Dear family and friends,
Let me begin by thanking the incredible support we have felt these past weeks. From generous gifts to a caring phone call we have truly felt loved by you.
Sebastian, Juan’s son, sent us this update:
Great news today!
After another very rough night my dad has regained incredible amounts of energy today (I doubt one led to the other, but that's how it happened). The feat of the day is that he was able to stand and walk with a walker today!
Its incredible how he could not hold himself sitting just twenty-four hours ago!
Many thanks for your continued love and support. I cannot wait to send you an email soon that states he has fully recovered.
We received an update on Juan Marentes from his son Sebastian this morning:
My father slept well for the first time since Wednesday last night. It seems like his first treatment of plasma replacement worked as he looks and feels stronger. He is still very weak and almost paralyzed but we trust and know that it will pass with time. Our prayer is that he does not further deteriorate and has reached the bottom…and can now recover quickly….Thanks for your love and support!
If you want to send a card, please contact SAMS.
The city has been without electricity for three days now and a majority of the lines are down all over the city. Most likely power will continue to be off for several days. Good thing the Malagasy are still used to cooking with charcoal! Water came back after 48 hours. We are sending this from a friends hotel (the Hyppocamp) as Anita has invited us over for dinner to share news, exchange stories and help put an American guest at ease. We prepared this group email before hand and then sent it at her place as she has a generator. We are still able to check individual emails at this point so please understand if we have not gotten back to you. Please pass this on to others as we are depending upon you all to pass the word.
We spoke with Sebastian, Juan and Maria's son. Juan has Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), a disorder in which the body's immune system attacks part of the peripheral nervous system. GBS can be life threatening so we are thanking God that he received care so quickly in Belize and was speedily diagnosed in Jacksonville. The doctors will begin a plasma exchange treatment today that we pray will reduce the severity of the disease and accelerate recovery. Juan is having difficulty sleeping and this will be an uncomfortable few days of treatment. Please pray for his comfort and healing. Also give thanks to God for his family, the care he is receiving, and many friends in Jacksonvillle and around the world.
Dear Friends and Family
First of all, thank you for your prayers during Cyclone Haruna. We are fine and recovering from the storm.
Rains began through the night on Thursday and Friday morning at 10:30 the cyclone began to hit. 12:00 noon the winds were high and continued to 11:00 pm, calculated to be gusting at 230 km/hr. The house survived, although we thought a few times the roof was doing to blow off and Patsy abandoned ship and went downstairs while Todd mopped the incoming rain which was leaking through the roofs, windows and underneath the doors. We were so thankful that the roof remained intact and the loud creaking was coming from the gutters, of which some did blow off. The largest part of the damage was from the south side as the storm circled around. At 4:00 pm the kitchen window blew out and went flying through the kitchen, frame and all, miraculously not shattering nor hurting either Todd nor Pierre as they were only a few feet from the window, nor breaking any dishes. We called in two other men and Patsy to help place a large board in front of the window, which took over an hour to configure how to secure into place with the large winds and rain howling. Read More...
Please pray for Juan Marentes and his wife Maria in Belize. Juan has what appears to be a serious medical problem. This is an update from David Alenskis.
"Just a quick update and clarification. It was pretty clear from the onset that it was not a stroke. The indicators were that he had weakness and numbness in both sides of his body. Had it been a stroke it would have been one side of his body according to the doctor who met with them yesterday. Today's CT confirmed it was not a stroke but a pinched nerve due to vertebra resting on top of each other. Had it been a stroke he would not be able to travel as the blood on the brain would have worsened in flight due to changes in altitude. We are praising God that he did not suffer a stroke so he can fly. He is planning to have further evaluation with doctors in the U.S. Passports were quickly obtained this afternoon by Maria due to the help of the Bishop. Many prayers were answered today. Ministry assignments were passed out last night and today to keep the parish and schools running seamlessly in his absence. He is at peace knowing he has a team of dedicated workers and committed parishioners who are working hard while they get evaluations and treatment. He is also at peace knowing God will use this for His glory. It is so good to have a strong body of believers who care. Many bases were covered. We will press on here in hope knowing that God's mercies are new every morning. God is our refuge and strength. May God bless you as you continue to raise support."
Thanks for praying for our SAMS Team at the Urbana Student Missions Conference! Your participation was key in our time there. I was blessed by all who prayed for us and amazed by how the Lord put all the pieces together to make a complete whole. It seemed that there was always someone available who could help address a concern, pray for an inquirer, provide information, encourage someone going through a certain circumstance, or lend a hand. We appreciated the prayers you gave to be part of SAMS overall effort and the ministry you contributed to Urbana 12 that blessed many participants.
The biggest praise report was the open door we had to encourage and pray with several hundred of the 16,000 participants as they consider God's next steps in their lives in Him.
Here are some more praise reports with numbers:
Please continue to pray for a spirit of discernment and wisdom for both the missionary societies who are recruiting and sending as well as for those going to the field - for God’s perfect will in their placement and that He would raise all of the finances needed. Also pray there would be a deep desire to walk closely with the Lord after the “high” of the conference is over and follow through would take place.
Thanks, again. May the Lord grant you his grace and peace in the coming year.
For photo updates check out our facebook page
SAMS pastoral care missionary, Derek Washington, has written a new song, Tender Care, to share with us. Please enjoy it and pass it on to other missionaries!
https://soundcloud.com/derekwash/tender-care-by-derek
SAMS was recently featured in an article in the "Apostle", the Anglican Church in North America's newsletter. It is a wonderful article about SAMS and our mission. Please read it and share it!