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HOPE4KYIV UPDATE ---- 8/17/04
#1 · August 17, 2004, 4:46 am
Posted by: lifeunlimited <lifeunlimited@...>
Dear Friends, Family, and Partners:
Forgive us for not sending you an update on Nicole Grace lately, but much has been happening, and we wanted to give you as complete a report as possible. In addition, we'll share a few other quick tidbits.
+ We are happy to announce that our official "PrayKIEV" website is up and running, although still under construction. But, it does contain several informative pages, some pictures, and (most importantly) some important prayer requests.
The site, developed by our friend Lewis Holleman, a former SBU student who worked with us in resort ministry in Wisconsin years ago, we feel is a first class site. Because it's being produced in three languages, with Spanish to be added soon, it has been a major undertaking; he's had to work through us with translators, the web host, and others to develop the site.
So, take a look at http://www.praykiev.org and tell us what you think. We'll be rewriting much of the text in the future, making it better, and we'll be adding important pages such as virtual prayer walks, historical information, prayer and Bible study helps, principles of city reaching, etc.
In the meantime, take a look. And, if you'd like to receive the "PrayKIEV" e-letter updates as well, just sign up in the subscription form at the bottom of each page.
+ We are progressively moving closer to what the two of us feel is a definitive time in the life of the church and in our future ministry. This consists of two very important events:
* September 5th will be a "congregational" meeting at which time we will explain to the entire church and supporters exactly what the expectations, needs, and responsibilities are for the church's future. Many of them have a tendency to avoid the reality that sometime within the next sixteen months, the two of us will be ending our ministry with them as IMB missionaries. There are specific steps, which we will detail in our regular letter to you next week, that must be taken.
* September 18th and 19th is the date set for a great celebration of the church's 10th anniversary. It was officially constituted on August 6, 1994, but, because of holidays, the celebration time has been delayed. The 18th we will have a big picnic and celebration out in the country, and the 19th, we will have a "Ukrainian sized" worship service and reception. Again, we'll write more about that next week, but we do ask you to pray about these two very important meetings.
+ Now about Nicole: It has been a rough week or so. In summary, her feeding tubes pulled loose from her abdominal wall on Sunday morning, the 9th, just as Jim was preparing to preach for the first time back in their church, so they had two quick trips to the hospital emergency room in Quincy to get those re-implanted. Apparently the "balloon" that holds them in split and allowed them to come out. Obviously it was a painful experience for Nicole.
Upon her return home, she suffered a great deal of pain, accompanied by great restlessness and lots of crying. This exacerbates her problems with apnea and the stability of her oxygen levels. After two days of that, they took her to the doctor, who feared possible infection in the g-tube incision, so put her back in the hospital for round-the-clock monitoring and treatment. He was also concerned about possible heart damage from the stress, and also concerned for Jim and Deanna, who were running more on adrenalin than on sleep.
So, he decided to keep her in the hospital a few days, and run more tests in the process. She ended up having to stay significantly longer as a result of the local medical team failing to read charts carefully enough, making some incorrect reduction in oxygen levels and other things, and using some "flushing" procedures on her g-tube that filled her tummy with liquids having no nutritional value.
So, it seems that the "left hand" in Quincy didn't know enough about what the "right hand" in St. Louis wanted done. The consequence was that she began having recurrences of some of the original problems which had taken weeks to stabilize in St. Louis. What was intended as a few hour stay, turned first into two days, then finally into eight days. But, praise the Lord, she is back home now as of Monday.
In the meantime, Jim and Deanna are facing the reality of major adjustments in lifestyle, understanding that life's routines will probably never be the same until the Lord either fully heals Nicole or he takes her Home. When you think about it, this can easily make one feel "trapped" by life's circumstances over which you have no control. However, they are coping well with that challenge, but do need lots of prayer.
During her stay in the hospital, Nicole continued to improve in all areas where there had been a setback. However, they don't know what affect it may have had on the strength of her heart.
In addition, there have been two exciting indicators. First, she has recently given evidence of response to the voices of the nurses, meaning that she may have some hearing capabilities. And, second, she is now weighing in at seven pounds, the highest ever, and her breathing is not as laborious as it had been the past week or so.
Additional good news is that they currently have a night nurse five nights a week from 11:00 to 7:00, enabling the rest of the family to get the sleep they need (this could eventually increase to seven nights a week), AND Michael begins school on Thursday. Deanna will also begin "home schooling" JoyLinn a couple days a week on pre-kindergarten level soon.
So, please continue praying . . . that,
+ Any setbacks and related damage will be fully and completely restored.
+ Her heart will heal fully and completely with holes closing up and valves reshaping and functioning perfectly.
+ Her SAT's will remain high and breathing will become steady and normal with no indications of Apnea.
+ Any seizures she may be having which might cause other things such as Apnea attacks will either clear up or be controlled medically.
+ God will "rewire" her neurological circuitry so that the missing parts of her brain will be irrelevant.
+ God will provide the much needed van they now need for adequate transportation. That involves lots of looking, and lots of money.
+ Jim and Deanna can return to some degree of normal ministry at the church. The people have been absolutely phenomenal in their support and encouragement, but Jim particularly misses the shepherding opportunities to which he has been gifted, and Deanna misses the worship ministry of which she was part.
Thanks, dear friends, for your continued prayer support. We are amazed at the stories we continue hearing, and the words of encouragement we are receiving.
We just learned yesterday, for example, about some missionary friends, Daniel and Angela, who had received a preliminary report that the baby she was carrying would have Downs Syndrome, will have a healthy baby girl in a few months. God is good, and God is faithful in every circumstance.
Drop us a note when you can. And, especially take time to write Jim and Deanna at prov2525@socket.net.
While you're at it, continue praying for our other children:
+ Cindy, (Kevin, and Christopher) in Iowa as they make plans to return to the mission field next month (they still need more support raised).
+ Debbie, (Abby, Sarah, and Rachel) in Texas, as they continue working through Debbie's prolonged illness.
+ Cheri, (Bob, Roma, Anya, Misha, Katya, and Seriozha) in Minnesota as they face the challenges of life with five teen agers.
All of our kids are strong believers and active in their respective churches and/or ministries. We love them all, are unbelievably proud of them all, and miss them all ---- V-E-R-Y MUCH!
Finally, pray for the two of us as we cope with the roller coaster rides of emotions, dispositions, and wisdom regarding the next steps we will be taking. While you're at it, pray that God will raise up a pastoral shepherding team of men within the church, and will also raise up a senior teaching pastor to replace us within the next few months. And, pray that the "PrayKIEV" movement will expand dramatically in coming weeks. Ukraine has a major national election in November.
In His Bond and For His Kingdom,
Bob and Jo Ann
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