Medical Updates
Since the last edition of Spokes in the Wheel, Bethany underwent the three medical procedures she had been anxiously awaiting while the pandemic delayed them. Since then she had the repeat PRK procedure on her left eye and spent a week in recovery over in St. Petersburg Florida with Joel’s parents (Jack went along for the change of scenery, Thanks Pop and Mom!).
Then just a little over a week from when she arrived home again, she had the first of two vein ablation treatments in her legs. We’re thankful that the recovery from that has been minimally disruptive and with the second one completed earlier this week, Bethany while not quite feeling like a new woman, is glad to have all of that behind her.
We’ll still have a few followup visits over the summer to check on long-term recovery but we’re hopefully finished with this kind of thing for the year.
PS. While not about us, we as a family celebrated the arrival of a new cousin/niece! Lucy Lynn Potter was born to Joel’s younger brother Jonathan and wife Christine late last month!
God’s Provision Continues
Support
Literally later on the same day that we wrote our last update, God added yet another monthly partner to our team. And as we’ve prayed for this, this family is locally based which means that we can invest in that relationship even more! A number of our other new partners are also based in Sanford which is awesome!
New Computer
We hadn’t even had the chance to ask you to pray about this when God provided a big need for us. Joel’s computer, a 2013 model was in dire need of replacement and we were about to present it as a project for us all to pray for God to provide for. But before we got that far, one of our cornerstone churches jumped in and met the whole need!
Resuming in-person meetings in July
While we’re hoping to hear from our kids’ main pulmonologist to advise on this, we’re hoping that in July we can begin to plan in-person meetups with friends that God might be moving to join our team. We’re also going to try and get the Passport Dinner event that was postponed, back on the calendar. Officially, our home assignment will be complete by the end of July so we’re hoping we can take full advantage of that month to be more active in this.
Helping with Global Equipping
Bethany and I have both had the chance over the past few weeks to help a team within the Global Partners that Ethnos360 is a part of, with a new training program that is being developed. What’s so cool about this opportunity is that the program is all online. We’re excited to be able to help out with something so needed and timely.
What’s our response?
While this update is mostly good news, we would be wrong to not acknowledge how moved we find ourselves in response to the events surrounding George Floyd’s wrongful death. Writing this, I, Joel, have to admit to you how ashamed I am at only now stepping up and identifying with a “side” on this issue. I’m historically hesitant to take a side on much at all in today’s highly charged environment and yet, I found that I simply could no longer NOT be a part of the solution to this age-old struggle.
God created man and woman. He made them in His image. Since when do we, the human race, get to decide the value of a fellow image-bearer? And since when have I as a white Christian been given the luxury of not caring about this issue simply because I don’t see myself as a part of the problem? Not caring makes me a part of the problem.
If you are interested in more conversation or thoughts from us on this critical topic, I’ll be sharing more in our Facebook Group and on my own personal social media accounts.
