Dear Friends,
One of the hardest things for us about being missionaries abroad is having to be away from our families. This is especially the case in a crisis.
We regularly pray for those in our families who don't walk with the Lord, or who have wandered from Him. Some of those we pray for the most are those who are young and whose faith, even if it has the chance to begin to flower, is often pulled at by the cares and concerns of this world.
One of these we pray for often is Carrie's cousin Ethan.
Ethan is 18, a senior in high school. Last Friday, after his last scheduled day of classes and exams, he invited many friends over to a pool party. He was going to dive into the pool, but at the last moment his foot slipped and, instead of taking a normal dive, entered the water awkwardly and at the wrong angle. His hit his head on the bottom, shattering a neck vertebra and severing part of the spinal cord, which left him paralyzed at the bottom of the pool. After he didn't come up for some time, his girlfriend dove in and pulled his head above water. He couldn't feel anything. They quickly called 911, and he was life-flighted to one of Pittsburgh's finest hospitals.
When he arrived at the hospital, the doctors were hopeful that they would be able to return use to his arms and hands, but upon surgery discovered that the damage was far more extensive than they had hoped. Only a miracle could restore movement in his upper torso now. Fortunately for us, we serve a God of miracles!
Ethan's prognosis looks very grim: he has already come to terms with never walking again. But if he could gain use of his hands and arms again he can still become a pharmacist, which has been his dream for years now. We are rallying all of our prayer supporters to EARNESTLY PRAY for the following:
1. Ethan would remain strong through all of this and come to the Lord in his time of need.
2. That the spinal cord would stop bleeding internally. As of now, there is nothing more the doctors can do to stop it.
3. That we would see a miracle that would amaze doctors and unbelievers alike--that he would at least gain feeling and use of his arms and hands and proceed to lead a "normal" life. And may God be given all the glory.
We are already thankful to hear that Ethan's lungs work on their own, so he should not need a respirator.
We are so grateful that God chose to spare Ethan's life, and we know that He has an eternal purpose in this, as hard as it is to accept. May God's love and grace surround Ethan and his family, as well as his girlfriend and classmates who will be graduating this week. And may many come to know Him in this tragedy.
Thank you for your constant prayers and support. It's times like these that we are so grateful to have you on our side! "The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective."--James 5:16
Hi, Carrie and Michael, I'll be praying for your cousin,Ethan. I know the Lord will be answering our prayers.
God bless you, Ramona
Posted by: Ramona Ives | June 01, 2011 at 12:42 AM