Dear Friends,
It has been wonderful to see many of you since we returned from the field over a year ago. For those whom we haven’t seen, we wanted to update you with what is going on in our lives and ask for your prayers. A
fter moving to the field in 2006, at the year and half point, J was involved in a soccer injury requiring knee surgery. During that surgery it was discovered that there are a number of tumors located on his lymph nodes in his chest. A biopsy revealed that J has an obscure disease called Sarcoidosis. At this point however, J wasn’t experiencing any negative symptoms. Therefore, he returned to Turkey to continue the work he had started on. Roughly six months after diagnosis a number of extremely difficult symptoms began showing up in J’s body. These physical struggles progressively got worse until it was decided to bring us home for an early home service with hope of turning the corner on this medical condition. Early on we were hopeful that this disease would enter remission and we could return to the field, the land and people that we had grown to love. However, it became increasingly clear to us, the pastors and elders that this disease wasn’t going away quickly and it would not be prudent to return to the field in a weakened physical state. Not returning to the field was a hard realization for us, but we recognize the Lord’s graciousness to us in giving us a peace and providing the love and support from our Parkside family through this transition.
Upon return to America, K quickly enrolled in nursing school, realizing the possibility that J might not be able to work in the future and wanting to gain a marketable skill. J has continued working from America on previous ministries started by travelling to the field a couple times a year. Most recently J and K conducted a two-week training in Dallas for fifteen people heading to the field to coach American football and teach English at a university.
We would appreciate your prayers for J’s health and future ministry here and on the field and for K’s nursing school. Please also remember B and B who are still transitioning back to life in America. We have all learned that moving this direction has been much harder than our original move to the field. Thank you for your friendship and for supporting us in your prayers.
Blessings, J & K
