Orphan Grain Train Christian Medical Endeavor Prayerletter
Volume 4 Number 2

I Corinthians 10:13: No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. (KJV)

When Liberian rebels in Côte d’Ivoire captured me in 2002, there were a couple reports of my demise distributed by various groups: rebels, French, and even once the International Red Cross. These reports were greatly exaggerated, thanks Lord. Once the U.S. government got involved and forced the rebels to release me, I had time to consider what had happened to me and why, realizing that most of the time I had an unnatural comfort which we hear about every Sunday at the end of the pastor’s sermon. “Now may that peace that passes all human understanding…” Until I had been so incarcerated, I did not really appreciate what those words meant.

Similarly, the past two months have been a ‘wake-up’ for me. I think we all get pretty comfortable in our situation till we lose control of it, especially if you are like me, a so-called control freak. I like to know what is going to happen, use my calendar to make sure I know who has birthdays coming up, my schedule and plans for the near and not so near future. My control went away with this illness around Thanksgiving.

Some reports of my condition these past few months have been overdone. I did NOT have any parts of my colon resected (cut out) though I do have some infection or inflammation in the distal portion of the large bowel called proctitis found during colonoscopy. This is under treatment and appears to be healing. I have had some skin grafts, both of cadaver skin and my own. These are to cover defects in my skin from the four major skin ulcers which occurred as a result of either my very run down condition with significant anemia, or directly from the lesion in my colon allowing the bacteria to get blood borne and settle in the skin. E coli was the only bacterium, which was ever grown from the cultures of all the ulcers. We know it was a very resistant (hard to kill with antibiotics) germ, but may have been a contaminant from the laboratory that grew it, we will never know for sure.

We do know this, though. God never gives us more than we can tolerate. Some days I did feel like Job, “Why Lord are You letting this happen to me?” With help of prayers, personal and communal and pastoral care by our Norfolk community and in Lincoln by Rev Harold Steltzer and Rev Luke Schnake of Christ Lutheran Church, I did make it through those hard days. It really showed me Who was in control. Certainly it was not I. But as the word above states, “You will not [sic] be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it”. He has provided that peace through the Grace of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ which indeed passes all human understanding although we are given a glimpse of what that means when we are in dire circumstances.

Were it not for the love and prayers of all and especially my family, I would have been even more uncertain of what was to become of me. I did not realize just how ill I was until I drove to Lincoln on the 27 th of December with my lovely wife, Sandee and her sister. I had had a new abscess come to a head the night before so knew the scheduled procedures would have to be changed to allow for the most recent developments. But I was stunned when they found my blood count was very low. I knew I was losing some blood but because the loss had been slow--over 6 weeks or so--did not feel much more than tired. I required 8 units (pints) of blood over the next 24 hours to bring me up to an acceptable level, still only 2/3s of normal. That loss may have set me up to be more susceptible to the infections for which I was being treated. The loss has since stopped with the treatment of the proctitis. Follow-up for that will occur within the month.

My activity level continues to improve, walking a bit more and working mornings at the Orphan Grain Train. I also will continue to assist at the Orphan Grain Train warehouse and am available for speaking engagements. I will be in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the weekend of February 11th and 12th. I have little scheduled because I will not be able to depart the country for some undetermined time due to my present physical condition. Therefore I am available to speak within the states. Please have your pastor or group planner call me at 402-992-2301 or mornings at 402-371-7393 (Orphan Grain Train) should you wish to consider having me as a guest speaker for your group or congregation.

Thanks to God and all who have been praying for me as I continue to improve. May the Lord continue to give us that peace which indeed passes all human understanding.

Love in Him,