Have you ever felt like the Devil is working overtime to cause mayhem? Perhaps it is beginning to dawn on him that his time is nearly at an end. There is so much evil around. Here in PR a law was passed in 2006 which seemed relatively innocent, but is proving to be a tool for evil. The original law concerned domestic violence and authorized the approval of curriculum to help avoid this increasing problem. Under the guise of implementing that directive, the Secretary of Education has written a letter to all public school officials informing them that a new curriculum will be in place in January 2009 which provides a "perspective on gender." This material will inform children that sex and gender are not synonymous terms. According to this curriculum, gender is a matter of personal choice and self-discovery. In other words, this curriculum will be an indoctrination platform for homosexual and transsexual perversity. This requirement is going to be applied to all schools, including private, Christian, Catholic, and home-schools. Freedom of religion and conscience are in serious jeopardy and there may be little we can do about it.
Pray with us. Our elections are held on November 4 also. We need to see a landslide of support for those who have professed strong family beliefs. Three of the four parties are solidly behind this perverse agenda, so the choice is clear. However, even believers tend to vote by tradition instead of by conscience. Please pray that God will intervene directly to remove this horrendous material from even the public schools. Similar things have been tried before and they have been defeated, but since the Secretary of Education is not an elected official, the democratic process has been entirely bypassed. Still we know that God can defeat such crafty maneuvering.
The other night I was called to intervene in a family situation. Though I cannot give out many details, suffice it to say that there are many problems that only the Lord can work out. Pray that this couple would submit to Scripture completely. I have stressed to them the fact that divorce solves nothing. They will carry the problems with them unless they deal with them Biblically. Pray also that I would have wisdom to see through lies and self-deception to help them face and resolve their faults.
At 8:00 AM on Saturday, Julia was allowed to check out of the hospital. She had her left leg amputated on Monday and has recovered nicely. Teresa, Bethany, and I visited her on Friday and sang some choruses with her. A nurse came into the room and opened the door so that others could hear the music. We were singing Psalms, so the Word went out to more people than we thought it would. Praise the Lord!
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Getting You Up to Speed
Tuesday, we saw the Orthopedist regarding Nathan's back. He looked over the x-ray, examined Nathan, and pronounced that our son will not likely grow much more (due to something he noticed in his exam, but I didn't catch what that was) so the spinal curvature is not a serious concern. Still he recommended annual x-rays until Nate's growth cycle is complete. I think Nathan was pleased by the result.
Nathan drove us to Caguas. This 1 1/2 hour trip was his longest to date. He did well and learned a few things along the way. We arrived at the doctor's office at about 7:45 am. Here in PR you don't get a time-based appointment, only a day. Being a new patient, he was required to be on hand by 1:00 pm. Due to our early arrival, we had slot 18 out of 60+ patients to be seen that day. The waiting room was large and comfortable (Nathan thought it was cold). We settled down for a few hours of "boredom" (remember I asked for that). I had a book in my hand to keep me occupied, as did Nathan. Mine was Trusting God Even When Life Hurts by Jerry Bridges. This is a tremendous book that highlights our need to trust our sovereign God even when He sends adversity our way. Perhaps I'll jot a review later on, but it has been an incredible read filled with lots of preaching material. I marked the book and jotted notes all over the place and still managed to read 140 pages until Nathan's turn came up at 2:30 pm.
On our way home, we stopped to see Richard, a friend we met during our time in Salinas. We had a good visit in which I was able to share some thoughts from the book of Ruth concerning the providencial control of God over "everyday" circumstances. It's so easy for us not to notice the hand of God when life seems to chug along on Normal. Yet in each of the details of Ruth, God's hand placed the right people in the right places as He pieced together an unlikely series of links in the geneology of Jesus Christ! God works in the same quiet way in our own lives. No obvious miracles may be employed, but the plan of God unfolds without fail. We may fail, but His plan does not. Still, most of us complain and fret away our years as if we were in control, and all the while God is saying, "Trust me. I will see you safely through the storms of life. Cast your anxious care on me. I will work out the details while you rest in my love and wisdom." Richard found comfort in those thoughts since he has been struggling with many stressful issues.
Today, I was able to visit with Julia. Her amputation is very near the hip. She is still feeling a lot of pain, but it is subsiding. Her joyful spirit is still heavily taxed, but I was able to bring a bit of laughter to her. I shared the opening verses of James 1 concerning the believer's reaction to trials. The Word tells us to rejoice, not in the content of the trial, but in the fact that there is Divine purpose in the trial. God is in the trial accomplishing His perfect plan. Our duty is to cooperate with Him so that the trial may result in blessing. Julia's recovery is going very well. Tomorrow they plan to have her work on sitting. You don't think about the difficulty of something so basic until you don't have a left leg to rest on. So far, no sign of infection has been noted. Praise the Lord!
We are also working on acquiring the technology to record the messages in church so that those who are not able to be present can still benefit from the teaching of the Word. If you have any good information on recording equipment, whether CD or digital, I would appreciate your input. Thank you for your prayers. God is powerful, He is good, He is wise, and He is in control. Selah! (Pause, meditate, and worship Him.)
Nathan drove us to Caguas. This 1 1/2 hour trip was his longest to date. He did well and learned a few things along the way. We arrived at the doctor's office at about 7:45 am. Here in PR you don't get a time-based appointment, only a day. Being a new patient, he was required to be on hand by 1:00 pm. Due to our early arrival, we had slot 18 out of 60+ patients to be seen that day. The waiting room was large and comfortable (Nathan thought it was cold). We settled down for a few hours of "boredom" (remember I asked for that). I had a book in my hand to keep me occupied, as did Nathan. Mine was Trusting God Even When Life Hurts by Jerry Bridges. This is a tremendous book that highlights our need to trust our sovereign God even when He sends adversity our way. Perhaps I'll jot a review later on, but it has been an incredible read filled with lots of preaching material. I marked the book and jotted notes all over the place and still managed to read 140 pages until Nathan's turn came up at 2:30 pm.
On our way home, we stopped to see Richard, a friend we met during our time in Salinas. We had a good visit in which I was able to share some thoughts from the book of Ruth concerning the providencial control of God over "everyday" circumstances. It's so easy for us not to notice the hand of God when life seems to chug along on Normal. Yet in each of the details of Ruth, God's hand placed the right people in the right places as He pieced together an unlikely series of links in the geneology of Jesus Christ! God works in the same quiet way in our own lives. No obvious miracles may be employed, but the plan of God unfolds without fail. We may fail, but His plan does not. Still, most of us complain and fret away our years as if we were in control, and all the while God is saying, "Trust me. I will see you safely through the storms of life. Cast your anxious care on me. I will work out the details while you rest in my love and wisdom." Richard found comfort in those thoughts since he has been struggling with many stressful issues.
Today, I was able to visit with Julia. Her amputation is very near the hip. She is still feeling a lot of pain, but it is subsiding. Her joyful spirit is still heavily taxed, but I was able to bring a bit of laughter to her. I shared the opening verses of James 1 concerning the believer's reaction to trials. The Word tells us to rejoice, not in the content of the trial, but in the fact that there is Divine purpose in the trial. God is in the trial accomplishing His perfect plan. Our duty is to cooperate with Him so that the trial may result in blessing. Julia's recovery is going very well. Tomorrow they plan to have her work on sitting. You don't think about the difficulty of something so basic until you don't have a left leg to rest on. So far, no sign of infection has been noted. Praise the Lord!
We are also working on acquiring the technology to record the messages in church so that those who are not able to be present can still benefit from the teaching of the Word. If you have any good information on recording equipment, whether CD or digital, I would appreciate your input. Thank you for your prayers. God is powerful, He is good, He is wise, and He is in control. Selah! (Pause, meditate, and worship Him.)
Monday, October 20, 2008
Julia Is Doing Well . . . Considering
At 7:30 AM Julia was taken to surgery. The doctors amputated her left leg well above the knee. Her surgeon said the procedure had no unexpected complications and that she should recover nicely. I stopped by to see her this evening. She was conscious and very uncomfortable due to the pain. They want her to be still which is difficult given the intensity of her pain. Medication was on the way as I left. Please, pray that she will recover without any infection and that the pain would subside quickly. She will face some substantial adjustments which would be daunting to a person half her age. Her family is supporting her very well which should help greatly. She loves to sing, so our church will get a group together as soon as possible to help her praise the Lord.
Nathan has his appointment tomorrow concerning his scoliosis. His back is tilted 20 degrees out of line. It is at that point that doctors seek to take corrective action. We do not know what to expect from the appointment, so we simply ask for your prayers. On our way home, Nathan and I hope to visit with Richard. He is a friend from Salinas whom we have not seen in three or four years. He knows the Lord, but has been facing some health battles. We hope to be an encouragement to him.
We also have word that the school teacher who has been in Florida helping her elderly mother will be returning to the island at the end of October. I look forward to having her back in the classroom, but another job already awaits me. Our math teacher has resigned, so I will need to fill in that gap for the foreseeable future. We also have a pile of paperwork to do for varying government agencies. It seems that our office building was never properly registered in the church's name (in 1997). The lawyer or someone dropped the ball. Once that is straightened out there is the matter of a tax lien to resolve. Our tax exempt status should eliminate the debt, but pray that this will indeed be done and quickly. Then we must secure a new occupancy permit. At the same time we are being required to change our electric meter since the electric service is set for an industrial application far above the voltage we require. This involves digging a trench, building a cement column at the corner of the property, making the connection with our current system, and securing the electric company's assistance in shutting down and resuming the electrical service at a time convenient to us. Each of these things is time consuming, patience draining, and some facets are quite expensive. I don't think anyone will hear me complain of boredom any time soon. In fact, I would love to be bored for a while. :o)
Thank you so very much for praying. You are our lifeline. Isn't it wonderful to rest in the confidence that God is truly in control!
Nathan has his appointment tomorrow concerning his scoliosis. His back is tilted 20 degrees out of line. It is at that point that doctors seek to take corrective action. We do not know what to expect from the appointment, so we simply ask for your prayers. On our way home, Nathan and I hope to visit with Richard. He is a friend from Salinas whom we have not seen in three or four years. He knows the Lord, but has been facing some health battles. We hope to be an encouragement to him.
We also have word that the school teacher who has been in Florida helping her elderly mother will be returning to the island at the end of October. I look forward to having her back in the classroom, but another job already awaits me. Our math teacher has resigned, so I will need to fill in that gap for the foreseeable future. We also have a pile of paperwork to do for varying government agencies. It seems that our office building was never properly registered in the church's name (in 1997). The lawyer or someone dropped the ball. Once that is straightened out there is the matter of a tax lien to resolve. Our tax exempt status should eliminate the debt, but pray that this will indeed be done and quickly. Then we must secure a new occupancy permit. At the same time we are being required to change our electric meter since the electric service is set for an industrial application far above the voltage we require. This involves digging a trench, building a cement column at the corner of the property, making the connection with our current system, and securing the electric company's assistance in shutting down and resuming the electrical service at a time convenient to us. Each of these things is time consuming, patience draining, and some facets are quite expensive. I don't think anyone will hear me complain of boredom any time soon. In fact, I would love to be bored for a while. :o)
Thank you so very much for praying. You are our lifeline. Isn't it wonderful to rest in the confidence that God is truly in control!
Friday, October 17, 2008
Update on Julia
We have written a few times lately concerning the health condition of Julia. She is in her 80s and has known the Lord for about 20 years. She has been going through some trials over the past year or so. Shortly after we began our furlough, she fell and broke her left hip. Her surgery went well and she healed rather well. A short while ago a sore appeared between two of her toes and her foot began to discolor. A vein replacement surgery improved her condition markedly.
Yesterday, she saw her doctor again. He became very concerned about her toe and sent her to the hospital for additional tests. She was admitted and given the required tests which showed that she does not have adequate circulation below the knee. The doctor then informed Julia that she will need to have her left leg amputated somewhere above the knee.
We do not know when the surgery will occur, but Julia would certainly appreciate your prayers. She is in good spirits and is trusting in the Lord. However, this will be a trial beyond any she has so far faced.
Yesterday, she saw her doctor again. He became very concerned about her toe and sent her to the hospital for additional tests. She was admitted and given the required tests which showed that she does not have adequate circulation below the knee. The doctor then informed Julia that she will need to have her left leg amputated somewhere above the knee.
We do not know when the surgery will occur, but Julia would certainly appreciate your prayers. She is in good spirits and is trusting in the Lord. However, this will be a trial beyond any she has so far faced.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Hope in Sorrow
After the forecasted storm, we did not know what to expect for Danny's burial service today. Your prayers kept the sky clear until 10 minutes after we had left the cemetery. The message at the funeral home was from 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort who ministers to those in need so that they may minister to others in need. I mentioned the fact that being a Christian does not take away all the pain, but it does give us the strength to bear up under the load of sorrow. The family will still need the support of family and friends in the days ahead, especially those who have passed through similar trials and experienced God's comfort. I shared my family's loss of my two older sisters in 1975. God's great comfort was certainly evident in our lives, preparing us to reach out to others in their grief. One such piece of advice I always share is that the family not be present when the casket is closed. It is such a tramatic moment that is usually best avoided.
At the graveside, I spoke from John 11:25-26, "I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in me though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?" These powerful words of our Savior provide hope for those who are grieving by assuring us that not even death can separate the believer from his Lord. How reassuring it is to dwell on the fact that Jesus Christ has already passed from death to life.
Norma did exceptionally well given the circumstances. Her faith will see her through. Her husband, Freddy, still needs to trust the Lord as his Savior. Keep praying for him. One of Norma's brothers has declared that he will be in church on Sunday. He and his wife both claim to be saved, but they have not been to church for quite a while. I first met them when he was in the hospital with pneumonia and heart trouble. Since then, I have been able to visit with them about four times. The Word is having an impact on them. Praise the Lord.
At the graveside, I spoke from John 11:25-26, "I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in me though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?" These powerful words of our Savior provide hope for those who are grieving by assuring us that not even death can separate the believer from his Lord. How reassuring it is to dwell on the fact that Jesus Christ has already passed from death to life.
Norma did exceptionally well given the circumstances. Her faith will see her through. Her husband, Freddy, still needs to trust the Lord as his Savior. Keep praying for him. One of Norma's brothers has declared that he will be in church on Sunday. He and his wife both claim to be saved, but they have not been to church for quite a while. I first met them when he was in the hospital with pneumonia and heart trouble. Since then, I have been able to visit with them about four times. The Word is having an impact on them. Praise the Lord.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Great Grace
God's grace was very apparent tonight at the funeral service of Danny. His mother was able to greet family and friends without breaking down. We had a good service in which the Gospel was the key element. I spoke on some of the sayings of Christ from the Cross and their significance to the sinner. Christ's willingness to forgive all who come in repentance and the assurance that all has been accomplished in order to secure our salvation were the main points. We heard a number of good comments regarding the message and keep praying that some of the unsaved will come to the Lord in these days. The burial will be tomorrow morning at 10:30. Norma will need your prayers.
The storm which was headed for us has become hurricane Omar, but it has been turned aside by God's grace. We will continue praying until it has moved far north of us since these things seem to have a habit of turning around and doing strange things this time of year. Yesterday we did receive some heavy rain, but hardly any rain has fallen today.
Thank you for all your prayers and encouraging notes. By the way, Jon had a great time at school today. He had nearly everyone sign his cast. I think a couple of his classmates were jealous of the attention he got, but we hope they won't break an arm to get it.
The storm which was headed for us has become hurricane Omar, but it has been turned aside by God's grace. We will continue praying until it has moved far north of us since these things seem to have a habit of turning around and doing strange things this time of year. Yesterday we did receive some heavy rain, but hardly any rain has fallen today.
Thank you for all your prayers and encouraging notes. By the way, Jon had a great time at school today. He had nearly everyone sign his cast. I think a couple of his classmates were jealous of the attention he got, but we hope they won't break an arm to get it.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Request Updates
At 6:00 PM today, Daniel Santiago went home to be with his Lord and Savior. Bill was able to be with the family from 4 until 9. Both last night and again tonight we took time to read the Word and to sing a few hymns. Danny's only comment came last night. He was asked if he liked the hymn we had just sang. He said, "Qué lindo" (How beautiful). About noon today his breathing became labored and he stopped interacting with his visitors. When I arrived at 4, it didn't seem he would last long. His passing was peaceful. Throughout this ordeal the Gospel has been given to many people. Pray for the messages which will be given during the next two days. We are praying for Souls to be saved.
Jonathan went to see an orthopedist today. The doctor decided that a cast was in order. He was a bit disappointed not to have a cast last Tuesday. Hopefully he won't get tired of it before it has to come off. Pray with us for quick and sure healing.
Jonathan went to see an orthopedist today. The doctor decided that a cast was in order. He was a bit disappointed not to have a cast last Tuesday. Hopefully he won't get tired of it before it has to come off. Pray with us for quick and sure healing.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Urgent Prayer Requests
Danny Santiago has been declining over the past few months due to cancer. A few weeks ago he lost all strength in his legs and shortly thereafter could not move them. Now he cannot move his arms and has trouble speaking. His liver has ceased functioning, so his skin and eyes are very yellow. Tonight we received a call from Danny's mother saying that the doctors say he is dying, and all they can do is give him pain medicine and send him home. Danny was baptized about three months ago. The next day he was in the hospital. We gave blood to help him out then, but he's been in and out of the hospital ever since. Pray for Danny and his mother who also knows the Lord. She is doing well, but this is very hard on her. Bill has had numerous opportunities to witness to family and neighbors during Danny's sickness, and Danny is resigned to God's will. It's hard to say how long he will last.
Puerto Rico is also under tropical storm warnings. We had torrential rains at the end of September that they called the two-hundred year rain because that tropical wave left more rain in three days than we've received from any hurricane in recent memory. With the ground already saturated, they are calling for 15-30 inches more of rain with high winds. Landslides and flooding are always a danger with rain, but with wind, many trees will succumb to the super-saturated ground. We imagine if the storm comes we'll be without electricity for awhile. We will do fine with the storm as long as we are home. Our street floods when it rains hard, but the drainage system handles it fine as soon as the rains stops. Others from our church are not in secure areas and are making preparations now.
Our Jonathan fell in gym class last Tuesday. They took three x-rays at the hospital, said the technician would look them over good that evening, but they didn't think anything was broken. Jonathan didn't complain as much the next day with his splint on and me doing all his writing in school. But after picking up the results, we found that he does have a fracture. We were told to see our pediatrician. He told us this is not his specialty, so we should take Jon to an ortopedist. People at church said the hospital "dropped the ball" and we should go back to the hospital. The person at the emergency room said they don't deal with pediatric fractures (Jon is nearly 10), but she'd try to consult with a pediatric orthopedist in the hospital. After making a call, she said those doctors were all at a convention. Apparently this is not the week to break a bone. This has been a long holiday weekend because PR celebrates Christopher Columbus Day. So it's been a week since he broke his arm and with the storm, it may be quite a few days more until the situation is satisfactorily resolved. We'll keep his hand in a wrist stabilizer and trust it mends well.
Our Nathan also had x-rays in August because the pediatrician suspected he has scoliosis. The x-rays confirmed that he has a 20 degree misalignment of the spine. We have an appointment with a spinal orthopedic doctor on October 21. We don't know what to expect from this appointment, but we would appreciate your prayers for wisdom for the doctor and us. Nathan is also supposed to take his ACT test on Saturday (October 18). This is a big week.
Puerto Rico is also under tropical storm warnings. We had torrential rains at the end of September that they called the two-hundred year rain because that tropical wave left more rain in three days than we've received from any hurricane in recent memory. With the ground already saturated, they are calling for 15-30 inches more of rain with high winds. Landslides and flooding are always a danger with rain, but with wind, many trees will succumb to the super-saturated ground. We imagine if the storm comes we'll be without electricity for awhile. We will do fine with the storm as long as we are home. Our street floods when it rains hard, but the drainage system handles it fine as soon as the rains stops. Others from our church are not in secure areas and are making preparations now.
Our Jonathan fell in gym class last Tuesday. They took three x-rays at the hospital, said the technician would look them over good that evening, but they didn't think anything was broken. Jonathan didn't complain as much the next day with his splint on and me doing all his writing in school. But after picking up the results, we found that he does have a fracture. We were told to see our pediatrician. He told us this is not his specialty, so we should take Jon to an ortopedist. People at church said the hospital "dropped the ball" and we should go back to the hospital. The person at the emergency room said they don't deal with pediatric fractures (Jon is nearly 10), but she'd try to consult with a pediatric orthopedist in the hospital. After making a call, she said those doctors were all at a convention. Apparently this is not the week to break a bone. This has been a long holiday weekend because PR celebrates Christopher Columbus Day. So it's been a week since he broke his arm and with the storm, it may be quite a few days more until the situation is satisfactorily resolved. We'll keep his hand in a wrist stabilizer and trust it mends well.
Our Nathan also had x-rays in August because the pediatrician suspected he has scoliosis. The x-rays confirmed that he has a 20 degree misalignment of the spine. We have an appointment with a spinal orthopedic doctor on October 21. We don't know what to expect from this appointment, but we would appreciate your prayers for wisdom for the doctor and us. Nathan is also supposed to take his ACT test on Saturday (October 18). This is a big week.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Medical Updates
Julia is doing well. Her doctor prepared the family for the worst when he discovered that her left foot no longer had any significant circulation. She entered the hospital, and then a week of delays ensued. Finally, the doctor decided on a plastic vein replacement. She now has a very long scar, but she still has her foot! Praise the Lord for your prayers and His wisdom given to the doctor. Her foot is doing very well.
Add Miguel to your prayer list . . . twice. The first Miguel is a believer who had strayed from the Lord. He is recovering from pneumonia and claims to have turned back to the Lord. He has a smoking habit which has plagued him for years and been a source of estrangement from fellowship with God’s people. We have encouraged him to return in spite of this issue since we are confident that the Lord will take this from him if he is willing to follow Christ. I don’t think anyone has actually reproached him over his smoking, but his conscience will not let the issue go. His wife is a dear believer who has been faithful for quite a number of years.
Miguel number 2 is an unsaved man who Bill met at the hospital. He is a neighbor of one of our church members who had foot surgery, apparently related to diabetes. Incidentally, this hospital has an entire floor dedicated to diabetic patient care. He and his wife heard the Gospel gladly, though they made no decision in this first encounter. They are very open to follow-up visits and promised to visit the church once he has recovered. That promise was not even solicited but the result of good neighbors showing an interest and sending their pastor to visit a neighbor in need.
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