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First we have been so overwhelmed with the goodness of God and our friends! We have been blown away at how the body has really surrounded us during the past weeks and months. We have had people show up at our door, that we have never met saying that their small group sent them to do laundry! What is even more amazing has been their attitude! Everyone has been so joyful and excited to serve. I don't like doing laundry even when I CAN do laundry. But these people have jumped in here with both feet and said "We can't wait to serve you!" We have had days where there was a need that came up and before the day was over that need was met. Supernaturally met! Anything from bills that needed to be paid to a soggy yard that needed to be cut.
One of the things that has been so amazing to me during this time has been how some of these people found out we were in need. Some found out the obvious way, through email or a prayer list. But others have found out simply through their small group praying for us and then one of them having an idea, then knowing a friend of a friend of a friend that could help with that need! This has been amazing because we live in a state of outreach, and one of the frustrations of this place for us has been that we have been the ones needing the outreach! A bigger part of that same frustration has been that we haven't had the capacity to get out and meet new people and love on them and minister to them, as we would in a normal daily routine. What has been amazing is that through others serving us in this place, some of them a friend of a friend of a friend, we have had AMAZING opportunities to really minister to some of the people who have come to meet our need! This has been a real lesson to us that serving positions you for breakthrough! I can't tell you how many times people have come over to help with some silly little thing, and ended up balling their eyes out for an hour because God was touching a deep part of their lives. That is not us, although I have made a lot of people cry in my life, but that is besides the point. The point is that when we serve others as unto God himself, we set ourselves up for God to do something amazing in our own lives. We will never be the same! Nothing God does meets only one need, His ways are always multi-faceted
We feel like we have been an intimate audience to something that God has orchestrated throughout the body!
All of that said, we are simply grateful and humbled! Although we have grand plans to send out thank you cards, I don't want to miss the opportunity to say it now. So, Thank you, to all of you who have so graciously served us and loved us through some VERY difficult days and weeks!
As to our current status, we have decided to have my ankle surgery now. Actually I am going to have the surgery this Thursday, April 9th at Tulane Medical Center. Hemophilia causes extreme bone deterioration. As a result, my left heel has "crumbled" and I am not longer able to walk on it (for those of you who have seen me in a wheelchair or who have helped to make our home handicap accessible). My doctors will be attempting to screw my ankle to my heel in hopes of salvaging what is left. The screws will most likely then have to be removed in a second surgery because they cause additional internal bleeding in my case.
I believe in my last big update I had described how we were trying to decide on whether or not do move forward with the surgery now or later in the year. The short answer is, obviously we decided to have the surgery now. The longer explanation is that God spoke to us that now is the time. So for all the needs we have, we know that God will meet them because He spoke to us! What that really means is that He is going to use YOU, if you are reading this, to meet them! ;)
I will be going into surgery this week and as you can imagine with no income at this time, we still have a number of income needs. Our expenses will be significantly higher over the next week or so due to Carla traveling back and forth to New Orleans everyday, meals on the go to and from, toll, and a little higher cell phone expense due to more communication to friends and family about medical status. We have planned out most of the help needed for the day of the surgery and a few days following, however our longer-term needs are more significant and not as well planned. We are completely trusting God during this time, so we don't necessarily need to KNOW every detail or answer to every question, however so many people have asked what our needs are, that I will take this opportunity to communicate them now. (If you don't want to know, this is the part where you can stop reading!)
The recovery plan for the surgery is the big unknown. I have had a surgery similar to this in the late 90's and it was estimated then that I would be unable to walk or function for approximately 12 months. Well, we calculated my last recovery time and It was approximately 7 months. This being said, I was a teenager when that happened. So, some have estimated that I recovered quicker because I was younger, others believed it was because I was a teenager and slept in until 12:00 everyday anyway! Whatever the reasons, it is supposed to be a long recovery. We are having Issac Benjamin James in 9 weeks, and I have to be back at work in 5 weeks if I plan on staying employed (which is a must for a billion reasons) So, all of that said we NEED, are expecting, and are stepping out in faith believing that God is going to provide supernatural recovery! Summary: we need a 12 month recovery to be reduced to 5 weeks!
Therefore, we need you to PRAY! We need your support in prayer most of all! Pray with us that God would give us supernatural recovery, supernatural grace, and supernatural healing!
We also have several needs during this time that are easier depending on how many people join in the fight. Marc and Angelle Lyman have been so gracious to help us organize help with laundry, yard work, and meals. If you are able and interested in helping us through this period in any of those ways, please email Angelle at angellelyman@bellsouth.net. If you are able to help financially our mailing address is at the bottom of this update. As I mentioned earlier, we don't have any income at this time as my job has a commission-only structure, and we still have regular and some inflated bills during this season. Our monthly bills add up to around $3000 per month, including our house payment. Just writing that makes me realize how much we need God to intervene. That said, people have been SO generous to help sustain us thus far, we have no doubt that God is with us and will sustain through the days ahead. If you are unable to help in any of these ways, please pray? It works! So don't count your efforts as small, when your faith is BIG!
Again, God has been so amazing as we have seen Him work through you in these past days and months. There have been many days when we weren't sure if we would be able to make it through the next day, but then one of you would show up with a faith-FULL attitude and offer strength for the next day!
Many of you have asked about Carla's health and strength as well, since she will be my sole caregiver during recovery. Although she doesn't talk about it, ever, it is very real and difficult! Most of you know by now, that she has a scaring condition that has complicated her ability to carry babies normally. She has sustained 7 abdominal surgeries in the past 5 years and as a result has a tremendous amount of scar tissue. This scar tissue grows regularly anyway, but exponentially when cut on or strained. Therefore, she has organs that are connected that shouldn't be, such as her intestines are "glued" to her uterus, her bladder is connected to her intestines, etc. So in a normal pregnancy you have a pretty significant amount of pain related to stretching and growing of the baby. In her case the tissue tears one organ away from another daily. This also occurs more with activity (ie: bends over to pick up toys from the other three kids, or puts away laundry in the bottom drawer). She IS one of the strongest people I know! Not just because she deals with pain, but because most people don't even know, including me sometimes, that she is in excruciating pain. I am learning that she simply closes her eyes and bears it. Needless to say, for those of you who have wondered but not asked, we believe this will be our last baby to carry outside of adoption.
I explain all that to you, not to be overly descriptive, but so that you can understand why and what she goes through, simply because she wouldn't tell you. She really wouldn't have even tell me, except at the end of the day and she is in so much pain that she can hardly breathe. The way I was told, was by the doctor! Not to mention we have great communication in our marriage, but this is quite a battle that she faces daily that she simply endures. She is one of my hero's!
Once again, I can't express how much your help has been appreciated! Just yesterday we had a team of people from Northlake Christian School and some other close friends come out and do some work around our house that we have needed done, but have started and stopped for at least five years. What a blessing! We can give you story after story just like that! Its been simply amazing to see God's hand in such a difficult and painful place. We have felt very helpless many days, and through you we have been helped! We have needed more help than anyone resource could give, but God has brought in people from many resources to help! We are amazed at the goodness of God, and humbled by the greatness of your service! Thank you for your help! Thank you for your Prayers! And Thank you for your Love! Just like when Jesus told the crowd in Matt 5:41 "if anyone asks you to go one mile with him, go with him two." This is what you have done with us! We pray that God would return your efforts to you 100 fold!
With Gratitude,
The James'
Jonathan & Carla
Hannah, Ezra, Isabella, Issac
65570 Mulberry St
Mandeville, LA 70448
P.S. - There is one more thing I must address in this update. For all of you who have gifts as your love language, and you know who you are... because you're reading this letter thinking "I know they need food and water, but that's boring... what about a water slide off their roof!". Many of you people have requested from me something called a "wish list". I have been very hesitant to even make something like this because many of the things that God has supplied during this time we wouldn't have asked for, whether it be due to lack of faith, or simply that WE didn't even know we needed that item. Therefore, I apologize for not responding to your requests. However, I will let you know that I have made an attempt at a "wish list". It contains several items that we could really use, however don't feel necessarily qualify as NEEDS. I am not going to list these items here, as I believe that there are many needs that are priority. However, If you are one of those people and are interested in doing something amazing, I will leave it up to you to email me and I can email you a copy of this list. We love you all!
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