Amanda has a UTI that failed to respond to a week of antibiotics and instead grew more severe. She was running a low grade fever which spiked quite rapidly last night and gave me a pretty good scare. The doctor sent off a culture and started a new antibiotic but we won’t know until the culture comes back whether the antibiotic she is on is effective for the type of bacteria. The doctor expressed concern that the infection could easily spread to the kidneys. I find my self up frequently in the nights checking for even breathing and praying for the mercy of God to fall over us. The last hospital we were in told us not to bring her back unless her kidneys failed and she was unconscious so it would be easier for them to treat her. Two months later their lack of concern still reverberates in my heart. Please pray with us that this antibiotic she is on will be effective and quick. Amanda has a request, too. Since she was eight she has played a video game called Toontown, which has been a very safe game and one that equalizes the playing field for her because there are no necessary sounds in the game. Her first “friend” in the game was a cat named Sonic and he is a really cool character. They have been friends all along advancing in the game together. I imagine sonic has grown up and does not play games much anymore but Amanda misses having that “friend”. Will you just help Amanda pray that Sonic will log in while she is online. It is one of very few things she still enjoys. In the meantine, as John mentioned, I did take a sprawling fall off the bathroom’s wooden threshold into the sunken dining room and came down hard on my back, spraining my ankle and hurting my back in a couple of places. The lesson learned is “Don’t rush in wool socks on newly waxed wood floors.”Thank the Lord, the sprain is mild and most of the pain is from a bruised ankle. The swelling was minimum. I am also thankful nothing was broken but I did put a strenous stretch on the cartilage that holds the pelvis together at the spine making everything in my hips pretty unstable. The doctors orders are to stand and lay but not sit. He gave me some excercises and told me to take walks frequently. I am not supposed to bend, twist, or lift. It is very painful and exhausting but the part I hate is not being able to sit on the edge of Amanda’s bed, climb in with her, or help her out of her bed. How do you take care of someone sick if you can’t lean over to get close or help them sit up in the night for a drink? Please pray Amanda will recover quickly so she doesn’t feel unloved when I can’t do those things for her. If it were just the pain, I would manage but the doctor said I will have worse problems if this is not allowed to heal correctly. I am feeling pretty stretched out as a wife and mom these days. I believe God has something for us in all of this but I sure would like to see the evidence of his hand in deaf souls saved. God has provided for us here in so many amazing ways and we are humbled to see how many friends and family we have praying for us all around the world. ~ Tricia ... See MoreSee Less
Today I started the process of applying for a VISA for the US, with the preliminary stage of reading through the relevant paperwork and understanding the process involved and which documents etc will be required. I’m thankful the team have stepped through this process before with Timothy. It’s a great help to have a path to follow as we work on preparing my application. Please pray for us as proceed, for it to be a smooth process and for doors to open as God wills in His right time.~ Marie ... See MoreSee Less
Matthew 8:24-27 KJV[24] And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep. [25] And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish. [26] And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. [27] But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him! ... See MoreSee Less
I ask you to pray for Tricia. She fell over a week ago, and her lower back has been in excruciating pain. We went to see a chiropractor today, and pray that this chiropractor will help and relieve her back pain. It has been overwhelming for us both caring for Amanda the last few months and trying to get medical answers. It is disheartening for Tricia to have this pain. Will you please pray for my wife, Tricia? Thank you for your prayers,~John ... See MoreSee Less
I'm thankful for the opportunity God gave me to speak at two churches recently. Even though we didn't plan to still be in Australia, God has more ministry for us to do here. I was praying specifically about how God could use me, so I was really excited about both invitations. Pastor Andrew from Wesburn Baptist invited me to share scripture in their Wednesday night prayer meeting, and Bro. Mike, the youth leader at The Way Baptist, invited me to share my testimony and speak at their youth meeting. Both services were such a blessing for me, and after I spoke at the youth meeting, I felt uplifted fellowshipping with the young people, and finding that many of them could identify with the spiritual struggles God has brought me through. I continue to be amazed at how far God can take us in His service. That little boy I was, growing up in the Andes mountains could've never imagined what God would do, but how good it is to know that we serve a God who exceeds our expectations.Estoy agradecido por la oportunidad que Dios me dio de hablar en dos iglesias recientemente. Aunque no planeábamos continuar quedándonos en Australia, Dios tiene más ministerio para con nosotros aqui. Estaba orando específicamente de cómo Dios podría usarme, así que estaba muy entusiasmado con ambas invitaciones. El pastor Andrew de Wesburn Baptist me invitó a compartir la Palabra en su reunión de oración del miércoles por la noche, y el hermano Mike, líder juvenil de The Way Baptist, me invitó a compartir mi testimonio y predicar en su reunión de jóvenes. Ambos servicios fueron una gran bendición para mí, y después de hablar en la reunión de jóvenes adultos, me sentí animado por el compañerismo de los jóvenes y al descubrir que muchos de ellos podían identificarse con las luchas espirituales por las que Dios me había hecho pasar. Sigo sorprendiéndome hasta dónde puede llevarnos Dios en Su servicio. Ese pequeño niño que era, creciendo en las montañas de los Andes nunca podría haber imaginado lo que Dios haría, pero qué bueno es saber que servimos a un Dios que supera nuestras expectativas.~Timothy ... See MoreSee Less
I try to write an update on Amanda before church starts in the United States on Sundays. Sometimes I get so busy, I fail to manage it, but I notice more activity on our page on Saturdays than at other times. To me it seems people are checking to see if there is any word.The last couple of weeks have been strenuous, but I have to say in general Amanda has had fewer seizures and has been doing better than we have seen since coming to Australia. She still needs almost constant attention and has to be coaxed into almost any little change, even when it is time to eat or take a shower. She can barely handle decision making, but this week she has put out a valiant effort attempting to return to normal. She tells us over and over she can remember how she used to be and she wants to go back to how she was. She worked hard to comply with our requests all week long. I felt so sad for her last night when I went in to go to bed. Amanda was blinking rapidly and in obvious distress. Her body was tightening up and she was so discouraged, declaring how she has tried and tried but can’t get better. She is so frustrated.I know God is faithful and that He has a plan in all of this, but from this side of things, sometimes it has been pretty tough to grasp. Amanda had so many difficult things to overcome in her life, and yet, she was such a happy, joyful sweetheart. She loved people and never met a stranger. Now to see her confused and withdrawn is so heart-breaking. She has not been herself for so long. This week we have seen little glimpses of the “old Amanda” peeking through. How greatly my heart misses her smile and laughter! I pray God will restore her to everything she was and more.Last week, we were finally able to get referrals to a neurologist who specializes in mobility disorders, including epilepsy, and we also have a referral to a geneticist. Genetic testing is complicated and expensive, but we think it will be key in determining a diagnosis. This is an answer to prayer! We have been trying to get this arranged for a very long time. Marie and Timothy have come down with colds and Amanda has a UTI. I fell two days ago and sprained my ankle. Since then, I have had a headache and can’t tell whether it is from a virus comming on or from getting all jostled up. To remedy everyone, I made a huge pot of homemade chicken noodle soup. I don’t know if it helps or not, but they are happy with it. Only John and David made it to church today. Pray the others all get well.Anna is still in the US and will hopefully return soon. Her new visa was approved. Amanda’s visa has however not been approved yet, and is pending a medical exam on July 21. This week we will begin the process of obtaining a US visa for Marie. Pray we can do it accurately and get approval on the first submission. Lawyers charge thousands of dollars to fill out these forms, but we will be doing them ourselves. They can deny the application for something as simple as a typo. God gave us Timothy’s visa and we believe he will give us Marie’s too. We will also apply for an extension for Timothy’s American visa. It has already been almost two years since he was approved. Despite some difficulties, we have peace that we are exactly where God wants us right now, doing the job He has given us to do. Please pray we can continue to make a difference here in Australia. 1 Thessalonians 5:24: Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it. ... See MoreSee Less
Wednesday night in Pennsylvania, a missionary spoke about his work in Papua New Guinea. He shared that the government of PNG has made a new law that all public schools must begin teaching Christian religious instruction classes in an effort to stomp out the rampant practice of sorcery in the country. The missionary's Bible institute students have taken full advantage and begun teaching the Bible in as many of the schools as they can. The missionary expects them to take on at least four schools each. This ministry allows them to reach hosts of children and parents with the Gospel. It is good to hear about the open doors in other places in the world. God is not finished yet. After the missionary's presentation, the pastor let me share our ministry with the church, and he asked me to send ministry updates. I'm so thankful to have another church praying for me. The same night, I got to teach a few phrases in sign language to my young cousin, who has a deaf girl in her class at school. She is intent on being that girl's friend. God has given me opportunities to minister everywhere. ~ Anna ... See MoreSee Less
In November 2022, we stayed three months in St. Lucia, Grenada and Dominica, helping the deaf work there. In March, 2023, we stayed in Grand Cayman for two months. These people are wonderful co laborers, and I ask you to pray for their safety from Hurricane Beryl. Some are safe but the rain and damage is still to come. Others are expecting the hurricane in a day. ... See MoreSee Less
Well…..the good news is that doctors have not found anything to report in any of the tests we have run so far and the bad news is that doctors have not found anything to report in the tests they have run so far. Many causes seem to have been ruled out, but there is more testing to be done. As much as is possible from blood work, there are no inflamatory diseases, no metabolic imbalances, no parasites, and no infectious diseases. Unless the MRI (which has not been scheduled yet) shows something, parasites are ruled out altogether. We are getting a referral to yet anther neurologist that specializes in epilepsy, dystonia, and (since someone sent the video about Celene Dion) stiff person syndrome. We are also getting a referral to a geneticist which we have been after for a very long time. The tests for the neurologist we do have (a brain surgeon) have not been completed yet. In all fairness, the infectious disease doctor did not expect to find a solution in the first place, but Amanda is very upset about doing all these tests without getting any information that will bring relief. She has endured quite a lot and is so tired of being unwell. Every single day she pleads to get back to the way she was before. Please pray for a very special grace to help her continue cooperating with doctors and more testing. This whole thing has been so hard for her, and us, too. I feel like we have talked her into so many unwanted procedures promising they are the way to get answers, and we lost a lot of credibility today when the infectious disease doctor said he found nothing out of order. We have been watching the Carribean closely and praying for many friends in the islands. I just know that if Amanda was not so sick we would link up with Operation Renewed Hope to help bring relief to our friends and especiallythe deaf. If there is anything you can do, please send them help. There are some wonderful brothers and sisters in Christ in the Carribean.~Tricia ... See MoreSee Less
Update: Now category 4All of the Eastern Carribean Islands we worked in a year and a half ago are in line to be hit by Hurricane Beryl which has just been upgraded to Category 2 and still has time to strengthen before it hits probably on Monday. Please pray for our brethern and friends as they hunker down for the impact. Pray God will spare them from injury and harm. Pray God will preserve the churches as well and the homes of the pastors and their people. There is a great effort by those Carribean pastors to reach their islands for Christ. We love them all. ... See MoreSee Less
I am about to head to bed early. I am just wiped out. It has been a tough week for Amanda and that means me, too. Simply put it has just been hard. I must, however, say, God answered so many quickly whispered prayers this week. We didn’t get any answers and I didn’t expect we would, but Amanda did. At this point she is frustrated, confused, and disappointed. She keeps rallying to appointments that to her are going nowhere. She has yet to recieve anything from a doctor that has brought any relief. We have more labs this week and a follow up with the infectious disease doctor. The radiologist had not completed his report, but the flouroscopy showed she was swallowing normally (I don’t know how) and he suggested another type of swallow test. In the meantime, we see God at work and we are doing our best to make the additional time in Australia profitable for the Lord. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.~ Tricia ... See MoreSee Less
Tomorrow morning Amanda will have A CT Scan of her Abdomen with Oral Contrast Pray for her to drink the liquid and for the procedure to go well. ... See MoreSee Less
The plane touched down on American soil at 6:15 Sunday morning. Mom (Carol) picked me up and took me to church where we yawned through Sunday school and the service together, she with sleep deprivation from her early morning, and I with jetlag. It was so good to see my church family and spend time in the afternoon with friends in deaf ministry. It's a little tricky to remember not to use Australian signs here! Jetlag is real, but the busy day helped me get through mostly awake until 9:30pm: a good start. I slept soundly and woke to my regular morning alarm, which I had forgotten to shut off. If all goes according to plan, I will get to do jetlag again in Australia just after adjusting to the time here. Today I will apply for another three-month tourist visa to Australia, and pack for a quick trip to Pennsylvania to see my cousin get married. While here I will drop off summer clothes and pack winter clothes for the team, take care of a few household items at the Olsons', and give both of our cars some TLC. Meanwhile, please keep praying for the Go Team as they keep ministering in Australia without me for the time being. Change is always difficult and especially for Amanda and David. I hope to return to Australia soon, minimizing the impact. I am feeling thankful today for the way God allowed everything to work out for this trip, and for the constant support of all of you who are bringing my name before the Lord in prayer. ~ Anna ... See MoreSee Less
We dressed Amanda and tried to get her to church this morning. We gave it our best shot, but she never made it from the car into church. John was preaching in a church whose congregation is by and large Lebanonese and Syrian. Timothy kept watch over Amanda so I could voice for John. What an absolute privilege it was to be in that service! For sure it was the first time I heard hymns sung in Aramaic. I got all choked up thinking about how wonderful it is going to be when every tongue from every tribe worships in unison before the throne of God.Australia is saturated with immigrants from all over the world. If you want to be a missionary to China, come to Australia. If you want to be a missionary to India, come to Australia. If you want to be a missionary to Malaysia, Indonesia, or even the Phillipines, come to Australia. If you want to reach people from a blocked country, give it a try in Australia. We never would have guessed there are so many foreigners living here.Amanda made it to the car this morning, but not into church. We will work on it again next week. Baby steps….but still steps.-Tricia ... See MoreSee Less
Thank God for answered prayer!Both of the tests for Amanda that were scheduled for the end of July have been moved up to this week. The order for an MRI has bounced around to several hospitals. The doctor interviened and it is in the works ... See MoreSee Less
We got all the letters to get Anna’s appeal ready and after she started filling out the form we discovered the appeal was going to cost $3,000. Scratch that! Instead, Anna is leaving us, hopefully only temporarily, and will be able to attend her cousin’s wedding in Pennsylvania next week with her mom. Afterward, she will apply for another tourist visa and return if she can. Maybe Carol will even come with her. Who knows?In the meantime, the rest of the visas are extended until November first except for Amanda’s. More ironic than this, she has to go for a health exam to make sure she is healthy enough to stay. You can’t make this stuff up. Pending Amanda’s visa being approved, we plan to stay in Australia until some time in October. We are definitly doing some shopping for boots and warmer clothes. It is winter!A nurse friend of Jessica Leng, Olivia, has offered to come and help us with some respite care for Amanda. She is a single missionary and is currently in country for a bit of time. We were praying awhile about whether it would make sense to bring someone to Australia to help. When Olivia offered it seemed like a perfect fit. On Monday, Olivia will drive down from the North to meet Amanda. We are looking forward to meeting her and working with another missionary. Hopefully, we can pass along some sign language in the process. We are still not sure of all the reasons God has us delayed in Australia, but we are confident this was all orchestrated by His good hand. It is hard to know what to write publicly sometimes, but there are a number of people we are praying will make various spiritual decisions and that we will make a lasting impact in Australia.We are amazed at the many ways God has and continues to provide for our needs. Thank you all for the way you love and support us. You are a blessing! ... See MoreSee Less
Two steps forward, three steps back. Yesterday morning, I awoke to find Amanda in bed stretched out on her back with her head thrown back and her toes sharply pointed. She had the strangest grimace on her face. I slipped my finger into her hand and she gripped it sharply and didn’t release. It was as if her whole body was locked in place. Touches seemed to aggravate her so I just stood there with her hand grasping mine until the tension released, probably more than five minutes. She was conscious but barely able to respond. Afterward, she told me it scares her because the world goes away and then reappears again. She said that it is why she doesn’t like going out, because when the world goes away, she is all alone. She doesn’t want to be alone away from the house. In fact, she does not want to be alone at all, not even in her room. I just feel so sad watching her struggle and be afraid. Since yesterday morning, she has been having a rough time again. I am concerned about what tomorrow will bring. It seems like there is sort of a wave pattern and we are heading toward an increase of symptoms. I do not at all feel ready to face another month like we had in March and April. Our next doctor appointment is only to get lab results we have already seen are normal and will not be until July 2. Praise the Lord! We received word, today, that John’s, David’s, Timothy’s and my visas have been extended until November 1. There was curiously no mention of Amanda’s visa yet. We are waiting on a letter to be able to send appeal of the denial of Anna’s visa. The appeal request deadline is in two days. Our son Eric has been anticipating some upcoming changes that would pull together some things he has dreamed of and worked hard to make happen for years. For months, it has been all he could talk about. Sadly the changes were not at all what he had hoped and it seems as if everything is about to unravel. He feels so discouraged. I am so thankful God gave us the visa extensions so we can take care of Amanda, but tonight my heart yearns to be in Floida comforting another broken heart as well. I am glad we have a God Whose arm is not short, and Who can transcend space and distance. While I can’t be in Florida tonight, my prayers can. Ah, Lord God, behold thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee. Jeremiah 32:17~Tricia ... See MoreSee Less
This morning I was very relieved to learn that my car, which has been at a local mechanic for a couple of weeks (after being towed there) was ready to pick up with only minor repairs required. Recently I have been reading personal journal entries from over the years, and I am continually reminded about how God has faithfully been there for me through every trial. I am thankful I can always look to Him for help, comfort and guidance.~ Marie ... See MoreSee Less
We have been doing a lot of waiting and a lot of praying and doing all we know to trust the Lord and continue to serve Him. I feel tempted to dive headlong into a whole series of inadequacies right here but I just need to say that in our weakness, God is made strong. We want to praise Him for all He is doing in our lives and in the ministry of Go Deaf Missions. We are thankful God gave us two doctors who took the time to listen and committed to holding an open mind in exploring whatever is holding Amanda in its grips. As of yesterday we have a set of six more appointments for various tests and consultations. I am particularly interested in the appointment for a fluoroscope. I had to look it up, but it is a live contrast scan that looks at how the body is functioning and how well the organs are functioning as a system. In my thinking, the best thing that could happen is for one of these seizure-like episodes to happen right in the middle of the scan. For a couple of weeks Amanda has had a little bit of a reprieve, but the last two days have had a downward swing. In the middle of the night last night Amanda suddenly started to cry out. When I got to her bedside, she was panicked and her eyes were imploring for help. Her lips were smacking, her jaw was grinding, and she was swallowing rapidly. Her head and shoulders were sort of contorted and her left shoulder blade was locked in a cramp that tugged it almost an inch to the side of her rib cage. It made me think of cerebral palsy. Her arm was “frozen” in place. Her panic infused mine. With the gentlest of touches and the teeniest of motions I started working the muscles. As they began to release, the strain started to subside, and she cried out again and grabbed her side just above the left hip. I reached down and her left abdomen area was as hard as a rock. The muscles in her lower back were in a cramp and felt almost as big as boiled eggs. While I rubbed the spasms moved into the legs and feet. While I rubbed it out, I started contemplating whether this is always the patttern. Maybe it is a wave that travels top down, but we miss it because a second and even a third one start before the last one finishes. I am going to start paying closer attention to the order and timing of things. I have to believe someone, somewhere, knows exactly what this is and what to do to give Amanda relief.Watching Amanda pray has been so precious through this entire trip. I have watched her with rapidly blinking eyes and trembling hands pray for God to heal David’s eyes. I have watched her pray to be more of a witness. Laying in the bed unable to sit up, she has prayed with tears for people she loves to have their lives restored and still others to be saved. She prays better than I. The other day when she was particularly distressed about not getting better, I scrolled through many of the Facebook posts showing her all the comments of all the people who are praying. The next morning she woke, put a smile on her face and said, “God told me to try”. When she prayed, she thanked God for every one of you praying and told me she was going to try so your prayers will be answered. Last night, in the midst of a host of unwanted symptoms, she said she remembers the “old Amanda” and she believes God can help her get back. She prayed He would help her do it. How we pray that He will answer all her prayers. Our next appointments are all set in July. We are going to call daily to seek to get cancellation slots and try speed up the process. In the meantime, we are appealing the denial of Anna’s visa extension. Timothy’s visa extension required a medical exam which he completed on Tuesday. He was excited to find out the doctor’s parents are also deaf. We have not heard anything regarding our family’s extension as of yet. Please pray we will all be approved so we can stay long enough to sort out Amanda’s health. We still don’t think she can fly and we really do not want to start this whole process all over again. The testing schedule, as of now, is as follows:July 16 CT scanJuly 22 Fluoroscopy (barruim)We are still trying to get an appointment for the MRIWe have not been contacted yet about the long EEGIn addition, we have another appointment with infectious disease and we are holding another neurologist appointment with an epilepsy specialist in Sydney. Other follow-up appointments will surely be necessary.Today, we are going to try to get Amanda out for a little fresh air and a change of scenery. She feels embarrassed to be seen when she has so many strange things going on. She told me 1,000 things are wrong inside. We just have a few appointments to make and then hopefully, we can get her dressed and out the door anyway. Every single thing she does is hard. We would be very happy to have our “old Amanda” back. Thank you for continuing to pray. ... See MoreSee Less
Sunday morning the team popped into a little church we had never visited before. It was immediately clear that the church was happy to have visitors, and we were taken by surprise when the pastor handed over the service to John. Marie gave a testimony and John presented the ministry and preached. The church was attentive and responsive and when the pastor stood up to close the service, he was very intent and announced that they had a missionary come off the field and they had been praying for another missionary to support. So confident was the pastor in the people's agreement, he recommended that Marie be supported right in front of us. They all said "Amen" to the suggestion, and Marie is now one church closer to being a full-time missionary. Praise the Lord! ... See MoreSee Less
Two meals again today and plenty to drink. Still having siezures ( or whatever) but definitely doing better than in the last several weeks. Baby steps…. ... See MoreSee Less
An update on my ankle for those following along - after visiting the hospital again this week, I’m able now to spend some time out of the moonboot and we are focussing on building strength and flexibility in the ankle again. Thank you for all those who have been praying for me as I recover.“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14:27 KJV~ Marie ... See MoreSee Less
I don't know if people will realize how big of a deal this is, but Amanda ate two whole meals today and we are praising God for every bite! ... See MoreSee Less
Well, it has been a day! The short version is we had two caring and thorough doctors who are both running a battery of tests.The infectious disease doctor found discomfort in the abdomen and is ordeting a CT, a swallow test, and some labs. He said the previous tests were not thorough enough to screen for everything he thinks could be an underlying cause. He thinks he will be ruling out more than he finds but thinks we should check just in case. He was so great to work with, and he truly wants to be of help. He is going to consult with six other doctors to see whether they have any suggestions of other tests he should consider.The neurologist wants us to check whether or not Amanda can have an MRI of the brain. He also wants to see if we can get a two-week EEG monitor that can be worn at home. After he consults with another doctor, he may order genetic testing which I suspect could be key in finding a diagnosis. He said he wants to keep Amanda out of the hospital if at all possible because he does not think she can really get what she needs there. Between the two doctors, we have ordered a boat load of new blood work much more specific than anything we have done in the past. For the first time, I feel like we were heard, and doctors are working diligently to find a solution. We were a little surprised to find that the neurologist specializes in brain tumors and not epilepsy, but we have prayed for the right doctors. I am trusting God has a plan even in this. Amanda had her best day in months and did a great job articulating to both doctors what she feels happening inside her body. She held up all day long and only cried at the end when she did not get any new treatment to try. She came home and had a full meal, the best she has eaten for weeks on end, and topped it off with a banana. I was glad to see her eat something with some potassium. We still have a lot of hurdles to jump, but today was about as successful as it could have been. It was great to have Jessica along to advocate for Amanda and a great blessing that she took notes on what the doctors said and which tests they were ordering. God really blessed today and answered a number of prayers. We don’t have a solution yet, but there is a lot of comfort in knowing some doctors are looking for the right one. For tonight, we can rest. ~Tricia ... See MoreSee Less
The doctor was fantastic! We are waiting in the lab for them to draw blood for some more specific testing. The doctor wants to rule out a number of parasites and diseases. In the meantime, one of the neurologists called with a cancellation this afternoon so we have an appointment today at 3:40, not far from the appointment we are at now. We are thanking God for this huge answer to prayer. Amanda is doing great so far. Pray she can keep up her stamina.- Tricia ... See MoreSee Less
Praise the Lord, we are on our way to the doctor this morning and, so far, Amanda is cooperating. Jessica Leng, the pastor’s wife, is planning to meet us there to see if she can help us get somewhere today. Jessica is a nurse and hopes to help us navigate the Australian system better than we have managed so far. This appointment is with an infectious disease doctor to check whether parasites are the underlying cause of the seizures. The neurologist appointment is on June 25. Two weeks ago, we sent a request to the general practitioner asking to tell the neurologist it was urgent. Yesterday, the nurse called to say she got the request yesterday because the lady who recieved the request didn’t come to work for two weeks, and only forwarded it to the nurse yesterday. To upgrade the request to urgent, we have to get another (a fourth) hundred-dollar appointment with the general practitioner. For that, they will send an email to the neurologist, and the neurologst may or may not respond. Amanda has been very sick since February, and we are still wading through the system without effective help. In the meantime, Amanda is so thin it is scary. We probably would have put her back in the hospital last Friday if we didn’t know doctors would not treat her until Monday or Tuesday anyway. In the meantime, prayer prevailed and she began to eat and drink a little more. It still is not enough, but is enough to still the fear of impending doom. This has been such a roller coaster ride (Mandy Lynch, if you are out there, you’re my hero.)Jessica suspects the doctor will admit Amanda to the hospital today because of the continued weight loss. We packed over-night bags in case. Amanda has had a rough time in the hospitals here, so if she does have to stay, it will cause her a great deal of anxiety. I don’t know what I expect or even hope for today, only that we desperately need God to intervene and help Amanda get everything she needs, and I need my heart to be able to discern His leading and have the faith to trust His plan. The LORD is a strong tower; the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.~Tricia ... See MoreSee Less
Amanda has a doctor’s appointment on Tuesday. Please pray it goes well and that the doctor will take note of how thin she is. The paperwork says this is a three hour appointment. I have no idea what will take so long, but I hope it is some sort of scan. Pray she fully cooperates with the appointment. One of my biggest concerns is that no one has seen her as she is normally. There is no baseline for them to see how capable she is and how drastically she has changed. ~Tricia ... See MoreSee Less
I feel conflicted about making so many posts about Amanda when we came to Australia to do ministry, but so many people are praying for her and for us that it seems only fair to share how things are going with her. We have an appointment with an infectious disease doctor on June 4, I assume to check for parasites. Apparently, it was scheduled by the first hospital she was in back in March. All we know is when we came home from Sydney, there was a letter in the mail saying we have an appointment. Right now we would take an appointment with a podiatrist if it meant someone would be checking on her current status. It is just scary sometimes. Right now, I am just thanking the Lord for a little peace for tonight. Amanda had a full meal and three bottles of water today. It won't be enough to compensate for no meal and about a cup of water yesterday, but it is enough to give me hope she is not in imminent danger, at least for tonight. Tomorrow will be a new day of challenges, and anything that worked for today is unlikely to work again tomorrow.A good deal of rain came to the Yarra Valley today. Normally a rain forrest, the area has had an unusually dry year. A cold front trying to come through pushed in a bunch of warm weather from the north and it was downright muggy today. I said all that to say this: Amanda was sweating! I was never so glad to see someone sweat in all my life! Just knowing there is that much fluid in her body is relieving, but we turned down the heat because it is important that she not loose too much of those fluids.The visible siezures have subsided a great deal in the last couple of days but seem to increase every time she eats or drinks. It is frustrating to her and us that eating is necessary to get better but at the same time makes everything else worse. Internally, there is still a lot of involuntary movement and discomfort. The doctor across the street sent a message to the neurologist earlier this week that Amanda’s condition is urgent but they have not called to move her appointment up from June 25 ( I thought it was June 21).In the meantime, Anna’s request for a visa extension came back today denied. This really surprised us because they had assured us it would certainly be approved. So far, the response to ours has not come yet, and Timothy’s is pending a medical exam because he has Peruvian citizenship and therefore under a different visa agreement. We can appeal the denial and Amanda’s general practitioner has already written a letter on Anna's behalf stating that Amanda needs medical attention and testing before she can be cleared to fly. She will write additional letters if any other requests are denied. It is a blessing.In all of this, I have been thinking how good God has been through the years that this is the first time we have ever had a medical emergency on a missions trip. There has been a lot of trips! I also have been thinking about other pastors and missionaries serving faithfully while their children undergo sickness, disease or injury. The support to us from all of you has been so tremendous and I have to ask myself how often am I as faithfully willing to help carry the burdens of others. It is an area where I know God can help me do better. These are the things I am asking God to do:Give us a Christian doctor who understands and cares.Help Amanda eat and drink regularly without coaxing.Help us find the actual underlying cause and not just treat symptoms.Heal every aspect of Amanda’s condition.Show us why this all happened in Australia and not at home.Make our work effective despite all the attention Amanda has needed.Help us to have patience and trust in His timing.Be glorified in all of these difficulties. Help us get Amanda safely home.I am thankful for anyone who is praying with us. It is such a blessing to be a part of the family of God. We love you all!- Tricia ... See MoreSee Less
We've learned how to use the wood stove in our little house to save on electric heating costs. It is keeping us warm in this southern hemispheric winter, and I find it quite pleasant to sit by and watch the flames dance. ~ Anna ... See MoreSee Less
Last Saturday John and I found a wombat on our way to a men's meeting.I'm very thankful for how God still allows us to enjoy His creation, even when we least expect it. El sábado pasado, John y yo encontramos un wombat de camino a una reunión de varones.Estoy muy agradecido por cómo Dios todavía nos permite disfrutar de Su creación, incluso cuando menos lo esperamos.~Timothy ... See MoreSee Less
A kookaburra stopped in for a little visit on our porch this morning. He came by just to say God has been meeting all of his needs. ... See MoreSee Less
We were concerned we might have to put Amanda back in the hospital this weekend because she had nearly stopped eating and drinking entirely. She was so dehydrated and growing very weak. We were quite concerned about the possibility her kidneys starting to shut down. Praise the Lord, John was able to talk her into eating more yesterday and drinking a bottle of powerade and some water. It was enough to turn things around. She ate today and took some fluids but I would like to see her take in more. Her seizures have been less pronounced but she had about a two-hour period tonight where she could not stop blinking and she couldn't walk. Please keep praying.~ Tricia ... See MoreSee Less
We had an amazing time in Sydney! God really gave us a time of rest and enjoymentas well as allowing us to present our ministry in four churches and make contact with a couple of others. We rejoiced yesterday that one of the churches we visited decided to double their support to Marie! What a blessing! God gave us a great Air BnB rental, a nearly brand new house full of windows and flooded with sunlight. Everyday, I could throw open the blinds and just let the sun shine down on Amanda’s bed. After the second day, she got up on her own and came down stairs. After the third day, she got up, picked out her own clothes, took a shower and came downstairs. On Friday, we were able to take her to the mall on her own accord and on Saturday, she said she did not remember having seizures in the night. It was the first time since February. She is still having seizures, but they are less frequent and less debilitating. The team made it possible for me to get out and see the city almost every day. I love exploring shops, cafes, and little alleyways that perhaps the average tourist never finds. On Thursday, John, Timothy, and I set out early to take some photos and video at sunrise. A rare fog engulfed the city and closed a number of roads. Aside from a huge team of joggers on the Harbour Bridge we only saw a few people until after 9:00. It was so relaxing. I had to refect on how very good God has been to us and how many wonderful places He has allowed us to go.We were thrilled when the news reporter nabbed Timothy for an interview and shared some of our photos on the news. The photo credits here go to him. He captured the beauty of the morning so well. God really encouraged our hearts in Sydney and we are glad.~Tricia ... See MoreSee Less
Just came back from 11 days jn Sydney. Sydney is a beautiful harbor city, and we enjoyed seeing the city. The Lord allowed us to visit five churches, and the pastors are supportive of Go Deaf Missions. Let's pray that Marie will get her full support quickly to go full time with our team.~John ... See MoreSee Less
Even though we are out of the country and have had unexpected difficulties with Amanda’s health, we are still taking flying lessons via video call every week. This week we started learning how to map out a flight plan for a single engine plane. Who knew there was so much to know! Hats off to any of you pilots out there; no one knows how hard you work! ... See MoreSee Less
A sweet pastor’s wife in Sydney is doing her best to try and get help for Amanda. She has contacted a neurologist she knows in Western Australia and he may be willing to get us faster help. If he will treat Amanda sooner, we will drive her over there. She also contacted a medical flight team that helps sick people get back home. It all sounded wonderful until they said it would cost $340,000 so we are going to keep praying for a doctor to help her get better. She had a pretty good day today and it did my heart a lot of good. I am trusting that God has heard our prayers and He is going to come through with the help we need. I know He has a purpose in all of this. Yesterday, I found great comfort in Psalm 66:19-20: But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me. ... See MoreSee Less
It is Sunday morning here in Australia. The rest of the team left for church about an hour ago and I am once again home with Amanda. I have probably missed church more in the last four months than I have combined since I was six years old and I don’t like it at all. On most Sunday mornings, I get up, get ready, and try to see if I can get Amanda up to go, but we usually do not make it out the door. I just wish I knew what she needed to be better.We have been waiting two weeks on neurologists to set appointments and the earliest appointment we have been able to book is June 21 but not with the doctor we requested. The one we wanted specializes in epilepsy and dystonia, but the appointment is set with a young doctor who is new to the practice. We are holding appointments with two other neurologists for the end of July in case the June appointment falls through somehow. One is in Melbourne and the other one is in Sydney. The leading doctor we wrote to has not responded to our email. In the meantime, Amanda has had a little bit of an upturn this week in Sydney. She has been eating and drinking more but still not enough. I am increasingly concerned about how much weight she has lost and would really like to see her gain a little bit of it back. She is very thin and too weak. Still, she has been managing to get up and down the stairs a few times each day which is an improvement. Her color is better, too, which gives me some hope that she could be starting to recover. Please pray with me that God will give her clarity and stamina to be able to return to church regularly as a family. She and I both need it. ~ Tricia ... See MoreSee Less
This morning at the Harbor in Sydney, Timothy was interviewed by Sydney 7 News. We are waiting for the six o’clock report to see if it airs. It would probably be included in the weather report because they were asking about our pictures in the fog.fb.watch/s75qdKgITY/?mibextid=w8EBqM... See MoreSee Less
I’m currently reading Shadow of the Almighty, a biography of Jim Elliot’s life and it has been an encouragement for me. I just came across a short quote from a hymn and decided to look it up. I’m thankful for God’s unchanging nature, and any time things are hard, I remind myself of His eternal truths that stand the test of time and remain true regardless of any experiences we have.~ Marie“We hear the words of love,We gaze upon the blood,We see the mighty sacrifice,And we have peace with God.'Tis everlasting peace!Sure as Jehovah's name;'Tis stable as His stedfast throne,For evermore the same.Our love is ofttimes low,Our joy still ebbs and flows;But peace with Him remains the same,No change Jehovah knows.We change - He changes not;Our Christ can never die:His love, not ours the resting-place,We on His truth rely.The cross still stands unchanged,Though heaven is now His home;The mighty stone is rolled away,But yonder is His tomb!And yonder is our peace,The grave of all our woes;We know the Son of God has come,We know He died and rose.We know He liveth nowAt God's right hand above;We know the throne on which He sits,We know His truth and love!”Horatius Bonar ... See MoreSee Less
I just came into Amanda’s room. It blesses my heart to find her on her knees. She is just telling the Lord how poorly she feels and asking him to make the seizures stop. ... See MoreSee Less
Yesterday, Amanda had a pretty good day. She was not happy, but happier than she has been in a long time, if that can even make sense. She didn’t want to take any medicine, and since she was doing alright, I let her refuse it. The medicine can be addictive anyway so taking a break may be good. She slept peacefully through the night, and this morning she looks relaxed and at rest. We have decided not to wake her in the hopes she will wake feeling better. Maybe the seizures are starting to subside. It would be very encouraging for her to have a good day again today. ... See MoreSee Less
Amanda has been sleeping through the night most nights this week. It is so unusual, I wake often to see if she is still breathing. Wednesday night was the first time in weeks that we both slept all night. The seizures have not stopped and the severity has been less than a month ago, but every day they seem to be increasing in strength. I think we saw this progression before, and it resulted in what we assume was a grand mal seizure. Even while she sleeps, muscles all over her body have to writhe. I cannot tell when one seizure ends and the next one starts. Once in awhile, she seems to get a brief break, but even then, it seems more like she is in an altered state of consciousness. A new problem has surfaced and sometimes she is unable to open one eye and when it does open it is not all the way. Oddly, it is not always the same eye. It is a struggle every day to persuade her to eat, drink, and take her medicine. She has lost enough weight that I can scoop her up. I need to get a scale but I would guess she weight something less than a hundred pounds. Last Friday, we sent the letter to the neurologist along with some videos of seizures and information about a condition we think Amanda may have. We have not heard anything from him yet. We have a referral to another neurologist, but over a week has gone by and they have not scheduled an appointment either. We tried calling them and they said, “Don’t call us, we’ll call you.”This Thursday, we travelled from Melbourne to Shoalhaven, just south of Sydney. We presented deaf ministry to a youth group. The missionary, Jon Hall, has a daughter with epilepsy and they are extremely happy with her neurologist. Jon is going to call to see if he would be willing to see Amanda in Sydney this week. Please pray they will set one and that Amanda would cooperate. These days, she does not like to get up and dressed, let alone go out or see any more medical professionals. Walking seems to increase the seizures, and walking is very painful. I know there are a lot of people asking why we don’t just bring her home; sometimes it runs through my head as well, but I do have an answer for the question. Amanda has been sick for two years. After waiting three months for a new patient appointment at my primary doctor, the doctor said she would run labs and if nothing popped she would refer us to mental health. Since then, we have seen a number of doctors and run labs of all kinds over and over but finding no solutions. It has been a rollercoaster ride of better and worse, but she was doing continuously better over the last several months. She tanked when we all got sick in Texas.At the camp meeting in Alvarado, I think I saw Amanda have a seizure while I was interpreting the message, but it was short and I wasn’t sure. She was lethargic after the service and did not want to get out of bed the next day. I think she had another one while we were in Lake City, but the emergency room doctor at Shand’s in Gainesville told us she did not and referred us to cardiology. The morning we were supposed to leave for Australia, I was praying about whether we were insane to be leaving the country on a missions trip, not knowing for sure what had happened with Amanda. With certainty, the Lord said to my heart, “They have doctors in Australia.” It was a surprising thought. That same morning God miraculously threw open the doors for us to see a cardiologist. I fully expected the cardiologist to advise us to cancel the trip, but to my surprise, he asked if we could afford to see a doctor in Australia if it were necessary. I told him God always takes care of us and he said, “They have good doctors in Australia.” We left his office, went straight to the house, loaded Amanda in the van and left for the airport. In my heart, I had peace that God would take care of us wherever he took us. This journey has been rough, and my faith has not been as strong every day as it was the day we boarded the plane and left, but every time I stop to pray it through, God confirms once again that we are here for His purpose and He has a plan. It’s hard. I think it is the hardest thing we have ever done in our lives. There have never been so many tears, and there has never been so much agonized prayer. Amanda has changed drastically and we are still without sufficient help. Some days, I wonder if she will even make it home with us. I catch her praying she can go to heaven because she feels so sick. I counter those prayers, praying she stays right here with us, and that God will give us whatever it is her little body needs. We think we may know which medicine is likely to make her feel better, but so far we have not convinced any doctor to let her try it because there is no conclusive EEG. I wish more doctors were serving in missions, and that we had one here who is, but I know I need to trust in the Great Physician to meet Amanda’s medical needs on this painful path. We have cancelled our return tickets home and applied for an extension on all of our visas. The visa office recommended we pay a few dollars more for a six-month extension so we would have plenty of time if it became necessary. The new visas have not been approved yet, but they set up a bridge pending approval. We can over-stay the visa deadline with the bridge in place. When we called Quantas to cancel our return flights due to Amanda’s illness, they refunded us almost all of our airfare for our entire multi-city trip. Again, the Lord confirmed He is in this. We will wait until later to determine when we should purchase new tickets to get home. While we are here in Sydney, we will present our ministry at several churches, and we are praying it will result in Marie gaining more support as she plans to join our team full time soon. In the meantime, we are praying for several people to be saved, some people to walk with the Lord the way they should, and for our work here to result in more Deaf being reached for Christ in Australia for years to come. We are asking God to give a strong burden to some of His servants to reach the Deaf with the Gospel. We know He is able. Thank you so much for all your comments, inquiries, and prayers. It helps so much to know you all are there interceding on our behalf. We know your prayers make all the difference. We are so blessed to have each and every one of you. God is faithful. God is good. God has a plan. We love Him.-Tricia ... See MoreSee Less
"It is a blessed need which makes room for Jesus to come in with miracles of love." - C.H. Spurgeon I saw this written on a guardrail just in front of a beautiful view of the Yarra River, fall has come to the "Land Down Under". Watching the red-turned leaves fall as if they were dancing, being blown by a wind that gets colder by the day, just prompts me to reflect on the many ways God has written "I love you" all over creation. And thinking about it one can realize that He also has "I love you" written in every event and detail throughout our Christian lives.We have encountered different needs here in Australia, other people's and also personal needs, and now after deciding to extend our stay, I am eager to see what God has already planned come to pass, and am hopeful knowing that because God loves us, our needs will only cause Him to move with miracles of love."La necesidad que da lugar a que Jesús venga con milagros de amor es una necesidad bendita". - C.H. spurgeonVi esto escrito en una barandilla justo al frente de una hermosa vista del río Yarra, Otoño ha llegado al "Territorio de Abajo". Ver caer las hojas rojas como si estuvieran bailando, arrastradas por un viento que se vuelve más frío cada día, me lleva a reflexionar en las muchas maneras en que Dios ha escrito "Te amo" en toda la creación. Y pensándolo bien uno puede darse cuenta de que Él también tiene escrito "Te amo" en cada evento y detalle a lo largo de nuestra vida cristiana. Nos hemos encontrado con diferentes necesidades aquí en Australia, necesidades de otras personas y también personales, y ahora, después de decidir extender nuestra estadía, estoy ansioso por ver que se cumpla lo que Dios ya ha planeado de antemano, y tengo esperanza sabiendo que porque Dios nos ama, nuestras necesidades sólo harán que Él se mueva con milagros de amor.~Timothy ... See MoreSee Less
I am writing a letter to a prominent doctor here in Australia who specializes in epilepsy and other neurological conditions. He is recognized as a leading doctor in many countries including ours. He sits on the board of several epilepsy foundations and organizations. He is located here in Melbourne. Pray he will oversee Amanda’s case.We are hoping he will order genetic testing and run an extended EEG to see if we can find answers to Amanda’s condition. Even if it is not epilepsy, whatever she has seems to be neurological. She is having an awful day today with a pounding headache and cramping muscles all over. She is just distraught. Nothing we do seems to give her comfort or relief. Pray the doctor will give us immediate attention. We have been doing this for five weeks, and there is no end in sight. She needs a break.If you have any background in medical research and access to medical journals I am looking for information about a specific genetic condition. Please contact me privately if you have some time to do some digging. This morning I read a post from a pastor who was teaching about Zachariah and Elizabeth and how Elizabeth was barren. The point was that while God had allowed great pain in their lives, they remained faithful and continued serving him. The point also was made that they had this great pain while they were living righteously before the Lord. Sometimes it feels like we must be doing something very wrong to be facing such extreme difficulty. It was encouraging to remember that trouble does not equate punishment. Even more encouraging was that God did not leave them disappointed. He gave them the child they desired. ~ Tricia ... See MoreSee Less
We got into the doctor today. They got the neurologist’s report but not the actual EEG. The report indicates the EEG did not show any epileptic activity. The doctor was as stumped as we are as she could see the rapid blinking and could feel Amanda’s muscles in her arms, hands, neck, and torso contract involuntarily. The doctor said she is as confused and as frustrated as we are, but she is determined to help us find a solution. She said we can increase the dosage of Amanda’s medicine but to be careful with it because it is very addictive. She also said the report does not mean there is no epilepsy, just that they didn’t catch it. We have a referral to another neurologist in a private practice, and we are writing to a leading doctor in the field of epilepsy here in Australia to see if he would take her as a private case. Since we do not have a working medication, we are not cleared to fly and even if we were, we do not think Amanda can handle the trip. It looks like we will extend our stay in Australia indefinitely while we continue to look for a solution.In the mean time, we continue to teach sign language classes and look for ways to build the deaf ministry at Wesburn. The people seem eager and excited to learn, and some have mentioned they are very committed to reaching the Deaf. I am sorry to have missed out on so much as I have been largely consumed with caring for Amanda. We are so glad to have a team and together we can accomplish a great deal of ministry, but it also wonderful to have a team that can step in when someone is out of play. They are worth their weight in gold. I am not sure how we would have managed without them. Pray for Timothy and Marie to have their full support soon. I know there have been a lot of long posts, but we get so many inquiries about Amanda and so many people are looking for ways to help. We appreciate every one of you. Lots of love,~ Tricia ... See MoreSee Less
We didn’t realize that today was a holiday in Australia, so there are still no EEG results until, at best, Monday. In fact, not much of anything medical- wise will happen before then. Amanda slept all night last night and almost all day today. I hope that means the new medicine is holding down the seizures enough that she can get some real rest. I know she is physically exhausted from the many sleepless nights and the constant changes her whole body has been fighting. I am thinking a lot of sleeping is a good thing but am also concerned that we are masking symptoms without treating them. It has been good to see her resting more calmly. Maybe the rest will cause the seizures to subside. We do a lot of guessing and a lot of trial and error. Different from the first medication, she is asking for the pills and I think that means she feels better with taking them. We have been getting some better sleep as well. All of us are thankful for a bit of reprieve.I know God has a purpose in all of this and I am thankful we can trust him. As for God, his way is perfect. ... See MoreSee Less
Tonight we visited one of my supporting churches and we were encouraged by people in coming up to us afterwards and sharing their enthusiasm for learning Auslan. It’s always uplifting for me to see! Praying for the need for ministry to the Deaf to be recognised across Australia and for young people to learn and minister in this way.~ Marie ... See MoreSee Less
I am laying here in the bed next to Amanda. She has been snoring for about two hours. The snoring just stopped, probably indicating that another seizure cycle has invaded her sleep. In the morning she will describe it as everything going black and ask me to keep it from happening again. Oh, how I wish I could! This is the third night in a row that she has taken her medicine and gone to bed. If she sleeps through the night tonight it will be the third night as well. Her body really needs the sleep. It seems there is at least some benefit from the new medication, but the blinking almost never stops. Chances are if we don’t get the EEG results tomorrow, we won’t be able to get them until Monday. We are praying the doctor across the street will call tomorrow saying he has the report. - Tricia ... See MoreSee Less
While we were able to get the EEG the Friday before last, they would not let us have the readout. As of yet the neurologist has not made his report and his office said because we are private pay (meaning we paid a fortune for this test), we do not have a patient portal. If we were in the Australian medical system we would have been able to see it right away. In the meantime, we have switched medications, but the seizures continue day and night, hour after hour, minute by minute. I have never felt more helpless as a mom.Last weekend, we debated cancelling our plans for the Outback, but we thought we should see how she would do on a flight and whether we thought we could get her home to Florida. Partly her seizures, and partly the multiple bad experiences at the hospital, have made her leery of strangers and terrified of crowds. As we approached the security scanners in the airport, some lady passenger grabbed Amanda and pushed her out of her way. Amanda froze and wouldn’t come through security. Timothy and I got permission to leave our stuff and go back through security while Amanda went and wedged herself between a pillar and a glass window. While we were talking her into coming out, I looked up to see two security guards watching her with automatic weapons not pointed at Amanda but at the ready. Thankfully, the TSA supervisor had been present and went over to ward them off. It is not an experience I ever wish to repeat.Getting her through the gate and onto the plane was no easy task either, but we did finally manage. We barely got her onto the flight home, and because of the amount of assistance it took we were almost asked to deplane. We delayed the flight an entire hour and were instructed not to fly again without a release from the doctor. They didn’t know the doctor had already said she could fly this time, and they didn’t seem to believe me when I told them. Our conclusion is the same as theirs, though. Amanda is in no condition to fly home to the USA.In general, I would be okay with staying longer. This has been a tough (okay, the toughest ever) missions trip, and we are quite frustrated by what looks to me like a disjointed medical system, but all of the team, including me, feels that maybe the work God brought us here to do is not yet complete. We have checked with the visa people and we can easily extend our stay. The housing we have can be extended indefinitely at the same rate we are paying now. The church's van is also still available for us to use if we decide we should be here longer.After the rough flight, we made an appointment for Amanda at the doctor across the street. The deaf doctor was out for the day so we saw the older doctor who owns the clinic, Dr. Church. Dr. Church thinks it is a terrible idea to stay longer because it is too hard to fight through the Australian medical system. He also thought it was ridiculous that the hospital will not let us have the EEG, especially since we paid out of pocket to get it. He said it is our test and not theirs, however when his nurse called to get the read-out for us, the neurologist’s office said it would take “at least” two weeks from the date of the scan. Dr. Church discontinued the medicine the neurologist gave Amanda, as it didn’t seem to be working, and gave her something that causes drowsiness. He thinks we should focus on getting her calm enough to fly home and worry about the seizures later. I feel so conflicted about this advice. If we do get her home, we are going to have to start this process all over. The new medicine has been interesting and I think we will need a few more days before we know if it makes things better or worse. At least she slept through most of the last two nights. There are a lot of challenges and a number of additional struggles I have not mentioned. God sees them all and He, Himself, knows what He will do. In all of this, Amanda is just not well at all. She has lost a lot of weight and is down to about a size four waist. Her face is so little, and her eyes almost never stop blinking. We need the EEG to take any further steps, and we need the Lord to order those steps. Thank you to each one who has been praying for us. We are not out of the woods yet.~Tricia ... See MoreSee Less
I am in the emergency department at the Austin Hospital, and they have just recast my broken left ankle to allow the fibula bone to heal. I’m thankful the medical care I have received, and especially to Anna Gilkey who has been a wonderful support to me - especially when I was first injured, and today as I’ve visited clinics and the hospital. It’s so different to have a friend with you in times like these!~ Marie ... See MoreSee Less
Look who turned 16 today! Happy Birthday David! We just know God has amazing things planned in your life! Can’t wait to watch it all unfold! ... See MoreSee Less
We have a sign language class to teach tonight and then we are headed out for a quick two-day excursion in the Australian Outback! ... See MoreSee Less
Sunday morning is in a few short hours, and we will visit a church that supports Marie. John will preach, I will teach a children's Sunday school, and by the grace of God, Amanda will have a good morning. Please pray for us now, our Saturday night, as we prepare to sleep, that all will sleep well, and that God's will will be done in the services tomorrow. ~ Anna ... See MoreSee Less
Just heading home from another Auslan class - it’s wonderful to have such faithful students and to enjoy lots of laughs along the way! Please pray that these signs will be remembered and that sweet fellowship between the Deaf and hearing in our church will continue to grow as they learn to communicate more richly.~ Marie ... See MoreSee Less
Thank you everyone for praying! Amanda had a bigger seizure about four a.m. and had an absolutely miserable morning. It looked like she was not going to do the EEG and honestly, we almost threw in the towel but the tech wanted to hold out a little longer. About an hour after we were supposed to start Amanda came in and apologized to everyone, asked if we could leave after the test and climbed into the chair ready to start. Our technician, Heidi wanted to collect lots of data so she let the test run about an extra thirty minutes. At the end, Amanda liked it so well, she wanted to stay longer. I am not in any way qualified to read an EEG but the last time I saw so much scribbling on a line graph I was looking at the Richter scale print-out from the day Mount St. Helens erupted. We will not get results right away but what we saw today did not look anything like internet pictures of a normal EEG.Amanda’s eyes blinked rapidly throughout the whole test and that was the top line of scribbles and the tech said the straighter lines at the bottom were the back of the head. There was a whole lot of activity in between. I asked Heidi to encourage the doctors to hurry in setting our next appointment.We just want to praise the Lord for the sudden change in Amanda’s willingness to sit for the test and for some of the visual signs we have been seeing at home to happen during the time she was connected to the monitor. I think we will be able to have confidence in the results whichever way they go.~Tricia ... See MoreSee Less
UPDATE: We got it! Thank you for praying.It seems like we ask for prayer for so many things, but if you would be kind enough to pray on our behalf for something more, please pray for Amanda’s EEG tomorrow, Friday at 1:15p.m. in Melbourne, Australia, which is 11:15p.m. on Thursday, Eastern Standard Time. Pray she will not be afraid to cooperate fully for the test, that if there are indeed seizures, they will manifest during the test, and that we will get clear direction on how to move forward.It has been a long week waiting for this test. We have already paid to be in two different hospitals for this test without getting it. Pray tomorrow will go well.It looks like we can extend our time in Australia if necessary, but we have to wait one more week for the right window of time to apply for a visa extension. We are happy either way as long as Amanda is getting the help she needs. There is certainly more work we can do here in Australia.~Tricia ... See MoreSee Less
The Saturday before Easter, the deaf ministry had a putt putt golf fellowship, and there was a good turnout. I had the opportunity to talk to two deaf about the Lord. Pray for their salvation. ~John ... See MoreSee Less
Last Saturday some of our team went to a deaf Christian fellowship, it was very neat to hear their stories and testimonies, and to see how Jesus impacted their lives in different ways, on the other side of the world, in a personal way.El sábado pasado algunos miembros de nuestro equipo asistieron a una comunión cristiana para sordos, fue muy agradable escuchar sus historias y testimonios, y ver cómo Jesús impactó sus vidas de diferentes maneras, al otro lado del mundo, de manera personal.~Timothy ... See MoreSee Less
Well, we are thankful for rain.We are thankful Amanda was so upset today. We are thankful for steam clouds rising up out of the mountains.We are thankful for four fire engines and a whole bunch of volunteer firemen.We are thankful no lives were lost.We are thankful for how God takes care of us.Today Amanda was in a lot of discomfort and pain. After she cried for over half an hour, we decided to take her for a drive to see if it would help her settle down. While we were waiting for everyone to get last minute items, I looked up to watch a storm moving in over the mountains behind the house. It was odd to see mist rising out of our back yard but there is a river that runs through not real far away. The mist suddenly turned black. I jumped out of the car, yelled to Marie to call the fire department just in time to see the smoke turn into a twenty-foot wall of flames. Behind our fence there is a shed where four or five homeless guys have been living. We do not know what they did that started the fire, but we are thankful no bodies were found in the smouldering remains of the building. The fire department arrived in about ten minutes, or so it seemed. There were four fire engines and a number of other fire and police personnel that came in other vehicles. The Yarra National Forest is just behind our house. It is a rainforest but they have had an extremely dry season. On our way to the house on our very first day in Australia they warned us the area was under high fire danger. We did have one rainstorm a while back, but three days ago it started to pour and has been rainy ever since. It rained all morning ahead of the fire. The wet ground and the quick response of the fire department caused the fire to be contained mostly to the shed and one big tree. The fence along the back of our property line caught fire and is charred badly but it didn’t burn through. The men out back have been burning fires even during the burn ban, and I can only imagine what could have happened if this fire had started a week ago. Thankfully, no one was trapped inside of the burning building and as far as we know no one was hurt. The building is mostly destroyed, but the frame work with the tin roof is still standing. As the fire department was packing up to go, the Lord sent some more rain and soaked the ground once again. After a few hours, most of the smell of smoke dissipated. When evening came, a fireman was still parked in the lot of the church next door, watching for any flare-ups and possibly the return of the vagrant men. We are reminded again of God’s protection and His mercies that are new every morning. We are thankful to be under His care.** Video in the comments ** ... See MoreSee Less
It is Sunday morning here in Australia. Amanda went to bed early and stayed asleep through most of the night. The seizures continue in her sleep but they are not of the magnitude they were last week. I find myself awake often, listening for her breathing and checking whether the muscle tension is there or whether it has left her once again. She loses consciousness in her sleep. Last night was the longest either of us has slept in weeks. I was surprised to wake to morning light and also surprised she did not wake when I stirred. I am not even sure whether it is a good sign or a bad one. If she seems good when she wakes, I am going to try to take her to church. Last night, she said she wanted to go. The night before last, I woke with questions on my mind about the genetics of Amanda and her biological brother who died. I started doing some digging and I think I may have discovered something useful. We have always known Amanda has a rare set of genetics but in recent years they have discovered a form of epilepsy associated with her genetic make-up. The seizures will not show in a scan and, if I understand the abstract correctly, the EEG rhythm will be abnormal but not what is normally seen in seizures. We sent two journal articles to the neurologist that we will see on Friday. I think this means genetic testing is in order. Not every doctor here can order genetic testing, but a neurologist can. If things go well on Friday, and we are praying that they will, we could be on a path to finding something that will treat the cause and not just mask symptoms, which is what it seems we are doing now. We are praying about whether we should try to extend our time in Australia for the sake of continuity of care. The mission house where we are staying was booked up immediately after our departure but this week the potential renters cancelled saying they had found more suitable accommodations closer to where they wished to be. The church that owns the house will hold the house available pending our decision. They have rented the house to us for about a third of any accomodations we could find and will extend that price. We are amazed again and again at how God provides. We can only stay longer if we are granted extensions to our tourist visas. Even though we are not sure yet we are going to apply for the extensions now so the option is at least on the table. Maybe there is something more God has for us to do here in Australia or somewhere nearby. If we can not extend the Visa, we could probably fly to New Zealand for a few nights and return but unless something changes Amanda is not in any condition to get on a flight right now. While Amanda has been resting better the last two nights, I have had some time to be still and sort out some things with the Lord. I know he makes no mistakes and I believe he sees something here that we can not. I don’t know what the future holds for Amanda, but I know God holds it in his hand.I know he brought us to Australia to do a work and although things have not gone according to our plan, they have gone according to his. I believe that somewhere in all this there are souls in the balance. Before we left the hospital we made gift bags of chocolates with tracts and invitations to the church with every team and shift that attended to Amanda. Maybe there is a medical professional somewhere that God has been drawing. Maybe there are deaf people who just need more time to warm up to us so they can realize the gospel of Jesus is a personal gospel and the only hope of going to heaven. I have to wonder, what if there is someone out there we know, or have not even met, who has taken a compassionate interest in Amanda’ story and God is using it to draw them to salvation in Christ. Ultimately, what matters in all of of these difficulties, is that Christ would be lifted up so he can draw all men unto him. If Amanda could have a chat with you right now, the first question she would ask you is, “Are you saved?” If you do not know for certain, contact us. We can help.~Tricia ... See MoreSee Less
Seven days is a long time to wait when the seizures keep coming. Amanda just wants them to stop. Tonight she told us everything keeps going black again and again. ... See MoreSee Less
Amanda didn’t see the doctor we thought she would today. Instead, the secretary routed us to a Chinese lady doctor who is deaf, studied linguistics and has done medical missions trips in the Philippines with Baptist churches. She has agreed to be our primary doctor here in Australia and thinks her role will be to help us get whatever we need while we are here. She had her secretary fax the referral for the EEG at the Neurologist we wanted to see. The technician made friends with Amanda in the hospital and she just sent an email with an appointment for Amanda on April 12. That’s eight long days away but it is something. We will move it up if we can but we are praising the Lord for all of this. It’s baby steps but at least they are in the right direction. ... See MoreSee Less
I am just sitting here with Amanda. She says another seizure is starting and I have every reason to believe her. They just don't stop. They come wave after wave all day and all night. She keeps pleading with us to make it stop and we don't know how. We spend all day long guessing, and second guessing our every care decision. Every day she seems to be losing knowledge and abilities. She is not interested in anything, not even her stuffed animals or video games. Her favorite video game is Toontown and it seems she can't remember how it works.From all we have read, it seems a Keto diet would be beneficial but right now I am happy for every last calorie we can get in her. She is refusing most food and keeping her hydrated is just as big of a challenge. She has lost a lot of weight. New clothes she got before the trip are draped over her body. Two different hospitals have promised EEGs and not delivered either the in-hospital test needed or the out patient appointments they promised after not doing them in the hospital. It is true that Amanda didn't cooperate with the inpatient tests but both hospitals chose to attempt late in the day when we told them she deteriorates through the day and morning would be best. The hospitals want referrals and we don't have them. There is a general practitioner right across the street from us so today I walked over to see if they could help. They booked an appointment for tomorrow morning at 10:30. Hopefully he can get us referred for an EEG and maybe a parasite specialist. We have discussed bringing her home but we don't think she could handle it at this time and we are trusting that God has answers for us here in Australia. We think Amanda has been having nocturnal siezures for almost two years and now they have gotten bad enough to break into the day. She is afraid to sleep at night and last night was the first time in a long time she slept through the night. This is a result of anxiety medicine helping her stay more calm through the seizures. Anna sat up with Amanda until midnight last night so John and I could get a full night's sleep. It was really nice to wake to silence at daybreak this morning and find Amanda asleep in Anna's room. I wish I could say I have walked this full of faith and trust, but the truth is I have never been so scared for one of my children and I have never felt so helpless in my entire life. I do know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I've committed unto him against that day. We need lots of things right now but ultimately, Jesus is still the answer. Still, these have been incredibly difficult days.Amanda has been more calm today but never stops indicating that her body is not right and that the sensations of her contracting muscles feels overwhelming. Someone asked me if no news is good news, but no news means we are so busy we don't have time to pick up the phone. Amanda is afraid to be alone more than a couple of minutes at a time. I am so thankful for the Go DeaF Missions Team. Anna, Marie, and Timothy are taking up all the slack and have made themselves servants in every imaginable way. They are cooking, cleaning and taking out the trash. They are teaching our classes and filling in every possible gap. With their help, we are still doing the work we came to do, it is just organized differently than we expected. Our specific prayer requests are for Amanda to get an EEG, for doctors to find and treat the cause, for Amanda to start sleeping through the night, and for her to not be afraid to shower. For the ministry we are praying for someone to have a burden to work with the deaf of Melbourne, for God to raise up Christian interpreters, and for deaf to be saved. We also have an unspoken request that is very dear to our hearts.Thank you for all the encouragement and prayers ~ Tricia ... See MoreSee Less
