I wanted to keep you updated on how the Lord is working in and through this situation.
Last week all of Jericho fasted and prayed together to ask God to show us the next step in the healing process. I had been praying that God would heal me in the way that would bring the most glory to His Name. We all began to sense that while we needed to continue to believe that God could heal me in a moment, we also needed to move forward in the medical realm. I tried to get an appointment at Mayo clinic since it is close to family but there were no openings until the end of May. The answer to prayer came on the last day of the fast. A dear friend of mine from college wrote to say that he and his family wanted to help, that they had a place for me to stay close to New York Presbyterian Hospital ,and that he could get me in to see an amyloidosis specialist quickly. We all sensed that this was God's provision. It seemed right that Elvia would go with me to help with my care for the first month and then Hae Young would come the next, should that be necessary. I spent most of Friday afternoon trying to get things in order at the ministry and at home since I wasn't sure when I would return.
A peace totally enveloped me....such as I have never felt before. I knew you all had to be praying. The peace was so strong that when we realized the next day that we needed to be on a flight to Houston two hours before it was to leave, I was unusually tranquil as Hae Young and Rosario began putting all kinds of dirty clothes into my suitcase (our washer has been on the blink) while I rounded up other essential items. I even got on the plane in the sweats I had worn to bed the night before! Oh my goodness...what was I thinking!
Since there was a threat of closing the airport due to fog, we needed to get out as quickly as possible. We blessed God's Name for allowing us to get out on that last flight to Houston. We stayed at Elvia's sister's home in Houston where we washed clothes and visited with our beloved Korean brothers and sisters while getting needed rest for the trip to NYC on Monday.
My friends in New York wrote to let us know that the place they had for us to stay was actually the Carlyle Hotel in Manhattan. I was just overwhelmed by God's grace and lavish provision for us through this amazingly generous family. They greeted us warmly and have made us feel so loved and cared for. (The hotel is directly in the middle of the photo.)
I had the first consult with the doctor today. As Elvia and I walked home from the doctor's appointment, we just marveled at God's goodness to us. Elvia had prayed that the doctor would be able to speak Spanish. I assured her that his last name (Dr. Niesvizky) didn't really indicate that he would be a Spanish speaker....it sounded more like he might speak Russian. But if you know Elvia, you know she is a woman of faith. We quickly found out that the doctor was actually born and raised in Mexico so his Spanish was much better than his English! We both liked him right away and he took all kinds of time with us, explaining things in both languages so that we would not miss anything. We were so thrilled to hear that within a week of more testing, he would be able to give me the plan of treatment. He explained that in most cases, amyloidosis is caused by an easily treatable bone cancer (that they wouldn't actually even treat if the organs had not become involved) and that by using chemo to stop the bone cancer, the affected organs can then heal themselves since they are not being bombarded by the proteins which do not break down. He answered many of my questions and was so patient and humble.
So I wanted to ask you for your prayers again, not only for complete healing, but also for His safe keeping of my children and of Jericho and that Elvia and I would be a blessing while we are here.
Thank you again for your prayers on my behalf and for bringing this need before the Father. I am just delighting in Him......He is so good and gracious and lavish in His love for us! Don't you just love Him and how He works?
With so much gratitude and love,
Betsy
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