Well, healing has been a bit slower than anticipated. When the doctor took off the bandage on Monday to remove the stitches, he decided it wasn't quite healed enough to take them out, so he put it off until Thursday evening.
What we had thought was laparoscopic surgery wasn't; we found out when John looked in the mirror when he got home. There's a dotted line about 5 inches long and it had started weeping, not pus (thank God), but blood and liquid which continued through Wednesday. Thursday, the wound was dry, so that night, the doctor removed the stitches.
We are planning to go away for a few days to stay with missionary friends in Ayacucho in the eastern part of Peru for a little R&R and the doctor said it was okay. John should watch about lifting things for a while, so I get to haul suitcases and we're getting him a wheelchair for the airplane trip. Thank you all so much for the prayers for John's healing. Pray for continued recovery.
Lidia and Susan have been meeting weekly for bible study and conversation for several years. Currently, she helps with Joan (our elderly lady who is blind in one eye and can't see out of the other very well.) Susan has been encouraging her to tithe on the money she gets for taking care of Joan just to let her see what God can do. She has been making tentative steps in that direction and just this week she told her, "I've been tithing and I don't understand, I always seem to have enough money now." Thank God for Lidia's steps in faith and for God's providence in her life.
Susan is part of the CEMO committee which interviews people who are in seminary and the ordination process. This month, she is interviewing several candidates as the bishop plans to have ordinations near Eastertime. Pray for Susan as she helps interview Peruvian seminarians who are going for ordination that those whom God has chosen will be abundantly clear.
January started out jumping with teams and house guests already. We've had 14 different "people visits" to our house this past month. Some are missionaries who need a place while they are in Lima, others are passing through on their way to the US or arriving here. We are blessed with a home that is able to house guests. There have been two teams, but each had other people to take care of them. Pray for Susan as she helps get information out to groups that want to come minister in Peru this coming year.
A prayer note. Growing up in the Episcopal Church, I (Susan) didn't even know we had missionaries. We didn't really talk about them or have them visit our churches. When we visit your churches we are able to tell the children in Sunday School, from the pulpit, with e-mails to share news, with web pages to share pictures and stories. So many more are hearing the word of God and what He is doing in so many places.
I (Susan) use the Scripture Union Daily Prayer Topics as part of my personal devotions. Thursday morning, it was "Pray for world and local missions, for missionaries you know, and for the spread of the gospel." I thought, "That would take an hour at least just to name them all!" and realized how incredibly blessed I am to know so many missionaries through SAMS, New Wineskins, and other ecumenical ministries and organizations now.
We are delighted to be a part of spreading the gospel, directly and indirectly. One of the missionaries who was passing through and stayed at our place, Al and his wife Barb, just shared with us about their time here in Peru. Here's what he said about their latest encounter.
"We climbed the trail up to Eberson’s house and met his mother-in-law and father- in-law sitting in the garden surrounded by chickens and their 5 children. His mother-in-law received Christ last November and was baptized on Christmas and was radiant and hugged and kissed and thanked us for praying for her and her husband since we last saw her last May. Her husband had been an alcoholic and violent to the point of beating her up and the kids. Finally after one of these rages, Eberson led him to Christ last month. He even asked his wife and children to forgive him and has been studying the Bible with Eberson in preparation for his baptism. Her husband told me what he had been like, but now Jesus had changed his life. Eberson and I prayed for him, especially to renounce the works of Satan and his spirits in his life."
Sometimes just being able to open our home to visiting missionaries enables them to minister here or to give them a time of refreshment. Thank God for hospitality and his provision for us that enables us to minister to others.
Blessings on your new year.
Susan
John+ & Susan Park
johnpark@sams-usa.org
susanpark@sams-usa.org
www.ParkPeru.org
Tax-deductible contributions to our ministry in Peru may be made on line at http://samsusa.org/support-frames.html or by sending a check payable to SAMS (with Park in the memo line) to
SAMS
PO Box 399
Ambridge PA 15003
You can also arrange for automatic deductions from your bank account or for automatic charges to your credit card. If you wish to do so, please call SAMS at 724-266-0669.
In Canada, tax deductible contributions may be online at
http://www.samscanada.ca
Or you may send cheques to:
SAMS-Canada
PO Box 21082
Barrie, ON L4M 6J1
Please write Park in the memo line.
