about home schooling our children the first year.   Some have expressed interest in this fund and we are thankful on a daily basis for that and are awaiting to see what God will do.

I know that fund raising is hard and that many are weary of our asking and we just ask God to constantly show us those who can pray and give.  We ask God to give from those who pray.  Thanks to those who repeatedly stop us and remind us that they are praying for us.  I have to say that sometimes I wonder if I am wearing God out.  I think of Gideon when he says, God, please don't be angry with me when (in the words of my children) I say, "Do it again".  Just wet the fleece one more time.    But you know what.  

God is good and he does it over and over.  I pray for so many of you and ask that God will shine his great blessing on you.

My prayers go out to Brett and Keli Shreck and their decision.  They will be blessed with a stronger faith by all that is to come.

A new definition of Humility

I want to confess that this week I am guilty of pride.   Hard for a guy to say such a thing on the internet; especially when he is soon to move to Rwanda as a missionary.  Well, I to am a sinner.  Romans 3:23 tells us that “for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.”  This weekend I realized that my pride had interfered with another prayer that I have been giving to God over the last couple weeks.  As a result I have been praying this last couple of days for God to forgive me and to teach me something about humility.   I have two sayings about humility that I use commonly in times like this.

1.  I hope God will show me how to be humble without actually humiliating me.    

2.     When I think about the definition of humility I think of a man driving a Ferrari down the interstate at 55 mph.

 As the week has progressed God has changed my definition of humility and in the process helped change my heart this week.

This is my new definition of humility. 

As I was looking for something in my wallet this week I found this obituary.   I had put it away planning on saving it for future encouragement. 

 I have a story to tell about this servant.  I apologize that it is a bit of a long story but I can say that it was worth writing.

This woman is someone I watched die. She was admitted to the hospital in Tyler by what some would call “ an accident” but now looking back I see that it might have been her last act of service to come to my rescue this week but that would be selfish and I can say that she also came to die in Tyler so that she could touch many lives. 

She does not live in Tyler but rather, lives in Idaho and Seattle and was only visiting a friend in Tyler the weeks of her death and so again, we should have never met if it had not been God’s will.

I did not meet her first but rather she was admitted urgently and seen by my partner and then passed over to me at our weekly “changing of the guard”.   She was visiting friends in Tyler when she began having trouble breathing and after only hours she became completely unable to breath and was brought into the ER by ambulance.  She was taken urgently to surgery and had a breathing tube surgically placed in her neck and at that time found to have a large thyroid mass strangling her from the inside.   She recovered well after surgery but because of the breathing tube (a tracheotomy) she was not able to speak and was only able to write messages on a pad of paper.  On the third day her pathology came back and she had what was referred to as Papillary cancer of the thyroid with an adjacent area of poorly differentiated cells. 

Papillary cancer is the most common form of thyroid cancer and is very treatable and it is rare for anyone to die from this type of cancer.  It was odd that she had such a bad presentation but after the surgery we all sighed a sigh of relief because we thought she was going to be fine. 

After about week it was my turn to be on call and I can confess that I was not anxious to “babysit” a thyroid cancer lady while we waited for the state to send us a letter of permission for a special form of radiation for the treatment of her cancer.   Well to my delight she was engaging even on a pad of paper.  Over the next couple days I got to know a little bit about her but with her not being able to talk she was learning more about me than I was about her.  After a week she finally received her radiation dose and we said good-bye as she was discharged from the hospital. 

 

About a week later she was readmitted to the hospital for more shortness of breath but this time her trach was compressed and she was found to have masses all in her lungs.  By this time we knew it was not typical Papillary cancer.  A biopsy of the mass protruding into her new breathing tube was found to be Anaplastic thyroid cancer which is 100% fatal with no effective chemotherapy.  It grows so fast that it often looks like the surgery makes it explode.   The undifferentiated cells found on the original surgery were not part of the Papillary mass, they had been Anaplastic from the beginning.

 

Because it was shortly after the holiday my turn on call came back up sooner than usual and I was there this time when the pathology came back.  By this time the speech therapist had given her an attachment for her trach that allowed her to speak.  After I told her about the pathology and the prognosis she did not cry or sound surprised.  She simply said that she was ready to go.  I have heard this before and many people who say this are still scared and anxious but this woman was truly peaceful.  I actually thought her countenance was oddly peaceful.

 

I went to see her every day and I found myself unable to avoid going back.  I was so pleased to get to pray with her and to encourage her.  After 3 days I finally told her that I was moving from Tyler to become a missionary.  Even though she had never cried during any part of this ordeal, she did cry that day.  I thought it was strange.  I hardly knew her but she was crying over my leaving, or so I thought. 

 

Over the next couple of days we waited for a hospice bed to open up so she could leave the hospital and die in peace somewhere else.  She would ask me about Africa every day and on her last day in the hospital her sisters from Seattle came down to say good-bye and when I came in the room Ms. West exclaimed, “here’s the doctor that I told you about, the one moving to Africa.  They all shouted and spent the entire time talking about me and my family and our plans for Africa.  Here I was in the presense of this saint and even her family did not say a word about the work Ms. West did in South America.  They just kept praising God for the work in Africa.

 

That was the last day I saw her.  As I left she said to me, “I pray for you every day and I will keep you in my prayers”.  I didn’t really understand what that meant because I knew she was going away to die and that the last days of her life would be spent in Hospice with others at her side.  She would never see me again.

 

This week when I pulled her obituary out of my wallet and read it again I felt humbled.  I know that she did not go to South America to become the woman in this obituary but she trusted God to use her and to make her what he wanted her to become.  She was a woman who did not let pride interfere with God’s plan for her life.  She trusted him and he gave her his whole spirit.

 

She never told me she was a missionary.  Not even during all the conversations we had about Africa and my plans to move did she or sisters ever say a word.

Today, as I sat thinking of her praying for me with her last breath, I felt God reshaping my heart and teaching me a lesson about humility.

 

When I need a definition or image of humility to share with my kids or others, I will take out this obituary and share this story.

Saying Goodbye

The final goodbyes have begun.  

In my practice I see patients back at different intervals based on the acuity of their illness and in some cases the acuity of their mental state.  Some I choose to bring back because their illness requires it and some come back whether they or I need it.  I have patients that come back yearly for the followup ultrasound of their thyroid, some that come back every six months and so on down the time line.  

I have began to tell my patients this past week that I was leaving and every  day I have crying.

I have been practicing for 6 1/2 years in Tyler and I always find it hard believe that I have truly helped that much.  I always feel that I am doing my best but never feel that I have done enough.  I find now as I tell those who come to see me that they have put their lives in my hands and they feel that it was I who changed their lives.  

As I think about these patients and their encouraging words I begin to think about the work God has called me to in Rwanda.  I go into this not fully sure how God is going to use me but I know that His plan is amazing and involves the saving of a people and I pray that just like my practice I have the chance some day to be able to look back and see how God has used me and to see how he has blessed others by His hand on me.  I only pray that God will let me be even a small part of his plan.

Home Alone!

Well, I find myself home alone on this New Year's Eve.  This is my year to be on call.  I cannot complain much as I have not been on call for New Year's for many years as I have often had the privilege to attend the Cotton Bowl many times in the last 5 years.  Yes, sometimes I have volunteered to work on Thanksgiving or Christmas just to be off on New Year's day.  In case you're wondering about my preference towards Bowl Games over Christmas, please see my previous post.  (for the record, I do love Christmas more than Bowl Games).  

As I sit here and attempt to watch the mini-series John Adams I find myself meditating on the joy of the last year and day dreaming about the joy of the year to come. 

I think of my dear children and the changes that have come to our family this year.   First and foremost we have no more diapers in our home.  There is almost no more joy for a parent of 4 children, who at one time, I think, had three children in diapers at one point.  

I think of my wonderful wife who so bravely stood by me in our decision and many times stood between me and certain death as we made our decision known to others.

I think of my son Samuel who still thinks he wants to paint water towers for a living.  I think that is awesome!

I think of Aaron who at his most intimate moment can still only say, "I wike you daddy".  He has no comforting or compassionate bone in his body so I cherish the word "wike" as I suspect it really means "love".  He has become our Big A.  That is what our family calls him.  Sometimes we refer to him as A.O.    He can spell his name but when he writes it he only writes AO.  

I think of Grace who has become the best swimmer.  Swimming was a passion of mine as a young teenager and even without my prodding she has come to love it.  She brings me such joy.  Of all our children she is most like me.  I ache to know the great Godly woman she is to become!

I think of Madelyn.  She has a 100% in spelling and I am not sure she has missed a spelling word in years.  She is independent.  She is the most capable and responsible 7 year old I have ever seen.  So much so I must constantly remind myself that she is also one of the most cunning.  She is the only child of mine that I cannot tell when she lies.  She is my challenge and that is also joy.

 I think of the day at the end of last year that I sat in a room alone with Marty Koonce and prayed that God would make his will for me and my family known.  I think of the day we sat in our home with the Koonces and gave our fears and anxiousness over to the Lord.  

I think of the night that Glenwood said they would stand behind us and provide for the needs of our family and support the work of God in Rwanda!!!

I think of Rt 230 Church of Christ who has surrounded us with prayer and said they will help us get to Rwanda.

I look forward to being able to give glory to God for that one last partner that will come to our aid and provide our ongoing work fund.  I look forward to being able to share that joy with all of you this year!

I look forward to arriving in Rwanda and joining a team of families that I already love so much.  I find joy in knowing that I will learn to speak the word of God in another language.  That I will see the hand of God change the hearts and lives of countless men, women and families.   I look forward to learning a new and exciting way of life. Learning to live life at a completely new pace.  I look forward in seeing how God will use this new life to change and mature the spirits of my already wonderful children.

I look forward to being in Rwanda on January 1, 2009 and being able to look back at all the ways God has provided for my family and the people of His church.

Bless all of you and know that I pray for you.

Bowls: Better than Christmas?

We have been in continuous prayer for our teammates in Togo.  The Koonces and Crowsons have left Togo for the last time and will be arriving in Rwanda shortly.  I lift them up to you to ask that you pray for them.

Here in Tyler, we are continuing to undergo even more changes and final chapters.  We have been blessed by family and friends this holiday season.  We realize that each holiday that passes will be the last celebrated with this family for the next 2 years.  We were blessed by the fellowship of family at Thanksgiving and had a wonderful office party for Christmas and anxiously look forward to Christmas with family.  

I know it seems trivial but one other "last" that is approaching is Bowl season.  We love college football in our home.  We love to watch the Sooners and the Penn State Nittany Lions.  We are going to miss Bowl season.  I love the controversy that surrounds the BCS.  Arguing about the rankings is half the fun.  Well this year it was made even worse.  I have always sat back in my chair and watched the big bowls and wondered what it would be like to be there.  Well, I have a patient that starts on the defense of the Utah Utes.  For those who don't know, they are considered "the BSC busters" again.  They will be playing the previously #1 team in the nation, Alabama in the Sugar Bowl.  The family of my patient called today and offered me two free tickets to the Sugar Bowl in the family section of the stadium.  

I was in pain.  I had to say no.  I wanted to go so bad but at this time in our life we are not equipped to make such a trip.  In a joking, sort of way, I am figuring out what Jesus was asking when he asked us to give up our lives for him.  

Sounds silly but stuff like this is a major part of our lives now.  Satan seems to be placing the world at our feet over the last year.  He has shown us many great things and I feel that we have been shown these things to make us want more and to make us more aware of what we won't have when we get to Rwanda.

Satan temped Jesus with splendor in Luke 4:

The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6And he said to him, "I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. 7So if you worship me, it will all be yours."

 8Jesus answered, "It is written: Worship the Lord your God and serve him only."

I love what God has done for us and we again recommit our lives to him and freely give up all things to serve him only.

Please continue to pray for our family.  Pray that we will continue to have courage and not be blind to the things Satan is throwing at us to distract us from God's will.

And lasty;  BOOMER SOONERS!!!

Current Needs

   ·      Kids clothes

o   Girls (all clothes should be knee length or longer)

§  Dresses/skirts with adjustable waist band , if possible in sizes 8,10,12

§  Jeans with adjustable waist band, if possible, in sizes 8,10,12

§  Very modest blouses 8,10,12

§  Shirts (three quarter sleeve, longs sleeve, short sleeves)

§  Underwear 8,10,12

§  Socks white and dress

§  Shoes sizes 12,1,2,3,4

·      Dress

·      Tennis shoes

·      Sandals

§  Hair clips/bows

§  Light dress sweaters  sizes 8,10, 12

§  Rain coats/windbreakers

§  Pajamas sizes 8,10,12

 

o   Boys

§  Jeans size 5,6,7 (slim or adjustable weight)

§  Dockers type pants blue and khaki colored size 5,6,7,8 (slim or adjustable weight)

§  short sleeve and long sleeve dress shirts 5,6,7,8

§  short and long sleeve t-shirts 5,6,7,8

§  shoes toddler sizes 8,9,10,11,12 and boys sizes 1,2

·      dress sandals

·      dress shoes

·      tennis shoes

·      boots

§  socks

§  underwear sizes 5,6,7,8

§  light jackets sizes 5,6,7,8

·          DVDs

o   Family friendly movies

·          Music

o   Any music

§  Oldies

§  Contemporary Christian

§  Pre 90s rock

o   Sheet music for

§  piano

§  simple music for guitar

§  clarinet

§  simple music for violin

·           Books

o   Educational

o   Bible study

o   Leisure

§  Historical fiction

§  fiction

o   Children’s books

§  Educational

·      Biographies for young readers

·      Books for 5-7 year old boys

·      Books for girls age 8-12

·            Hygiene items

o   Tooth brushes

o   Tooth paste

o   Deodorant soap

o   Dove green

o   Razors

§  schick twin (green or blue)

§  Venus breeze cartridges

o   Shaving cream

o   Shampoo and conditioner for kids and adults

o    

·           Food Items  (these items need to be collected and packed in our container the first week of June 2009)

o    Holiday treats and items

o   Canned tomato paste

o   Rotel

o   Mac and cheese (dry cheese, no liquid cheese packs)

o   Peanut butter

o   Bulk size spices

o   Chips of all flavors

o   Dr. Pepper (no diet)

o   Candy bars of all kind

o   Dry food packets

§  Pasta sauces

§  Noodle packets

§  Mexican seasoning packs

§  Chili seasoning packs

 

·      Financial needs that we are praying for individuals or groups to donate

o   Container shipping costs $17,000

o   Container import tax in Rwanda $4000

o   Vehicle in Rwanda $32,000

o   Vehicle inport tax $10,000

o   Visas $400 per person

o   One year of school in Kigali Christian School $9600

o   Plane tickets for final travel to Rwanda $12,000

o   Generator $1300

o   Extras:

§  Solar panels for our home (plenty of power outages in Ruhengeri) $3200

Thanksgiving

Well, another "last" has come and gone.  It kind of felt that way even though it was not a true last but with the passing of this Thanksgiving we did realize we would not be with family next Thanksgiving.  It did have some emotion associated with it but I want to give credit to Kristin's family and say that rather than dwelling on this fact or complaining about it they were encouraging, peaceful and understanding.  I am thankful that they have realized the necessity of this mission.  I give thanks to the Lord for the Ford family and their continued love and prayers.

I did spend some time in reflection about the Thanksgiving to come.  We will find ourselves in the capital of Rwanda.  We will find ourselves with new family and I think we are both excited about the new relationships we will continue to build and nurture.  I am excited that we will be with the Koonce and Crowson families.  We look forward to sharing our hearts with them and we look forward to growing under God's guidance and nurturing.

Our planning has continued to vamp up a little as we winter arrives.  It has forced us to begin sorting out clothing for our children.  We have began the difficult task of planning for our children's clothing needs for the next 2 years.  They will no longer need winter clothes or hot summer clothing.  They will need two years of spring and fall clothing.  The weather in Rwanda is around 75-80 degrees all the time.  We realized that we are sorting their winter clothes for the last time and have already packed most of the summer clothing to give away.  

Each of these "lasts" continues to bring us closer to the reality of God's plan.  We are excited to begin this segment of our journey but we are also stressed by it.  Kristin and I have different ideas of what must be done first and what is the most important and as all married couples do, we take that out on each other.   Fortunately we have the love that God has granted us and we have a unified heart about this mission and God renews us with peace each day.  We have continued to pray together about this trip and we again ask that each of you remember to lift up our family and the work that we are undertaking.

Prayer needs this month:

Two families in our team are moving to Rwanda in the next 2 weeks.  The Koonce family and the Crowson family have said their goodbyes in Togo and are leaving this week.  Please pray for them.

We pray for safe travel for our family during the holidays and I pray that my family in Missouri will be as supportive as Kristin's was.  This will be our last Christmas for 2 years.

We are praying for our fund raising.  I have been blessed by two great workers in this area.  My partner at work, Sylvia, has undertaken the task of being our liaison to the other doctors in the clinic and has begun raising money in this area.  She has done an amazing job and so I ask that you pray for her and those who are giving.

We still await word from Preston Road church of Christ who is still considering a mission team to support.  We were told they would meet this month. 

We need prayers for planning.  We have many lists and they grow by the day.  Pray that we will not take the stress of this out on each other.

We do have continued financial needs and because our teammates are in the process of moving, our web site has not been updated to include our current needs list.  I will post that on this blog for now.

Thank you all for your prayers.  We are humbled to hear over and over again people say, "We are praying for you".   We are strengthened and encouraged by your love and the fact that we are not alone in this journey.

Blessings to all and Happy Thanksgiving.  Praise and Honor to the God of all.