Teddy Bear Conflicts

According to this news report, Sudanese citizens are in the streets, rioting and waving swords and calling for the execution of British teacher Gillian Gibbons. She allowed her Sudanese gradeschool classroom to name their class teddy bear "Mohammed." Gillian has already been convicted and sentenced to 15 days in prison. (The high court spared her the most severe punishment of 40 lashes.)

Quote one protestor, "This an arrogant woman who came to our country...teaching our children hatred of our Prophet Muhammad."

Teaching hatred? I thought they named a teddy bear.

Post note: Today the Sudanese president pardoned Gillian Gibbons and she was released to return to the UK. The TIMEs reported that the actual problem was an employment disagreement.

Green Bay vs. Dallas

And to let you know that even home missionaries have time for fun -- I'm watching the big Green Bay vs. Dallas game at a friend's house. Green Bay lineman Aaron Kampman is a huge GFA supporter, so I've been rooting for Green Bay this evening. A couple of my co-workers are at tonight's game, tickets compliments of Aaron. :) Too bad the Packers aren't doing to well.

Christmas Critters

Pulling into Wichita for Thanksgiving, I tuned in to KCFN - the local AFR station at 91.1FM. I was mildly surprised to hear a radio spot sharing, "Needing something special for Christmas this year? How about a goat or a pair of chickens? Or even a water buffalo? Stop by our website at AFR.net and click on the Christmas Catalog banner; brought to you by AFR and Gospel for Asia."

Tuesday night at GFA prayer meeting, I heard a familiar voice in the back of the room. Looking around, I saw Sharon Geiger - the morning news anchor for Dallas radio station KCBI. She traveled to India recently to see the ministry of GFA and had come to share about her trip at our prayer meeting. Sharon will be sharing about her trip on air at KCBI each morning next week at 7:40am and encouraging their listeners to get involved with the GFA Christmas Catalog. (You can listen live at www.kcbi.org.)

The GFA Christmas Catalog is catching attention all over the place. And this Sunday I get to share 500 copies with the families at Hope Fellowship - my church in Frisco.

Wartime walkie talkie

Hopefully there will be additional posts coming soon, but here is today's quote from Let the Nations be Glad by John Piper.

God has given us prayer as a wartime walkie-talkie so that we can call headquarters for everything we need as the kingdom of Christ advances in the world. It is not surprising that prayer malfunctions when we try to make it a domestic intercom to call upstairs for more comforts in the den.

How true.

Mother is home!

Thank you so much for all your prayers for my mother. She arrived home on Saturday evening after spending 11 days in the hospital. There is some inflammation in the lungs and around the voice box that the doctors are still concerned about, but thanks to your prayers, there have not been any major infections.

Mother went to church yesterday morning and is steadily getting stronger. She needs to find the balance during the next few weeks of walking/exercise/activity (doctor's orders), but not pushing herself too hard. Praise the Lord for a long-time family friend who is arriving this week to help Mother around the house until mid December.

The cause of the blockages was finally determined to be a calcified lymph node. Why? Reason not known. Everything else looks fine, so they're not too concerned. For those of you who heard the "tooth fairy" story - it ended up not being true.

Thanks again for your prayers!

Off to KS again

Thanks for all your prayers - Mother was moved out of ICU today and is possibly being released this coming weekend if all goes well. I'm off to KS in the morning for Thanksgiving. I must admit, I've never celebrated Thanksgiving in a hospital. But hey, we do have so much for which to thank the Lord.

Continue to pray for the families who have been left homeless and starving by the cyclone in Bangladesh.

Update on Mother

Mother was doing better this morning and actually walked for the first time since surgery. The day was complicated when fluid was found in one of her lungs. Then, during the broncoscope (to remove the fluid), Mother threw up and ended up aspirating some of the junk into her lungs. The doctors are now very concerned about potential infection. Please pray that there won't be any problems or infections from this.

Outside my little world - Bangladesh has been hit by the worst cyclone in a decade. The official death toll is over 3,000 already and they say it could reach over 10,000. Pray for the people of Bangladesh and for the pastors and churches ministering there.

Mother update

As the voice message at the other end of the button says, Mother came through surgery fine. They were able to remove the blockage/thing from her bronchial tube and didn't have to remove any of her lung at all! (Don't ask me about the bronchial tube/lung thing. I'm clueless I'll post an answer when I get it figured out.)

Thanks for your prayers. She'll be in ICU for several days and then in a regular room for several days. My prayer? For her to be home for Thanksgiving! (I won't be there, but I'm still praying for it!)

Love you guys! If you think about it today, can you pray for peace for me? Just several things going on at once. I'd like to have the Lord's peace and not be depending on my own understanding.

Update on Mother

If you click this button and enter your phone number, your phone will ring. When you answer it, it will connect you to the latest update on my mother. Feel free to leave a message. :)

Isn't technology fun?!?

Prayer for Mother

Quick prayer note: My mother has been scheduled for surgery to remove part of her left lung tomorrow (Thursday).

The doctors found a spot on my mother's lung several weeks ago (routine bronchitis x-ray). There was some concern from the doctors and routine visits were scheduled for a bronchoscope and other stuff to check into it. (My family was not overly concerned since Mother went through existing testing 20+ years ago for a spot on her lung that never went away. The doctors decided it wasn't cancer or tuberculosis, but never did find out what it was.)

The bronchoscope happened today and they were scheduled for results meeting next week. It was a surprise when the doctor said he was going to admit her today and do the surgery tomorrow.
We don't think it's "something scary," but your prayers are appreciated.

Thank you!

Still moving!

I'm pressing on the upward way
New heights I'm gaining every day
Still praying as I'm onward bound
"Lord, plant my feet on higher ground."

It hasn't even been that busy here recently, but my time living in my online world has continued to be limited. Something about real life taking up more time... But honestly, since I know that many of you stop by this blog to know how to pray for me, I need to keep you updated. Tonight: I'm so tired my eyes are closing. Tomorrow: I need to make sure I get up and spend my time with the Lord in the morning.

Prayer requests: Grace for figuring out my work schedule and needs tomorrow. Wisdom for GFAnet projects. Peace for moving arrangements. (I'm staying with GFA, but just moving out of this rental house at the end of December.)

My heart has no desire to stay
Where doubts arise and fears dismay
Though some may dwell where those abound
My prayer, my aim is higher ground.

Quote from Brother K.P.

"Remember, 'faith' simply means we depend on Him."

Someone's praying

Somebody's praying for me -- I know it. You know that complete sense of peace that sometimes rests in you? That peace that is there even when there are burdens and things that you want to fix and things that grieve you. That peace that you can't shake (and don't really want to). That peace that helps you be at rest and realize there is nothing you can do except pray (and that's enough). That peace that reminds you that God is the one who can work in that situation far better than you can. That peace that you know is not coming from yourself.

Somebody's praying for me. And I'm so thankful.