If you’ve followed our blog and/or updates, you might remember that my (Alan’s) dad went to the local ER on Christmas Eve and was finally looked at by a doctor on Christmas morning. At some point that morning Dad suffered a massive heart attack and nearly died. It sounded like the doctors weren’t at all sure what had happened until the following day. After about 2 weeks in ICU and then a regular room, he was transferred next door to a rehab facility.
Tomorrow, February 9, at least a month after going into the rehab, Dad is heading home! This is great news and apparently Dad is in better shape now than he has been for months. I only had a couple minutes on the phone with Mom and didn’t get to ask any questions but I’m sure they’d appreciate your prayers for Dad to get acclimated back home again and to keep up whatever exercises they may want him to do. Mom will need to get used to grocery shopping for two again but I’m sure she won’t mind.
I’m still hoping we can get home for Thanksgiving this year. That was always our family’s big holiday of the year and we haven’t been “home” for Thanksgiving since 1995. Neither of the boys have ever experienced a Christmas or Thanksgiving with their grandparents, and Cameron will be 13 this Thanksgiving!
I am trying to figure out how we’re going to get there but after considering the cost of flying, renting a car, and figuring out lodging, we are now considering the original idea of doing some representation by late September and into November and winding up in central Florida to spend some time with my folks and enjoy Thanksgiving with them. I had also pledged to be in Parkersburg, WV at our sending church’s annual missions conference this year. I don’t think we’ve been able to attend this conference since 2002 or 2003 which is rather a long time ago now. This is normally held the first weekend of October.
Aside from the hopes to attend that conference and Thanksgiving with my folks, I think we’re going to need to raise about $500 in monthly support due to some support that is being phased out by a church and an individual. It’s always hard to know ahead of time as the Lord provides at times through unexpected sources. That’s my best guess currently. We’ll know better as we see how those things unfold throughout the year.
We appreciate your prayers for my parents and for wisdom as we consider travel plans for the late fall. CAM’s travel policy which requires us to travel with at least one other vehicle makes for difficulty in making solid dates for land travel.
Knowing Your ABCDs 