Luke is a big 4 year old boy!

I can hardly believe Luke turned 4 years old on Saturday. We celebrated his birthday in the evening, since we had a wedding to go to that day. I was so thankful that he was healthy for his special day, he had been riding a roller coaster ride of one day being fine and the next day needing a bit of oxygen all last week. I think that we’ve finally turned the corner. He has been doing great since Sunday evening and hasn’t needed a bit of oxygen all week.

Luke seems to be showing us more emotions all the time, he now smiles all the time, without needing to be played with. We will just walk up to him and he will show a beautiful smile. I was playing with him today and he was looking me right in the eyes, it brought a few tears to my eyes, to think how thankful I am for his sweet precious smile to be here each day. He has also becoming more verbal with his needs, each time he fills his pants lately he will moan until we change him. I took him in for a hyperbaric dive today and Jim was amazed at his expressions while he was in the chamber and the second we pulled him out he gave us a huge smile.

He also seems to be putting on some much needed weight, I weighed him yesterday and I think that he has finally hit the 30-pound mark. He is looking a lot healthier with a little fat on his skinny bones. He also seems to be getting stronger, yesterday Auntie Cindy was playing with him and he basically lifted his whole body up for a few seconds, and to say that she was excited is putting it mildly.

Last week was challenging for me at times. There are times on this journey when sadness for Luke’s condition can basically overwhelm me. It seems that around Christmas and his birthday it really hits me hard when I think about what I should be getting a normal 4 year old for his birthday. To say I cried a few tears last week would be putting it mildly. I tried not to let others see my sadness, because I do not want them to feel bad or put a damper on their day. Don’t get me wrong I am extremely thankful for the progress that Luke has made and I thank the Lord all the time that he has not been back to the hospital in almost a year. That said there are times that I wish with all my heart I was chasing Luke around the house, listening to his sweet little laugh and picking up his toys, though I know it will happen again some day, I just wish it was today.

Here’s a little update on Amy and Natalie. We have been blessed, at least we feel that way now before we get our cell phone bill, that we have been able to talk with the girls often. Even though they are a bit homesick they are really enjoying their time ministering in Romania. God is really doing some great things there and many women’s lives are being changed as they are being given a message of hope and God’s love. The girls leave Romania early Friday morning, they will go to Amsterdam to meet their Uncle Ray, Aunt Lis and Daniel in Amsterdam. They will spend one day in Holland, going to the Hiding place and some other wonderful places there, then on to Denmark to spend time at my brother’s home. I know that they will be spoiled, which I’m very excited about!

We have been extremely blessed by having many wonderful people helping us here at home, Tessa a sweet young lady, has graciously volunteered to help us out this week. My sister Lori took Lily home with her to Eastern Washington, Gordy, myself, Isaiah, Ezekiel and Luke will be heading that way on Friday, we will spend the weekend at Lonnie and Lori’s home, coming home on Monday. Please be praying that God will keep Luke healthy and this will be a special time for all of us as we take a little retreat, I always call Lonnie and Lori’s home my private retreat center, it is situated right on the Columbia River, they live right next to a wild life animal reserve, so we are blessed with seeing all kinds of wonderful creatures, while we are there.

Just remember with GOD NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE!

Love in Christ,

Luke’s Mommy Sue

How can I thank you enough?

When I was a little girl we used to sing a song to God, in church that said, "How can I thank you enough, how can I thank you enough, how can I thank you enough, from the abundance of my heart my soul cries out, how can I thank you enough?" that is exactly how I am feeling tonight. Your prayers have once again worked and Luke is doing great. Yesterday and last night he was still very sick, on lots of oxygen, high temperature and high heart rate. Then at about 11:00 p.m. he was having a real rough time, he seemed to be having chills and his heart rate was going up again, I gave him some tylenol and cried out to God to touch him and within a short time he seemed to finally be doing better. I was able to take him off his oxygen mask and put the nasal cannula back in his nose, he ended up being on about 1 1/2 liters of oxygen, which was a huge improvement for the rest of the night and his heart rate went back to his normal self.

Just to give you an little glimpse into our crazy weekend. Gordy had told me a while back that he was going to have to work on Saturday during the day and all night. He ended up working from 10 a.m. Saturday morning and pretty much continued until Sunday morning at 5:00 a.m. went to bed when he got home at 6:00 a.m. and was up at 8:00 a.m. because their were problems with the implementations they had made the night before. He ended up solving problems all day and was not off the phone until 6:00 p.m. that night. He worked close to 28 straight hours. So he was unable to help with Luke or the other children during that time, I'm once again very thankful that my sister Lori is here to help, and for Daniel and Josh, who helped keep the house picked up, it makes me realize that I really am unable to get through these days alone.

I wanted Gordy to get a good sleep on Sunday night, so I ended up sleeping on the couch with Luke, so that I would be right by his side if he alarmed at all during the night. I did get a bit of sleep, but by morning I was exhausted, so my sister Cindy came over and said go get some sleep, I thought I would lay down for an hour and ended up waking up at 12:15, needless to say I jumped out of bed running, because Luke had a PT appt. at 1:00, I was actually able to make it there by 1:15, I thought we did pretty good, we went from there to the Hyperbaric chamber, I knew after being on oxygen the last few days it would be good for Luke to get a dive. He did great and the turn around that he has made has been nothing less than miraculous, tonight when we hooked him up to the oxymeter his numbers were great and he has only been on a 1/4 a liter for a short time tonight.

Just to give you an update on the girls, they actually called on their cell phone and they are doing great, the conditions in the village that they have been staying in are a bit better than they expected. The home that Amy and Natalie are staying in is actually one of the few homes that has a shower and toilet, to say they are blessed is an understatement. They leave the village tomorrow to go into Bucharest, where conditions will be a lot better. They both were very excited about the reception the team is having and that they have been able to minister to the people there, with the clinic they set up with the team nurse. The girls collected over 200 toothbrushes, from their Dentist and Orthodontist, the goal for the team was to take 400 toothbrushes to pass out, the nurse is teaching a few classes on good hygiene and trying to raise the awareness of preventive medicine.

We continue to appreciate your prayers for our family, for Luke's complete restoration and for Amy and Natalie while they are gone. I end this by saying, "How can I thank you enough??"

Love in Christ,
Luke's Mommy Sue

Once again I'm requesting prayer for Luke, he is sick again and needs a touch from God

Once again I come before you asking for prayer for Luke. Saturday morning he woke up with a fever and high heart rate and earlier that morning he was alarming for extra oxygen. He has been doing so excellent that I mentioned to someone yesterday we went from needing 12 tanks of oxygen during his last sickness, two weeks ago to only one tank the past 10 days. His numbers have been unbelievable, in fact his heart rate was alarming for being too low. All that is in the past, tonight he is really struggling, all day long his nose has been running and he has been having some unbelievable hard coughs. I keep praying that he has not caught that nasty flu bug that has been traveling around.

Amy and Natalie flew to Romania on Thursday afternoon, they will be there until the 16th, then they will be picked up in Amsterdam by my brother and his wife to spend two weeks with them in Denmark, they won't get home until April 1st. Please be praying for them to stay healthy and that God will bless their trip many great memories. I'm so happy they are able to go, I just wish I could be with them. Needless to say without them here I've been praying that God would keep Luke and the rest of us healthy, they are such wonderful helpers when Luke gets sick, I can't imagine going through a lengthy sickness without their help. I have been blessed with my sister Lori coming over to stay with us for the next week and others that have volunteered to help.

The scripture the Lord gave me the day before they left is so comforting to me, The Lord gives strength to his people, The Lord blesses his people with peace. Psalm 29:11, I know that I have been ministered to by this scripture in the past and am once again relying on God's strength to get me through this month. I have been singing a little song that I learned from one of the children's tapes we used to listen to all the time. It goes: I can do all things, all things, all things, I can do all things, through Christ who strengthens me, Phillipians 4:13. I'm so thankful that God's word brings me such comfort and help in my time of need.

Love in Christ,
Luke's Mommy Sue