A Friend's Sister in Idaho (10/19/2006)

Hello to All,

What do the following have in common?

• A friend's sister in Idaho
• A Baptist temple in Oklahoma City
• Iowa State friends from Singapore
• A college principal in Australia

Early in this storm we received an email from a friend here in Dallas who encouraged us with the news that her sister in Idaho was praying for us. It wasn't the first or the last of such emails, but it was the one that made me take notice. Certainly, God was at work if someone in Idaho, who didn't even know us, cared enough to pray.

Since I am former anal retentive accountant, I decided we would begin to keep track of all the states and countries where there were people praying. The current count is 12 countries and 30 states.

Countries: United States, Thailand, Peru, Columbia, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, The Ukraine, Hungary, Ecuador, Albania, China and Texas.

States: Iowa, Missouri, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Indiana, Idaho, California, Ohio, Arkansas, Georgia, Massachusetts, Oregon, North Carolina, Hawaii, Pennsylvania, Washington, Tennessee, Michigan, New Jersey, Colorado, and Alabama.

In his book God in the Storm Marc Mailleffer writes, "Remember this the next time you come alongside someone who's going through a storm. Don't ever think prayer is the least you can do. I believe it may be the best we can do for those in a storm."

Thank you for giving your best to us and others who are caught in a storm.

Ann and I are leaving for Houston momentarily and will spend the afternoon and evening undergoing a number of tests. We meet with Dr. Steinert at 1:00 pm on Friday to review the results and then start Round 3 around 3:00 pm. I will drive back on Monday morning and Ann will fly home on Wednesday.

Dread and fear are two words that capture our emotions.

2 Corinthians 1:10b-11a:
On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us,
as you help us by your prayers.

Prayer Requests:

• That Ann would have emotional strength to return to Houston on Thursday, to meet with the doctor, and to begin Round 3.
• That the tests on Thursday and Friday would show that the cancer has at least stabilized.
• That God would show his love and power to the kids while we are gone.
• That God would completely heal Ann in his time and in his way so that she might know our grandchildren.
  

Thanks for your concern and prayers,
Howard & Ann