Haiti on my heart

January 12, 2010 will forever stick in my mind. I was at Starbucks in a meeting when I received a text saying that Haiti had an earthquake and that first reports are bad. My heart sank, immediately I tried to contact my friends and ministry partners in Haiti, but it was no use, the phone connection was not the best to begin with and would be down as expected in an earthquake. Still I continued to try, and try, for the next few days, and then week. Still no answer. Finally I receive word that my dear friends, and ministry partners had all been accounted for. My heart took a sigh of relief for a moment, and then the images of what had occurred from the earthquake began to surface. Days turned into weeks, weeks into months, and it's now almost 7 months after the devastating earthquake that killed over 230,000 people. As I watched the evening news the past couple of days I am reminded that we have such a short memory as a society, our most pressing issue at the moment is the oil in the gulf, which is bad, but really? Yes I understand that lots of money was lost, and billions of dollars are being spent in clean up which is needed. But I have a question. Where was that BILLIONS of dollars when people needed it? At what point did we as a society place the value of human life below an animal, and at what point did we just stop caring about others?
I'm glad that Haiti was brought to the eyes of the world, I'm sad at how it happened, but know that good can come of this. However, a couple of charity events are not enough, sending a couple of bucks from my cell phone is not enough, sending a box of medical supplies is not enough, BUT it is a start. My heart grieved in February of this year when I was able to see the devastation first hand. The images have never left my mind, and I'm not really sure they ever will. The sights, wounded, sounds, and smells will be etched in my mind for the rest of my life. But one thing I do know, even if you have never been to Haiti, to know that a child is now with out any family.. that there are countless people hungry tonight.. there are countless people who have been made homeless.. or who are unable to sleep inside a home or building because of the fear they have in their hearts. When I think of these people, and all they have experienced in the last few months my heart grieves. And while all this is happening, we go on with our lives, forgetting a reality that is there, but is not before our eyes.. So I ask you this, What will you do? From my first visit to Haiti in 2004, I knew God was wanting to use us to impact the beautiful country, I just was not sure of how. There is a quote that I once heard that forever challenged me, "now that I have seen, I am responsible". The writer of the book of James says, "Faith without deeds is dead". So yes, please join me in praying, but I challenge you to go beyond that with your deeds and make a lasing impact that will forever change your life, and possibly save someone else's.

Time for a change...

I laugh at the thought of my last blog being over a year ago...so I'm going to take some more time...and make over the blog...post some things I've been wrestling with, and some pictures from my travels to Haiti, both before and after the earthquake, and share what God has been teaching me in the past few months about life, family, and the church. I'm excited to share, and excited to get a new look to the blog.

Rancho Sordo Mudo Trip, Day 1

This morning Violet and I took a team of 12 people from Palm Valley Church to one of our favorate places, Rancho Sordo Mudo, the only free deaf school in all of Mexico located about 60 miles south of the Mexican boarder. We are here to do several things, mainly to build a new outhouse for the boys. When the boys found out during dinner time that this was the reason we came, they where more than excited.
Tonight was a challenging night. We heard the story of Rancho Sordo Mudo, which I have heard so many times, however, i never grow tired of hearing about God's faithfulness, and what I love so much about the story is that it causes you to want to move to action. My prayer for myself, my wife, and our group is that we will be moved to action...every day.

I'll blog more later, right now I'm off to bed!

Are you for real?

Friday was another adventurous day for me as I went to see my Neurologist for our weekly hang out time, and for him to tell me things are going well, or not so well. My day started out well because Friday's are my day with my baby girl, we it was a bummer that she had to come with me to the doctor, but it was great that I was able to experience what happened with her as well.
I handed my doctor my CAT scan that I had done earlier that week, and patiently waited to hear the results. Dr. Kumar, walked in the office, and says "well it's gone!", "Say that again please" I said, "It's gone, the spot that was on your brain is now gone." I was in a little shock, "are you for real?"
Dr. Kumar went on to tell me that the spot had cleared up and was completely gone. He also mentioned that he spot with my infectious disease doctor and they planned to take me off my antibiotics that day, and that they would contact my nurse and she would pull my pick-line out of my arm! I was so excited! On my way back to my car, I was explaining to Riley what had just happened, and I know that she couldn't understand, but someday I'll get to tell her that she was there with me at the doctor's office when they told me that not just that my health had been restored, but that God used those doctors to heal me, and that there where so many people praying for me, and she was a witness to God's goodness, and faithfulness, and that prayer is the most powerful tool we have and it literally changes lives. I'm excited to someday tell her that she was there for that. I get excited to share more opportunities with Riley of how God has worked in our family, friends, and in our personal lives, and to see that impact her...that excites me!

I really want to thank everyone for your prayers and support during this time, I believe with all my heart that the only reason I made it through this crazy situation was because the Lord healed me. Thank you for your MANY PRAYERS, and support for Violet, Riley, and myself. We love you.

Pray For Test On Wednesday

Tomorrow I will be having another CAT scan. If all goes well with that and my report comes back good from my Neurologist on Friday, then I will be getting my pick line out of my arm. That would be AWESOME! Each day I'm feeling better, and getting stronger, so hopefully the test results will just confirm how I'm feeling.

Violet and I appreciate your prayers during this time.

Health Updates Keep Getting Better...

Yesterday I went to another doctor appointment. I have to admit that this is really getting old, having weekly, sometimes 2-3x a week I'm at a doctors appointment. But hey, I am feeling better and they are doing a great job, so I'll stop complaining now.
Anyhow my doctor told me yesterday that I'm doing great, and that my staph infection was not the most serious kind of staph infection as originally suspected, which is a good thing. And the antibiotics are working great. There is still a little infection there, but it has cleared up significantly since originally going into the hospital. She told me that if all goes well with my CAT scan next week, and after she speaks with my Neurologists, and all looks like it is still going well meaning that the spot in my brain is still draining and has gotten smaller, then they will take me off my antibiotics sooner than anticipated, if things are still the same, or they have any hesitation at all, then the IV stays in my arm.
I have to say this was really encouraging, even if the IV stays in my arm a little longer, the fact that they are talking about this right now is awesome to me. It's a constant reminder to me that MY GOD is the great HEALER, and I'm thankful at the reminder that HE is constantly watching over me.

Another Health Update

Today I had my Ear Nose and Throat Doctor appointment. He put a camera up my nose...could have been painful, but wasn't. He said that all looks great, especially the right side that had the worst of the infection. However, he also told me that the right side is still pulsating, and that my brain is expose as a result of infection eroding the bone. But said that all looks great besides that.

Before my Doctor left the room, I had to thank him for all he had done. My Neurologist even mentioned to me that if my ENT had not done such a great job in draining my sinuses, then things could have been different than they are now. So I was and am thankful for all he has done. I asked him if he had ever seen anything like this before, and he said it is very rare, but he had, and he had seen people fully recover as a result. He also said that this was very serious, and that because of the fact that we caught it when we did, got the right medical attention, and then proceeded to say, "more than that, someone upstairs in on your side."

Hearing a Doctor acknowledge the fact that even with all the medical attention, this was bigger than he was, really blew me away. I left thankful for my Doctor, and then team of Doctor's that I had in the hospital, but I was and am even more thankful to my GOD, who is BIGGER than all this.

There have been so many people praying for me and my family, people that I don't even know, but I firmly believe, beyond a shadow of a doubt that the only reason I'm still alive is because my GOD heard those prayers, and my GOD has a BIG plan. Every day I wake up, I'm thankful that I get to be a part of it.

Violet and I have a verse that we have clung to for our marriage, Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future."