Updates from the Lancaster House

(from Jay)

Many of you have asked about Lori and how she is doing. After her staph infection and brief stay at children’s hospital, we have been on infection-watch…dosing her with heaping amounts of horrible tasting antibiotics (7 bottles worth in all), and watching for the signs of the infection returning. At our one week follow up, our surgeon gave us the news that he ‘wasn’t happy’ with her incision site. It was puffy and spongy, and he was worried about the infection returning. He informed us that if it didn’t look better in a week, they were going to reopen, and clean it out a second time, put her on IV antibiotics for several days and send her home with a PIC line for six weeks…a bit extreme we thought. However, at our next follow up, which was a week and a half ago, we got great news. He was happy with the site, and sent us home. We are to still watch for signs of the infection returning over the next couple weeks, but we are clear, and so far she is doing great with no signs of returning infection. Maybe we will get a week or two without having to go to Children’s hospital!  Praise the Lord for his healing and grace!

On another front, an organization that we are learning more and more about is the Heart for Africa group, led by Janine Maxwell, who wrote It’s not okay with me. The organization focuses on feeding the poor in Africa, orphan ministry, and helping young men and women develop skills to be independent. A local chapter of the group from Cape Girardeau is in the middle of their annual events this month. This past Sunday, we attended the Heart for Africa brunch at the Venue in Cape, and it was wonderful. This coming Saturday night is their big banquet and dance, also at the Venue. We actually splurged and bought tickets, and are excited to be going. Janine Maxwell is actually going to be present and speaking that night. We highly recommend everyone that can to go check it out. Leave a comment if you would like to know how to buy tickets.

Finally, some of the young men at our church, Miner Baptist, are putting together a night of worship scheduled for March 18th. We will be having it at the Studio One Youth Building at Miner Baptist, but the whole community is invited. Our band will be leading the music, and I cannot express how excited I am to get to serve in this way. Last night we took to time sit in a circle and discuss the event, its intentions, how to encourage a spirit of worship with those attending, praying together and carefully discussing which songs to play. We then dove into practice, which was so much fun. I actually found myself at one point in a song stopping to just sit and close my eyes and listen…it was great. We have several new songs to learn in a short time…but I’m confident we can bring it together. But I want to invite everyone who would like to enjoy a fun night of contemporary worship to come out at 6pm on Sunday the 18th. It should be a great time of worship, prayer, and testimonies.