Update #2

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.”

– 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Since the last update, Lindsi’s symptoms of pneumonia and leg spasm-cramps have been long gone. Last week, we experienced two “normal” days without a fever until Friday, when she began experiencing lower-left abdominal pain, which then spread to her shoulder Sunday afternoon. Once the pain reached a certain level, we came into the ER early Monday morning. The hospital staff were critically and urgently analytical and began running an array of tests and sent us home with some meds to help us wait out the results. We came back in Tuesday morning and Lindsi was admitted for IV antibiotic treatment and an echocardiogram. The echo revealed an infection in Lindsi’s heart (endocarditis), specifically in her mitral valve. Today’s transesophageal echocardiogram will provide for a more specific and conclusive indication of what we are dealing with. As of now, proposed treatment will include daily out-patient IV antibiotics for 4-6 weeks.

As we pass through the fog, we are realizing the continual story of salvation and preservation that God continues to weave. It may not seem convenient, comfortable, conducive to routine ministry, or cheap, but there is an underlying stream that makes all of this relevant to what He has called us: the gospel. Paul said it well, “For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.” Difficulty is another area of life that we must allow the gospel to permeate. I saw so much of the gospel through Lindsi’s patience with a new nurse who continually inserted a needle in the wrong spot on her arms. It’s moments like these that we need Spirit-induced swag to communicate the gospel through the way that we react and respond to them and our circumstances.

Please pray that God would strengthen us to bear His name in a way that brings glory to Him. Pray for Lindsi’s continued healing and comfort. Also, ask Him to orchestrate the last eight weeks of Lindsi’s nursing school. Thank you for all the support and kindness that you have already shown us. We truly bear a debt of love to all of you.

Much love,
Stephen and Lindsi