Home Assignment Updates

I can only say thanks, over and over again, to those of you who prayed for me this week. My hip replacement was Monday morning at 7:30, and I came ‘home’ yesterday (to my parents house in WV). One time in the hospital, I remember wondering why I seemed to be doing so much better than others. Some suggested my age, but I remembered your prayers. Most of the time I am amazed at how little pain I’m actually having, but then there are those other times…

But that’s only about the last week, and it’s time to move on; Bob is back in Ohio working on our house. He hopes to have the carpet laid sometime within the next few weeks so he can bring me home. Since my therapy consists of an exercise routine I do on my own, I can do it anywhere. 

It’s really been a very busy summer with meetings continuing up through the evening before my surgery, combined with the work on our house, going to our church missions conference, and attending to the needs of our elderly parents. Our schedule will pick up again at the end of September with meetings in Michigan. My goal is to be ready to go to these meetings with Bob.

Thanks again for your prayers. We have really felt your love this week.

Many of you, our faithful friends and supporters, will be praying for Lois today, as she was supposed to be undergoing hip replacement surgery. We appreciate your prayers and suggest that you keep praying, even though her surgery has been put off for now. She is following the well-recommended advice of getting another opinion, this from a doctor who does a much less invasive hip replacement, making her recovery much quicker. We’ll keep you posted on when that surgery will happen (assuming it will work for her).

The month of June was very different for us in many ways. I spent almost all my waking hours at our new fix-me-up home in Loudonville, Ohio. Lois spent a lot of her time with her parents, taking care of the mundane chores of living while they each recuperated from hospital stays. Both are doing much better and we thank you for your inquiries and prayers on their behalf.

Today, if all goes as planned, we will spend our first night in our new home – NOT that everything is done. We have the bathroom, kitchen and one bedroom liveable, so we’re moving in! We’ll work on the rest as we go. It will be fun to finally go through our stored stuff and see what we have…now we can better choose from all those wonderful things you ladies have in those missionary cupboards. 

This move seems to have been a long time in coming, but as we look back over the past month and see how God has so wonderfully provided all our furnishings, we’re reminded again that He does all things beautifully in His time.

 We want to say a special thank you to those of you who have ‘visited’ us in our new home, working hard in this ‘Africa-like’ heat to help us get things done. It has been a big encouragement to us, and makes today possible.

This next Sunday, we will start another round of meetings, including a week of vacation Bible school. Please pray that God will lead us to new faithful friends and supporters as we are still hoping to return to Africa in January 2005.

Causes for Praise:

• “Brother Bob, I’m calling to tell you that our church voted to support your ministry…” What wonderful, welcome news received this week from a Pastor in West Virginia. Praise the Lord for this answered prayer.
• The month of June finds us very busy fixing up our new home. We want to thank those of you who have helped us out. There’s a lot to do, but we’re thankful to have a new home to work on! Isn’t it interesting that we have no meetings in June – God knew we would need this time to focus on a different project.

Concerns for Prayer:

• Support Needs Speedy work on our house so we can move in!
• Surgery – Lois will be having a hip replacement July 5th. Please pray that her recovery goes well. Also pray for me as I present our ministry without her help.