Robbie Update 2 / Lynn Update

Robbie update 2:

Well, the doctors seem unwilling to take the risk of trusting Robbie's healing... They recommend going ahead and putting the plates in anyway. My mom is facing a very difficult decision because putting the plates in means less mobility in the future, and potential weakness to the 4 & 5 vertebraes, which are higher up and more dangerous than where the original fracture was. However, fosaking the doctors advice and trusting the healing theoritecially has the potential to leave Robbie with life-time injury...

Please pray for wisdom and guidance in making this decision!!

Lynn Update:

An incredible thing has swept in suddenly and drastically altered our schedule for this fall and spring. Lynn began his Masters degree several years ago through Asbury's virtual campus (online). He completed all the required credit hours except those which have to be completed ON Asbury's campus in Kentucky. The plan was that after I finished my internship, Lynn was going to finish his degree... However!!! God radically picked us up out of everything we knew and dropped us here :) He has made every provision and given every confirmation that we are in His will. All needs have been met and details worked out... except for the dilemma of how to finish Lynn's degree. (This is also a matter of honoring our church for their expectation that Lynn is working toward ordination, which requires an M Div. But we simply cannot afford traveling down to Asbury for modular courses for the next five years trying to finish up that way!!!)

Long story short... We've been talking with Acadia Divinity College since it's nearby (~1hr30min commute), but not getting anywhere and unsure whether or not that's the direction the Lord was leading. ADC has been in the midst of leadership transitions, etc so things were not looking good... Out of no where however, we received a call confirming that Lynn was accepted (classes had already started!!!), they had worked out a plan for Lynn to finish all his requirements within 1 year, and offered him a scholarship covering almost all of our tuition fees!!! So within two days, Lynn became a full-time student and is commuting down to the Valley for the remainder of his M Div requirements, assuming all goes well, to graduate the end of this year!!!

This is going to be an intense year, but we are so relieved to have this weight lifted off our shoulders and the confirmation that God is still in control, leading and guiding us as we honor Him. Praise His Name!!

Natasha

Robbie Update

Well, Tuesday came and went, and the doctors are "intrigued" :)

They took and X-ray, which unfortunately doesn't show a whole lot of detail, so a CT scan is scheduled for next week. The doctor said, it seems as though the dislocation (it was a fracture and disclocation) of the vertabrae may have somehow, maybe, slipped back into place...

They tested Robbie's motor skills, and there was no pain and perfect function in all areas of tested mobility. This is very unusual to the doctors since patients always have a lot of pain, cannot move, and end up needing surgery.

So, Robbie started high school yesterday, with a collar on (like a brace, but a soft faom-like material that frames his neck up to his chin and down onto his chest). Yay!!! The doctors are still investigating the situation, and are not releasing him with a clean bill of health until they see the CT scan next week, where they can view the vertebrae in better detail.

SO all is well, and God is good :)
Thanks for your prayers and encouragement!

Robbie

I have no idea how people started hearing about Robbie's accident, but here's the skinny :).

Well, being Robbie, (my adorably handsome, ridiculously talented, and endearingly clueless 14 year old brother), he was playing with friends at a pool trying to do some sort of "shallow" dive. Obviously, he didn't know what he was doing because instead, he went straight for the bottom!! He smashed his head into the bottom of the pool so hard he chipped a tooth and fractured a vertebrae in his neck, the sixth or seventh down I think. It was awful. He was in bed in the hospital, unable to move and wearing a neck brace. He's about to start his first year of high school and he's an allstar athlete (particularly hockey and football). The doctor gave Mom three options to choose from, all of which were terrible. God has been speaking to Mom, however, very intentionally about healing for some time now. She left Robbie to pray and ask God for guidance. She was simply not okay with any of the options given by the doctor!! She turned around and there was Robbie!! He had gotten out of bed and taken off his neck brace!! Mom rushed him back to bed, but he said, "Mom the pain stopped. I really think I'm healed." The doctor came back and Mom told him what happened. The doctor must have checked him over because he sent him home for the weekend. He scheduled another X-ray for Tues to be sure.

At this point, he's not doing anything until after the x-ray tomorrow. In the meantime, though, he seems to be radically healed!!! He can move and is not in pain. Just the fact that he's home without a neck brace on is evidence of something, since a fractured vertebrae requires intensive care, no movement, a neck brace for sure, and immediate treatment. I'll never know why God has his hand on our family as He does. Robbie has big dreams and God seems to be protecting Him for what He has in store down the road :) Isn't it wonderful to know that God loves us enough to redeem us even from our silly, careless mistakes?? We've all done those!! That's why he could say to the cripple, "What is easier to say, 'your sins are forgiven' or 'get up and walk'?"

Praise the Lord! I'll update after tomorrow's x-ray.
Natasha