Earthly Pulls

This week has been a somewhat difficult one with arriving home on Tuesday afternoon and receiving a phone call from Ken's Mom to call home on Wednesday morning. We found out the results of his Dad's bone marrow biopsy that he had taken a week before the wedding, and he has multiple myeloma. We have been busy this week making contacts with pharmacists here in Costa Rica, since while drugs are not cheap, they tend to run more inexpensive than in the U.S. in an effort to try and help them keep the cost down for his treatment. Yesterday, his Mom called and the American Cancer Society has made contact with them and is helping them also pursue other avenues to receive his medication (100 pills are $23,900). We are waiting to hear back from her meetings with them.

This is perhaps the most difficult part of living away from family during times as these. His parents continue to ask us to remain in Costa Rica and serve the people here, but there are days when it is emotional for us since both of our parents are having difficulties at this time.

Please continue to pray for Ken's Dad, Richard, and for my Mom, Ginny. Pray for us, that the Lord would give us His strength daily to continue on in obedience to His service.

Adjustments, adjustments, adjustments....

We've been feeling a little bit "under the weather" as we adjust back into our Costa Rican lifestyle and food. We definitely overindulged while in the U.S. because of missing so many different types of foods and are paying the price now, feeling a little queasy. Jordan has had a difficult time adjusting back to the "no toilet paper in the toilet" routine and keeps his Dad busy unclogging the septic system. We miss daylight savings time and are having a hard time adjusting back to it being dark here at 5:30 p.m. and then of course, the U.S. is two hours ahead of us, and we are adjusting back to a different time zone altogether (we were all in bed at 7:30 last night, though our bodies told us it was 9:30). Other than that, we have been working on the finances of the team that arrives next Friday for a week of medical ministry and thankfully we have no rental group for this weekend. Much to ask you to pray for:

1. Our continuing adjustments.
2. The safe arrival of the team of 30 from Palm Beach Atlantic University next Friday.
3. For the medical clinics that we will be doing on the remote Chira Island where there is much poverty.

Thanks for praying!

We're back....in Costa Rica

Congratulations to the brand new Mr. & Mrs. (our daughter, Danielle) Towle! If you haven't seen Jordan lately, he's the miniature groom in the picture. Heather is to the right of the groom and Kyle is the blonde young man second to the right of the groom. I can't say as I have ever felt more tired in my life with all of the traveling we have done in the past three and a half weeks doing fundraising presentations and wedding preparations. I will try and update more in the next couple of days, but for now, I am off to bed to get some much needed sleep!