September 24, 2004

Prayer Request

I just got a letter from my dear friends Jim and Julie Leonard, faithfully serving God in Crato, Brazil. I have included the entire letter below, because the request shared therein are especially urgent. Please be much in prayer for them during this difficult time.

Dear Praying Friends,

It is so comforting to know that you are praying for our family. The interest that you have shown in our lives and ministry has been a great blessing to us. This past week has been one of new surprises and blessings, too. In writing this letter, we share a new challenge for you to take before the Lord.

In our last letter, we mentioned that all of us needed to see some kind of doctor or another in the coming days. The first appointment on the list was for me (Julie) to take my MRI results to my ear doctor. The exam was actually done in late May, but in our busy lives this is the first opportunity that has opened to return to the doctor. There's good news and bad news. For the good news; well, they did find something in my head! The bad news is what they found is actually an "acoustic neuroma", more correctly called a "vestibular schwannoma", located on my left auditory nerve where it goes from the ear to the brain. From what the doctor said and from other research we've done, this kind of tumor is virtually always benign and it grows very slowly. But it is there and it has already caused some hearing loss.

Jim was in Fortaleza on Tuesday afternoon, but the Lord was right there by my side as the doctor looked at the exams, mumbled to himself, then roughly told me the news. PTL, Jim returned home the next morning. My doctor asked that I repeat the hearing test to see if there has been any more hearing loss since the last one was taken in February. I was able to schedule an appointment for Thursday morning. I came away from the test feeling as if the Lord Himself had just given me a big hug.


My audiologist is a sweet Christian lady. She does hearing tests; her husband fits people with hearing aids. They came to know the Lord a few years ago through the deaf ministries in the Cariri. As we chatted, I asked Dr. Ana Léscia lots of questions and voiced some of my concerns. It turned out to be a very special time of sharing and encouragement between doctor and patient; sisters in Christ; friends. She knows my ear doctor personally and assured me of his excellent professional capability, despite his lack of tact. The Lord knew that was what I needed to hear and that fact was proved later that afternoon. I called to mark a time when I could quickly show him the results of the tests: PTL, there had been no change. The secretary couldn't find a time until next week, but when she transferred my call to him, he told us to come right away. When we arrived in his office, he had already received a reply from a neurotologist in São Pauloto to an e-mail he had sent along with some of the MRI images and my case history. He shared some more information, including the fact that he has seen other similar cases; however, I am the first case that he has personally diagnosed. He sent us home with a diskette of the MRI images that we can send by e-mail to have evaluated and later that evening, he sent us the address of the Mayo Clinic's web site about acoustic neuromas. We appreciate his expertice and care. Please pray that this will be an opportunity to get to know Dr. Jorge and his family better. They live just down the road, two blocks from our front door.

After reading the Mayo website, we are pretty sure that mine is a typical, not extremely urgent case, although we're obviously looking for professional confirmations from the States and Brazil. The MRI showed the tumor to be 2.2 cm. in diameter back in May; 2cm. is referred to as "small". We are hoping to have more information so that we can make somewhat tentative plans within the next week, if possible. Surgery has been recommended but in our reading, traditional surgery could probably have worse results than the tumor itself. The most common surgery is done by the Gamma Knife, arresting the growth of the tumor by using miscroscopic radiation blasts. There are still many unknowns, but for this we ask your prayers. We are specificially praying about having this proceedure done at Mayo Clinic. Having our Home Church and family in Austin, MN, we have closer access to the Mayo system and a great support system both in Rochester and Austin. We think that this is a very important detail in our situation. Either way, brain surgery is probably inevitable.

We are confident of the Lord's timing (why would He allow a 5 month delay in the reading of the results?) and His faithful leading (what type of surgery; when; in Brazil in the States?). It's overwhelming to think of all the details that He will have to work out for what is ahead. But these plans don't just involve one person; they also include 3 home-schooled high schoolers and the director of a Bible college coming up on the busy time of year-end activites. We cherish your prayers for all of us right now.

At the moment, we're trying to keep up the normal schedule at home, in school, and at the Seminary. PTL, all this has come up while I have a two-week break from teaching my Pastor's Wife class. As much as I enjoy teaching, this has been a very welcome and timely break. School was pretty messed up yesterday because of my appointments, but we can get back on track. PTL, we've been slowly cutting back on our church responsibilities, so that is not such an immediate pressure.

So please rejoice with us that the Lord is good, and He is in control. Some have asked how I'm doing. Physically, I'm the same as I was last Monday. Emotionally and spiritually, a person can't be told that they have a tumor on their brain and walk away the same. My desire is to truly learn the awesome things that God desires to show me through all of this.

Thanks so much for your prayers. It is a busy and challenging time for us. It is getting a little bit hotter every day. That makes sleeping uncomfortable and sometimes restless. Then we get run down and extra tired. But we are not complaining. Just sharing so that you can pray more knowledgeably for us. Thank you.

Posted by Andrew on September 24, 2004 6:27 PM.