Dear Family and Friends,
Life is full of opportunities to make right choices, have you noticed that? It is a joy and a challenge. Paul & I have peace and the difficult things we face only cause us to focus on trusting God more than ever. I am grateful for these days and blessed to have life still. The powerfully positive thing is that we focus, like never before, on what is most important in life and resist letting little ’silly things’ bog us down, things that can often cloud our way, and are not eternally important. Some heights are only reached by anguish and by pain.
We really do appreciate all our family and friends who are encouraging us on, as we wait. I continue to know without doubt that God is ‘carrying’, protecting, healing me as we wait through these days. I am encouraged to stay firm and stand my ground, not looking to my circumstances but looking in faith to what I do not yet see. Hebrews 12:1. Basically I am resting so I can give my body every chance to get well, doing what I can and trusting God to do the rest. In March I went to Malaysia again for another rest and 10 day detox program and it was worthwhile.
Family news
Caleb went to Australia to get a second opinion on his feet a couple of weeks ago. He was continuing to have considerable pain and when the ‘door opened’ for him to go, we knew a second opinion would not hurt. It was a really worthwhile trip. Caleb met up with Paul who had been teaching there the week before and the doctors report was that Caleb’s injuries to both his feet and his back were severe. Apparently he is fortunate to be walking at all, the pain he is having is normal for injuries such as his but should decrease after 2 years. His accident was May 8th 2007, so almost one year later, he has made great progress! While that is VERY good news, sadly for Caleb, the doctor confirmed that he will never be able to play contact sports. Swimming, golf, cycling (low impact sports) are acceptable, but not much else for him. He has been getting into the swimming of late and we remain grateful that he can walk. Caleb has 35 school days left in his life, he finishes up his senior year on June 6th, there’s a lot of work to do before then, so please pray for him as he completes his final term of school.
Luke & Pe who have had a tough year with various challenges, continue to help out, desiring to be a support and are successful in lessening my workload. Come August, Luke & Pe will leave to return to Adelaide, Oz. Jaci, who has been also been serving here tirelessly this past year+, also easing my workload, and Zac (from USA, who plans to finish up at Hume Lake, California) and Caleb, all want to move to Adelaide and get a house together. They will work/study there and start a new life! We are on the look-out for a house to rent (in Adelaide, SA) if anyone can help with advice, it would be welcomed.
So that will leave Paul and I as empty-nesters!!!! sort of……. without our ‘own’ birth children anyway!!! We plan to take a long-overdue trip to Australia to visit family, and to communicate to those who partner with us, churches and other groups. So from November 2008 through into 2009 we will be in Oz for a total of 6 months. Oh how we will miss Thailand……… our staff will keep things humming away here though.
May your dreams come true,
Penny
