Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas friends! I hope this finds you and your family well. Christmas is such a beautiful time of year. I love the fresh snow and the lights and the decorations and the hot chocolate and the music... However, what I really love is the time I get to spend with my family celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He is the reason we celebrate and rejoice! The gifts we give to each other pale in comparison to the gift of Jesus, who was sent to die in our place so that we can have eternal life. This year I have had plenty of time to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas and to give thanks for all the good gifts in my life.

As I look back on this year, I can easily say that it has been the hardest year of my life. I was looking forward to preparing to head overseas full time and finally fulfill the dream I have been working toward for so many years. I was looking forward to learning a new language and culture and living in a warm climate. I was looking forward to sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with people who have never heard. That all changed in January as I was flying home from visiting my family for Christmas. All that was taken away in a moment. This last year has instead been filled with doctors appointments, trying to work, having to quit work, and many secluded days at home. It has been full of family struggles as we put my grandpa in the nursing home and family joys as my brother and his wife had their marriage celebration. It has been somewhat of an emotional roller coaster this year as I have learned how to seek God in a new way, trust Him unconditionally and get to know myself in a new way.

After another doctor appointment with nothing new to report, I will be going to Mayo clinic in Rochester, MN for some more tests. I do not know when my appointment will be yet, but I'll keep you posted. It is my hope and prayer that they will be able to help me get back to living a "normal" life. I do not know what the future holds, but I am confident in Who holds my future. It is in loving, capable hands and I wouldn't want it any other way!

When I think about this past year I am so grateful. It has been hard and maybe if I could change it all I would. But God has given me so many gifts through everything that has happened that I don't think I would. He has softened my heart, taught me new truths about Him and His love for me, and given me the opportunity to spend amazing times with my family that I would have missed out on.

Romans 12:12 has been such an encouragement to me. It says, "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." I want to thank you so much for the prayers and support and love you have given me this past year. I look forward with great joy to this next year and can't wait to see what God has in store for all of us!

May you have a blessed Christmas as you celebrate the birth of our Lord!

Better Late Than Never

Hello dear friends,

I must apologize for how long it has taken me to update this. I can't believe it has been so long, I try to update every month! That said, let me try to give you a brief overview of these last couple months...

September and October were full of activities and conferences. Probably the biggest thing that happened is that we were able to find a nursing home for my grandpa. He is now in the Spring Valley Nursing Home and is doing great. He seems to really like it there and we have so much fun visiting him. He is always so happy and makes the other residents and staff there laugh. They call him the "railroad man" because he is always singing "I've Been Working on the Railroad". It is so funny because those are the only words he knows so he makes up the rest...it's different every time! The last time I got to visit him was at the Halloween party.

I was able to attend our District Women's Retreat the beginning of October. The theme was Thirst Quenchers and that is how I felt when I left. It was such an excellent weekend of encouragement and fun. God sustained me physically so I was able to participate in things and not get too tired out. God really spoke to me and encouraged me that weekend. One of the quotes I took from the weekend was "God's will never takes you where His grace cannot keep you." To go along with that, two passages of scripture really touched my heart. 2 Corinthians 12:9 says, "...'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me." I left with the hope that "The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it (1 Thessalonians 5:24)." I think the most encouraging part of the weekend for me was to be able to talk with another missionary candidate who has just been appointed with the C&MA. There were so many things that I had been feeling and didn't know how to express, but it was such an encouragement to be able to share those things with someone who understands where I am coming from. I didn't have to explain exactly how I was feeling, she understood. Thanks so much Kristen!

The last couple of weeks we have had speakers at church that have greatly encouraged me as well. Our missionaries for fall conference were from the country that I was appointed to and it was wonderful to get to know them and hear what ministry is like where I would have been heading in February. (And where I might still end up some day, Lord willing!) We recently had a pastor from overseas come and share with us. It was so encouraging to hear his story and be reminded of how powerful God is and how He overcomes the greatest of challenges!

I am so thankful to the Lord for all He has done in my life and how He is working to draw me closer to Himself. I would appreciate your prayers for the first part of December. On the 10th I go to see my doctor again and will have all of the labs redone to see if she can figure out what exactly is wrong with me. If the tests all come back negative again, she may send me somewhere else for more tests. It seems like the medication that I started taking this summer isn't doing anything. Please pray for healing so that I do not have go through the pain and expense of more tests. I have started taking some whole food supplements and eating more healthy. It is my prayer that those things will help and that I won't need more medication. Another reason that I need a diagnosis in December is so that I will be able to get some help through Disability until I am able to work again. I am no longer working. My body can't handle it right now and I need as much rest as I can get. Pray that I will stay healthy this winter as a normal cold could turn much worse for me with my compromised immune system.

Thank you all so much for the prayers and support, even when I haven't been good at writing and keeping you updated. I know this has gotten quite long, but I appreciate the time you took to read it and pray for me. It is my prayer that my life brings glory to the Lord. As I look forward to Thanksgiving and Christmas, I am so thankful for everything the Lord has done in my life and for the gift of His Son. All else pales in comparison. In the scope of eternity the only thing that is truly important is our relationship with Him. May He be glorified!

(I was also blessed with being able to see my dear friend Elizabeth and her husband Janis in September. I met their little baby Daniel and got to play Auntie Jo for a couple days!)

Ups and Downs

Hello friends!

Well, it has been quite the month. July started with a fun celebration at my brother's in-law's land. We got to go fishing and had a great time. I couldn't take the sun too long, but even though we didn't get to stay the whole time, it was lots of fun. Yes, I do have to admit that I went to bed before fireworks started anywhere. But in my defense, the fireworks around here really aren't very good anyway!

I have been on my new medication about 2 1/2 weeks now. The first two weeks I did not notice any side effects at all. Maybe a little dizziness and tiredness, but nothing that bad. Thank you for your prayers, there has been no vomiting at all!! I got my lab work done last Thursday and everything came back good. So this Monday I took 5 pills instead of 4. This time I noticed a difference! I am not any less sore, but I have not felt good this week. I have been very tired and quite dizzy (yes, even more than usual!). I talked to my doctor yesterday. Today I started taking 2mg of folic acid a day instead of 1. That seems to be helping some! On Monday when I take my 5 pills again, I will take 2 in the morning and 3 that night instead of all in the morning. This should help me not be so tired and dizzy!

This week has also been quite the emotional roller coaster. On Thursday my dog Quigley got very sick. We took him to his vet in Eau Claire and they sent him to an animal hospital in the Cities. He almost died several times that day. It was terrible. I haven't cried that hard in years. But, thanks to your prayers and a gracious God who knows that I can't deal with the loss of my beloved little Quigley right now, his life was spared. We got to visit him in the hospital on Saturday (see picture) and we got to bring him home Monday night. Even though he still can't walk quite right, he is walking again and getting much better. I know I shouldn't be so attached to a dog, but I am. Quigley and I have had a special bond since we met and honestly, he has helped me a lot through this whole auto-immune thing. He knows what days I don't feel good and is always there to cuddle and make me feel better.

This weekend I also got to see my good friend Mary. She was my roommate first semester my Freshman year at Crown. It had been 3 years since I had last seen her so it was great to see her. I don't often get the chance anymore to just hang out with close friends so it was great. Thanks for coming to see me Mary!

This last month I have also acquired the duty of being the Missionary Kid Coordinator for our district. That means I am a part of our district's Alliance Women's Ministry team and get the privilege of working with MK's and their adoptive churches! I would appreciate your prayers for me in August. I will be speaking about missions at our District Family Camp. I will be speaking for a half hour on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings (August 12-14). I will also have a chance to speak to the youth when I am there. Pray for me as I prepare, that God would lay on my heart the message He has for those attending camp this year. I am very excited to be used by God in these ways, to have a part to play in missions even though I am in the states now. He is so good!

Okay, this is getting long enough. And here I thought it was going to be a short update this month! I pray you are all having a blessed summer. I'd love to hear from you!

So Here's The Deal...

Hello dear friends,

I wanted to share with you the results of my doctor appointment on Tuesday. I will continue taking the medication that I am on and add a new medication to that. This new medication is supposed to really help my joint pain, however it could give me some not too pleasant side effects. I will start the medication with four pills on Monday and every two weeks take one more pill until I am up to 10 pills a week. The nice thing is that I only have to take them once a week! Every two weeks I will have to get lab work done to make sure that my body is doing okay and not being harmed. Please pray with me that my body will react to this new medication well, that it will work, and that I will not experience any side effects (especially vomiting - I HATE throwing up and avoid it at all costs, even if I know it would make me feel better)!

My doctor also told me that I could not go overseas any time soon. She said that if it was up to her, I would never go overseas. As you might imagine, this was not what I wanted to hear. I have dreamt of being a missionary my whole life. It is what God has laid on my heart and prepared me to do. I have dedicated my entire life getting education and training so that I could serve Him in the least reached places of the world. So to have to stay breaks my heart. As of today I am not a missionary appointee with the C&MA anymore. It seems as if everything is being stripped away. I didn't realize how much value I placed on the title "missionary" until it was taken away. I am left with just me. Just the quiet, shy Josie that is scared to speak in public and often unsure of herself. The missionary Josie was outgoing and confident and knew where she was going and what she wanted out of life. Now it is just me and God. And I praise Him for that. If this is what it takes to make me dependent on God and God alone then I welcome it and thank Him for it. My identity is not in a title, it is in Jesus Christ.

In the Christian and Missionary Alliance we believe in the Fourfold Gospel. We look to Jesus Christ as our Savior, Sanctifier, Healer and Coming King. I have experienced Jesus as my Savior and Sanctifier and look forward to the day when He will return as my Coming King. Now I look to Christ as my Healer. These are not just things that I have written papers on and are a part of my church. They are things that I believe with all my heart. I know that Jesus can heal me completely and I ask you to pray that with me.

It is my prayer that one day I will call up the C&MA, tell them that I am better and ready to go to the ends of the earth for my Lord. Until that day my home will be in the United States. I will work towards getting better, pray for healing and make my life here until the Lord tells me it is time to go. I don't know why I am not able to go overseas at this point, but I trust that God is Sovereign. He has a plan and it will be accomplished. If His plan is for me to be in the United States right now (or forever), then I welcome it, accept it and praise Him for it.

"I will extol the Lord at all times, His praise will always be on my lips." ~Psalm 34:1

Joys and Pains

Hello dear friends!

This picture is from my brother's wedding. Well, actually Isaac and Brooklyn got married in December. Since they got married at the courthouse this was a vow renewal ceremony. They wanted a chance to celebrate with family and friends and do all the wedding stuff! It was a beautiful day and even though we decided not to have it in our yard as planned (we thought it was going to rain) we still got to take lots of pictures outside in the yard.

Many of you have been asking me how I have been feeling. Well, the weather and weather changes affect my body a lot and for the past week or two it has been rainy with storms mixed in there. So needless to say, I have been very sore. However, I am praising God that the sun has been out the last two days and I am feeling much better. Unfortunately storms are in the forecast again for the rest of the week! There are some other things as well (without giving you too many unnecessary details!) that are not so encouraging. I have a feeling I know what my doctor is going to tell me next time I see her and it isn't good news. I have my next appointment a week from today, next Tuesday (June 17) at 2:30pm. I would appreciate your prayers for wisdom for the doctor and for me to be able to accept whatever it is she tells me. I also know that God can still heal me completely and I am still praying for that. Won't you pray with me?!

Also pray for finances. I am stuck between a rock and a hard place with health insurance. I am currently on major medical only and have been looking for something that will cover me better. However, I have been denied by several insurance companies even though I have not been diagnosed with anything. My bills from the last set of tests was over $3,000. I need good health insurance and I have no idea how to get it at this point!

So, that is my update for now. Not much news until next week, but I wanted to let you know what is going on and ask for your prayers. I am feeling stressed out knowing that my life will dramatically change next week. Either I will have to really get going on things so I can go overseas in February or I am going to have to figure out what God wants me to do with the rest of my life. (Okay, maybe not the rest of my life, but what next steps He wants me to take if I am to stay in the states for a while!) I am not a very "emotional" person. Okay, so I have emotions, but I am not very good at figuring out what to do with them or how to express them. Please pray that I would have good times with the Lord and outlets to express how I am feeling.

Although I do not understand what God is doing in all of this, I know that He has a plan and I can trust Him to bring me through it. It will not be easy and I will be discouraged at times, but I KNOW He is good and will use me to accomplish His purposes.

Thank you all for who you are and what you mean to me.

A Time of Waiting

My brother and I celebrated Spring by having a little mudding fun with Lester (our pretty red Jeep). I think we celebrated a little too soon - today it is snowing and in the 30's!

Hello friends,

As I write to you, I am sitting in a house in Wausau, WI waiting for my parents to come and get me. I have been in Wausau all week, first at District Conference and then at a missionary appointees retreat. They were both excellent. I was encouraged and prayed for and fed spiritually. I was supposed to stay until tomorrow to speak at the Wasuau Alliance Church tomorrow, but my body has decided that it has had enough. I am learning to listen to my body and it has reached its limits for now. So my parents are going to come and get me and I will have to miss the rest of my time here in Wausau.

I am still struggling with this auto-immune disease, whatever it may be. I don't really have any new news, but I wanted to touch base with all of you who are praying for me. I won't know anything until June 17th when I have my next doctor appointment. At that time I will be completely off the steroid I am taking (awe, no more big muscles...just kidding, it is not that kind of steroid!) and my long-term medication will be working at full strength. At that appointment we will evaluate how I am feeling and determine if I can go overseas or not. If I am feeling like I am now, there is no chance. However, if I am able to function at a normal level then we can talk about what country would be good for me. Even if I get the go ahead from my doctor, the C&MA may still decide not to send me at this time or at all. So, I am asking for your prayers for complete healing so that I can go wherever it is that God has for me.

Honestly, I am doing really well (besides the physical stuff)! I know that God has a plan for my life and that He will bring me to the place that He wants me to be when He wants me to be there. I do not know what God has planned for my future. Maybe He wants me to stay in the US and work here. This has been a very hard thing for me to come to terms with. I never thought that I would have to consider staying in the United States. God has given me a great peace and I will be happy and content wherever He has for me, even if I can never live overseas. I would rather be in the center of His will here than living overseas out of His will.

Thank you all so much for your prayers and support. I have felt so loved and encouraged through all of this and I know that God will continue to lead me. Even though it is not easy just waiting, it is a time where I am learning even more how to depend on the Lord each moment of each day and that is good.

A friend shared the following verses with me and I was greatly encouraged by them. I pray that you will be encouraged as well in whatever you are going through.

Psalm 77:16-20 (emphasis mine)

When the Red Sea saw you, O God, its waters looked and trembled! The sea quaked to its very depths. The clouds poured down their rain; the thunder rolled and crackled in the sky. Your arrows of lightning flashed. Your thunder roared from the whirlwind; the lightning lit up the world! The earth trembled and shook. Your road led through the sea, your pathway through the mighty waters--a pathway no one knew was there! You led your people along that road like a flock of sheep, with Moses and Aaron as their shepherds.

Praises and Prayers

Hello dear friends!

It's about time to send out an update as much has happened over this past week. First of all I want to start out with the praises. Last week was Spring Missions Conference at church and it was excellent. We had some really awesome events, from our third annual Great Commission Race, to The Ends of the Earth Coffee House to a Progressive Dinner after church on Sunday. God really moved in people's hearts. Our theme was Being a Sending Church and the missionaries were all of us in our district who are appointed to go out in the next year and a half. Being one of the speakers this year was different for me, but it was a lot of fun. I was so encouraged as I shared with people what God is doing in my life and how they can come along side of me. I was encouraged by our congregation and by the other missionaries. So thank you all who have been such a blessing to me lately!

Another praise is that this past Sunday was my Consecration service and Erik Wahlen's Ordination service. I am now "officially" consecrated. It was a lovely service and very special. Diana Stimmel, my pastors wife, preached to me with a very encouraging charge for ministry. It was just what I needed to hear, thank you Diana! My dad shared some very special things with Erik and I and also read scripture. He did so good, thanks dad! The church staff and elders prayed for us and it was a very encouraging, affirming time. Lots of family was able to come and I even got to see some wonderful family friends that I haven't seen in about 3 years. It was so great to see you Merv and Lisa!

I am praising God for His faithfulness in bringing me where He wants me to be. I am also asking for your prayers right now. I had another doctor appointment on Friday and the short of it is that if I am not significantly better in 3-4 months, I will not be able to go overseas. It seems as if I have been getting worse instead of better lately and that is not good. We are trying some things with the medication and hopefully when I have my next appointment in 10 weeks I will be good to go. If I am not, I will need more tests and more medication. If at that time I am better and functioning at a normal level we may still have to reconsider what country I go to. A country in Europe may be a better option than Southeast Asia. I am praying for complete healing. Please join me in this prayer. I can't imagine that God would prepare me for this my whole life and just when I am ready to go stop me. Most people struggle with God is calling them overseas and have to come to the point where they are willing to go wherever He calls them. I never thought that I would have to come to the point of being willing to stay in America if that is what God has for me. I am so grateful that I am not alone as I go through this. I have a God who loves me and cares about me and wants only what is best for me. I trust that He has a perfect plan in all of this and that He will bring me to the exact place that He wants me to be exactly when He wants me to be there. I am encouraged knowing that this is so far beyond myself that only God can help me! Whatever happens it will be for Him and His glory! Praise the Lord!

"Corrie ten Boom used to say, 'When the train goes through a tunnel and the world gets dark, do you jump out? Of course not. You sit still and trust the engineer to get you through'." (Safe in the Shepherd's Arms by Max Lucado)

P.S. (I have my prayer cards done! If you would like one, you can either pick one up from the missions table at church or send me your address and I will mail you one! - That's not the picture on my prayer card, I just wanted to put a picture of me and Quigley on my blog because he's so cute!)

Happy Spring!

He is not here, but is risen! Luke 24:6

Hello friends,

Today is the first day of Spring. It must be official because I saw the first Robins back this morning! For you in the South, seeing a Robin after winter up here means that Spring has officially sprung! It is still a bit chilly and there is still snow on the ground...and we are supposed to get more snow tomorrow...BUT there is a hint of Spring in the air and it will come!

This morning my mom and I went down to the local Downsville Coffee House to celebrate my grandma's birthday. Lots of the ladies in Downsville get together for coffee to celebrate each other's birthdays. I got to share with them about my future overseas and compare drugs. Funny, I am on the same medication as about half of them! I guess I am an official old lady now :-)

My health has not been as good up here as it was down South. I wonder if it is because of the cold weather or the fact that I am more active now that I am working again part time or a combination of both. I have another appointment with my rheumatologist on April 4th and would appreciate your prayers as we try to figure out medication levels and how we are going to handle this auto immune thing when I am overseas. I need to make sure that where I eventually end up that I am able to get the medications that I need and access to good doctors if I need them. There is still a lot to be figured out over these next months. Please continue to pray for complete healing as this will solve a lot of problems and bring glory to our Lord!

I have been working part time at my home church. This is where I worked for a couple years before heading down South for school. It is so good to be back "home" and connecting with everyone again. It is nice to be able to pick up at work right were I left off. Right now I am working on things for Spring Missions Conference that is coming up the first week of April. Our theme this year is Being a Sending Church and we are having all of us workers that are heading out this year/early next year from our district as the speakers. So this year instead of planning the conference I get to be on the other end of things as one of the guests! It is going to be a great conference and I am looking forward to seeing how God is going to work.

Another special thing that will be happening is my Consecration Service. This is something that I have been working on for the last several years. It included a combination of reading books, writing papers, listening to tapes, going to seminars, preaching/teaching and interviews. This is the same process that men in the Alliance go through for Ordination, however the C&MA does not ordain women so for us it is called Consecration. I am looking forward to having a combined service with my friend Erik's ordination! If you are in the area, I would love for you to come. The Ordination / Consecration service will be held on Sunday, April 6th from 2:30-3:30pm at the Alliance Church of Menomonie.

Well, I think that's about all the news for now. I hope you all have a very Happy Easter and have time to reflect on what this special day is all about. Thank you Jesus for dying on the cross for our sins and raising again! He has risen! He has risen indeed!

The Great White North

Hello friends!

I thought I would give you a quick update now that I'm back home. My dad came down to South Carolina to pick me up take me back to Wisconsin. We ended up getting a trailer and pulling the Jeep behind us all the way back. It wouldn't have been so bad except that it was SO windy most of the way home. It was quite a work out for dad to keep it on the road. Thanks dad - you're the best! But we made it in about twenty hours. Two days of sitting in the car and going through drastic temperature changes made me quite sore. I almost had to borrow grandma's cane when I got back home! But I'm adjusting well and the cold doesn't feel quite so cold anymore.

I have my room back home pretty much put together and settled into again. It is strange to be back in the room that I grew up in, but nice to be home for a while before I head overseas for four years! It has been great to see family and friends again and I look forward to much more of that over the next several months. It is also great to play with Quigley again - that bulldog is the cutest thing ever!

I have been blessed with a part time job working at my home church, where I did my home service in before heading down south for school. I will be starting tomorrow morning and am looking forward to being in that environment again and working again. Hopefully in another couple months I can go back to full time work and start paying down those school loans.

That's about all the news I have for now. I want to thank you for all of your prayers and support as I transition yet again. That is one of the hardest things about this life the Lord has called me to. I feel like I am always saying goodbye and moving on and I hate that. I wonder if I will ever have the feeling of being truly settled somewhere? It was hard to leave my friends in South Carolina and it will be hard to leave here again next February. But, I guess that comes with the territory. I praise God that everywhere He has taken me, He has provided such great friends (even though it does make it harder to leave)!

So, until next time, keep on keeping on with me and we'll see where this crazy adventure with Christ takes us!

Last Week Down South

Hello dear friends and family!

I am writing to you from beautiful, sunny South Carolina. It has been in the 70's and even 80 one day. In a few short days I will be heading back north to Wisconsin where they will have wind chills in the -40's to -50's tonight. Brrr! I can't say that I am looking forward to the cold weather, but at least I get to enjoy Spring twice this year! It is one of my favorite seasons and I get to enjoy it now and again in another couple months back home!

I am very sad to be leaving South Carolina so soon. It looks like I will be leaving down here Monday morning. This past Sunday some friends threw a surprise party for me. It was very sweet and I felt very loved - thanks guys! This week is full of packing and lots of lunches and dinners with people before I leave.

Yesterday my friend Robyn took a bunch of pictures for me. I am working on my prayer card and needed something good to go on it! It was quite an experience because 1) I hate having my picture taken and 2) it was SO windy out! Some of the pictures turned out really funny! But I think I got a good one and so soon there will be a prayer card on its way to your refrigerator or wherever you would like to put a reminder to pray for me!

The Lord has been so good to me. My medication is working really well and I feel so much better. I feel like a new woman! My knees and neck still get sore sometimes, but it is not nearly as bad as it was. Most days I feel really good. I especially notice it on days when there is a big weather change as I get pretty sore and tight in my joints and muscles. I can now predict the weather with my body, what a talent! I was just praising God in church on Sunday as I was standing there holding a hymnal and singing. It was only a few weeks ago I couldn't stand long enough to be up for the songs and I couldn't even hold a hymnal because my wrists hurt too bad. Sunday I was feeling great, I have come a long way from a couple of weeks ago! THANK YOU all so much for your prayers. I am doing better than expected - I did not think the medication would work this fast. Praise the Lord!

I have also gotten some mysterious donations towards my school loans and ministry in the last couple months. I got a check from church as people had given towards my school loans. I also found an envelope outside my front door a couple week ago with $100 in it towards ministry. What a blessing! So, if you are one of my secret blessers - THANK YOU! You are such an encouragement to me!

I think that is all the news I have for now. I look forward to reconnecting with many of you again once I am back up in Wisconsin.

May you be blessed in the Lord today!

The Good The Bad and The Ugly

Hello dear friends,

You may find this a strange title to my blog this month, but I have a wide variety of things to share with you this month, from fun in Wisconsin to new news about my life as a "worker" to a pretty serious prayer request.

I guess I'll start with the good! I was able to go home for Christmas for about a week and a half. It was great! If this really is my last Christmas in a cold climate, God sure gave me a good one! It snowed almost every day and was so beautiful! It has been a few years since I've had a white Christmas and this was very special. I had a great time with family and friends and it was a great time of refreshing and renewal. My time at home never seems long enough anymore, knowing that I will be leaving for four years soon.

Speaking of leaving for four years...I got my packet of more information about the country I will be going to, including a packing list and the location of my first two years for lanuage study. This was pretty exciting! I have a lot of things to do before I leave and it is quite daunting to think about getting everything done.

This brings me to the bad. I have been having some health problems latley and I really need your prayers. For the last two months probably my hand has been hurting some, but I didn't think too much of it. Then on my way back to South Carolina I started having some strange things happen. On my first flight from Minneapolis to Detroit my toes got cold and numb, but that is not unusual. It was cold out and with my Reynodes Syndrom symptoms that is to be expected. (Many of you know this as my strange finger and toe thing where the circulation does not get to my fingers and toes and they can turn white, then blue, then red. This is the condition that I have that makes a warm climate necessary for overseas service.) Anyway, I got off the plane and had to hurry to my next gate. As I was quickly walking through the airport both of my legs started to get very numb from the knees down. This was a very strange feeling to be walking without being able to really feel my legs. I had quite a time getting home between cancelled flights and delays, etc.... By the time I finally got home my hip was hurting very badly and my legs were swollen and purpleish. This was on last Tuesday. I thought maybe it was just from flying or some fluke thing, but over the days it has gotten worse. My joints hurt and my muscles hurt and I am very tired. It seems as if the pain is much worse at night and in the mornings and then gets somewhat better during the day. Most mornings it even hurts to pick up the pillows when I make my bed. I talked to my rhumatologist back home and she suggested that I see someone down here since my next appointment with her isn't until April. I talked to my friend Daniel who has Rhumatoid Arthritis and sees a very good rhumatologist and he is going to try to help me get an appointment with him. (Thanks Daniel!)

Please pray:

1) That I would be able to get an appointment with this rhumatologist as he has a ton of patients and is booked solid. I will be calling on Monday after Daniel calls and tells his nurse about me.

2) Pray for healing for Daniel of his Rhumatoid Arthritis.

3) Pray for healing for me from whaterver this is.

4) Pray for strength as I go back to work on Monday.

I can't help but wonder if this is a spiritual attack. I am sure that Satan (The Ugly!) isn't so excited to see me head to a creative access country and work amongst an unreached people group. I trust that God has a plan and will ultimately use this for good.

This last week I was able to sit in on a class called Islam in the 21st Century. I must say that it was probably the best class I have ever taken on Islam. It was an eye openening week and I learned so many practical things that will help my future work. My attitude was changed, my prejudices were revealed and I learned how to see the world as a Muslim sees the world. I would love to share with you in person or over the phone what I learned, there is way too much to go into detail here!

I am sorry this got so long. I thank you in advance for your prayers. I look forward to seeing what God is up to in my life. Well, I'm off to watch the Packers hopefully beat Seattle!