Saturday, November 28, 2009

Peace in my heart

Thanks so much for your prayers and encouragement the past few months.  Life has been interesting, difficult, encouraging, busy, unexpected and yet God remains true and faithful and my comfort and strength.  It’s been a long time in coming for me to be able to face tough situations and still be able to say that!!! 
 
My Dad’s passing, although a shock at the moment I found out has been a blessing too. He is whole again for the first time in soooo long and we are all thankful that God spared him from further suffering and frustration and took him home to Himself. He gave him a new body and mind and he is now complete in God’s presence.  I couldn’t ask for more.  I am so thankful that I was able to be home just 2 weeks before he went HOME and was able to tell him I loved him, he felt the baby kicking and I was able to just be there with mom with so many decisions to make. It’s amazing to me how looking back I can see that God knew all along that Dad wouldn’t be with us long.  What was frustrating then (not being able to figure out the best placement for Dad after leaving the hospital) proved to not be an issue as God knew exactly what Home Dad would be going to and it wasn’t any that we looked at. It was an eternal home, far better than any nursing home or care facility in this world.  Mom even had the instinct to make all the necessary ‘funeral’ arrangements before she left for California the week before Dad died.  She didn’t do it because she thought he would be dying soon, she just felt like she needed to do it then to be prepared for whatever might come.  This was so God, because Dad passed away while she was gone to Cali and when she returned, all the details were done.  No stress, just the time to process what had happened. That’s Grace!
 
God again provided amazingly for us, my immediate family, to all go home together.  The flights were great, the boys traveled well and we had a good week together with my extended family.  Dad’s service was perfect and I think it truly honored God and was a celebration of my Dad’s life rather than mourning his death. 
 
We have felt so much encouragement from friends and family and have truly seen the Body of Christ function as God intended!  His grace in our lives is so evident and I can say He has been my rock and I’ve leaned hard on Him.  Something else hit me a while back.  If God hadn’t allowed all of the circumstances of our lives in the past few years, including the incredibly hard ones like leaving Papua, leaving Indonesia, sick kids, my journey to relearn what Faith is, etc. we would have likely been out of the country when Dad passed away and I would have melted down and certainly not been able to face it all.  I would have crumbled.  BUT, in His grace, He brought us through some amazingly difficult things all preparing us so that we could trust Him during this time.  He allowed us to be home now and not have to face this from a far-away place.  I am just amazed at HIM and His grace to me. 
 
Sooo, Thank you!  Thank you for feeling this with us, for praying us through the past few years, months and days.
 
We are home now and just had a great time with Joel’s family for Thanksgiving and an early Christmas together. My mom will be here in just a few weeks for Christmas and then not too long after that, Kate will make her arrival.  I have given up on a quiet life of “normal” and resolved that God just doesn’t have that in His plans for us.  I’ll take this life though and all that comes with it as I know He is molding us into His image with every circumstance that comes our way!
 

Friday, November 13, 2009

Tough News (Updated)

Hello Everyone,

We just got word last night from Bethany’s mom (Lynn Stroud) that her dad (Steve Stroud) passed away that evening at, we think, appx 8ish central time (Thursday). We’re not exactly sure yet what happened, but at some point this evening when a nurse checked on him (he was still at the hospital waiting to be discharged), he was unconscious and unresponsive. They tried resuscitation for over 20 minutes but to no avail.

At this point, our plan is to fly, as a family, down to Springfield MO (by way of Branson) and we’ll be in Springfield till next Friday. As of today, Steve’s memorial service is planned for Thursday evening at 7pm at High Street Baptist Church (900 N. Eastgate Rd, Springfield). We would love to see anyone who can make it to that. We then plan to return to MI next Friday, the 20th.

Please be praying for us as family. The Lord has enabled us to make quick plans and cover the obligations that we have here in Michigan and we’re trusting Him to provide the resources needed for this unexpected trip that’s following so closely to the last trip that Bethany made two weeks ago.

Even with this being as tough as it is and will be, we’re joyfully aware that he is whole in body, mind and spirit with his Creator! That is so infinitely better than his existence here. God’s physical presence is Steve’s reality as I write this!

We’ll communicate more as we know.

Joel for the Us

Cards can be sent to:
Lynn Stroud
1100 W. Lynn St.
Springfield, MO. 56802


Joel and Bethany Potter
Missionaries with New Tribes Mission
Serving at New Tribes Bible Institute, Jackson MI
517-795-9053
joel-bethany_potter@ntm.org

Tough News

We just got word late last night from Bethany’s mom that her dad passed away that evening at, we think, appx 8ish central time (Thursday). We’re not exactly sure yet what happened, but at some point this evening when a nurse checked on him (he was still at the hospital waiting to be discharged), he was unconscious and unresponsive. They tried resuscitation for over 20 minutes but to no avail.

We’re not sure what happens next, but I know it will involve us all getting down to Springfield at some point in the next few days. We so need your prayers in this time.

Even with this being as tough as it is and will be, we’re joyful knowing that he is whole in body, mind and spirit with his Creator! That is so infinitely better than his existence here.

We’ll communicate more as we know.

Joel for the Us

Monday, November 09, 2009

Another Prayer Request from Potters

I know you all have many of your own situations that you are praying about and that you have been praying for me and my family but I would like to ask once again that you pray for us. 

 

Last night my dad was admitted to the hospital again (a different hospital this time). He had a fall yesterday at his regular care facility and they took him to the ER to check him out from that and in the process, discovered he has pneumonia, so they admitted him.  The last hospital he was at (right before my trip home) didn’t bother to check with his PCP to find out his story and just looked at his age (65) and his med list and decided he was overmedicated. They proceeded to take him off his major medications without consulting us or anyone. 

 

My heart is very heavy this morning as I am concerned that this hospital may do the same thing.  My mom flew to California a few days ago for a previously scheduled trip so she is not there to communicate with the hospital in person. My brother is there and has done what he can and I am trying to communicate with the social worker at the hospital from here in Michigan, hoping she can relate the needed information to the doctor treating Dad. 

 

Please pray:

o   That the doctor there will be wise and sensitive to Dad’s various needs

o   For my brother as this is hard for him too

o   That Mom won’t worry but will enjoy her visit in California

o   That I will completely trust our Big God and not fret that I’m not there to help control the situation

o   For peace for my Dad. He is a believer and we are resting in the truth that the Holy Spirit still indwells him and can work a miracle in his mind and heart to bring him peace through all this.

 

Thank you for your constant encouragement and prayers through all of this.  It is so encouraging to know there are so many people praying for all of us right now.

 

Bethany for the Strouds and Potters