Amy in Brazil

I’m sorry that I’ve been so bad about updates lately. Things have been difficult for me here. Things big and small, coming at me from every direction. And what do I do when the going gets rough? I lock down–I go into survival mode trying to preserve a facade that speaks confidently, “She’s got it all together…” I keep my head down and my emotions in check and try to work everything out on my own which is, of course, a pretty ridiculous way of going about anything. And it’s certainly not at all what God has in mind for his children.

No, God’s pretty adament that one of the purposes of Christian community is that we’re supposed to share one another’s burdens. But, of course that means that a body has to ask for help occassionally, and that is always something that I am loathe to do. Still, I’ll do the best I can at the moment, and if I’m not forthcoming enough or just a little too vague, I ask your forgiveness. I’m processing, and I don’t always have the best words.

First of all, please pray for my mother. She had a doctor’s appointment on this past Thursday, and we now have a much better idea about some of the health complications that she’s facing. She is not only preparing for dialysis and waiting for another kidney transplant, but her doctors have now diagnosed sclerosis of the liver. So, she’ll be needing one of those as well… The good news is that she’s been bumped up the transplant list (apparently multpile-organ failure is a totally legitimate way to do that), but the bad news is that while a bum kidney can be replaced indefinitely (if a bit uncomfortably) by regular dialysis, a liver cannot.  Please pray for my mother and my father and all of us kids as we deal with this news.

Additionally (and this is harder to clarify), things haven’t been going well at work. I am still enjoying my students immensely, and I still definitely feel that this is where God intends me to be. But some recent changes at work have made me seriously question my future in Brazil, and I don’t know if I was either mentally or emotionally prepared for that. Please pray that I would have both wisdom and discernment in my present circumstances, that I would have courage to be a voice of integrity if called upon, and that I would seek God’s will in all things.

I really do hope and pray that you are all well.

-Amy

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.   2 Corinthians 12: 9 – 10