Update 2007 October

Dear Friends and Family,

We want to thank each one of you for your prayers, e-mails, cards and gifts for our family as we’ve been getting back into the swing of life post-surgery. Life seemed to stop during those weeks and we are getting back into the swing of things. Todd is doing really well with his recovery. He’s feeling stronger, but still lacks the stamina from before. But that is to be expected. Tomorrow it will be 4 weeks since the surgery. That just doesn’t seem possible! Molly Goossen, our dear friend, is doing really well and seems to be recovering in leaps and bounds.

The last letter I sent was the day after Todd was released from the hospital the first time and I wanted to update you briefly on what happened since you may be hearing sketchy details of the complications Todd had. When Todd was released from the hospital on Friday the only way anything was passing through his system was due to they gave him medication that would force it through, because his intestinal tract was put to sleep during the surgery, and we knew it could need help waking up. But the medication they gave him did not wake up his system and throughout the weekend he got more and more uncomfortable, not being able to eat and was bloating so much it was stretching out his incision area. We didn’t know what to do about it and it was getting so bad that he was having trouble breathing and so whenever he’d start to fall asleep he’d wake with a start and have heart palpitations. On Monday morning at 2 a.m. Todd called the transplant on-call doctor and he allowed us to come in and spend the rest of the night in the waiting room on the transplant floor just in case Todd had any problems and then he’d come see us after he had finished his rounds. Mayo Clinic doesn’t have an emergency room, so we were stuck as that being our best option. Todd was readmitted and they found out that not only was his intestinal system still asleep, but there was still a large amount of air in his abdomen left from the surgery, much more than was to be there after 5 days. So they were afraid there was something ruptured, but after two ex-rays and a CTScan it was determined his body was just slowly absorbing the gases they had filled him with. That was what was causing the difficulty breathing because it was pressing against his diaphragm. They gave him sleeping pills to sleep and woke up his intestinal tract and the gases dissipated slowly, so he was released on Tuesday.

We have so many praises from the time of the surgery. Of course the main thing is that Molly is doing so well! Her levels look good and her blood pressure is even lowering. And Todd is on the mend and doing great. Todd’s parents were up there and helped us so much, taking the children home with them. They didn’t know they’d have the kids so many extra days, but I don’t know what we have done if the children were still there. That was just a proof of God’s amazing sovereignty to work that all out. And also, the guest house where we were staying was able to accommodate us for the extended amount of time we were there. We would also ask for prayer for the recovery of a young man, our age, that was at the guest house where we stayed. His name is Seth Cryer and he had heart valve replacement while we were there. They have three boys and I spent some time talking with his wife Brandi. They are believers and we just ask that you pray for his recovery.

The following weekend after we returned was the weekend we had the mission conference at Todd’s home church, Dardenne Presbyterian. I was in charge of organizing the children’s program and the volunteers were able to pull it off so beautifully even though I was absent and distracted right before the conference. There were a good number of children there and I was very excited that the Gospel was shared so clearly and that they were given a greater understanding of the need of the lost peoples around the world. Also that Sunday evening we spoke at Edgemont Bible Church and had an encouraging meeting. They were so mission-minded and many people talked to us about our ministry afterward!

Todd has been calling churches again for the last few weeks. If you know Todd, you know it’s hard for him to slow down, but he’s taking his power naps in the afternoons and sleeping more that usual at night. The first week we were back we were encouraged to hear from one church that said their committee is considering supporting us. Please pray for the Lord to guide them in the right decision for them. And Todd has met with another pastor last week. Another incredible praise is that the Lord has provided enough money for us to buy our car in Brazil through the very generous gift of one couple! We praise the Lord! We are now at 65% of our monthly support and 100% of the minimum amount of our outgoing expenses. Please praise the Lord with us! We keep praying for the Lord’s timing and we feel we are taking on momentum as we move toward going to the field, perhaps by March?

We will be heading out to Kansas City around the weekend of November 3^rd, so we would like to get together with as many people as possible while we’re out there. Please let us know if you have time around then. We will be busy with our home church, Woodson Avenue Bible Church for the Saturday and Sunday but will come early and stick around later so we can see as many of you as possible. Please let us know!!!

I am now working on getting my marriage license translated by the consulate and getting my name changed in Portuguese. I’m also getting back into the swing of home schooling with Michaela and she’s finished her first reader book, over 30 stories! We’re so proud of our little reader and bright little girl! Sammy is growing by leaps and bounds—counting to ten, learning his colors and we’re starting potty training this week! Please pray for patience and endurance for me as I clean up the messes and try to encourage his fragile little spirit!

We want to thank each of you for caring, for loving us, encouraging, praying, supporting us! You are each a blessing and an equal partner in the work of reaching the lost people of Brazil with the Gospel of Jesus Christ! Thank you and we pray God returns your gifts with many blessings—measured, shaken down and filled to overflowing!

Serving Together with You,

Todd and Julie Hendry