From Becky

Good Morning Everyone!

Happy New Year! I hope that you all had a blessed and special holiday season. It's hard to believe that it's over after all the preparation and anticipation. It was a wonderful holiday for our family, and we smile when we think back on it. Our family was all together and that is the most precious gift these days.

Many of you have been writing and asking how Greg is and so I thought I'd give you a quick update.

As you know, he had a bit of a setback after his cardiac cath and we really thought he might wind up being hospitalized, but they were able to get him feeling better by doubling his diuretics. Thankfully, it worked quickly and he became comfortable enough that they were able to travel to State College to Elise's family for a couple of days (after the blizzard in Virginia!)

They had a couple of days at home alone which was great for them and then they came to our house on Christmas afternnoon and were with us until Sunday morning when they travelled to Baltimore to take part in the CRU student Christmas conference. I was really concerned about him having to make that trip and be there with over 1000 people all week, but we did talk to him on New Year's Eve and they had survived! They were going to travel back to Viriginia yesterday and I imagine they're sleeping in today!!! He said that he/ they were exhausted and he was feeling bloated, but they had managed to make it through. At this conference they have a worship service that starts late in the evening and goes until after midnight and so they "worshipped out 2009" and "worshipped in 2010". It was once again very meaningful to them both.

This Tuesday, Greg will be evaluated by Dr. Desai who is a heart failure specialist at the outpatient heart failure clinic at Fairfax INOVA hospital. He will undergo some diagnostic tests to see how well his heart and lungs are functioning to provide adequate oxygentation for him. He'll then have an appt with the doctor and we think he will hopefully receive the results of his cardiac biopsy at that time. Our hope is that he'll be given some definite idea about what the doctors are planning in terms of open heart vs transplant.

Needless to say, this is all taking a toll on both of them. They are finding strength for each day in their faith alone and some days are better than others. Greg told us that he has been blessed over the past couple of weeks be feeling stronger in his faith than he had been for a while and we KNOW that is a direct result of your prayers for him. He and we are so grateful for your intercession on his behalf. He asked that we just continue to echo his own personal prayer that is for God to "meet him where he is each day". Some days are more consumed with physical need, some with emotional need and others with spiritual need. I believe that Elise is in that same situation.

I'd also ask that you pray that Dr. Desai is not only clinically excellent, but kind, caring and compassionate. No matter which way this goes, it's difficult, and so we pray that it is bathed in a spirit of true compassion.

Thank you for being on this journey with us. Your prayers for them and us all are keeping us afloat.

I wish you and your families a blessed new year.

Love,

Becky

PS. I'd like to share a new year's prayer that we received last year and is especially appropriate for this year. Although you might not be going through something as dramatic as this situation with Greg, we know that each of you have burdens in your life and this is mindset is especially helpful to me and maybe to you.

Lord, make the New Year a happy one...

Not by shielding us from sorrow and pain, but by strengthening us to bear it, if it comes.

Not b y taking hardship from us, but by taking all cowardice and fear from our hearts as we meet hardships.

Not by making our paths easy, but by making us sturdy enough to tread any path.

Not by granting unbroken sunshine, but by keeping our faces bright even in the shadows.

Not by making our lives always pleasant, but by showing us where others and your cause need us most and by making us zealous to be there and to help..

God, make our year a happy one!