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“Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.’”
Matthew 14:27
Dear Friends,
It’s a snowy day in Bologna and I am thinking of each of you. I have been pondering the word “courage” today; perhaps because I so desperately need it, perhaps because you need it too. Did you ever consider that the New Testament is, for the most part, a collection of letters written (under inspiration of the Holy Spirit) by believers to believers for their “encouragement” and instruction? This is my letter to you to give you “courage” today.
So, where do you find courage? Surely not on the shelves of Walmart! The root of the word is from the Latin for “heart”. This is an internal quality developed in the very center of your being, primarily by your thoughts. That’s why what we think is so significant. And what we think is often the result of what we “hear”, which brings us to the verse above.
Jesus “spoke” to his disciples to give them courage. His words corrected their false thinking. They “thought” he was a ghost, which was the cause of their fear. When their thinking was realigned with truth they found courage (enough for Peter to get out of the boat and walk on water).
So, dear friends, I have to ask myself, “What am I thinking today”? And beyond that, “Whose voice am I listening to?” I have a feeling this is where courage begins. Let me “encourage” each of you to choose carefully who you listen to today and then realign your thoughts accordingly.
As we say in Italian, “Coraggio!!”
Linda
Monday, January 18, 2010
Thursday, December 10, 2009
BRUCATO PRAYER UPDATE DECEMBER, 10, 2009
Dear Friends,
Re-entry is always difficult. Saying goodbye never gets easy. Jet-lag is real. Suitcases must be unpacked and stored. Laundry, grocery shopping, bill paying all must be done. This morning I tried to pay an old phone bill that didn’t get paid in our absence. The phone company suspended our phone and internet service temporarily (we can receive calls but can’t make them). To pay the bill I had to go to the post office (where bills are paid). Because of the horde of customers to be served they use a “number” system. When I arrived they were serving #170; my number was 261! Welcome back to Italy!! Yesterday I tried to renew our car insurance. First I had to go to a friend’s house to use their phone, then I got the recorded message that my wait time was greater than 3 minutes. After waiting for 53 minutes I hung up! Meanwhile we are walking!!
While life here can be rather frustrating and we are tempted to ask “why in the world did we come back”, the answer is more than clear. Tuesday evening we attended our church prayer meeting for the first time in 8 months and all the “difficulties” were put into perspective. Here was a group of Italians, eagerly awaiting our arrival, interceding for the souls of men. Request after request was brought before the Lord for the salvation of the lost. Some requests were accompanied by tears. This is why we return to Italy- to stand alongside these faithful believers who are ready to be poured out for the salvation of their nation. We need you, too, to stand alongside us as we “push back the darkness” in this land. Here are the urgent prayer requests:
1. This week Ester, YFC and churches in the area have distributed a copy of the gospels specifically prepared for teens called “The Book of Hope” outside all the high schools in Bologna and other cities nearby. The goal was to get a copy to every teen in these cities! With the book was an invitation to an evangelistic concert hosting a band from our church called “Lost and Found”. There are two concerts- Friday in Imola (a new city we are seeking to reach), and Saturday in Bologna. Please pray that we will see hundreds of teens come out and that the testimony of the gospel will be clear.
2. Friday, in our church, there will be a women’s evangelistic outreach called “Not just Coffee”. The theme is forgiveness. Pray that the women we invite will attend. I will be inviting a number of neighbors.
3. We are trying to get permission to have a book stand in the local mall next week. Pray for the Lord to open the door for this opportunity.
As you can see, there are many opportunities before us to share the good news with those around us. We desperately need the power of the Holy Spirit to take our human efforts and make them fruitful. We are so aware that without Him we can do nothing! We need your prayers!!
Your fellow servants for the gospel,
Andy and Linda
Re-entry is always difficult. Saying goodbye never gets easy. Jet-lag is real. Suitcases must be unpacked and stored. Laundry, grocery shopping, bill paying all must be done. This morning I tried to pay an old phone bill that didn’t get paid in our absence. The phone company suspended our phone and internet service temporarily (we can receive calls but can’t make them). To pay the bill I had to go to the post office (where bills are paid). Because of the horde of customers to be served they use a “number” system. When I arrived they were serving #170; my number was 261! Welcome back to Italy!! Yesterday I tried to renew our car insurance. First I had to go to a friend’s house to use their phone, then I got the recorded message that my wait time was greater than 3 minutes. After waiting for 53 minutes I hung up! Meanwhile we are walking!!
While life here can be rather frustrating and we are tempted to ask “why in the world did we come back”, the answer is more than clear. Tuesday evening we attended our church prayer meeting for the first time in 8 months and all the “difficulties” were put into perspective. Here was a group of Italians, eagerly awaiting our arrival, interceding for the souls of men. Request after request was brought before the Lord for the salvation of the lost. Some requests were accompanied by tears. This is why we return to Italy- to stand alongside these faithful believers who are ready to be poured out for the salvation of their nation. We need you, too, to stand alongside us as we “push back the darkness” in this land. Here are the urgent prayer requests:
1. This week Ester, YFC and churches in the area have distributed a copy of the gospels specifically prepared for teens called “The Book of Hope” outside all the high schools in Bologna and other cities nearby. The goal was to get a copy to every teen in these cities! With the book was an invitation to an evangelistic concert hosting a band from our church called “Lost and Found”. There are two concerts- Friday in Imola (a new city we are seeking to reach), and Saturday in Bologna. Please pray that we will see hundreds of teens come out and that the testimony of the gospel will be clear.
2. Friday, in our church, there will be a women’s evangelistic outreach called “Not just Coffee”. The theme is forgiveness. Pray that the women we invite will attend. I will be inviting a number of neighbors.
3. We are trying to get permission to have a book stand in the local mall next week. Pray for the Lord to open the door for this opportunity.
As you can see, there are many opportunities before us to share the good news with those around us. We desperately need the power of the Holy Spirit to take our human efforts and make them fruitful. We are so aware that without Him we can do nothing! We need your prayers!!
Your fellow servants for the gospel,
Andy and Linda
Monday, October 19, 2009
A COMFORTABLE WORD
A COMFORTABLE WORD
Dear Friends,
I am sometimes reticent to email you, so aware of how inundated we all are with endless emails. And yet there are times when I feel compelled to share with you the “comfort with which I have been comforted”; believing that my comfort is never meant just for me. And so, at the risk of adding to your “junk mail” folder, I share this “comfortable word” with you, my friends.
The word actually came way back on Tuesday, Sept. 29 (see how long I have resisted sharing it?). I had been hospitalized the day before for this severe breast infection and was on strong antibiotics and pain meds. By Tuesday my blood pressure had dropped way down and I was quite ill (looking back I think most of my poor state was due to an intolerance of the pain meds). That night I felt so ill that I began to believe that I might die. I felt like my life was ebbing away. I couldn’t imagine that you could feel so “bad” and live. And I was all alone. What I wanted more than anything else was for someone to pray for me. I was desperate to reach the phone and call Andy or my sister to ask for prayer, but I was too ill. I considered calling the nurse to ask if there was anyone in the hospital who could come and pray over me. I was in anguish, and marveled that I was to end my days all alone in a hospital far from home.
And then the word came. Just a whisper in my heart. “There is someone here praying for you, my child. The Holy Spirit!” And all of a sudden I remembered that wonderful truth from Romans 8- “but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groaning too deep for words.” Never before had that truth seemed so glorious! I was not alone after all! And best of all, the One praying knew exactly what was needed. And with that knowledge I found new courage to pray as well (somehow up to that point I had not been praying). And so, feebly at first, I called out in the darkness to Him who had been there all along. I rebuked the enemy in Jesus’ name; proclaimed to the “unseen watchers” that I belonged to the Father, had been purchased with the blood of Christ, and was sealed with the Holy Spirit. After that came peace. In my mind I saw the “crowd of witnesses” from Hebrews 12 and perceived them cheering me on; giving me the courage to resist the darkness.
And so, that room that had seemed so empty moments before was now “filled” with the presence of God and His beloved. And I now knew that for the child of God dying alone was never, ever possible!
I share this experience with you just in case you ever find yourself in such a place. And I, too, cheer you on to resist the darkness!
Right now, as a result of this illness I have had to have a biopsy of my breast. We will get the results on Monday. There is no longer a place for fear- He is interceding yet for me-and for you!!
Lovingly,
Linda
Dear Friends,
I am sometimes reticent to email you, so aware of how inundated we all are with endless emails. And yet there are times when I feel compelled to share with you the “comfort with which I have been comforted”; believing that my comfort is never meant just for me. And so, at the risk of adding to your “junk mail” folder, I share this “comfortable word” with you, my friends.
The word actually came way back on Tuesday, Sept. 29 (see how long I have resisted sharing it?). I had been hospitalized the day before for this severe breast infection and was on strong antibiotics and pain meds. By Tuesday my blood pressure had dropped way down and I was quite ill (looking back I think most of my poor state was due to an intolerance of the pain meds). That night I felt so ill that I began to believe that I might die. I felt like my life was ebbing away. I couldn’t imagine that you could feel so “bad” and live. And I was all alone. What I wanted more than anything else was for someone to pray for me. I was desperate to reach the phone and call Andy or my sister to ask for prayer, but I was too ill. I considered calling the nurse to ask if there was anyone in the hospital who could come and pray over me. I was in anguish, and marveled that I was to end my days all alone in a hospital far from home.
And then the word came. Just a whisper in my heart. “There is someone here praying for you, my child. The Holy Spirit!” And all of a sudden I remembered that wonderful truth from Romans 8- “but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groaning too deep for words.” Never before had that truth seemed so glorious! I was not alone after all! And best of all, the One praying knew exactly what was needed. And with that knowledge I found new courage to pray as well (somehow up to that point I had not been praying). And so, feebly at first, I called out in the darkness to Him who had been there all along. I rebuked the enemy in Jesus’ name; proclaimed to the “unseen watchers” that I belonged to the Father, had been purchased with the blood of Christ, and was sealed with the Holy Spirit. After that came peace. In my mind I saw the “crowd of witnesses” from Hebrews 12 and perceived them cheering me on; giving me the courage to resist the darkness.
And so, that room that had seemed so empty moments before was now “filled” with the presence of God and His beloved. And I now knew that for the child of God dying alone was never, ever possible!
I share this experience with you just in case you ever find yourself in such a place. And I, too, cheer you on to resist the darkness!
Right now, as a result of this illness I have had to have a biopsy of my breast. We will get the results on Monday. There is no longer a place for fear- He is interceding yet for me-and for you!!
Lovingly,
Linda
Saturday, October 10, 2009
BRUCATO PRAYER UPDATE October, 2009
“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but desire fulfilled is a tree of life.” Prov. 13:12
Dear Friends,
Andy and I had been planning, and hoping, to begin traveling this month to our supporting churches in preparation to return to Italy the first week of November. But a week before leaving I developed a severe infection of the breast and ended up in the hospital. I am still on antibiotics and recovering slowly. Needless to say, our trip was canceled and our return to Italy has been postponed-again.
This has been a season of disappointments and loss for our family. Andy has lost the use of his left arm (at least for now), his ability to run, bike, do push-ups and pull-ups, drive the car and a host of other things, as well as his previous ministry. I have lost my mother, my old routine, my past ministry opportunities, my own physical well-being (hopefully only temporarily). Michael has lost his chance at his life’s dream of becoming a Navy SEAL (he is now in the EOD program and doing well). Mark and Ruth are beginning the difficult job of saying goodbye as they prepare to leave for Italy the first of December. There are other losses too painful to even share.
I have been reflecting on how to live with loss, disappointment, “hope deferred”. First of all I believe that we must acknowledge our loss. We must allow ourselves to grieve; to feel the pain. Secondly we must resist the temptation to become indifferent; i.e. not allowing ourselves to care about things or hope for anything so as to protect ourselves from further disappointment and pain. Finally we must fill up the empty spaces. I have this image of a sponge- full of little holes. Sometimes our lives seem full of holes created by loss. It is precisely the holes that make a sponge absorbent and therefore useful. Perhaps loss is the very vehicle that the Lord uses to “fill up our holes” with Himself.
I love the Christian song “Wait and See” by Brandon Heath. Here is the chorus:
There is hope, for me yet, because God won’t forget, all the plans he’s made for me
I have to wait and see, he’s not finished with me yet, he’s not finished with me yet.
We believe that in spite of our losses He is NOT finished with us yet. We choose to believe that the best years of our lives may be ahead. That our ministry is just beginning. That there is nothing too difficult for Him. That He loves to use the broken and weak things to confound the strong. That He can and will fill our “holes” with His radiant presence and in the end we will be filled to overflowing.
We are still planning on returning to Italy before the end of the year. We have exciting new ideas of how the Lord might use us in this next phase of life. We will be sending out another update to share our hopes and dreams.
Our true Hope is in Christ alone, who never disappoints,
Andy and Linda
Dear Friends,
Andy and I had been planning, and hoping, to begin traveling this month to our supporting churches in preparation to return to Italy the first week of November. But a week before leaving I developed a severe infection of the breast and ended up in the hospital. I am still on antibiotics and recovering slowly. Needless to say, our trip was canceled and our return to Italy has been postponed-again.
This has been a season of disappointments and loss for our family. Andy has lost the use of his left arm (at least for now), his ability to run, bike, do push-ups and pull-ups, drive the car and a host of other things, as well as his previous ministry. I have lost my mother, my old routine, my past ministry opportunities, my own physical well-being (hopefully only temporarily). Michael has lost his chance at his life’s dream of becoming a Navy SEAL (he is now in the EOD program and doing well). Mark and Ruth are beginning the difficult job of saying goodbye as they prepare to leave for Italy the first of December. There are other losses too painful to even share.
I have been reflecting on how to live with loss, disappointment, “hope deferred”. First of all I believe that we must acknowledge our loss. We must allow ourselves to grieve; to feel the pain. Secondly we must resist the temptation to become indifferent; i.e. not allowing ourselves to care about things or hope for anything so as to protect ourselves from further disappointment and pain. Finally we must fill up the empty spaces. I have this image of a sponge- full of little holes. Sometimes our lives seem full of holes created by loss. It is precisely the holes that make a sponge absorbent and therefore useful. Perhaps loss is the very vehicle that the Lord uses to “fill up our holes” with Himself.
I love the Christian song “Wait and See” by Brandon Heath. Here is the chorus:
There is hope, for me yet, because God won’t forget, all the plans he’s made for me
I have to wait and see, he’s not finished with me yet, he’s not finished with me yet.
We believe that in spite of our losses He is NOT finished with us yet. We choose to believe that the best years of our lives may be ahead. That our ministry is just beginning. That there is nothing too difficult for Him. That He loves to use the broken and weak things to confound the strong. That He can and will fill our “holes” with His radiant presence and in the end we will be filled to overflowing.
We are still planning on returning to Italy before the end of the year. We have exciting new ideas of how the Lord might use us in this next phase of life. We will be sending out another update to share our hopes and dreams.
Our true Hope is in Christ alone, who never disappoints,
Andy and Linda
Friday, September 11, 2009
BRUCATO PRAYER UPDATE September, 2009
Dear Friends,
My mother passed into glory this afternoon. She had begun deteriorating back in April; in and out of the hospital with Congestive Heart Failure and COPD. We had moved her to an independent/assisted living facility back in June, hoping she could maintain her independence, but as the months went on we realized it was time to move her in with my sister. Then on August 1st she fell and ended up in a rehab hospital for two weeks. That same day my sister fell and broke her arm. I flew down to Florida on Aug. 17 when she was due to be discharged with the intention of transporting her to my sister’s home in Tennessee. When I arrived I found her very ill and within 18 hours we were back in the ER- this time with a severe form of bacterial diarrhea called C-diff. She was in the hospital for 12 days and discharged to home with hospice on Aug. 30. Needless to say, I was “stuck” in Florida again; this time with a dying mother.
On Sept. 5th my brother and sister-in-law came down to relieve me so I could fly back up to Wheaton for Mark’s ordination on Sunday, the 6th, then Andy and I were to fly back together yesterday. But Monday night I ended up with a severe migraine that took me to the ER at 5:30am on Tuesday, where I went into Atrial Fibrillation and had to be admitted. I went through a battery of exams and was released on medications and will now be followed up with a cardiologist. Thankfully my sister was able to return to Florida yesterday in my place and my sister-in-law was there as well when my mother passed away in the hospice hospital this afternoon.
My sister and I share a metaphor about the Christian life. Her version goes like this: You and Jesus are riding on a tandem bicycle; He is in the front seat, you are pedaling in the back. Just when you are cruising along nicely on a straight path, He suddenly makes a sharp right turn. You hang on for dear life! My version goes like this: You and Jesus are riding on the tandem, but this time you are in the front and He is in the back, whispering in your ear (if you are listening); “turn right, turn right”. Sometimes He turns the bike without your permission or participation; Sometimes He wants you to turn it. Either way, you are in for “the ride of your life!”
We could definitely say that this year has held lots of unexpected (at least for us) “turns”. And there are more on the horizon. But because we know WHO is on the bicycle with us, that makes everything “alright”, doesn’t it?
We want you to know that we have been sustained through it all by your prayers. We have never felt abandoned or afflicted beyond what we are able. He has been faithful, and NEVER has He jumped off the bike!!!
Love to all of you,
Andy and Linda
My mother passed into glory this afternoon. She had begun deteriorating back in April; in and out of the hospital with Congestive Heart Failure and COPD. We had moved her to an independent/assisted living facility back in June, hoping she could maintain her independence, but as the months went on we realized it was time to move her in with my sister. Then on August 1st she fell and ended up in a rehab hospital for two weeks. That same day my sister fell and broke her arm. I flew down to Florida on Aug. 17 when she was due to be discharged with the intention of transporting her to my sister’s home in Tennessee. When I arrived I found her very ill and within 18 hours we were back in the ER- this time with a severe form of bacterial diarrhea called C-diff. She was in the hospital for 12 days and discharged to home with hospice on Aug. 30. Needless to say, I was “stuck” in Florida again; this time with a dying mother.
On Sept. 5th my brother and sister-in-law came down to relieve me so I could fly back up to Wheaton for Mark’s ordination on Sunday, the 6th, then Andy and I were to fly back together yesterday. But Monday night I ended up with a severe migraine that took me to the ER at 5:30am on Tuesday, where I went into Atrial Fibrillation and had to be admitted. I went through a battery of exams and was released on medications and will now be followed up with a cardiologist. Thankfully my sister was able to return to Florida yesterday in my place and my sister-in-law was there as well when my mother passed away in the hospice hospital this afternoon.
My sister and I share a metaphor about the Christian life. Her version goes like this: You and Jesus are riding on a tandem bicycle; He is in the front seat, you are pedaling in the back. Just when you are cruising along nicely on a straight path, He suddenly makes a sharp right turn. You hang on for dear life! My version goes like this: You and Jesus are riding on the tandem, but this time you are in the front and He is in the back, whispering in your ear (if you are listening); “turn right, turn right”. Sometimes He turns the bike without your permission or participation; Sometimes He wants you to turn it. Either way, you are in for “the ride of your life!”
We could definitely say that this year has held lots of unexpected (at least for us) “turns”. And there are more on the horizon. But because we know WHO is on the bicycle with us, that makes everything “alright”, doesn’t it?
We want you to know that we have been sustained through it all by your prayers. We have never felt abandoned or afflicted beyond what we are able. He has been faithful, and NEVER has He jumped off the bike!!!
Love to all of you,
Andy and Linda
Sunday, July 5, 2009
BRUCATO PRAYER UPDATE JULY 2009
Dear Friends,
I thought it was about time you got a Brucato (not just Andy) update!! Yesterday I had one of those “déjà-vu” experiences. We stopped by Mark and Ruth’s just in time to help them disassemble their bedroom set. In preparation for their departure for Italy in the fall (Lord willing) they are selling most of their possessions and moving into a small furnished apartment at TEAM. That included their beautiful cherry- wood sleigh bedroom furniture which was a wedding gift from Ruth’s grandparents. Ruth had listed the furniture on the internet and a couple showed up to look at it. To Ruth’s dismay they wanted to buy it on the spot and take it away immediately! Emotionally she hadn’t prepared for that just yet. I could see the same look in her eyes that had been in mine more than 22 years ago when we had a garage sale and sold everything before leaving for Italy. The look of “Oh my, what have I done? We’re really leaving, aren’t we? The time has come. I’m not sure I’m ready.”
As the scripture says, “comfort others with the comfort with which we ourselves have been comforted by God”. Many years ago the Lord comforted me with the words of Jesus; “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake and for the gospel’s sake, but that he shall receive a hundred times as much now in the present age….and in the age to come, eternal life.” What really comforts me about this passage is the fact (included in all three gospels) that the list begins with “house”. Jesus acknowledges the loss of material possessions for the sake of the gospel; even bedroom sets! He knows the cost of following Him, and He promises a reward. I wonder what Ruthi with do with 100 new bedroom sets?
About Michael. He successfully completed his boot camp and pre-BUD training in the Great Lakes and is now in Coronado, CA doing BUD’s (Basic Underwater Demolition) training. August 2-7 will be the famous “hell week”. He is being stretched in every way. He has found that reciting scripture gets him through some tough spots; especially in “drowning” exercises. Yesterday 4 guys dropped out of the program. By the way, Mike is the youngest in his company of 200!! Please pray for him- mostly for his spiritual strength, but also for his physical protection. Most guys fail out of the program because of injuries!
Andy is making really good progress. We now go to the Wheaton College gym and pool 4 days a week, plus he is still doing one day at the rehab center. He is getting more and more movement in his arm and even hand! We are so grateful for these past two months here and the great treatment he has received. And we are so grateful for all of you who continue to pray and support us. We are now planning to return to Italy in the fall, but I will give you more info on that in another update (this one is already too long!).
Lastly, my mom is happily settled into the independent-living section of an assisted-living community. She is doing great and very happy. The Lord has continued to amaze us at His marvelous provision for her. Your prayers have been answered! One thing yet to pray for- the rental or sale of her home in order for her to have the finances needed to continue in her new apartment.
Gratefully yours,
Andy and Linda
PS. Mark and Ruth are now at about 70% of their monthly support needed. They are expecting baby #2 (a boy) in mid-September. They hope to leave for Italy before Thanksgiving. If you are considering supporting them financially, now would be a great time to let them know. You can contact Mark at:
markbrucato@gmail.com
I thought it was about time you got a Brucato (not just Andy) update!! Yesterday I had one of those “déjà-vu” experiences. We stopped by Mark and Ruth’s just in time to help them disassemble their bedroom set. In preparation for their departure for Italy in the fall (Lord willing) they are selling most of their possessions and moving into a small furnished apartment at TEAM. That included their beautiful cherry- wood sleigh bedroom furniture which was a wedding gift from Ruth’s grandparents. Ruth had listed the furniture on the internet and a couple showed up to look at it. To Ruth’s dismay they wanted to buy it on the spot and take it away immediately! Emotionally she hadn’t prepared for that just yet. I could see the same look in her eyes that had been in mine more than 22 years ago when we had a garage sale and sold everything before leaving for Italy. The look of “Oh my, what have I done? We’re really leaving, aren’t we? The time has come. I’m not sure I’m ready.”
As the scripture says, “comfort others with the comfort with which we ourselves have been comforted by God”. Many years ago the Lord comforted me with the words of Jesus; “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake and for the gospel’s sake, but that he shall receive a hundred times as much now in the present age….and in the age to come, eternal life.” What really comforts me about this passage is the fact (included in all three gospels) that the list begins with “house”. Jesus acknowledges the loss of material possessions for the sake of the gospel; even bedroom sets! He knows the cost of following Him, and He promises a reward. I wonder what Ruthi with do with 100 new bedroom sets?
About Michael. He successfully completed his boot camp and pre-BUD training in the Great Lakes and is now in Coronado, CA doing BUD’s (Basic Underwater Demolition) training. August 2-7 will be the famous “hell week”. He is being stretched in every way. He has found that reciting scripture gets him through some tough spots; especially in “drowning” exercises. Yesterday 4 guys dropped out of the program. By the way, Mike is the youngest in his company of 200!! Please pray for him- mostly for his spiritual strength, but also for his physical protection. Most guys fail out of the program because of injuries!
Andy is making really good progress. We now go to the Wheaton College gym and pool 4 days a week, plus he is still doing one day at the rehab center. He is getting more and more movement in his arm and even hand! We are so grateful for these past two months here and the great treatment he has received. And we are so grateful for all of you who continue to pray and support us. We are now planning to return to Italy in the fall, but I will give you more info on that in another update (this one is already too long!).
Lastly, my mom is happily settled into the independent-living section of an assisted-living community. She is doing great and very happy. The Lord has continued to amaze us at His marvelous provision for her. Your prayers have been answered! One thing yet to pray for- the rental or sale of her home in order for her to have the finances needed to continue in her new apartment.
Gratefully yours,
Andy and Linda
PS. Mark and Ruth are now at about 70% of their monthly support needed. They are expecting baby #2 (a boy) in mid-September. They hope to leave for Italy before Thanksgiving. If you are considering supporting them financially, now would be a great time to let them know. You can contact Mark at:
markbrucato@gmail.com
Friday, May 29, 2009
Andy’s Update May, 28, 2009
Andy’s Update May, 28, 2009
Dear Friends,
Finally!! Just found a moment to get to the computer and send you all an update. I ended up being in Florida for nearly three weeks with my mother whose health continues to deteriorate. My sister is there now and this weekend will be helping my mother move into an assisted living facility for a two-month trial period. I will be returning to Florida sometime next week to help her with the transition.
Andy continues to make progress, but slowly. At this point the rehab center is considering discharging him within the next couple of weeks. He will then be continuing with self-therapy. He does have some significant movement in his arm, but no “use” of the arm yet. No control yet of the hand or wrist. Part of what he is learning in rehab is how to live with one arm. Quite a challenge.
While I was in Florida with my mom, wondering what the future would look like, for her, for me, for Andy, I found my heart crying out to God these words; “What will become of me?” And immediately the reply came, “Surely goodness and mercy will follow you all the days of your life and you will dwell in the house of the Lord forever- that, My child, is what will become of you!”
Thanks for your prayers,
Linda
Dear Friends,
Finally!! Just found a moment to get to the computer and send you all an update. I ended up being in Florida for nearly three weeks with my mother whose health continues to deteriorate. My sister is there now and this weekend will be helping my mother move into an assisted living facility for a two-month trial period. I will be returning to Florida sometime next week to help her with the transition.
Andy continues to make progress, but slowly. At this point the rehab center is considering discharging him within the next couple of weeks. He will then be continuing with self-therapy. He does have some significant movement in his arm, but no “use” of the arm yet. No control yet of the hand or wrist. Part of what he is learning in rehab is how to live with one arm. Quite a challenge.
While I was in Florida with my mom, wondering what the future would look like, for her, for me, for Andy, I found my heart crying out to God these words; “What will become of me?” And immediately the reply came, “Surely goodness and mercy will follow you all the days of your life and you will dwell in the house of the Lord forever- that, My child, is what will become of you!”
Thanks for your prayers,
Linda
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