Dear praying friends,
It has been awhile (as I was recently reminded) – since I wrote anything. That’s because life has been quite smooth, though busy. The effects of the anesthetic from 4 surgeries in 8 weeks has been wearing off, and Doug has more energy and is able to be more involved in life in general. Once a week he is meeting with a young fellow from Nepal and we are praying for his salvation. We saw the specialist yesterday, the 14th of May, and he is thrilled with the way Doug has healed, and Doug is short-listed for surgery. They plan to do it under a local – and the wait time is due to the fact that the specialist most always has 1 l-o-n-g surgery (8 – 10 hours) a day, and seldom has a slot of a couple of hours, to do smaller ops. However, it is he, himself who needs to do Doug’s next surgery. He hopes to raise the lower lip up and lipo suction the free flap to remove some of the bulk. If that isn’t successful, he may need to cut into the flap to reduce it, but then there is always the risk of hindering the blood supply, and the flap dying. So we continue to wait, and rest in God’s perfect timing and undertaking.
The house is “hopping”. Renee, Bryan and the 5 children have returned from three months of traveling across the south of Australia, with multiple loads and loads of laundry. So we are thankful for the delightful sunny warm days we are having. The tent/trailer is all cleaned out and packed away – for a short time anyway. They are settling in here with us while Bryan again seeks some employment. They say there is a shortage of nurses – but there isn’t much in the way of agency nursing available. Renee is already back into homeschooling the children – Keenan has been writing a book as they traveled – and the two boys have also been keeping journals which, along with some fantastic photos will be printed into a book. The girls have been delighted to find their dress-up clothes, and Ezekiel, now two, is all boy, and keeping us on our toes.
Brad and Rachel are, as usual, busy, busy, but enjoying their jobs, and their delightful children continue to grow, and grow in the Lord. Heidi-anne is booked to travel to the States later this year, to be bridesmaid at a friend’s wedding, and has been doing youth work at a church ½ way between our house and theirs. James has commenced university, is loving the studies and learning, but finding his job VERY stressful and needs prayer. Chelsea continues in High School. Brad’s father, who had 5 by-pass heart surgery in January, HOPES to come home from hospital by the end of this month. After many complications, a pacemaker, and losing 51 kgs, it would seem he will soon be back home.
Rhesa, our daughter in Papua New Guinea, is ½ through the last term of this school year, (she teaches some classes) – and her eldest daughter, Rhianah, graduates at the end of May. It would have been lovely to be able to travel up to PNG to be there for the ceremony – but we will be there in thought and prayers, anyway. Rhianah will stay in PNG for a year, and work at the NTMA hangar until Raylea graduates next year, and then the family will travel back to Australia for a well earned “Home Assignment”. Bobby’s dad who has kidney cancer, is being treated with a new drug and is suffering many side effects, but is staying encouraged in the Lord.
Raewyn and Gregan are doing well. We see them at least once a week. Gregan is asthmatic, has an allergy to nuts and a few other items, and is presently on anti biotics for a middle ear infection but is back in school and a joy to have around.
Roxanne and David have a busy life, with their jobs, three very active children and all the activities. This week I went with Hannah to Girls’ Brigade for “high tea” which was very nice. The three children has just completed swimming lessons, and have swapped tennis coaching, to:- Ben is doing Aus Kick, and Hannah and Zac are dong gymnastics. I still go out once a week to walk the children to school, and always see the family on the weekends.
No new news regarding the Owininga, but I did get another literacy/library book typed up and off to Hope Sharp, who does all the printing for the “Tribal Resource Centre”, and it was printed, before Hope ‘shut up shop’ in readiness for her Home Assignment in a couple of weeks. Jason will be able to take them into the Owinnga, when he next visits the Upper Sepik.
Again we thank you for your prayers, and we trust each of you mother’s had a special day for Mother’s Day, this past Sunday. Many thanks, Doug and Bev