Dear Praying Friends,

Thanks to each of you for your prayers, emails and phone calls.  God is answering prayer.  We hope that the Love, Joy and Peace of Christmas will bring you to a closer walk with our LORD!

 

We just read the following about Divine Preparation in a book titled The Finishing Touch by Charles R. Swindoll:

  • Nothing touches me that has not passed through the hands of my heavenly Father.
  • Everything I endure is designed to prepare me for serving others more effectively.
  • A Finishing Touch: When you feel as if God is taking things away, maybe He’s just trying to make room in your life for better things that He wants to give you.

Sandy just got released from her doctor.  Her eye pressures were satisfactory for now.  Her next schedule appointment is in March.  She should have her eye pressures checked and her yearly check-ups between March and June to insure that her glaucoma is stable.  She has been able to get her eye pressures checked right in the town of Goroka where we live.  God know what we need and always provides.  The doctor said, “Go ahead and schedule your return tickets to PNG.”

It truly is a very busy time with family, friends, and the holidays.  Things will get even busier when we return to Papua New Guinea.  This will be sometime after Christmas.

We will be travelling to Columbus, OH on Wednesday to see Aaron, Stephanie, Coralee and Zane for one week before Christmas.  Thank you for your prayers for them also.  Coralee found out that she needed to have some special glasses to assist her vision in reading.  God again knew what they needed.  He has them in the place where their needs can be fulfilled.

We have a second niece who has been diagnosed with cervical cancer.  She begins chemo treatments on Monday.  Both nieces will be in two separate hospitals at the same time for rounds of chemo treatment.  Thank you for your prayers for their families and them as they go through these treatments.

Please also be in prayer for one of our coworkers daughters.  She just returned from teaching English overseas for two years.  She had her appendix removed while she was there.  She had some post op pain following that surgery, but the results were that she needed something for pain and was released.  She has returned to the USA and has had her pain checked.  The tested results show a huge 15 pound tumor.  She will have it surgically removed on Tuesday, and biopsied, to determine if it is cancer or not.  Please pray that this is a large benign tumor!  God knows what she needs and has her family there with her during this time.

One of our close friends at church is being treated for Follicular Dendritic Cell Sarcoma (FDCS) or thyroid cancer.   FDCS is extremely rare.  He has had some different symptoms and has recently been diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia.  God knows exactly what he needs and has him receiving these treatments in Texas where this is treated.  He has begun treatment and is experiencing the side effects associated with this medication.  Please pray for his family and him.

Thanks also for your prayers for our family as we continue to adjust after Sandy’s mom’s illness and graduation to heaven.  God know exactly what we all need and is there to provide.

Remember, God is working to change us into the image of His Son, Jesus.  This process is important.  He continually takes away the dross of this life to reveal in us the inner golden beauty of His dear Son – for the benefit of others.

Listening for the trump and praying,

Steve and Sandy Aholt