It finally seems like we are beginning our furlough trips. After visiting two churches two weeks ago, last week for the first time ever, I missed a meeting because of sickness. We were up by 5 AM, but I had problems with chills, sweating, vomiting and going to the bathroom. Apparently a “24 hour flu” had hit Fairhaven a week or so before, and hit me. However, there was also a new complication which I had never had either. I had a viral labyriinthitis (inner ear infection), with twirling around every time I moved my head in certain positions. Fortunately, after a day of rest on Monday, it gradually disappeared over a few days. Liz has been doing extremely well, and seems back to normal, praise the Lord.
An extra bonus has been the opportunity to see our family and their children. Since 2001, our family has not been in the USA at the same time. Marc and Charin and Kim and Ethan were both scheduled for furlough this year, and were able to meet together with our other family for the first time in eight years. When we came back for Liz’s kidney stone treatment, we have also been able to see all the family. Once you set a schedule for furlough, it is extremely difficult to change it. Thus we were able to see all the rest of the family last week on Thursday, which was a great blessing. Kim and Ethan were elsewhere and not able to come, but fortunately we have the opportunity to see them in Suriname. We had an extra two days to enjoy with Marc and Charin which had been planned before we knew that we were coming earlier than scheduled.
This Saturday we were able to travel to Owosso to spend overnight with Pastor Adkins of Gilead Baptist Church. After the morning service and a delicious Chinese buffet, we went to North Sharon Baptist Church in Grass Lake, Michigan. The trip from the motel where we stayed to the church was only 11 minutes, but the road had been blocked because of construction. Two of the dirt roads we used trying to get around the construction were blocked at the highway M 52, and we had to turn around. After much trial, we arrived 5 minutes before the service. Pastor Bobby Toler was most gracious, and we were blessed to eat afterwards with his wife and himself. We have been blessed with a number of godly pastors who keep on keeping on despite the challenges which they face in the ministry.
News from Suriname: The building project is going well. The main thing slowing the work down is finances. Please join us in prayer that the needs there will be met. Second, Kalow Palata, the senior pastor at the main church, has had considerable back pain. He had difficulty preaching and getting down from the pulpit last week. His son Gwatoes is improving with some special treatments for the healing of the bone in his upper arm where he has a plate to hold the pieces of bone together. We pray for the completion of his treatment so that he will be in a position to get therapy and find a prosthesis for his amputated arm.
Thank you again for your faithful prayers on our behalf.
Prayer requests:
Our spiritual growth
Health and strength for the tasks
Preparing for speaking engagements. Between meetings I have been working hard on that.
Two open dates on our schedule on October 31st just before we leave for Suriname
Building project at Sunny Point. At the present time, our main need will be finances for the roof
Health for the Palata family - especially Kalow and Gwatoes
Older
Top
