Archives For Prayer Request

Mead Family – Covid Update no. 3

Melanie —  August 10, 2021

Good news!  Peter and I both seem to be improving.  Thank you so much if you were praying for us.  In my last post I said Peter was on day 10.  I was mistaken about that, as he’s actually now had Covid for 2 weeks.  I guess the days have all blurred together. We were able to speak to the Covid care team this morning and they are satisfied that Peter’s blood oxygen levels are OK and not of concern. This was really reassuring to hear as we’ve been confused as to what we need to be concerned about. While we are thankful for improvement, we are still very fatigued and not functioning normally yet.  I think Peter is especially feeling discouraged as he has been unwell for so long.  So we’d definitely appreciate your continued prayers to figure out how to pace ourselves as we recover. We realise our experience is being repeated many times over around the world and we are praying for all of our friends who are also suffering from Covid. It’s definitely not an easy road for many.

In other news, we were able to book our tickets to go to the USA in a few weeks.  Please pray for us as we plan our trip to be able to have the energy we need to prepare and then do the travelling.  We will be in touch more about our trip in the next weeks.

It’s not much fun being ill and weak, but we are trusting that in our weakness, God can shine through. I read these verses this morning.

27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him. 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”[d]

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Mead Family – Covid Update no. 2

Melanie —  August 8, 2021

Thank you so much everyone for praying for us.  We are so very grateful to you all.  First, the good news, Hannah made it safely to the USA and was able to spend one happy day with Noah yesterday before flying on to Oregon today. We are thanking God she had no issues with the travelling.  Please keep her in your prayers for her to be back to full strength soon.  She starts her 2 weeks of training today for her new resident assistant job on campus.  It was very hard to say goodbye and we all miss her very much. Second piece of good news is that all the Meadlings are recovered now from Covid and out of quarantine.  Pray for them to hold up well as they try to keep the home functioning for our family.

The not so good news is that I did end up getting Covid myself and have been feeling pretty rough. I’m now on day 6 – some symptoms are better but others not great.  Peter is on day 10 and still not improved much, if any.  We are both very exhausted.  Peter’s blood oxygen levels have been concerning at times, including tonight again, so I’m posting this to ask for some more prayer for him.  Please pray God to intervene and to bring a clear improvement in his symptoms.  Also I would appreciate prayer for his encouragement and for him to sense God’s presence with him.

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Mead Family – Covid Update

Melanie —  August 1, 2021

Kaylah and Jessah were so happy we didn’t get Covid until after their 3 weeks of riding lessons!

Well, we are five days into our family Covid isolation and we are thanking God for his mercies to us so far.  (See previous post for back-story) Aliyah’s been isolating much longer since she was a contact of a friend who developed Covid and she was the first of our family to get it.  She is almost 100% now, just has a small lingering cough, which didn’t stop her leading zoom worship for church today.  Hannah and Mariah and Joel are definitely improving, though they still have a little ways to go.  Kaylah and Jessah seem right as rain and so far I myself have no symptoms. Strangely, I was the only family member to get a negative PCR test. We’ll see what the coming days bring, but perhaps I’ve already had it and so have natural immunity?  I’m trying not to feel like a sitting duck!

Poor Peter is really miserable.  He’s definitely had the worst case out of all of us.  I can’t really remember seeing him this lethargic and unwell.  Please pray for him – for healing and patience and perseverance through this illness.  One of the other elders at Trinity and his wife both have Covid too so we’d appreciate prayer for them too. The other elder is on holiday with his family. Needless to say, church was online today with a pre-recorded message!

It certainly feels like we’ve been in a season of challenge, disappointments and discouragements.  The world around us all has changed so much and we believe there are genuine reasons to fear what might be ahead for us all.  We need our Father’s help to choose joy and gratitude and to keep persevering in serving the Lord no matter what storms are threatening around us. We have true hope in Christ, both for ourselves and to hold out to a fearful world around us.

Some practical prayer requests: (besides healing!)

Please pray for us as we book our flights to the USA very soon – we plan to travel there to see family and prayer partners and supporters at the start of September.  Despite uncertainties about travel and restrictions, we would like to book this trip by faith and we are asking God to pave the way for us to be able to see those we love face to face and re-connect with them.

Aliyah is also working on booking her flight to join the Logos Hope in the Bahamas at the start of September.  Please pray all the details can be worked out soon.  And for her last weeks here to be very precious even with all the disappointments and special events cancellations she’s had to endure.

Hannah has re-booked her flight to the US for next Friday.  There are also some paperwork details to be worked out so this can happen so please pray for this.  She will be stopping in St. Loius to see her boyfriend, Noah (for one day rather than the planned 5!) and then going onto Oregon where she will need to go straight into her training for her job as a resident assistant (student leadership).  Please pray she will have the strength she needs and be fully recovered by the time she leaves.

I was reading Romans this morning, including chapter 8, one of my favourite chapters in the Bible.  There are a myriad of incredible verses but I will just share a few which stood out to me as particularly relevant:

verses 22-23 – We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. (Yes! We are sharing in creation’s groaning . . . )

verse 28 – And we know that in all things (even Covid!) God works for the good of those who love him, who[i] have been called according to his purpose. (Thank you Jesus – this gives us hope.)

verses 35-39 – Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written:

“For your sake we face death all day long;
    we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”[j]

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. (Thjs is the truth, even if we don’t feel like a conqueror.  One day Jesus will come and defeat death and all evil and we will conquer with him.) 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[k] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation (including diseases, pandemics, tyrants, the loss of freedom or ANYTHING ELSE), will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

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