When we got back to Minnesota we had 12 days to find and pack everything on our medical and office supply shopping list. We found almost everything, from medical equipment to file folders. Global Health Ministries had just the centrifuge that we needed for our laboratory, as well as cotton balls and patient gowns. To buy a centrifuge here would have cost more than $1,000. We also found a medical supplier whose representative gave us a discount and also directed us to a used equipment supply house. They sold us 3 used wall-mounted otoscopes at an excellent price. A missionary who is preparing to return to Romania sent us a brand new EKG machine. A former patient of Milt's rounded up more than 130# of clothes which doubled as packing material. In all, we packed and shipped 32 boxes weighing a total of 1100#, which should arrive sometime next month.
We spoke one Sunday evening at our home church, Vision of Glory Lutheran in Plymouth. A missionary couple serving in Belarus and a Romanian man training with YWAM also were there and we all agreed with what each of us were saying about life in the former Communist bloc. We had never done PowerPoint before, but Linda figured out how to do a basic PowerPoint presentation for a Bible study group at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Fridley.
There's never enough time to see everyone, family and friends, when we're back in Minnesota, but this time we didn't even come close. We are sorry that we didn't get to see most of you. We're already starting to plan for next year. Linda's nephew, Derek, and his fiancee, Lisa, are planning a wedding for June 5 so we plan to have at least 3 weeks back in the States then. We did get to the Minnesota State Fair one day, however. The Kingston Trio and Judy Collins were there, but it was amazing how much older their audience has become. :>)
Drs. Paula Wood and Sam Massey both spent a week at the clinic, helping to hold down the fort in our absence. The staff really appreciated their help. When we returned, we discovered that some smoldering interpersonal conflicts among some staff members had flared while we were gone. We were disappointed, but we need to remember that when one becomes a new creation in Jesus Christ, one doesn't receive a new personality--this only comes through the process of sanctification, only as we allow the Holy Spirit to work in our lives. We are still in the process of working to discover the underlying causes and heal these rifts in a truely Biblical manner. Please pray for all of our staff to understand Christ's unconditional love and our need to forgive one another.
Last Saturday we drove to Peretu to see the Traistarus. Flori (the boy who still has a feeding tube after drinking caustic soda when he was 15 months old) is 10 and starting 4th grade. He is tops in his class. Last fall Pastor Lee and Barb Evenson and Pastor Harley and Beverly Schmitt visited them and prayed for Flori and anointed him with oil. This spring the Traistarus started visiting an Orthodox priest who seems to have the gift of healing. The priest himself had been in a coma several years ago, and the doctors had told the family that he wouldn't live, and they had already started preparing food for his funeral. But in his coma "a man" appeared to him and told him he wasn't going to die yet and that he still had much work to do. He recovered and miraculous things started to happen through him. Flori is doing well. His mother commented on how well behaved he is. I watched him eat cake with ground up nuts in the chocolate frosting, something he hasn't been able to do in the past. Please pray for Flori's continued healing.
Before we left for the US, Milt prayed for a patient with the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. Shortly after we arrived in the US we received an email from the patient telling how a few days later she suddenly had strength back in her legs and her balance back. Many people have been praying for her for months. Praise God!
Linda's still working at the embassy. The Embassy found a temporary replacement while we were in the States. The earliest a permanent replacement can come is early to mid-November. and that's still not for sure. Most days at the clinic are busy. Most of our patients are poor, including refugees from Africa and the Middle East. This week another Christian NGO shipped a large truck full of food and clothes to Bucharest. Our basement is serving as the temporary warehouse and distribution point for the various Christian groups (including ours) who will receive the supplies. Daniela is already busy distributing the food (vegetable sauce and dried soup packets) to some of our poorer patients. Seeing the smiling faces of the people with their bags of food makes it all seem "worth it."
Our clinic depends on the Lord for support. It always will. So far more than half that support for its monthly needs has come from donations from the US and Canada. We sppreciate your support so very much. We're behind on our personal thank-you's to those who have supported us financially and hope to be able to catch up soon. We also thank you for your prayers. Please continue to pray for us, our staff, and our patients.