July 4th in Kenya

Let me begin this note wishing you a Happy 4th. It was, of course, a regular work day here but prayers were offered for the US by the Kenyan doctor who led morning devotionals. But, the real celebration was last night hosted by the missionaries here. It was a good old American picnic with burgers, beans, slaw and a bunch of other goodies. Desserts included a cake decorated as a US flag. There was fellowship with an opportunity to meet more of the staff and visitors. The evening ended with singing of the national anthem and some firecrackers. Among those visiting was Mary Whelchel, head of the women's ministry at Moody (I don't know if we get her radio program in Memphis) who is leading a week-long seminar being attended by several hundred women. There is great hunger here for the Word of God and for an understanding of how it is to be incorporated into our daily lives. Another day of being humbled by God. Again, avoiding the medical details, I will tell you I was doing a procedure called ERCP, with the intent of placing a stent in the bile duct to relieve an obstruction caused by a cancer. This is something I've been doing for 30 years and is a area of particular expertise. Well, the stricture was so tight I could not remove the deploying devise through the stent no matter how hard I pulled. This has NEVER happened to me before. If the devise could not be pulled out in the usual manner, it would require surgery to remove. We always pray before each procedure but in this case, after 30 minutes of struggling, we stopped and fervently prayed for God's mercy on this poor lady to whom we were trying to offer some palliative relief. Five minutes later after some more effort, the devise pulled through! I knew I was here to be humbled, but I didn't expect it in this way. But, I should not have been surprised that He would have used a situation in which I normally feel confident to remind me of my constant dependence on Him. Praise God for His goodness and mercy! I have received some particularly helpful and encouraging notes from a couple of you who I know do not want to be recognized but I want to give you thanks and let you know what a blessing you have been. In Christ, Ed