Update on Robert's Mom

This picture was taken just a few weeks before we left for Russia, at my nephews wedding. Thanks for praying for my family. Please particularly remember my sister, Jeannie (standing left) and my brother, Dwight (standing right), and my parents (seated).

Thanks for the many prayers offered up for my mom and my family. She had a brain aneurism on July 30, less than a month after we arrived here in Russia. She remained in ICU for four weeks, basically unconscious most of that time. My dad has waited on her hand and foot throughout the ordeal, staying by her side as much as the medical staff would allow. Obviously while she was in ICU he could not stay in the room, but he became a permanent fixture in the waiting room throughout those weeks.

Never has dad been content removed from the mission field of Mexico. Yet, in June, due to mom?s declining health, they came out of Mexico, and played a vital role in helping us get moved to Russia at the beginning of July. Mom had been diagnosed with Alzheimer?s but so far, had mainly shown signs of dementia. In recent months it had seemed that her condition was going downhill and making it more dangerous for dad to leave her alone in Mexico while he went to the villages for evangelistic meetings. These meetings were being held, almost every night, in villages where they had never gone.

As many of you were aware, in the last couple years dad has sensed a real urgency to go to these unreached villages near their home in Mexico with the Jesus Film, a video projector, and a trailer full of chairs. In less than one year?s time, over 10,000 people in those villages have prayed to put their trust in Christ as Savior, and have began to study a short discipleship series dad has written in Spanish, along with a Spanish New Testament they?ve received.

I digress somewhat from simply reporting on mom?s condition, but there is a related point to this digression. Of course, though dad has always been discontented ?off the field?, as we might say, he would never consider that any of us, who call ourselves followers of Christ, would ever be able to separate ourselves from ?the field?, since our field is truly wherever we?re planted.

Well, for dad, mom?s four weeks in ICU provided him many prime hours of ministering to people in the ICU waiting room. So, in addition to seeing his prayers answered for mom?s healing, dad had the privilege of seeing at least 16 people put their trust in Christ while ?waiting? with him there.

For me this just helped illustrate something that John Maisel, our East-West president reminds us of regularly. Though our circumstances may change and we may experience what to us seem like set-backs, ?the conquering march of Jesus Christ is still right on schedule?.

Isaiah 55:8-11 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," declares the LORD. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts. "For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the earth And making it bear and sprout, And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it."

God?s ways are clearly not our ways. And, that holds true with mom?s healing.

After four weeks in ICU, mom was eventually moved into a rehab facility at Baylor hospital, then moved to a rehab center in Waxahachie, near their home in Midlothian. For mom and dad, home is now with my sister Jeannie. On October 11th, they moved mom home from the rehab. However, last week her condition spiraled even lower, with some symptoms indicating a toxicity from some medications she was taking. After another week in the hospital, she returned home to Midlothian again this week, where my sister and brother-in-law assist dad with her care.

Despite all the down side to her condition, I have been blessed to get to talk with mom twice since all of this began. The first time was while she was still in rehab and though her voice sounded really bad due to the tubes that had been in her throat through weeks in ICU, it was deeply meaningful to hear her tell me, ?Just trust in the Lord Robert, just trust in the Lord?.

So, that?s where we find ourselves, just trusting in the Lord.

• Trusting that His ways are indeed not ours
• Trusting that ALL things will work together for good
• Trusting that God will be glorified through her life
• Trusting that One Day, mother?s healing will be complete
• Trusting that my family members who bear the burden of her care, particularly my sister and my dad, will be given much grace to endure, and that somehow, their lives will be enriched through the struggle
• Trusting that, though thousands of miles removed from mom and the rest of my family, God has us right where He wants us right now

Trust is not always easy, in fact, it seems to be completely against my nature. That?s why I continually pray for help to walk not by my ?nature?, in the natural man, but by the Spirit.
?Blog-A-Dot Chronicles? to the left. And, thanks again for your prayers.