Updates

Dad with cousin Greg

Well, I’ve been back from Yuma AZ for 2 weeks now.  My visit with him turned out great!  I was expecting to not even be able to say good bye when I left from Sentani.  He loves the Lord and is ready to go home to be with the Lord.  He is ready to be out of pain!

 Both of my brothers and my sister had arrived before me and were expecting to say final good byes.  God is not finished with my dad yet so he did not get called home. 

getting ready for first physical therapy session

My dad rallied and is now working toward getting out of the nursing home.  He will have to be able to walk 50 feet so that when he gets home he can make it into the bathroom even on days that he doesn’t feel like it.  Toward that end he has physical therapy every day.  When I left he was barely able to stand for a Nano second.  Now he is able to take 8 steps, 4 with each foot.

Dad with Ainsley



Brother Jeff, Mom, Brother Scott, Me, Sister Leslie

 Our oldest son Josh and his wife Allyl with thier daughter Ainsley visited over a week before I got there.  I am so grateful for the opportunity to spend time with my siblings in prayer around our father.  I know that the prayers of the saints on our behalf are what have caused this miracle that my dad is still alive.  We continue to pray for strength for our mom to deal with spending long days at the care home and strength for dad to make it home if that is what Gods’ plans are for him. 

Several folks from their church have been coming in to give mom a break.  We are so grateful to them for taking time out of their busy schedules to help out!  Dad gets so lonely when nobody is there.

On another note:  While I was in Yuma, the first day I lost a crown so I crossed over to Mexico to have it put back on.  They charged me $10!  What a deal.  My folks use a dentist there who seems to be well qualified.  It is a much better deal than what is available in The States even with insurance!  I had a root canal and crown put on a year ago by him.

Also the dry air in Arizona dried up my leg so now none of the sores from my accident are “Gooey” anymore! J  They are still pink and tender but healed up!

When I returned on Sunday, after I took a nap, I hit the ground running. We had a teacher in-service on Monday and school started on Tuesday.  I have full schedule including teaching math to first graders, ESL (English as a second Language) to 20 1st through 7^th graders in small groups.  And I also have a 3^rd grade computer class, a 2^nd grade PE and a KG PE class.  It is a very full schedule but I am having a ball. J 

This busy schedule keeps me from seeing our house helper.  She comes after I leave and leaves before I get back.  I am finding creative ways to show Christ’s love. Pray that I don’t get so busy that I lose sight of why we are here!

Dad

Dearest family and friends,

When Miles and I started making plans to leave for Indonesia my dad was having significant health issues.  He told us over and over, “If ANYTHING happens to me don’t come back. My head agreed with that plan but now that the time is here my heart didn’t. and I had time on my hands because of the school break. I would have been OK should I have decided not to come back, but I know that I am better since the decision was made.   After 2 days of “waiting” by the computer for information after I found out that my dad came home from the hospital with Hospice, I went to MAF just to get information as to what kind of airfare I could find and since it was a holiday and could I even get a seat, I set a ball in motion that is unheard of.   I also had to find out if the man who does the “paperwork” for the school was even in town since I had to have permission to leave or I would not be allowed back into the country.  By the time he was found, he was on Holiday in Jayapura but had agreed to come back to process my paperwork and the man who processes paperwork for MAF had already bought my domestic ticket.  This all happened in a course of about 30 minutes.   

After a rough landing in Jakarta, an earthquake in Japan, and 50hours of travel, I finally made it to LAX.  I spent the night with our son Josh and his wife Allyl and our Granddaughter Ainsley in San Diego, CA.    I then drove straight to the care home and gave my dad a huge hug.  He called me a “naughty Daughter” and spanked me as I hugged him.  We had tears in our eyes and I knew he was really glad that I came.  He was of course referring to our conversation of not coming home should anything happen to him. 

He goes in and out of sleep and is in intense pain when he is awake.  We are praying for the Lord to take him home soon!  He told me “You are a missionary so you are closer to God; please tell Him I am ready to come home.”  I cried at his words not just because he is verbalizing he is ready, but that he thinks I am closer to God because I am a missionary!  We are all close “In Christ”.  I know he understands this, but God hasn’t answered his prayer to go home so he was hoping that God would answer mine.

I do not know why my dad is still with us, but I know that God has a purpose in it.  I trust my dad in His hands!  I have attached a picture of my brothers, sister and mom with my dad in the care home. We always have a great time together but the reason has placed a pallor over the visit.   

On a home front: Miles went to a new year’s party where “Anging Goreng” was served I had to dig into my Indonesian vocabulary to realize that it was “Fried Dog”  I would have tried it, but I am so glad that I didn’t “have” to yet! Apparently dog is served at holidays or special parties.

When I get back on Sunday the 15^TH, I get 1 day then I have to report to school for “In-service” on Monday the 16^th, then school starts on Tuesday the 17^th.  I will be teaching ESL for grades 1-7, no current 8^th graders have this need.

Prayer request is for the strength to walk this through strong in Christ!      

My Dad with his cousin Jack in 2008