Let me start with some GOOD NEWS: My brother Greg was moved out of intensive care and into a regular ward this weekend. The ventilator was turned off; the tracheotomy was removed; and on Saturday I spoke with my brother and heard his precious voice, a little rough but perfectly recognizable, after two months of silence. We are so thrilled with these huge steps! The last hurdle is regulating his blood-thinning medication, and then he will be ready to move to a rehabilitation hospital for a few weeks. Praise God for His goodness in bringing Greg and all of us through this! (For those of you who weren't getting the email updates about Greg, the backstory is: My brother Greg had to have a failing heart valve replaced in November. He contracted pneumonia shortly after surgery, and then had a stroke in the hospital. The recovery from all this, as you can imagine, has been long and difficult, which is why so many successes in such a short time are such a huge relief and cause for rejoicing!)
Backing up a bit, now that the good news is told... A break in my schedule and the help of friends and colleagues made it possible for me to be in Oklahoma with Greg through the holidays. It was good to be with him after so many weeks of uncertainty, of waiting over and over for news of his condition, and of feeling powerless to help my hurting family in any tangible way while I was so far away. My parents, younger sister, and I spent Christmas Day with Greg, then my mom--who has been staying in Oklahoma City (3 hours from home) 4-5 days a week since all this began--went home for a few days while I took her place at Greg's side. Over and over, my thoughts were drawn to the 23rd Psalm, to the "valley of the shadow of death," as I found myself daily walking through what was almost literally that very valley; Greg's cubicle was at the end of the unit, and every time I walked to or from the door, I passed a dozen other cubicles where life and death hung in the balance. It was sobering and surreal. But the wonder of Christmas, the glory of the Incarnation, lies in that very verse of the psalm I was meditating on: "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me." (Emphasis mine.) In a hospital, with death on every side, with the memory of my brother's repeated brushes with death during the previous weeks fresh in my mind, here was my strength: God with us, IMMANUEL. I would not have chosen to spend Christmas in ICU, but I would not trade the sweetness of this truth that broke in on me and Greg during the Christmas holiday for anything.
I came back to Prague January 1 (my first anniversary in Prague, incidentally). And it hasn't taken much time to be back in nearly full swing. By February, the schedule will be "fully loaded" for the semester, with Teen Challenge, English Club, activities and outreach with the Rajska Zahrada church plant, Bible studies, and CZECH CZECH CZECH (12 45-minute lessons a week, plus meetings with conversation partners).
How can you be praying this month?
Praise the Lord with me for:
- Greg's improvements
- Time with family over Christmas
- A good year of ministry and the great opportunities of the coming year
Please intercede with me for:
- Open hearts in the Rajska Zahrada and Cerny Most neighborhoods as we continue outreach there
- Growth and encouragement at the RZ church plant
- Barbora, Iveta, and other girls from English Club, for their willingness to continue the relationship we have in a Bible study
- Energy and vision for the development of Roma ministry opportunities
Thank you for your ongoing encouragement and blessing to me in this ministry. Your prayers are such a valuable part of this work!
Grace and peace to you in our Immanuel,
Renee
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