Update
I have to apologize for not bringing everyone up to date recently: with my Dad in the hospital, my traveling for speaking engagements, and this week, attending my last doctoral class in Denver life has been just a marathon.
However, God has been so ever good...last Sunday I was scheduled to depart Rochester to Denver, but Dad was not doing well enough for me to feel comfortable leaving. So, I went to the airport to see if there were any more flights the next day that could get me to Denver before 10:30am, giving me exactly two hours to drive to Denver Seminary. Miracle # 1: There was flight with another airline, which they put me on with no extra charge--it would arrive at 9:25 am! Miracle #2: The Lord had given me more time.
My mother had fallen earlier in the week and hurt her ribs and elbow and my daughter, Jennifer, was the only one left to care for Dad; Deb was still recovering from being sick. I prayed and stayed with Dad until12:30 a.m. the morning before I was to leave for Denver...I had to be at the airport by 4:45 a.m....So, I checked on Dad around 4:30 a.m. and for the first time his oxygen level had risen to 100%...a clear confirmation from the Lord that I was supposed to go.
This is our sixty fourth day, and from the time that the doctors said he had a zero percent chance to live, they are now telling us that they hope to have him home in February. He started speaking this week and regaining some of his muscle strength, but it has not been easy. As soon as his lungs clear (Please pray for him), then he can be off the respirator entirely. Yesterday he was breathing off the respirator for 18 hours! That is miracle #3! Thank you all for your prayers...oh, dad's first words since November with doctors, nurses and family standing around his bed were, "I would like to thank all the doctors and nurses for their wonderful care." Wow, that is just beautiful. I think my first words would have been, "When are you going to feed me?"
As I write this, I don't know where all of this is going to lead. I am faced with a decision of whether or not to move Lamplighter Ministries to western NY. If I did this, I would be closer to my parents. We do own fifty acres of beautiful woods and streams there, but I want to discern the will of the Lord. Please pray with me as I try to discern whether the Lord would have us move Lamplighter to NY. We have to move within the next three months, even if we stay in PA, because we have run out of room, but this of course will affect staff. Your prayers are greatly appreciated.
Another excited thing that God is doing concerns my doctoral work. It looks like I will be doing research on how a biblical understanding of parenting affects controlling parents and their children. It looks like my first book may be on the way. I am humbled and excited about this project. I was told, however, that no one in the history of the school has ever completed the project in less than fifteen months. Here goes!
While here in Denver, I met with a man and his wife who are trying to discern the Lord's will about whether Lamplighter is the place for them. He is an expert in the field of printing and with his expertise; Lamplighter could begin their own printing and apprenticeship program as planned, not to mention the revenue that we could save. And if that wasn't enough excitement, we are still waiting on the Lord to know whether to add a nationally acclaimed audio engineer (he was part of the Odyssey and Radio theatre team!) to Lamplighter's arsenal of talent to create the long awaited Lamplighter Dramatic audios. Oh, there are so many things that are just within reach....may our great God do exceedingly abundantly above all that we could ask or think.
Sorry this was so long, but I wanted you to hear what has been happening.
Blessings to all...thank you for partnering with us for the King and His Kingdom,
Mark Hamby
However, God has been so ever good...last Sunday I was scheduled to depart Rochester to Denver, but Dad was not doing well enough for me to feel comfortable leaving. So, I went to the airport to see if there were any more flights the next day that could get me to Denver before 10:30am, giving me exactly two hours to drive to Denver Seminary. Miracle # 1: There was flight with another airline, which they put me on with no extra charge--it would arrive at 9:25 am! Miracle #2: The Lord had given me more time.
My mother had fallen earlier in the week and hurt her ribs and elbow and my daughter, Jennifer, was the only one left to care for Dad; Deb was still recovering from being sick. I prayed and stayed with Dad until12:30 a.m. the morning before I was to leave for Denver...I had to be at the airport by 4:45 a.m....So, I checked on Dad around 4:30 a.m. and for the first time his oxygen level had risen to 100%...a clear confirmation from the Lord that I was supposed to go.
This is our sixty fourth day, and from the time that the doctors said he had a zero percent chance to live, they are now telling us that they hope to have him home in February. He started speaking this week and regaining some of his muscle strength, but it has not been easy. As soon as his lungs clear (Please pray for him), then he can be off the respirator entirely. Yesterday he was breathing off the respirator for 18 hours! That is miracle #3! Thank you all for your prayers...oh, dad's first words since November with doctors, nurses and family standing around his bed were, "I would like to thank all the doctors and nurses for their wonderful care." Wow, that is just beautiful. I think my first words would have been, "When are you going to feed me?"
As I write this, I don't know where all of this is going to lead. I am faced with a decision of whether or not to move Lamplighter Ministries to western NY. If I did this, I would be closer to my parents. We do own fifty acres of beautiful woods and streams there, but I want to discern the will of the Lord. Please pray with me as I try to discern whether the Lord would have us move Lamplighter to NY. We have to move within the next three months, even if we stay in PA, because we have run out of room, but this of course will affect staff. Your prayers are greatly appreciated.
Another excited thing that God is doing concerns my doctoral work. It looks like I will be doing research on how a biblical understanding of parenting affects controlling parents and their children. It looks like my first book may be on the way. I am humbled and excited about this project. I was told, however, that no one in the history of the school has ever completed the project in less than fifteen months. Here goes!
While here in Denver, I met with a man and his wife who are trying to discern the Lord's will about whether Lamplighter is the place for them. He is an expert in the field of printing and with his expertise; Lamplighter could begin their own printing and apprenticeship program as planned, not to mention the revenue that we could save. And if that wasn't enough excitement, we are still waiting on the Lord to know whether to add a nationally acclaimed audio engineer (he was part of the Odyssey and Radio theatre team!) to Lamplighter's arsenal of talent to create the long awaited Lamplighter Dramatic audios. Oh, there are so many things that are just within reach....may our great God do exceedingly abundantly above all that we could ask or think.
Sorry this was so long, but I wanted you to hear what has been happening.
Blessings to all...thank you for partnering with us for the King and His Kingdom,
Mark Hamby
posted by The Lamplighter | 8:41 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Links to this post:
Create a Link
<< Home