I think most people got our prayer letter today. Thanks for praying for us this month.

John is doing well! His leg is wrapped in cotton and an ace bandage. He is using his crutches and not experiencing much pain at all.  Compared to his nose surgery earlier this year, this has really been pretty easy. Being able to breathe, and eat and feel normal really does make all the difference.  He is spending his time resting, reading and checking out the internet, all the while keeping his leg elevated.

We are concerned about the cost of this surgery. Our insurance deductible is met, but we’ll still have to pay the 30% not covered. If you’re able to help us with these extra costs, we would be grateful. Click on giving to see all the options.

In other news, yesterday and today I had two girls from Otterbein and Muskingum Colleges (both in Ohio) come to our office for a job shadow.  Angie is a graphic designer, and Kim is an accountant. It was great to meet these two girls and hear what God is doing in their lives, especially as they consider what they will do when they graduate this year.  Angie is definitely thinking about coming on staff, maybe even coming to the office to work with me. It would be great to have another designer to team up with and there is plenty for her to do. Kim got to talk to John about the opportunities for accountants, and there are many! Finance and accounting professionals is probably one of our greatest ministry needs. She is especially interested in working overseas, which is exciting. You can pray for both of them and confirmation on where God has their next steps.

I am feeling really grateful for the outpouring of prayers and support we have received today.  Thanks to everyone. I know many of our ministry partners haven’t even gotten the news, but I know they will be praying as John recovers.

As to the surgery itself, it went very well! The tumor was not what the doctor originally thought. It turned out not to be in the nerve itself, which was a great blessing.  The doctor didn’t even have to touch the nerve during the surgery.  The mass was about the size of your palm, and had a jelly-like consistancy. Wierd, huh?  They do a biopsy immediately on the tumor, then once the results are in, they remove it.  It was 100% benign. Another blessing. 

 The surgery lasted about an hour.  John was in the recovery room for about 2 hours, then I got to come in and see him until he was ready to go home.  He looked real good when I first saw him.  During his previous nose surgeries, he always looked real pale and not like himself because of the operation on his face. This time though, he looked very normal and had a big smile for me when I came in.

We got home around 9pm tonight, after a visit to the pharmacist.  We ate some dinner, and he quickly fell asleep in the recliner. He has been saying all day how much he is looking forward to a good night sleep tonight. Since this pain started, he has only been getting 4 hours of sleep before the pain would wake him up.

I just put him to bed and I am sure he is already sleeping soundly.  He is one of those who can fall asleep in 1 minute.  Me, I take minutes to hours to fall asleep.  Oh well.  Good for him.

Thanks again for your prayers.