October 2013

Malachi 3:6 says, “For I am the Lord, I change not.” It is a special consolation when our long-held and taken-for-granted abilities begin to wane. “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever.” Hebrews 13:8

The last several weeks I was nursing a hemorrhaging eye that eventually required surgery and laser treatment. Thank God the sliver of peripheral vision in that eye was preserved and is returning. That sliver is such a blessing and keeps me from bumping into walls and people!

The relevant professor surgeon has approved me as an excellent candidate for a cochlear implant. The surgery is scheduled for October 30^th and we would appreciate your prayers for the success of this venture. My hearing has become so poor, so if this step could bring back some hearing, it would be a huge blessing. The entire procedure with the devices, surgery and follow-up therapy costs $40,000. Medicare and our private health insurance pay all but around $1000 of that!

The Alzheimer’s is going on its merry way with Kathleen, and we are hanging on for the ride and looking to God’s strength and wisdom to make the needed changes as they come. The neurologist ordered a driving assessment for Kathleen, so we are seeking the Lord’s will in this matter. We don’t want to lose that freedom but neither do we want her to be driving if there is a possibility that it is not safe.

The camp season in Lebanon has ended after a summer filled with blessings. This was in spite of the turmoil and instability in Lebanon resulting from the Syrian conflict. Twenty-five young people braved the dangers to come to the youth camp from war-torn Damascus.

It is interesting to note that President Assad of Syria is supported by the Syrian minorities, including his minority Muslim sect. A banner carried in the initial peaceful demonstrations against the Syrian government had a stanza of poetry that called for Assad to to be sent into a casket and for the Christians to be expelled and sent to Beirut in Lebanon.

Nominal Christians have preferred the oppressive minority dictators who protected them above the majority oppressive governments that burn churches and divest them of any rights. I am told that minorities in Iraq were better off under Saddam Hussein than they are now under the “democratic” majority Shite regime. This seems strange but it may illustrate how little understanding the West has about Middle Eastern politics and religions.

Democracy means two opposite things to the West and the Arab countries. The concept of religious freedom does not exist in the governments led by a majority religion. The believers in these places need our prayers. We pray that the Lord will use these conditions to turn hungry hearts to the Saviour in these last days before the coming of our Lord Jesus!

Sunday I took many of the prophecies about last-day events and challenged the brethren to a realization that the time is short and that we must be on the job faithfully until Jesus calls us out!