This is just a short post to ask for your prayers. Two weeks ago, I (Melanie) came down with a really nasty flu-like virus and Peter and Jessah got it a week later. Looking back, we think Kaylah had it the week before I did. It’s been a high fever that’s gone on for quite a few days, body pain, cold symptoms, and major fatigue, among other symptoms. I’m definitely improving now but even after 2 weeks I’m not myself and my arms and legs are still feeling very heavy and exhausted. Both of us missed our church weekend away which was a huge disappointment. Peter wasn’t able to preach and teach as planned (praise God for a wonderful team at Trinity who stepped in to cover for him). Because of illness, I haven’t been able to go to the weekend away since 2018 . . . needless to say it was a hard pill to swallow. Before I went down with the virus, I had almost a full week of migraines, so I feel like I haven’t been able to do life normally for a long time.
We’d appreciate prayer for God to heal us and encourage our hearts. I’ve found this time to be quite dark, isolating and disheartening. It kind of feels like I will never get better as I’ve been house/bed bound for so long. We’d appreciate prayer that God would allow us to be healthy and ready for what he has ahead for us. Peter is meant to preach this Sunday at Trinity and has plenty of other church work and other projects he needs to attend to. He currently has a cracking headache and is still feeling really poorly. Please pray that God would protect others in our church from getting this virus (especially other leaders) and heal those who are currently sick. Peter is also supposed to be leaving on a trip to Albania on the 27th. This is the same day that Mariah and Joel leave for the USA where they will attend Hannah’s graduation, visit Aliyah and some other friends before we all meet in St. Louis on 26th May. Please pray for Mariah and Joel to be healthy when it’s time for them to travel (they still haven’t caught the virus – it’s one that definitely knocks you flat so travelling would be difficult).
Also, on another subject, the rule still hasn’t been lifted banning unvaccinated foreigners from entering the USA. So please pray earnestly with us that Peter would be able to enter and attend Hannah and Noah’s wedding on 3 June. Another practical request is that we are still looking to borrow a 6 seater vehicle to use while we are in the USA (26 May to 27 June). The Lord knows our needs and we are relying on him to help us.
In all of this, we are definitely feeling our weakness and deep need of the Lord in many ways. I was reading in a book this morning that “. . . desperate isn’t a bad place to be. Desperation can cultivate deep dependence on God.” It is our hope that this time of weakness and weariness is doing just that. We are reaching out for the Lord, knowing he is our only help and hope. Thank you for praying with us .
