Hello my prayer partners,
Thanks so much for praying for me when you don’t hear from me often. I think most of you have heard that I have been very sick. I am not sure what happened and it took me by surprise because I am very seldom sick for more than a day at a time. In August, I got a very bad case of gout and the next thing I knew I was in the hospital with a very high fever and kidneys that were not functioning. It was a really scary time for me but I felt all your prayers through it all. I went in and out of the hospital several times over then next two or three weeks and felt like i would never get well. At one point, the doctor came in with the bad news that he was going to do one more test (MRI) and then he was going to have to start dialysis. I was shocked since I have never had any kidney problems. I am under the care of a doctor regularly and have blood work done every six months and nothing had ever shown up before. I cried out to the Lord and also called Pastor Wade and he started praying over the phone and said “in the powerful name of Jesus, we command the kidneys to start working again.” I went for the MRI and two hours later, the doctor walked in with the results and said “In 30 years of practice, I have never been so wrong, but your kidneys are functioning okay again.” I told him it was a miracle but he just wanted to think he was mistaken. It took quite a while (even til today) to build up my strength little by little and to get rid of all the infection in my body. During that time, I researched all that I should and should not eat to protect my kidneys and health. So the good news is that I have been losing weight and eating so much better. After about a week at home, I was still too weak to do anything but on Sept. 27 I decided to walk to the school and watch a soccer game for awhile. I got so dizzy and started to faint. One of the teachers trying to help me said “I think maybe she has low blood pressure.” That sounded crazy to me because i have had high blood pressure for years and have been taking four different medicines for high blood pressure every day. But I got back to the house and checked and my pressure was only 91/51. We called the doctor and he told me to take half of one of my medicines. But that was still not enough — I started taking myself off the other half. When I went to the doctor, i told him I thought that God also did a miracle and healed my high blood pressure. Of course, he didn’t believe that so he did more blood work, an electrocardiogram, heart x-rays, etc. etc. and found nothing wrong with me, so he lowered my blood pressure medicines again. I got home and they were still keeping my pressure too low. As of today, I have taken myself off of all blood pressure medicines for the past 9 days and have checked regularly and God really DID heal me!!! So in spite of all i have been through, I believe God has been working on my long-term health for the future so that I will be able to do my work here for many years to come. He was blessing me while I was feeling so confused and even a little abandoned by him. He is faithful when we are without faith!!! (one of my favorite verses). Thanks for your prayers and please continue to pray as I get stronger each day.
I am leaving for Tennessee tomorrow morning to see my college kids. Thanks for praying that i will have a lot more strength while there. I don’t do much except spend time with the kids and so I should be okay. Pray for my kids here at the house. I feel very neglectful after being bed-ridden for so long but they are all doing fine.
Also, please be praying about the finances as well. I had several amazingly generous gifts to help with the hospital bills but since I had to go back several times, it took a lot more than i had expected. But God is so faithful. We are praying for a lot of people to remember us during Christmas with end-of-the-year donations so we can end up the year in good shape. This is his ministry and He will do his will here and provide all we need.
we only have three weeks left of our school year now. We are so thankful for the great year we have had. We have doubled classes through fourth grade so next year will have two fifth grades. Please pray for us to find the four teachers that we need for February. We are also in need for some American to come and teach English. We had our first student teachers from Bryan College this semester and they were able to cover 3 months of english for our students but we need some permanent volunteers to come. Thanks for your prayers for both American and Honduran teachers needed.
I cannot believe how faithful God has been to provide for my college kids. On May 3 this year, 5 of my kids will graduate from college. I have no idea how God provided all the money but it came in just in time each year. I am so proud of the mature Christian leaders they have become. Please be praying for them as they seek God’s will for their lives and know where He is leading them to serve Him.
Many of you have asked me to please write another book. We live from day to day by miracles and there is too much to write, but what I have done is write a 15-page update to the book telling about the past 9 years and where we have come and what God is doing here. The books are the same price and can be bought by sending a $12.00 check to Destino del Reino, PO. Box 814, Evans, GA 30809, and putting “book” in the subject line on your check. We also have the book in Spanish now, if anyone would like to buy one for any Spanish speaking friends.
Thanks again for your many faithful prayers for me and all the people involved in Destino del Reino.
Blessings to each of you,
Rhonda
