Day 7 - Adventures and misadventures in Ft. Stockton

We left Van Horn, Tx early on Friday morning with visions of arriving at my dad's house in Houston by dinner. As we drove I recalled the last time I saw my dad at his house. It was July 12, 2007 and we were driving away to go to the airport to move to Albania. I will never forget the mixed feelings of excitement and sorrow. I was so excited to be moving to Albania b/c I knew that that was where God was calling us, but as I watched my dad wave goodbye with tears streaming down his face, I was sad to leave not knowing if I would ever see him again.

So, it was with great anticipation that I looked forward to arriving in Houston in just 8 hours to see my dear family.

However...
just a few minutes outside of Ft. Stockton, Texas the engine light/overheat light came on the dashboard of the RV. After 20 seconds the engine shut off automatically. Thankfully, we were able to pull off the highway in the shade of an overpass. So, here we are in the middle of nowhere, without a local cell phone, and not much knowledge of the mechanics of an RV. So, we prayed. After a few minutes the engine cooled down sufficiently for us to limp into Ft. Stockton. Actually, it was an enormous blessing that we broke down when we did, because if you have ever travelled from El Paso to Houston you will know that after Ft. Stockton there are a few hundred miles of not much of anything except tumbleweeds and open plains. We sure praised God for His perfect timing.

Thanks to the handy GPS that Kris's dad lent us we were able to find an RV repair place. However, because the RV has a diesel engine there was only one guy in the town that could take care of our RV but he was already booked for 3 days and could not take a look at the RV. We just kept praying. We knew that God knew our (tight) schedule better than we did and if He wanted us in Houston He would provide a way to get there. We pulled into the parking lot of the local Auto Zone store with a nearby Sonic (woohoo!). Hey, we still gotta eat, huh?

How good God is!!! The people at Auto Zone were so amazing. They called all over town for us to see if there was any other person that could help us out. There was one man who worked on diesel engines for an oil plant or something and he said he would come help us out after he got off work.

So, 3 hours later Gilbert showed up to see what the problem was. Yeah Gilbert!

3 hours and 3 more trips to the Auto Zone later Gilbert was able to fix the problem sufficiently enough to get us to Houston (we were praying so at least). He discovered that among other things the engine has overheated b/c of the 3 belts that were supposed to be driving the fan to cool down the engine only one of them was remaining and even it was not the right kind so it wasn't working efficiently. He replaced the belts and did some other things (you can tell that I am not fluent in "enginese"). All I know is that God sent Gilbert to us in our time of need. He was so kind and gracious to help us out - and he only wanted $40 for his time (we had anticipated him to charge us up to $200). We couldn't believe it! Along with our deep gratitude and a testimony to how God used him in our lives we gave him $60.

So, we were on the road again. It was after 6 p.m. and we had 7 hours to go before we arrived in Houston. We thought we would just drive through the night and arrive in the early morning.

However...

Just a few minutes outside of Ft. Stockton we heard this loud banging sound. I looked out the window and saw the awning (that is usually wound up and secured) on the side of the RV flapping in the wind and pulling the whole thing off the RV. So, we stopped on the side of the highway to see what we could do to remedy the situation. Unfortunately we could not unroll the whole thing and re-roll it b/c the latch to unfurl it was broken. We actually were laughing at the comedy of the whole thing. It just seemed too funny. We prayed and thanked God for these "light and momentary afflictions". We found some handy-dandy duct tape and taped the whole thing together and to the side of the RV. The other thing we discovered was that the the front windshield on the left side was gradually becoming looser and unseating itself. It was so loud in the RV that we could hardly hear eachother talking in a loud voice.
The wind was SO strong that I thought Kris was going to get blown off the top of the RV. The girls had a grand time playing around the area we stopped at. There was an old (early 1900's) historical stagecoach stop monument there (kind of funny that our "coach" or so they call RVs stopped there). They are so creative and took this great photo of their shadows (from left to right - Whitney, Sierra, Breanna and Kaitlyn).
Well, we got the awning partially secured but we had to drive under 55 mph to keep it from blowing away, the window from popping off, and to keep the engine from overheating again so our arrival time in Houston was looking like 3 a.m. After that long and tiring day we just figured that we would stop along the way and sleep and start again in the morning. However, we could not find a place to stop except a rest stop. We actually got the girls all ready for bed and quieted down and then Kris (very wisely I might add) decided that there were too many "creepy" people lurking around the rest stop and so we took off again. I was feeling really sick to my stomach and Kris was so tired, but God brought us safely to a small town an hour away and we just pulled up to a well lit, empty parking lot and crashed.

So ended a strange day filled with answered prayers.

Whitney's second surgical procedure in Greece - lessons in the fog

Precious friends and prayer warriors,

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23

Yesterday morning, as we drove out of Thessaloniki, Greece, we saw a spectacular sight. It was dawn, and the mountains surrounding the valley that Thessaloniki lies in were visible in the distance. The plane in front of us was lush green. In the distance the land was covered with a low-lying fog that ended as the purple mountains jutted out of the ground. The mountains were covered with sparkling white snow and behind these mountains God was painting a gorgeous sunrise with rich oranges and vibrant pinks. It was a breathtaking view! We all commented on how creative and magnificent God’s power is. Not long after that we drove into the mountain pass. Almost immediately we were surrounded by dense fog. We kept going on and on in this thick, cold murkiness. We began to discuss how easy it would be to think that the sun was not shining at all because the fog was so dark and we could hardly see the road in front of us. Every so often, the sun would penetrate the clouds allowing us a quick glimpse of the blue sky. We were thankful to know that the fog would end and that eventually we would come out on the other side of the mountain range to a sunny valley.

While we were in that fog, God reminded us of an important truth. These past months have been like that heavy, dark fog. There have been so many uncertain times and unknown endings. We have been moving forward in the vehicle of God’s protection, energized by the power of the Holy Spirit. We have not questioned that we were on the highway of His perfect will, but it didn’t change the fact that we could not see what was in front of us. It was even difficult at times to remember the majestic displays of God’s power that we have personally seen in our lives. Often we would find ourselves focusing on the dreary “sameness” of this small trial and our spirits would sag and match the grayness around us. But then God, in His lavish love, would break through that fog and pierces us with His Light at just the right time. It may just be for a short time and then we are back in the God ordained fog of a trial, but how merciful is that refreshing reminder that He is with us. His Light is still guiding us and He will bring us out of the darkness and into His glorious Light in His perfect timing. The profoundness of this visible lesson left us worshipping God, in tears.

This trip to Greece, for Whitney’s second surgical procedure on her right eye, has been like one of those breaks in the fog from God. We are overjoyed to be able to share with you what God has done! When we visited the doctor here in Tirana 2 ½ weeks ago the results of the visual acuity tests that he performed were not so encouraging. Although the hemorrhage was gone from her eye, Whitney’s vision was still at 20/200, the same as before the first procedure. We were told that Whitney’s vision might return to 20/50 where it was before the hemorrhaging began in early December. When we arrived at the ophthalmologist’s office in Greece on Monday, they performed this test again. How amazed and speechless we were when Whitney’s vision was confirmed at 20/30!!! This is the best vision she has had since the initial injury in August.

When the doctor performed the OCT scan of the retina, she said that Whitney’s results were very close to a normal, healthy scan. We sat there and looked at the healing power of God with tears in our eyes. Whitney’s retina and macula are still damaged and will always have residual problems (humanly speaking), but at this time she only has a slight myopia, or near-sightedness. And just to let Whitney know that He heard her prayer (she was the only one who prayed it), the doctor said that Whitney did not need that IV dye test this time. We all praised God right there in that office!

Whitney did have the second injection of Lucentis into her right eye on Tuesday morning. Thankfully, she also responded better to the anesthesia this time. We are praying that the combination of the three shots will continue to sustain the healing that God has brought about. We do not know how long these shots will maintain this level of eyesight, but we are thankful for the mighty work of God at this time in our lives.

Thank you for your faithful and fervent prayers for Whitney and for our family during these past months. He has answered your prayers in ways that are beyond all that we asked or imagined. We proclaim with David, “Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; His greatness no one can fathom. One generation will commend Your works to another; they will tell of Your mighty acts,” (Psalm 145:3-4).

We are scheduled to return to Greece at the end of February for the last of this series of procedures. During the intervening weeks we will take Whitney for a follow-up visit to the eye doctor here in Tirana and continue to monitor her vision.

Thank you for continuing to pray for us. It has been a tremendous thing for us to see and experience God’s answers to all of our prayers. We are so grateful to God for each of you.

Bondservants of the King,
The Stire family

19th Update on Whitney - Greece #1

Whitney with her ophthalmologist, Dr. Brazitikos and his partner, Dr. Sophia. They were so kind to Whitney and she really felt comfortable with them.



Here is Whitney in her pre-op garb. They gave her some "yummy" syrup to make her sleepy before the procedure.



Our family had a special time of prayer for Whitney on the morning of her procedure. Whitney loves to spend time with Kris and his prayer for her was so touching and Christ-centered.



It was such a treat for us to take the girls to Applebees restaurant. We don't have any restaurants with that type of food and it was fun to hang out together.




Faithful prayer partners,


Greetings in the Lord from Tirana, Albania. We are back home from our trip to Thessaloniki, Greece for Whitney's eye procedure. We apologize that we didn't get this out sooner but due to Internet issues and Christmas, we were not able to send an update sooner.


The time that we spent in Thessaloniki for Whitney's medical care reminded us that God is sovereign over history and the intimate details of each of our lives. Watching the sun set over the same ocean that Paul stood by nearly 2,000 years ago inspired us to recall the Lord's tender care for His servants. We even saw some ancient archaeological arches; although the girls were much more interested in the "golden arches" of McDonald's.


On Monday, December 22, Whitney had her first appointment with Dr. Brazitikos, who is a professor of ophthalmology in Greece. He performed numerous tests and even did an IV angiogram of the vessels in her eye (he injected dye into her veins which then traveled to her eyes). We were then able to see very clearly the subretinal neovascular membrane that is affected by the hemorrhage in her eye. The doctor told us that he has high hopes that he will be able to treat her condition with good results because we caught the hemorrhaging in the early stages. We glorify God that He brought it to our attention when He did. The doctor's treatment plan is to inject a medicine for macular degeneration directly into the affected area of the eye for 3 months in a row. We will be driving to Greece again at the end of January and February for this surgical procedure. His hope is to avoid having to perform laser surgery which has the potential to cause more damage because of the close proximity of her injury to the vision center of her eye.


On Tuesday morning Whitney went to the one day surgical center for the first of these injections. The procedure took only a few minutes. However, we spent quite a few hours recovering in the hospital because Whitney did not respond well to the anesthesia she received. She was in quite a bit of pain and was disoriented. Thankfully the anesthesia was out of her system within a couple hours after she was discharged and she was feeling back to normal. Whitney's vision has not improved at this time, but we are praying that the combination of the three shots will reduce the hemorrhage and halt the degeneration of the affected area of her eye in order for her to recover some of the vision that she had two weeks ago. We will follow up with our ophthalmologist here in Tirana next week to monitor her intraocular pressure and to make sure there is not any infection.


Thank you all for your fervent prayers for our family as we travelled to and from Greece. God worked in a mighty way in answering our prayers at the border crossing back into Albania. We had been told that the line is sometimes 1-2 days long during this time of year! We were praying fervently and had a letter from Whitney's doctor that strongly suggested that Whitney be allowed to pass through the border quickly due to her medical issue. When we got to the border there were over 100 cars in line. After Kris spoke with three different Greek border agents, we were able to pass right to the front! We were in Albania in 45 minutes instead of the hours it would have taken. What a powerful God we serve. It was a tremendous opportunity for our girls to witness God's might, and to see first hand that He hears and answers our prayers.

We are so thankful for your continued prayer support. Here are some specific prayer requests regarding this situation.

* Pray that Whitney would not have any latent adverse reaction to the drug injected in her eye (like increased pressure in her eye or an infection).
* Pray that the hemorrhage and build-up of fluid in her eye would decrease, and that the medicine would have its intended results.
* Pray that the subsequent procedures in January and February would stop this degeneration of her macula so that she would not have to have the laser surgery.
* Pray that Whitney would regain some of her vision. Her far vision has not been greatly affected by this hemorrhage, but her near vision is severely reduced which affects her reading.
* Pray that we would have the opportunity to share the gospel with the Greek doctor and his staff since God has orchestrated that Whitney needs this continuation of care for at least the next 2 months.
* Pray that Whitney would not be afraid of or resist the next procedure due to the fact that this last one was rough on her and she remembers the post-op pain quite well.
* Continue to pray for Whitney's spiritual health and salvation.
* Pray that our insurance would cover all the doctor bills and hospital charges related to these procedures.


During our time in Greece, God used the situation to highlight His mercy to us and teach us some important lessons. Waiting rooms are interesting places. They strip away the veneer of our control and reveal our true heart and raw emotions. Hopelessness, fear, impatience, anxiety, relief, and joy are all displayed by those who find themselves in waiting rooms. Even with language barriers it's obvious to see the feelings that are common to human kind. While we were in the surgical waiting room as Whitney had her procedure we heard over the hospital sound system the familiar Christmas song proclaim, "Joy to the world, the Lord is come, let earth receive her King. Let every heart prepare Him room." Looking around at the peoples faces in the waiting room we could see every emotion but joy. At that moment thanksgiving and joy flooded our hearts in light of the reality that Christ had been born for US. He redeemed US through His death and resurrection. The peace that we were experiencing, sitting in the same waiting room with all of these other people, was only possible through Christ. In that waiting room, John 14:27 and 15:11 brought great comfort. "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. I have told you this so that My joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete." Our hearts were broken for all those "sitting in the darkness and the shadow of death" upon whom the Light of the "Sunrise from on high" has not yet brought peace and salvation (Luke 1:78-79). How undeserving we are to have the right to be called children of the King and co-heirs with the Light of the world (John 1:12), but we praise Him for His sustaining grace that brings us such joy and hope.


Thank you for your continued prayers and support of our family as we have the privilege of watching our great God work through this trial in our lives.



Bondslaves of the King,

The Stire family

18th Update on Whitney - lessons in trust

All the girls love to help with decorating the Christmas tree. Here is Whitney when we were all done with the tree and the stockings.








Whitney and the rest of the girls did a fantastic job singing and making melody to the Lord for their school Christmas program. Whitney loves to sing.



Loving family and friends,

As always, we are so thankful for your continued prayers for Whitney. We have been reminded again, this week, of how God graciously and magnificently intervenes in our lives to accomplish His will.

On Monday morning, when Whitney was doing her home eye test, we noticed that the vision in her right eye was significantly reduced. Our retinal specialist in Houston had told us to be on the look out for changes of this nature and so we contacted him immediately with this new development. He recommended that we have Whitney checked out by the ophthalmologist here in Tirana as our first course of action. However, our ophthalmologist in Tirana was out of the country for a few days and was not able to check her status until Thursday. During those intervening days God comforted us and encouraged us with Psalm 37:5, “Commit your way to the Lord, trust in Him and He will do it.”

Today, Thursday, Whitney had an appointment with the Albanian eye doctor. He confirmed that her vision had indeed reduced from 20/50 to 20/200 in the past 3 weeks. Upon further examination he noticed obvious hemorrhaging in the eye and some fluid build-up behind the retina. After a thorough exam he recommended that we have a procedure done that would require an injection of medicine directly into her eye. We are unable to have this procedure done here in Tirana because of the lack of specialized care and equipment. The doctor was concerned that we have this procedure done as quickly as we could to avoid further damage to the eye.

Thankfully, we were able to contact the retinal specialist in Houston and e-mail him the photos of the new eye scan performed today. Praise God for Skype and e-mail! He agreed with the Albanian doctor’s diagnosis and treatment. The procedure that Whitney needs is a quite common procedure for adults, but is not done often on small children so there is more risk for her. The doctor informed us that this injection would most likely need to be performed two times, within a month of each other and that she may even need to have laser surgery at the second injection. If Whitney and I returned to the states for this procedure we were looking at a minimum of a 5 week stay. I have to say that I was not looking forward to leaving my family during Christmas and being gone for over a month after we had already been separated for a month just recently. Kris and I brought the whole situation to the Lord and asked for His wisdom and direction. What a privilege to watch the Almighty God at work!

He clearly directed our path to Greece. Our retinal specialist in Houston asked some respected, internationally renowned ophthalmologists if they knew a qualified and specialized doctor in Greece that they could recommend for us. Greece is a 10 hour drive for us and quite a bit less expensive than travelling to America. Those doctors all recommended the same doctor in Thessaloniki, Greece! The doctor in Houston even called the doctor in Greece personally to talk with him about Whitney’s situation and to find out if the doctor was qualified to perform this kind of procedure. Our doctor was able to recommend the Greek doctor with full confidence. What an answer to prayer!

So, on Sunday afternoon our whole family (yeah, we don’t have to be separated!) will drive to Greece. On Monday Whitney will have her pre-op check up and then on Tuesday morning she will have the surgical procedure at a superb eye clinic. The doctor said that if everything goes as planned and she has no complications, we will be able to leave on Wednesday morning and be back home to celebrate Christmas at our house. Wow!

We would ask that you continue to pray for Whitney. Here are some specific things to pray for:
• Pray that God would protect Whitney’s eye from further trauma and from increased pressure in her eye until we can get to the doctor in Greece on Monday.
• Pray that the hemorrhage would cease bleeding into her eye and that the fluid build-up behind her retina would not cause any problems between now and the time of her surgery.
• Pray that we would have safe and quick trip from Tirana, Albania to Thessaloniki, Greece. The roads in Albania are not very good and crossing the border can be notoriously difficult.
• Pray that God would give the doctor wisdom and skill to perform this invasive and dangerous procedure without any complications.
• Pray for Whitney’s spiritual redemption. Kris and I have been praying more and more for her as we see a general lack of spiritual interest in her. It seems God is drawing her with cords of loving kindness to Himself. Pray that she would submit to His call. What a tremendous Christmas it would be to see the life of Christ born in her!
• Pray for the salvation of the doctor and his staff in Greece. It seems that God has opened the doors many times for me to share the hope of the gospel with Whitney’s care givers. Pray that they would have sensitive hearts and that Kris or I would take any opportunity God presents to share the gospel. We will be in the ancient city of Thessalonica, Greece where Paul preached and a large number of Jews, Greeks and prominent women were saved (Acts 17). Hopefully, we won’t be run out of town like Paul was. :-)
• Pray that we would use this situation to highlight “God with us” for our girls. Kris and I have been praying about a way to refocus our family’s eyes on Christ during this season when it is easy to find satisfaction in things rather than in God Himself. God has answered that prayer.


Thank you so much for remembering us in your prayers during the next few days. We will send you an update after Whitney’s visit with the doctor in Greece.

“Morning by morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; morning by morning I lay my requests before You and wait in expectation.” Psalm 5:3

Resting in Him,
Chelle, for the Stire family

17th update on Whitney Stire

Dear praying friends,

Thank you all for your faithful intercession for Whitney and for our family. We have been encouraged by so many of you that have e-mailed us in the last month asking about Whitney’s condition and letting us know that you are continuing to pray for her. You are ministering to us in a mighty way. Thank you!

Last Sunday, November 30th, Whitney had her first check-up with the eye doctor in Albania since we returned home from America. Over the past 2 months we have been checking her vision every couple of weeks with a home eye chart and monitoring the blind spot in her central vision. The retinal specialist in Houston told us that Whitney’s eye would continue to heal from the trauma in the 3-4 months after the injury. His hope was that these past couple of months would bring increased vision and that the blind spot would disappear. It has been a little over 3 months since her accident and we are thankful that Whitney has the ability to see at all. However, her vision has not improved much since we left the states in October. She still has only about 50% of her vision in her right eye. This is such a blessing and we are truly grateful to the Lord for this mercy in her life because she could have been blinded so easily.

We praise God that although Whitney’s blind spot has not gone away, it is lightening up more. She says that in the light she can see some things through the spot. In low light it is still dark and obstructs her vision fully in the center of the eye. However, the ophthalmologist was encouraged that the hemorrhage in the retina seems to be dissipating, although slower than we had anticipated.

The eye doctor here in Tirana also took a fundus scan of the inside of her eye. The scar that is clearly visible in this scan has changed some since her last scan in Houston. The scar has thickened and widened some and is closer to obstructing her vision. At this point it is not causing impaired vision, but the doctor here and the retinal specialist in the states are recommending this scan to be done every 2 months in order to watch it closely for further activity. Thankfully, the scan is digital and we can send all the results to the specialist in the states for him to review. God is so good to allow us that extra measure of confidence in her care. Both doctors are encouraged that her vision is as good as it is, but want to maintain a constant watch on that scar in the macular area of the eye. We will also need to travel to Greece or to Turkey in April to have a specialized eye test done that we do not have available here in Albania.

All in all, we are happy to report that Whitney is doing great and her decreased vision is not dampening her activities or her spirits at all. We praise the Lord for how He has shown Himself to be our Sovereign Father and
Faithful Solace. We do appreciate your continued prayers for Whitney’s recovery. Here are a few things to pray about:
• Pray that the scar in Whitney’s eye would maintain its present size and density. If it remains as it is, Whitney will not have any repercussion from it. However, if it continues to grow or if any of the tissue grows up through the scar then she will have immediate decreased and distorted vision. This would require surgical care.
• Pray that Whitney’s eye would continue to heal and that her vision would improve.
• Pray that God would continue to use this situation in Whitney’s life to draw her into an intimate and saving relationship with Him.
• Pray that we would have the opportunity to share the gospel with the eye doctor here in Tirana. We will be seeing him every couple of months and do not want to waste this “appointment” from the Lord to share the hope of the gospel with the doctor and his staff.

Psalm 107:22, “Let them sacrifice thank offerings and tell of His works with songs of joy.”

On Thanksgiving I was reflecting on what things I was most thankful for over the past year. It may sound odd, but Whitney’s eye injury was right up there at the top of the list. God used these circumstances to remind me in tremendous and obvious ways how BIG He is and how sovereign He is over ALL circumstances and the plans and thoughts of man. I am truly grateful for the privilege of seeing Him work in my life and in the life of our family in such intimate ways.

I was reading in Hannah Hurnard’s book, “Hind’s Feet on High Places”, and came across this great quote. “As Christians we know, in theory at least, that in the life of a child of God there are no second causes, that even the most unjust and cruel things, as well as all seemingly pointless and undeserved sufferings, have been permitted by God as a glorious opportunity for us to react to them in such a way that our Lord and Savior is able to produce in us, little by little, His own lovely character…Every acceptance of His will becomes an alter of sacrifice, and every such surrender and abandonment of ourselves to His will is a means of furthering us on the way to the High Places to which He desires to bring every child of His while they are still living on earth.”

Joyful in the journey,
Chelle Stire (for the Stire family)

The Path of Suffering

This is an article that Kris wrote for our church's bulletin on October 12th.

The Path of Suffering

There are many subjects found in the Bible that Christians enjoy studying. Unfortunately, suffering is not one of them. I say unfortunately because I believe that many Christians lack a biblical understanding of suffering. They don’t like suffering, they don’t want to think about suffering, and so they aren’t prepared when they find themselves on the path of suffering. On the 31^st of August, my daughter Whitney threw a stick into a tree to knock down some beautiful flowers high amongst the branches. As she looked up to see if any flowers were falling, the stick struck her right eye causing substantial damage. Whitney has visited many doctors in three different countries to receive medical care. Currently, she only has 40% of her peripheral vision in her right eye, and five weeks after the injury her vision has not improved.

This has become a significant trial in the life of our family as we consider the health and future wellbeing of our daughter. I must admit, I have been tempted to wonder why my good and loving God would allow such a horrible injury to happen to my child. Why would He allow our family to suffer like this? How easy it is for me to praise God when the circumstances of life are good, and yet I know from God’s word that God is just as good and just as worthy of my praise when He purposefully allows and even causes the circumstances of my life to bring suffering (Job 2:10). Even Christ acknowledged that a man was born blind so that “the works of God might be displayed in him” (John 9:3). Jesus did heal this man’s blindness, but God used the path of suffering in this mans life to prepare him to place his faith in Christ alone. This eternal blessing of salvation far outweighed the suffering of a life of blindness.

God also brought Joseph along the path of suffering. He was sold into slavery, falsely accused of assaulting his masters wife, and left to rot in a jail cell. Genesis 50:20 records how years later, Joseph realized the Lord had taken him down the path of suffering to prevent the death of thousands from famine. What Joseph’s brothers meant as evil, “God meant it for good.” When God places us on the path of suffering, we must remember that He is still in control, still good, and still able to use the trials of life for our good and His glory. I may never know why God allowed Whitney’s eye to be injured, but I do know that I must embrace suffering, trusting that my sovereign God will cause “all things to work together for good” (Rom 8:28). May we strive to “consider it all joy” as we travel the path of suffering. “Knowing that the testing” of our faith will produce an endurance which will perfectly result in us becoming more like Christ (James 1:2-4). May the Lord use suffering to drive us closer to Him (1 Pt 4:14; 2 Cor 12:10).Kris Stire

14th Update on Whitney

Written on October 7th

Dear prayer warriors and friends,

“Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name.” Hebrews 13:15

It is with a heart overflowing with joy and thanksgiving to God that I write this update. God worked in amazing ways at Whitney’s doctor’s appointment today. We have so many things to offer up as a sacrifice of praise.

1. God gave me the privilege of sharing the gospel with one of the nurses, Michelle! Thank you for your faithful prayers for the opportunity to be a witness and for the hearts of the doctor and care givers. Michelle is a non-practicing Catholic. She has just recently bought a Bible, but has not begun to read it yet. It was a true joy to be able to share the hope of the gospel to her and to encourage her to read about the Living God in His Living Book. She had such a receptive and hungry heart.
2. Whitney’s vision was improved today! She was able to read most of the letters on the 3rd line and some of the 4th as well. God is exceedingly good to us!
3. The doctor was very encouraged by Whitney’s recovery up to this point and is anticipating that the procedure that he will perform tomorrow will greatly reduce her chances of developing the most dangerous problems associated with this injury – increased vascularization to the back of the eye that causes pressure, glaucoma and cataracts. I feel so relieved and much more confident to return to Albania on Sunday knowing that Whitney’s eye has this extra bit of protection for the next 3-4 months. Those months are the most important time of healing and would be the most probable time that she would encounter the vascular issues. The procedure tomorrow will involve injecting a steroid behind her eye, into the retina, while she is under general anesthesia. At this time, he will also be able to perform a more careful examination of her retina to ensure that she does not have any damage that has been overlooked.
4. God is again providing for us so graciously by having our insurance cover the cost of this surgical procedure. After the billing lady at the doctor’s office told me that piece of good news I was just having a little praise session in the room. When the doctor came in, and saw me in tears, I was able to share with Him how extravagantly My God had provided for us during this whole situation and how God had used him to be a part of His provision for us. I am praying that the Lord would use that testimony of the sovereignty of God to draw the doctor to Himself.
5. Whitney and I had a superb conversation today about sin and prayer. I was so encouraged that she began to specifically name what she had done today that was sin and then to ask God to help her know her sins so that she could ask God to forgive her. I am so thankful that God is opening her eyes to see who God is and who she is and how she should relate to Him.

We are so thankful for your faithful prayers. As we see God answering these prayers so specifically and spectacularly it causes us to say, “You are great and do wondrous deeds; You alone are God” (Ps 86:10). Please continue to pray that:

1. God would protect Whitney during her procedure tomorrow. She is scheduled to be prepped for this out patient surgery at 9 a.m. and then undergo the procedure at 11 a.m.
2. Pray that she would respond well to the anesthesia.
3. Pray that God would give the doctor wisdom as he performs this very delicate procedure and that he would be able to determine if there is any other injury that needs attention.
4. Pray for the nurse, Michelle. Pray that God would grant her repentance and that she would respond to His call on her life with faith in His saving work on the cross.
5. Pray for Kris’s health. He is feeling some better, but continues to struggle with the flu. I am so thankful that God has encouraged Kris’s heart and taught him so much during these days of separation. I can’t wait to go home and learn from him all that God has been doing in his life.
6. Pray for Kaitlyn, Whitney and Sierra. They are definitely going through “mommy withdrawals”.
7. Continue to pray for Whitney’s heart to be soft to the Lord.

My own heart has been so impacted by this situation. God has cared for me and taught me about His love in such intimate ways over these past 5 weeks. I think that one night in Turkey will stand out in my mind for the rest of my life. As I watched Whitney wrestle with her pain, my heart mother’s heart cried out to the Lord. I knelt by her bed and wept and begged God to take away her pain because it was so hard to stand by helplessly as she writhed in pain. I wanted to take that pain on myself if she could be spared. It was as that moment that God’s perfect love for me became so real. I recognized that He watched His own Son in unspeakable agony on the cross. God the Father could have spared Christ from that pain in His absolute power, but He didn’t. He didn’t rescue His own Son, in order to rescue ME! That just rocked my world. I don’t know if I had ever realized before how great His love was for me, a totally unworthy and depraved sinner. It was a profound moment for me. I think it was even more amazing because over the course of this past year God has been stripping away the veneer of spirituality and self-righteousness in my life. To be honest, this past year has been a tough year for me spiritually. I have felt dry and isolated and it seemed that not only was I physically in a foreign land, but spiritually as well. It was God’s abundant mercy that brought me to my knees in Turkey that night. When I look back over the e-mail updates that I wrote during those days I have thought to myself, “Who wrote those e-mails with such trust and hope and joy because I know, more than ever, that I am riddled with unbelief, doubt and discontent.” It was God alone! He carried me and has continued to carry me through these days. If anything good or praiseworthy has come out of this time I am certain that it was “from Him and through Him and to Him…To Him be the glory forever. Amen!” (Rom 11:36)

At the foot of the cross,
Chelle Stire

13th update on Whitney

Written on October 3rd, 2008

Dear praying friends,

Yesterday Whitney saw the eye doctor again. After two weeks of healing time, he wanted to see how the hemorrhage was progressing and if her vision was improving. I went into the appointment confident that we would have a great prognosis. In the intervening days she had returned to her normal level of activity (playing with friends, doing school work and even swimming with the doctor’s OK). I have been asking her every day about the blind spot’s size and density and monitoring her level of vision. I was really encouraged that she seemed to be regaining her vision. I was even thinking that we might be able to return to Albania a week earlier than we had anticipated. Therefore, I was really surprised when the doctor tested her vision and instead of having 40% vision or better, she actually could only see one letter on the second line of the vision chart (about 20%). In order to check into this further, he had us go to another facility to receive a specialized test. The results of this test showed that her hemorrhage was smaller than two weeks ago. We praise God that when the doctor did his office exam he was encouraged that her eye actually looked better than it had at the last appointment and that the test corroborated this. It seemed that everything was pointing to better vision, not worse.

I have to admit that at that moment I began to wonder what God was doing. In God’s extreme goodness I had read these words from Jesus, to a parent whose child was sick beyond human intervention, “…All things are possible to him who believes. Immediately the boy’s father cried out and said, ‘I do believe; help my unbelief.’”(Mark 9:23-24) I still don’t understand what God is doing in this situation, but I am so thankful that “The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, and He knows those who those who take refuge in Him.” (Nahum 1:7).

In response to this change in Whitney’s vision, the doctor has decided to give her an ocular steroid shot on Wednesday. This is an outpatient procedure that will require her to be under general anesthesia while they inject steroids behind her eye into the retina. The steroids will cushion the area of hemorrhage and inhibit increased blood flow and pressure to that area over the next 3-4 months. We will then need to go back to Turkey to have the OCT scan performed in order to make sure that the retina is fully healed. Next Tuesday we will see Dr. Khawly, in preparation for the procedure, and he will retest her vision to see if there has been any change.

God has been using other things, as well, to cause us to lean on Him and trust Him during these past two weeks. Ever since I left Albania Kris has been sick. God has been blessing Kris with extra strength to handle sickness, an intense work schedule, the girls’ schoolwork and carpooling, as well as all the housework. Thank you for your extra prayers for him.

In addition to these things, Whitney’s dog, Oreo, ran away from home last week. This was an especially hard blow for Whitney because she was so looking forward to going home to Oreo’s kisses. I praise God that I could use this loss to remind her that God is actively trying to get her attention. He has continued to pursue her and to call her to Himself. It is encouraging to hear her pray that God would bring Oreo home. I am praying that God would answer her prayer so that she would know that He loves her, He hears her, and He answers her prayers.

We do have a major praise and answer of prayer to report. The insurance company IS going to pay for the air ambulance to Turkey! This is a really big deal because they were originally not going to pay for this large expense because it was not a “life or death” situation. They will also cover the doctor bills and hospital charges, minus our deductible. God is our extravagant Provider!

We would appreciate your continued prayers for our family.
1. Pray that God would heal Whitney’s eye and restore her vision.
2. Pray that God would protect Whitney during her procedure on Wednesday. Pray for her to respond well to the anesthesia and the steroid shot. Pray that she would not have any adverse reaction to the invasive procedure.
3. Pray for our witness to the doctor and to his staff.
4. Pray that God would heal Kris and continue to be his support and strength.
5. Pray that Whitney would submit to the call of the Lord on her life.
6. Pray God bring a little lost dog home and magnify His glory to a little lost girl.

We continue to thank God for your love and support during these past weeks. We have been so encouraged by your faithful prayers for us and for the ways you have loved us so practically. Thank you.

Amazed at His goodness,
Chelle Stire (for the Stires)

11th update on Whitney

Today, I was finally able to connect to my blog site and catch up on the updates about Whitney's eye injury. I added updates #7- #11. I will continue to keep everyone up to date on her progress and any other developments as they arise.

Thursday, September 11th


Here is Whitney in the Istanbul airport enjoying one last Starbucks. We had quite an adventure just to get to the terminal. In Albania, most people do not have an address and as yet, there are not any delivery trucks like UPS to peoples homes. So, many Albanians go to Turkey and buy a huge load of goods for novelty shops, box them up and bring them, on the airplane, back home. The problem arises when they get to the ticketing agent and try to get their 10 HUGE boxes checked in with a 1 bag, 40 pound limit. They try to get by this, by asking every person in the line to take one of their boxes and check it in under their name. I was approached by three different people to see if I would be willing to take some of their boxes to the check in. Thankfully, I had a friend tell me that this would happen and I was prepared to say no. I was still quite unbelievable.


Well, Whitney and I are finally on the plane home. It was quite an adventure that God took us on and I have a feeling that we are not done with it yet. However, it was a journey that I thank God for.




Faithful friends and prayer warriors,

We are so thankful to God for His immense mercy to us these last days. I have been overwhelmed by His tender love and the way He has cared for us through His all-sufficient Word and through the body of Christ. We have received so many e-mails of encouragement and prayer support, verses to focus our eyes on Christ, and offers of help. I am still sorting through them all and trying to get back to all of you who gave so much to us in those ways. Whitney and I are going to make a scrapbook with all the updates we sent out, the e-mails that each of you sent to our family, and also all the pictures that we took on our “adventure”. I think it will be a tremendous way for her to look back at God’s faithfulness towards her in the years to come.

Praise God that He answered our prayers for a safe return home. There were a few tense moments when some strange men in the taxi area at the airport tried to convince me that they knew the shuttle driver for our hotel and that they would take us to the hotel. I just prayed fervently that we would be safe while we waited for the arranged hotel shuttle to arrive. Through all the taxi changes, language barrierissues, bag checks, and travelling on 9-11, we arrived safe and sound into the loving arms of Kris and the girls. It is so good to be home!

Before our discharge yesterday, we had our appointment with Dr. Oram. He was very helpful and answered many of my questions. Here is some of the information that I received:
* The doctor was cautiously hopeful about Whitney’s returning vision. He said that he is encouraged that her peripheral vision is slowly returning (it is at 40% now). He thinks that there is the possibility that she may recover 60-70% of her peripheral vision, but he could not give any assurance of the recovery of the vision in the center of her eye.
* I asked the Dr. is he would tell me more details about the specialized eye test (OCT) that Whitney had performed last Monday. He pointed out that in the retinal area she has some blood build up. He also showed me that there was a definite tear in the retina. We will be consulting with a doctor in the states about the retinal tear and the ramifications of this injury.
* There remains, as well, the hemorrhage in the middle part (or visual area) of Whitney’s eye that is causing the blindness in the center of the eye. I tried to ascertain from the Dr. about the possibility of a surgical procedure to clear out this hemorrhage if it does not dissolve on its own. He is hesitant to do any invasive procedure in this very delicate and vascular area because of the possibility of doing more damage than good. He is thinking that it would be better for Whitney to live her life with her impaired peripheral vision and no vision in the center of her eye than to risk disturbing the hemorrhage with surgery. He will reconsider doing surgery if her eye or vision worsens over the next 3 weeks.
* There is still the real possibility that she can have a secondary hemorrhage that would cause more severe damage or complete blindness. During the next 3 weeks Whitney may return to school, but she can not participate in any vigorous activity that would cause this hemorrhage to burst. This will be a difficult task to accomplish; for Whitney, her parents, and her teachers.
* Our Turkish doctor has requested that we follow up with an Albanian ophthalmologist this Saturday who will examine her eye pressure, peripheral vision, and the status of the hemorrhage.

Whitney seems to be responding to her loss of vision quite well. She is mainly concerned with when she can go back to school and play with all of her friends. I am so thankful to the Lord for this acceptance on Whitney’s part. Many people have e-mailed with their own stories of vision loss and how they continue to lead productive and kingdom minded lives. These stories have been so encouraging to us as we look at the very real possibility that Whitney will never have her vision fully restored in her right eye.

As we prepare for the next three weeks of Whitney’s recovery time we ask that you continue to pray for these things:
1. Pray that the hemorrhage would dissolve on its own and that this would lead to the recovery of sight in the center of Whitney’s eye.
2. Pray that the hemorrhage would not rupture or cause any secondary effects as Whitney begins to assimilate back into her normal, 9 year old life.
3. Pray that she would remember the directive of the doctor to avoid vigorous activity, playing rough, and causing jarring movements to her head. All of these are fairly subjective so I don’t really know what her limits are.
4. Pray that we would be able to consult via email or phone with an ophthalmologist in the states to find out more about the retinal tear. We did not receive a satisfactory answer from the Turkish doctor about this aspect of Whitney’s injury.
5. Pray that God would give us wisdom to know if there is anything else we need to do to help correct or prevent more injury.
6. Pray that our insurance company would treat us fairly and pay the expenses that are truly covered under our policy. They have communicated to us that because Whitney’s injury was not “life or death” that some of the expenses incurred in her treatment might not be covered.
7. Pray that Whitney’s heart would continue to be softened to the Lord. In that same vein, pray that we would take the opportunities to reinforce all that we taught her and that we learned in the course of this trial. I don’t want her to just get past this difficulty and then go on business as usual.
8. Pray that each of our girls would see God’s glory and sovereignty through this circumstance.
9. Pray that Kris and I would not allow the day to day activities of life to drown out the lessons that we have learned during this time. We desire to continue to be as desperate for Him each day of our lives as we were during this time of crisis.

I wanted to follow up with some news about the nurse, Eylem. The last 4 days that Whitney and I were in the hospital Eylem was off duty. I never got to see her before we left, share the hope of the gospel with her, or give her the Turkish Bible. I know that God put that burden for her salvation on my heart and so I will continue to pray for her and make it a point to visit her when Whitney and I return to Istanbul in 3 weeks. Who knows, maybe God will use the intervening time to prepare her heart to receive the Word with gladness. Please continue to pray for her salvation.

As Whitney and I drove out of Istanbul I looked over the city horizon and saw an astounding amount of Muslim mosque minarets (the attached photo shows just a glimpse of them). My heart just cried out for God to save these people from the blindness that has gripped them. The darkness of that land is so great and it is evidenced by the mosques that are every few blocks. I did not see one church steeple among the minarets that covered the city’s landscape. When speaking to a local missionary I was not even allowed to say the name of her mission organization over the phone because it is illegal to be a missionary and their phone lines are tapped. Please pray for the missionaries in the country of Turkey as they share their lives and the hope of the gospel to the people of this dark land.

Well, seeing as we are returning to life as “usual” for the next few weeks, this is our last daily update for the time being. I have to admit that I am a little sad that I will not be able to communicate each day with you like I have been for the past 12 days. God has blessed me in so many ways as I read your e-mails and received such courage, hope and joy from the love you extended to us. But, I will be continuing to give regular updates on Whitney’s eye, her spiritual health (as well as that of the rest of our girls), and lots of other things on our family blog at www.stiretestimonial.blogspot.com. Also, I know that some of you began receiving these prayer updates through a friend or at church and you may not be on our regular e-mail list. We send out a monthly e-mail update about our family and ministry as well as a letter by US postal service quarterly. If you would like to be a part of our mailing list, please contact us at www.stirealbania@gmail.com and give us your e-mail address and mailing address and we would be glad to add you.

As I close this last update, I would like quote a prayer by Betty Scott Stam, a martyred missionary to China. God has used Betty’s example of steadfast faith and abandonment to God to challenge me many times over the past 18 years, and He did again during this time of testing. We lift these words up as a daily prayer:

“Lord, I give up all my own plans and purposes, all my own desires and hopes, and accept Thy will for my life. I give myself, my life, my all utterly to Thee to be Thine forever. Use me as Thou wilt, send me where Thou wilt, work out Thy whole will in my life at any cost, now and forever. Amen”

Sustained by His gracious hand,
Chelle (for the Stire family)



!

10th Update on Whitney

Wednesday, September 10th


Here is Whitney outside the hospital after she was discharged. We were so thankful for the great care she received at American Hospital, but we were also really excited about getting to go home on Thursday.





This is a photo of some of the mosque minarets across the Istanbul skyline. They were just everywhere. It seemed that every few blocks there was another spire sticking up. There are 12 million people in the city that was the former capital or Christianity under Constantine. How greatly Satan how blinded these peoples eyes.


This is the Turkish flag.














Here is Whitney in our hotel room by the Istanbul airport. We enjoyed a splendid dinner at an authentic Turkish restaurant. We got a taste of traditional Turkish food and we listened to some live Turkish music being played on the sirtar. It was quite a cultural experience for us both.





Dear praying friends,

Chelle and I are truly grateful for the support, encouraging words, and prayers we have received from you. What a testimony of God's grace working through the church. We have been humbled by how many people have been faithfully praying for us. Thank you for entreating the Lord on our behalf.

I am pleased to report that as I write this, Chelle and Whitney are in a taxi headed to the airport hotel in Istanbul. They will spend one more night in Istanbul (as we couldn't find any available flights leaving tonight) and will fly home to Tirana Thursday morning. Whitney was discharged this afternoon with 40% of her vision restored. She still sees a large black dot when she looks out of her right eye, but her peripheral vision is less blurry today. Praise the Lord for His answered prayer. The doctor is hopeful that her eye will continue to heal and her vision will be fully or partially restored without surgery. Chelle and Whitney have been scheduled to fly back to Istanbul, October 6th, for a follow up visit with her eye doctor. Today, the doctor reviewed the high definition scan of Whitney's eye and confirmed that she does have a slight tear in her retina which he will check again in October. If her vision does not continue to improve then it is likely that he will schedule Whitney for eye surgery in October. We will continue to trust our Sovereign Lord's perfect plan for Whitney and rejoice that the Lord has heard our prayers.

"I sought the Lord, and He answered me, and delivered me from all my fears."
Ps 34:4

We will keep you updated with any new information.
May the Lord bless you as you seek to put Christ first in all things.

In Christ Alone,

Kris, for the Stires

9th Update on Whitney

Tuesday, September 9th


This is a photo of the sweet missionary, Sarah, that we have been in contact with here in Istanbul. She was so great to drive over an hour to come and visit us. She brought Whitney a box of Dunkin' Donuts too.


Sarah and I had such a great time of fellowship. Even though we have only known each other for a few days, we felt like we had known eachother for ages. We talked about the Lord's goodness in mission work, what we are learning about Him, our families and even her new romance (!). God was so good to bring her into our lives. Best of all, she brought 2 Turkish Bibles and a Turkish translation of "More Than a Carpenter".


Here is Whitney on the blanket that I finally finished knitting for her. She was so excited. It has taken me quite a few months to get around to finishing it. I guess I just needed a few days of uninterrupted time. I am glad that she finally got it during this special time together.



This is the entrance to the pediatric ward where we are staying. It is a really nice hospital and we are grateful to be in this wonderful facility. Thanks God!






Dear praying friends,

This morning I received the following, most fitting quote, from a sweet friend in Texas.

"In the end everything will be all right,
Nothing can harm you permanently;
No loss is lasting,
No defeat more than transitory,
No disappointment is conclusive.
Suffering, failure, loneliness, sorrow, discouragement and death will be part of your journey, but the kingdom of God will conquer all of these horrors.
No evil can resist grace forever."
-Brennan Manning, The Ragamuffin Gospel

I was so encouraged by these words. I was also filled with hope as it brought to mind the tremendous passage from II Corinthians 4:16-18 that calls us to “not lose heart…for our momentary and light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are unseen…”

Today was just a day of waiting. We did not have an appointment with the doctor, but will see him tomorrow. So, we have no new news to share with you all today. However, I did want to give you a couple of new prayer requests:

1. Pray for the insurance company to pay for all the medical costs, emergency air transport and hospital stay. We will submit all the doctors’ notes, tests results and bills when we return to Albania. Now we just pray that they will be able to discern the gravity of the situation and be willing to pay the full amount. Kris and I are confident that God will care for the financial aspect of this “accident” as He has shown Himself our Lavish Provider thus far.
2. Pray that God would work out all the details of the return trip to Albania. Whitney will probably be discharged in a couple of day. Then we will, more than likely, have to stay overnight in a hotel, get a taxi to the airport that is an hour away, and navigate the issues of travelling from one country from one country to another. There are quite a few details that we need to organize in order to get home.
3.Continue to pray for the healing of hemorrhage in Whitney’s eye and that she would not have a secondary hemorrhage while we are away from the hospital. I have a whole page full of questions to ask the doctor tomorrow and one of them is regarding the chances of disturbing this hemorrhage by travelling and resuming normal life (school, playing, reading, etc.).
4. Pray for God to provide opportunity to share the gospel with Dr. Oram and/or Eylem.

We are eternally grateful for your prayers for us. Through this whole experience, your love and prayers have given us great joy, comfort, and hope. We praise God for you!

Focused on eternity,
Chelle Stire

8th Update on Whitney

Monday, September 8th


Well, Whitney did a super job at the 3D scan of her eye. As a special treat we got to stop and get a Starbucks. This is an extra special thing because we do not have Starbucks in Albania. I have to admit that I was really glad to have a Pomegranate Peach Frappechino. YUM!!!



This is a photo of one of the MANY mosques that we saw from the window of the taxi as we drove to the other hospital to get the test. I was amazed at the amount of mosques there were. It was sad to see.


This is one of the side streets in Istanbul. The traffic was really bad and there are no seat belts in the taxis. I was just praying that God would keep us safe as we raced down these small streets in between bumper to bumper traffic. It was a really funny thing - we saw about 15-20 mannequin stores. There were just so many naked mannequins in the windows. Whitney and I thought it was pretty hilarious.



Beloved in the Lord,

Our family continues to be so thankful to the Lord for your loving support, encouragement and prayer during this past week (it seems like a month). Each day we are reminded of the beauty of the body of Christ as we experience the comfort and strength that you bring to us through Christ, our Head.

Thank you for your fervent prayers for Whitney and the specialized eye test that she had today. First of all let me give you a picture of what Whitney is seeing out of her right eye. Since yesterday she has been able to use her right eye some. After a whole week of darkness, it took a while to adjust to light and colors again, but soon she was looking out the window and in all the cabinets of the room. When I asked her what things look like from her right eye, she said that if she looks directly at something she just sees a big black spot, but that she can see things out of her peripheral vision. The doctor, in our visit with him this afternoon, said that the black spot that she is “seeing” is the hemorrhage. Thankfully, the vision around the outside of her eye is improved a little. She has about 25% visibility if she looks at something from the side. Basically, Whitney has just compensated with her left eye to see anything directly in front of her and is not using her right eye to see things in her direct line of vision.

The test that we had done today was a painless procedure that provided a cross sectional imagery of the retina. It was quite an adventure getting to get the test (we had to take a taxi by ourselves across the city and back with my 3 words of Turkish that I’ve learned in the last 5 day to help us – hospital, please and thank you). Praise the Lord, He directed us the right place and we got right in to see the eye specialist at the other facility. Once we had the test performed, we came back to our hospital to have the doctor look at the test results. Here is a run down of what he said:
1. There is definite damage to the middle and retinal area of her eye.
2. He does not think that she will need surgery AT THIS POINT.
3. He will keep her in the hospital for another 3-4 days to monitor the hemorrhage in her eye and make sure that the infection has totally cleared up. He will continue to follow up on the enlarged iris as well.
4. He will need to see Whitney back in Turkey in two weeks time. The purpose of this appointment is to see if her eye is absorbing the hemorrhage. He had hoped that by this time the hemorrhage would have diminished, but he has not seen that occur yet. He does not want to do any invasive procedures/surgery unless he is sure the eye will not heal by itself, so he will wait for another 2 weeks to be on the cautious side. In two weeks, if the hemorrhage is not decreasing he will consider the possibility of surgery to clear out the hemorrhage so that Whitney would be able to see out of the center of her eye (ideally).

So, at least for the next few days Whitney and I will remain in the hospital here in Istanbul. If he permits her to fly home, we will go back to Albania at the end of this week. Then, we will return (either by plane or a 15 hour car ride) to Turkey to see Dr. Oram in 2 weeks. I have to admit that I was hoping for something a little bit more definitive with the results today, but then I remembered a quote that I have hanging on my desk at home that says,

“Lord, I am willing to-
Receive what you give,
Lack what you withhold,
Relinquish what you take.” Author unknown

Obviously God, in His infinite wisdom and grace did not see fit for us to have the knowledge that we thought we needed (i.e. Is the hemorrhage going to dissolve on its own?, Is her vision lost permanently in that area of her eye?, Will surgery correct or at least enhance the vision that she has?, Does she have a rupture or a hemorrhage?, Is the retinal damage going to heal?).

BUT ---
“Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God. How unsearchable are Him judgements and unfathomable His ways!” Rom 11:33

Holding on to His hand,
Chelle

7th Update on Whitney

Sunday, September 7th


Here is Whitney having Sunday School with her stuffed animals. It was so precious to hear her talking about Jesus getting baptized and the Spirit coming down as a dove. She taught them some verses and prayed too. I loved it!



We had such a beautiful and special day from the Lord. Whitney was so glad to be able to do a little bit more activity with her eye. Here she is coloring. Whitney loves to draw and is a really great artist. She made a beautiful picture of a horse and we hung it in the window.



Since I have been working on Whitney's blanket she has been asking me to teach her how to knit. She was so excited to learn that she got two pencils and began her own project. I have to say she is a natural knitter. She is doing really great, especially with pencils!





Whitney was so looking forward to visiting the flower shop downstairs. We went in and smelled the fragrant aroma and picked out our favorite arrangements. The man in the shop gave Whitney a white lily. It made our room smell so great! Whitney was so excited to save the flower and give it to the nurse, Eylem.





Dear friends and family,

“Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.” Eph 3:20-21

Whitney and I have just returned from an appointment with the doctor. Praise God that we are able to report that:
* Whitney’s vision is just a little better than it was on Friday. She can see one letter on the third line of the eye chart now. The doctor is encouraged with this.
* He was also happy to see that her iris is responding a little bit more to the stimulus of light.
* He said that she could begin to open her right eye for a small amount of time to allow her eye to acclimate itself to use again. She has had it closed for one week today and the muscles are pretty weak.
* Whitney was very excited that he gave her permission for me to take her in the wheelchair to go on a little tour of the hospital. She is especially looking forward to seeing and smelling the gorgeous flowers in the flower shop.
* A missionary woman from the states, serving here in Istanbul, called our room this morning. We had a sweet time of fellowship and she prayed with me. I loved that! Best of all, she is going to bring a Turkish New Testament for me to give to the nurse, Eylem. I had praying that God would provide something for me to give to Eylem when we leave. I didn’t want to tell her about the One True God and not give her His Word. Yeah God for bringing a Bible to our room!!! He is the Great Provider.
* Whitney’s little heart is becoming so sensitive to the hurts and needs of others. She heard a little boy down the hall crying. She came to me and we decided we should pray for him because he doesn’t know (most likely) that God loves him and can comfort him in his pain. We prayed that God would bring someone into his path to share the gospel with him.
* We finally opened the curtains and the window in the room today and are enjoying a cool breeze. We both noted that God’s light is so much better than the lights in the room. We are feeling so refreshed by the air and the light! I wish that all of you could come and experience the joy in our small room. We are listening to Seeds worship songs for kids – although I think they are for adults too because I find them really worshipful and a great way to learn Scripture. The one playing right now is “Your love is better than life, my lips will glorify You…” Ps 63. We are just singing, praising God, feeling the breeze on our faces, and Whitney is coloring – which she loves to do because she is a super artist. God is sustaining us in such a sweet and intimate way. Walking out the door to our room and into the hall is like walking from one world to another. I pray that everyone who walks into our room realizes the difference as well.

“O taste and see that the Lord is good; how blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!” Ps 34:8

We will go tomorrow afternoon (morning in the states) to the other hospital to have the 3D scan. Please continue to pray for a really great result. I am praying for the doctors to see a completely healed eye – perfect in every way. I would love to see the look on their faces at that. What a display of God’s power that would be! So, we wait with great expectation for Whitney’s test tomorrow. Even if we have to have surgery or learn that she will not recovery any more of her sight, we have learned so much about God and His mercy in this past week, that we will rejoice that the Lord is a Great God and He is working mightily on our behalf.

Well, we missed being at church today, but that didn’t keep Whitney from having Sunday school. She was the Sunday school teacher for her stuffed animals. I have to say they were a very attentive class. She taught them about Jesus getting baptized by John the Baptist and how the Holy Spirit came down from heaven like a dove. She even had them memorize some verses - Matthew 3:13-14. You can see Whitney and her “class” in the attached photo. I just wanted to stop time, watching her on her knees by the couch with the Bible open in front of her and talking about Jesus. I am so thankful for this sweet time together. I will look back on these days with such fondness because I was able to spend this uninterrupted time with Whitney. God is so good to us!

Thank you again for your faithful prayers, your e-mails, your e-cards and the love you continue to pour out on us. We are so very honored and grateful. I look forward to sending you a good report tomorrow.

Tasting and seeing that the LORD is good,
Chelle Stire