Only One Son – In the Line of Duty

UPDATE

Dear Friends and Prayer Partners,

We are praising the Lord for the good results from our daughter, Ginny’s recent major surgery!

The huge tumor, an angiomyolimpoma, was NOT malignant, and had not invaded as many areas as the doctors had feared.  They did have to remove about 20% of her kidney.

Our daughter, Debbie, was able to go from Carlisle, PA, to Maine to help out for a week, then, Barb went last week during her school’s Easter vacation.  Ginny’s church family sent in meals, which was a huge blessing and help.

Ginny is healing nicely and gaining strength daily.  We appreciate and thank all of you who have prayed.  We are indeed thankful to our wonderful Great Physician, “… Who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think …”

The Lord continues to open doors of opportunity.  One of Ginny’s nurses said her husband is a Portland Police officer … Barb gave her the “Only One Son” tract … she took it home to her husband and asked him if he remembered a Lewiston officer who was killed in the line of duty in 1988 … he remembered “David Payne” and what happened that day, and said he attended the funeral, and that it has affected his police career very much …

Ray went to the April 8^th monthly prayer and Bible study that the Lewiston officers continue to have … begun after a number of officers trusted Christ following David’s death.   The next weekend, there was a get-together with Bangor area officers who have traveled to Lewiston and now want to have their own monthly prayer and Bible study, and Ray met with them.  One of the officers present was in the police academy back in 1986 with David and remembered him well!

We also received an email from another police academy classmate who had recently found the website about David, onlyoneson.org.  Brian told us that he was hired on to Lewiston PD just three weeks before David’s death, and was working the day shift on that Saturday, July 23^rd, and responded to the calls for help with Sergeant Mike Kelly, who later became Lewiston’s Chief, and then Maine’s “Top Cop” – the Commissioner of Public Safety.  Brian is presently in law enforcement in the State of Connecticut.

Ray went to watch a lacrosse game that our grandson, Kyle, was playing in in Wiscasset last Saturday afternoon, and gave an “Only One Son” tract and a couple of Peace Officer For Christ magazines to a young Wiscasset officer who responded, “I remember you!  You spoke to our police academy class …” (about six or seven years ago!)

Ray continues the testing and monitoring of his physical problems following the World Trade Center/ 9-11 tragedy.  He had a two hour exam and monitoring a week ago in Albany.  Stopping for a quick burger at noon before the first test, he saw an Albany officer in line, who is also working with the new COPS Chapter.  While sitting at a table with the officer, a couple stopped by and the husband identified himself as a retired officer.  Ray spoke with them at their table later, and found out that they were believers, and were looking for opportunities to work with police officers … what a “coincidence” – right?!

This past Wednesday, there was another monitoring session for Ray to attend in Syracuse  – a five-hour session that was not able to be completed.  There will be another hour-by-phone session next week.  A nearby Denny’s provided a place to stop on the way in for a bit of lunch and there, at the next table, were ten U.S. Air Force personnel dressed in camo’s … an opportunity to give Only One Son tracts and a bit of appreciative “thanks” for what they do for us and our Country!

The nurses and doctors at the session were “open,” because each one wanted to know what happened on 9-11, and why I was there!   Exhausted???  Definitely – but in a good way and for a good reason!

To quote those TV infomercials, “… BUT WAIT … there’s more!!!”  But, we better stop here for now!

Barb’s doing well … in spite of her usual sinus and other physical problems.  She is encouraged because there are only eight weeks left in the school year!   Please continue to keep her in prayer!

The cardioversion worked well – but for only two days … the doctor says that despite the fact of being uncomfortable with the irregular heartbeat, it is not life-threatening, and life can go on “for another two decades” (smile, smile, smile)!

Again, thank you for your faithful prayers and support.  Our confidence is in the fact that God is still in control, and that He does all things well.    Psalm 37:3-7

In His Great Love,

Ray and Barb

II Timothy 1:12