| Second Update on Our Special Prayer Request (8/7/2024) Saludos (Greetings) once again to our Family, Friends, and Supporters! It is always our prayer that our messages find you and your loved ones doing well! For the most part, we continue doing well and continue staying busy in the labors that God has entrusted us to do. As part of this, we have had two successful summer teams (one of 27 members and one of 16 members). At this moment, we have the first of two World English Institute (WEI) teams here. The two teams will be here for two weeks each, covering the entire month of August. We continue to ask you to lift all these efforts to the Father’s throne. It is always our goal to give God the glory in all that He allows us to do. Now, we move on to the main purpose of our message. We again start by saying thank you for your outpouring of love and support for us, especially for Hi, during this difficult time. God has definitely blessed us with a great family (family, friends, and supporters). Many of you responded to our messages concerning Hi’s health and we greatly appreciate this. Hawatthia would like to add a personal thank you for all the personal messages (iMessages, WhatsApp messages, phone calls, etc.) that you have given to him. Your love, concern, and generous offers to help us have been a great encouragement to him. Now, please allow us to give you an update. This was Hawatthia’s second visit to see a hematologist in the US. We were hoping the purpose of this visit would not be necessary for this medical journey. But as we reported in our last update, sadly, the results of all the first tests done by the hematologist at the Clearview Cancer Institute in Florence, Alabama were not conclusive enough to avoid these tests and to conclude that he does not have multiple myeloma (the blood cancer diagnosis that he received in Guatemala). So, Byron and Hi took a red-eye flight to the United States on a Wednesday and returned on the following Saturday. Hawatthia is doing his best to schedule these trips to have as minimal effect on the work as possible. He has also said that he was so grateful to have Byron accompany him. Many of you have asked about the tests. The doctor performed a bone marrow biopsy and aspiration, during which he aspirated some bone marrow and took a small piece of bone from Hi’s hip bone. Although they are very important, these tests are not the easiest tests to have done. When some have asked Hi to describe his experience, he says, “When you go into any event expecting World War VII, then only WW IV isn’t too bad.” 🙂 We will allow each of you to draw your conclusion of Hi’s assessment. 🙂 Thankfully, this part is over and now we await the results, that we will get next week. Thank you again so much for all your love, concern, and support. We will close this message with two items. First, we have some prayer requests. Please keep us, especially Hi, in your prayers in the following areas: Please pray for the success of all the areas here in Guatemala where God has allowed us to serve. We especially ask for the two WEI teams serving Guatemala during the month of August. Please pray for positive results from previous and current efforts.Please pray as we continue to work through this preliminary diagnosis of multiple myeloma. Please pray that Hi does not have this disease.Please pray as Hi and Byron travel back and forth to the US, especially for this next trip that will be taken next week.Our second item is to answer many of you who have asked about helping with the extra expenses that we are incurring as we are working together with Hi’s preliminary diagnosis. As you have mentioned and as others are aware, travel (airfare, food, car rentals, etc.) is not “cheap” these days. So, we graciously accept your offer to help. Since we do not know exactly what we will be spending, we just ask you to send any amount that you would like to send. And, as in times past, we will give a full accounting of what we receive for this purpose. Also, as in times past, if we receive more than we spend, the excess will go into the general Guatemala mission fund, unless we are directed by any contributor to do differently. If you decide to send funds, please annotate in some way that your contribution is for “Hi’s medical needs.” This will help us know what funds come in and will help give an account to you. Please send any funds to our overseeing congregation at: Kingsley Terrace church of Christ Attn.: Thomas Williams/Guatemala Mission 2031 E. 30th Street Indianapolis, IN 46218 Again, thank you, thank you, thank you for being who you are and for being so good to us with your love, concern, and support as we take this journey together. We will write again once Hawatthia and Byron return from the United States. Please pray for good news! We love and appreciate you! Con amor en Cristo, Hawatthia Byron and Snezana (and Jose and Alex) “Teaching the CENTRAL MESSAGE in CENTRAL AMERICA!” |
