Praise Report

Praise Reports From Bruce Howell (General Director):
We are praising God! We arrived from being out of town to find that our new insurance company has approved the needed surgery for our daughter, Amy. Both Sister Howell and I deeply appreciate your prayers for this situation.

From Maria Strickland (Greece):
Our family wants to thank all of you for your prayers and support in the time of sickness and now sorrow with the loss of my mother.

Mom passed away on Tuesday, August 5, at 8:00 a.m. in Catania Hospital. Mom went in peace after putting in place all she thought needed to as she felt that was time to go.

Please continue to pray for my father who is suffering from my mother's passing. Mom was only 55 years old and she was the "motor" of our home. Her loss is much felt, but we know that God has given her and us grace.

It is going to take much time to get back to normal, but we will try to make it. I will soon return to Greece to continue the lovely work of the Lord with Bro. Jonathan and Ashely.
Love you all very much; you have been my strength.

From Jerry and Vickie Richardson (RD, Africa):
We were so happy to go by and visit Timothy one more time before we left for the airport heading back to the States. His port for the intravenous antibiotics was removed. All medicines have been completed with the exception of one pill the doctor wants him to continue taking until he gets to Houston. His appetite is improving daily and he is definitely getting stronger and stronger each day, if not a little "impatient". Timothy was joking, looking (and acting) like his old self. He is anxious to leave the hospital. The family will remain in Johannesburg another six days before attempting the long airplane flight back to the States.

They need time just to rest and get over the ordeal. The doctor did not want Timo traveling too soon. While we were leaving, the orderly came to take Timo and his parents to the building where he would have his audio testing. We knew he was not hearing from the one ear, but was hoping that it was a temporary situation. The test results indicate that he is permanently deaf in the one ear and has some hearing loss in the other. Although the news was disappointing, we still have to praise the Lord for all He has done for Timothy. The ENT doctor said, looking at his charts, and said that he was a very lucky boy indeed, to be alive after all the infection and trauma of the meningitis. Of course, we know it is more than "luck", it is definitely the Hand of the Lord keeping him and healing him.

Please join with us to pray for this situation. The Lord is able to heal his ears no matter how "permanent" his hearing loss may be reported by the doctors. We also ask your prayers for peace and strength for the whole family and especially for Timothy. We pray that he can be as strong as he has been through these last days of recovery and recognize the miracles in his life done by the Hand of God.Thanks again for all the prayers and the concerns you have shown for this precious missionary family.