27 August 2007

Good news if you are from Ireland and thinking of visiting us!


Starting October 30, 2007, Ryanair will have three weekly flights from Dublin to Basel (EuroAirport) (Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday).

Flight prices start at about
46 or £31 return - reservations are now possible on www.ryanair.com.

17 August 2007

David's 4th Birthday






Yesterday we celebrated David's 4th Birthday by going to the Burg Rötteln - a castle which is very near to where we now live.

15 August 2007

I need to do more exercises

I went to the doctor today and he was happy with the healing but he does not want to remove the stitches until Monday.
The doctor also thought I should have much move movement in my arm by now. He gave me a number of exercises to do. I still have a way to go with getting full functionality back into the arm.

13 August 2007

Home at last

We arrived home last night with no problems to report on the way. An Irish guy we met at the camp kindly helped us pack the car and drove the first 2 hours home for us (his wife and kids followed behind). Claudia did a great job driving the remaining 5 hours!
Good news on the arm as well. The swelling is well down and I can probably get the stitches out tomorrow. It doesn't look like any further treatment will be necessary.
The doctor has given me a sick note for the rest of the week. I just need to be careful not to move the arm around too much.
Thanks again for covering us in prayer during this trial.

11 August 2007

"I got out!" -Praise the Lord!





I got out of hospital this morning and I am now back at the Bible College (where Claudia just finished giving another missionary talk).
They removed the drain and the only thing left to do is to get my stitches out early next week.
Thank you so much for all your support.
Please remember us tomorrow as Claudia drives us all home (a journey of about 6 hours).

10 August 2007

Finding strength in weakness

"That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." 2Cor 12:10

The experience of this week, has given me a deeper understanding of what Paul meant when he wrote about the purpose of weakness being that of making is stronger.

I'm also reminded that Jesus told us "without me you can do nothing." John 15:5 - for a few days this week I could do very little for myself. I felt stupid and helpless until I submitted and accepted that "these things must first come to pass".

This morning I woke up again with a headache. The nurse thought it might be just tension in the muscles from carrying around the plaster so she kindly sent for a physio. The exercises brought me great relieve and tears of gratitude filled my eyes as I said "Danke schön" over and over again.

A short time later a guy came with a large warm mud pack to place on my shoulders. I asked him what was in it and he described it as 'moss', I joked that it's probably good Irish muck, and he was happy to go along with that :) He shaped it around my back, got me to lie down on it and told me to just to close my eyes and relax for 45 minutes. (The next bit really made me laugh!) I thought to myself, 'now how can I best relax?' 'Recite memory verses' came the answer and immediately Psalm 23 came to mind. I started to say it out loud. "The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures..." Then I started to laugh. There I was, lying in a German hospital bed, on part of a pasture and the Lord had put me there and made me to lie on it. Thank you Lord for using even that to lift my spirits.

I kept going "...He leads me beside still waters" and I thought of the bottles of sparkling (not still) water that have lined my bedside table all week and given me refreshment when I was so weak... But then the comparisons started to run out (having said that I think those 2 illustrations will pop up in quite a few future sermons!)

Anyway... The chief consultant came around today, removed the plaster and we all got our first glance at the wound. He was pleased with the healing and wants to remove the drain and stitches tomorrow provided most of the wound fluids have dried up. He plans to let me go tomorrow. If the drain has to stay in I will get it removed early next week in my local hospital. Please pray that everything will be removed tomorrow and that no futher intevention will be necessary.

PS I just found out today that the reason I was given a private room was because they felt I posed a danger of infection to patients that had just been operated on. However I praise God for His provision. He knew I needed the quiet and I'm just so glad I didn't have to watch my neighbours TV all week!

09 August 2007

The day began when I woke at 4am with a really sore head which despite getting tablets and medicine didn't clear for several hours. By 8am I was sobbing uncontrolably after a quick call to Claudia and the boys. I would really like to be out of here and with them.
In the afternoon I received 3 phone calls and a lovely visit from a lady who retired some years ago from the staff at the Bible College. I have been feeling much better the rest of the day.
I really expected a doctor to come and inspect my wound today but no one came. I pray he will come tomorrow - this plaster is getting heavier by the day and it's starting to itch ;)
Claudia did our big missions evening tonight by herself and she just text me to say it went really well with a good response. I knew she would do a great job - I wouldn't be half the man I am without her.

08 August 2007

Tired but body recovering

I'd a bit of a low day, no pain just low spirits. It's great to be reminded (by the messages I have received by email and text) that there are so many people praying for us.
I'm so thankful to have my own room, something normaly given only to private paying patients! I also accept fully that the all wise God has seen fit to force me to rest for several days - I am thankful for that after all the stress of recent weeks. I'm still tired all the time and I don't have my appetite back yet. I'm trying to use the time to read but it tires me out quite quickly. I also continue to receive 3 bottles a day of antibiotics via IV along with a dose of tablets.
Claudia has been coming over in the morning's and helping me with all the things it's hard to do with one arm! She's the best nurse in the world.
Please pray for more strength for me and Claudia.

07 August 2007

Worse than we first thought

It turns out that they removed quite a large bag of infected fluid from around my elbow. They estimate I will have the drain on for at least 5 days so I will probably still have it on when we drive back to Binzen on Sunday. Then I will probably need more surgery in Loerrach (our local hospital) so they can go in and see if the infection has cleared up :(
I still have a huge plaster of paris on my arm with a tube coming out of it, I haven't yet been able to see the size of my wound.

Please, please include Claudia in your prayers. We praise God for His providence that Claudia's mum is also attending the camp. However Claudia is having to take several of the meetings I was planning to do, which is really adding to the stress of caring for the boys and visiting me twice a day. She's really feeling it, while at the same time we both know the value of these meetings for promoting our ministry and missions in general. (Nobody can say we didn't do everything we could to raise our support :)

Operation over but I will be in hospital until the weekend

I was operated on yesterday afternoon with a full anisthetic because of the danger of the infection spreading. I have just spoken with the doctor and he told me that they have taken out all the infected area under the skin in my left arm. However I will stay in hospital until the weekend because the drain has to stay in the wound. We plan to drive the 6 hour journey home to Binzen on Sunday. Please pray the wound will heal quickly and that there will be no complications. I am continuing to receive daily Antibiotics and fluids through IV drip.
I am posting to the blog from my phone but I can't read any messages on my blog.
I can check that mailbox from my bed
Thanks for upholding me in prayer. Gary

05 August 2007

I'm in Hospital

We don't know exactly what happened (bite, sting or infected cut), I was playing on Saturday morning with the boys in the sand at the playground in Brake Bible College (Germany) when my elbow started to itch and throughout the day the pain really increased. It swoll up and became very warm and very sore. I had high fever and vomiting so we went on Sunday morning to the out of hours doctor, who sent me to the hospital to pick up a rigid sling and antibiotics. However when the casualty doctor examined it himself he sent me up to the surgical ward. My arm is now in a half plaster. I have been receiving IV drips all day and they will probably operate tomorrow to remove the invected bag that has developed under the skin. This has all taken me a bit by surprise but God knows what is best. I was meant to be talking to 200 people tonight about our work and I was to take a seminar tomorrow. Hopefully I can get out midweek and catch up with the meetings ten. I'm sending this from my phone on my hospital bed. Thanks for your prayers.

04 August 2007

Ministering at Brake Family Camp






Deputation continues for us as we serve as the camp missionaries for another week at our former Bible College (Brake). We have been taking part in many of the meetings and seeking to enter into conversation with the other guests.
We are praying that good contacts will be made.
The kids are very happy and Joel is making daily improvements in his German.
As well as speaking to the different age groups we are also helping with practical things around the running of the camp. Manning a BBQ or helping organise team games is all part of it. Claudia's sister Tine is a doing her summer placement here with the 7-9 year olds before she graduates from the college in September. Claudia's mum and dad have been able to join us for a good part of the camp also. There are around 180 guests here (70 adults) with an additional team of around 60 (mostly Bible College students and staff) involved in the running of the camp.