Praise and Prayer by Bev Leonard

We have many things to be thankful for, and let me share some of them with you briefly. John's infection seems to be very much in control now--fevers have definitely subsided and all is on the "up and up" now...so much that we were moved back to "rehab" yesterday, and John is right at this moment having his "PT-(physical therapy)session. He is very happy to be back down here and is really working hard at doing what his therapists ask, even though it is very difficult for him. They are working especially with his right arm and have hopes that he will some day be able to get enough motion in it to feed himself..e.tc. He is also on the "tilt table" trying to get him used to sitting up so that soon he will be able to stay for long periods of time in his wheelchair. He continues to surprise the therapists with his progress and determination.

John's mother, Frances, arrived here in the U.S. last week and has plans to help out with our children--just basically "looking after" them for this period of time while we are here in Rehab. We are asking that you pray, however, as surgery has been scheduled for tomorrow to removed a growth that she has on her thyroid. We are praying that the operation will go well and that no further treatment will be required. Others have graciously offered to help out with the kids for the days that she will be in the hospital and at home recovering. Please pray specifically for the health needs that Frances has at this time. She is a very up-beat person, as many of you know, and is handling this situation extremely well.

Josh was released from the hospital on Monday, for which we are thankful. The doctors are keeping a close eye on him, but he seems to be doing well. He is staying with "Grandma Frances" and the rest of the family in the home of Pastor and Mrs. Norman Hoag that has wonderfully been supplied for us to stay in for one month while they are gone. We are thankful to the Lord for His provision and to the Hoags for this act of kindness for our family. Continue to pray for JOsh's health needs--specifically, his need to eat right so that his strength can be regained.

I cannot close without sharing something very special that happened EARLY this morning...a direct answer to many of your prayers. I will just simply record what I wrote in my journal, and please excuse the mistakes since it was early when it was written:

August 24, 2005--It is 2:10 a.m. and neither John or I are able to sleep. Why? We are excited!!! John just finished asking our nurse, "Jean," if she was born again...if she remembered a time when she had accepted Jesus Christ as her personal Savior, and she began to tell us that there were several experiences that she had had in life that were very "good." Then John explained how Jesus had told Nicodemus that he HAD to be born again--not go back into her mother's womb, but be spiritually born again. He told her he had done it when he wasw six years old and asked if she ever had. She said she couldn't say that she had. He said, "Would you like to be sure that you have eternal life in heaven with God?" She said, "Sure!!" He said, would you want to pray and accept Jesus right now? And once again, she said, "Sure!" After her prayer, John said, "Now you KNOW that you have been saved--you have been born again!" We rejoiced together for a minute, and then John said to her, "Do you know that if I wouldn't have been hurt, I would've never been here in this hospital, and we would've never even met, and you may have been lost forever!" Then she said, as tears came to her eyes, "John, you'r gonna make me cry!" Then the tears came to all of us and John told her that the angels in heaven were rejoicing over her salvation. She then promised us that she would go with us to church at Saylorville Baptist as soon as she could.

Prayer warriors, THANK YOU for your prayers!! God is just beginning to do great and mighty things through this difficult time in our lives. We love each one of you and would like to individually give our personal word of thanks to each one if it was possible. God has given us this web-site for which we are grateful, and we will be keeping in touch with you through this for now, letting you know of more wonderful things that He is going to do.

Sincerely in Christ,
John and Bev Leonard