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)



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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

Fifth Update on Whitney

What are Whitney and Mommy doing during our days in the hospital? We are listening to some books on CD and also some kids radio programs (Adventures in Odyssey & Paws and Tales). While we are listening, Mommy is knitting a blanket for Whitney. Hopefully, I will finish it before we leave.


We spend a lot of time snuggling too. We have played some word games too, like, "What do you think of when I say the word...?"


This is Whitney and one of her nurses, Eylem. She is such a sweet girl and I am praying for the opportunity to share the gospel with her.


Yeah!!! McDonalds!!! We don't have it in Albania and so we decided that we would order McDonalds to celebrate a good day. McDonalds actually delivers to the hospital. It was a pretty tasty dinner.





Dear Prayer warriors,

Whitney and I have been reading through Matthew these past days. I thought that reading about the works of Christ on earth, at this time in Whitney’s life, might make them seems more real and interesting. When we got to chapter 9, we read these verses:

“But Jesus turning and seeing her said, ‘Daughter, take courage; your faith has made you well.’ At once the woman was made well.” (v. 22)

And a few verses later:

“When He entered the house, the blind men came up to Him, and Jesus said to them, ‘Do you believe that I am able to do this?’ They said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord.’ Then He touched their eyes, saying, ‘It shall be done to you according to your faith.’ And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them; ‘See that no one knows about this!’ But they went out and spread the news about Him throughout all that land.” ( vs. 28-31)

At this point, I had to stop because I was a little bit choked up. Whitney said, “Reading about Jesus healing all these people makes me think that He can heal me too!” We had such a great time talking about how big and powerful our God is and how we would want to run around all over the place telling people if God healed Whitney’s eye too.

Well, we have some opportunity to “spread the news about Him throughout all the land” today! God has been answering the multitude of prayers that are being lifted up on our behalf.

PRAISE GOD THAT:
• Whitney noticed this morning that her vision was quite a bit less blurry. At the Dr.’s appointment, she was able to read the first line of the eye chart. The Dr. said that she has recovered 10% of her vision.
• The blood in the front (anterior) part of the eye has almost all dissipated.
• The infection in her right eye is largely cleared up.
• Whitney can now keep her left (good) eye open for parts of the day. This is really helpful because now that she is feeling a little bit better it is really hard for her to keep both eyes closed.
• The light isn’t hurting Whitney’s eyes as much as before. Up until today, we have had to keep the room quite dark because it hurt her eyes.
• We have been able to praise God for His amazing power to our nurse, Eylem, and the ophthalmologist, Dr. Oram.
• God’s Word is vivid and real to both of us and we see, with new eyes, the healing touch of God on Whitney’s eye.
• We are being encouraged and strengthened by the body of Christ, YOU!


“O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt HIS name together.” Psalm 34:3

In regards to the hemorrhage or rupture in the middle/back (median) part of the eye that I wrote of yesterday, the Dr. said that it is still there and has not started to dissolve itself. He plans on performing a very specialized test that will scan that part of the eye on Monday to determine if they will need to do surgery. He is still concerned about a secondary hemorrhage, so Whitney has to remain on bed rest, but at least she can open good eye some.

Continue to pray:
* That the hemorrhage will dissolve on its own so we don’t have to have surgery.
* That there will not be a secondary hemorrhage to cause permanent vision loss.
* That Whitney’s vision will continue to improve over the weekend.
* That our “light (would) shine before men in such a ways that they may see (our) Heavenly Father and glorify (our) Father who is in heaven.” (Mtt. 5:16) We have made good friends with one of the nurses (picture with Whitney attached). She is celebrating the Muslim holiday of Ramazan this month and I am praying that the reality of our amazing God would stand in stark difference to her “god”.

A note on the home front (Albania): Kris and the girls are doing well. Kris has been so amazing getting them all ready for school and doing lots of fun things with them. They are going to want me to go away more often if he keeps up all the fun. Our team has been so amazing by providing dinners for the family as well. I am so thankful to God for the way He is providing and caring for my family while we are apart. I know that so many of you are praying for Kris and the kids that I wanted to let you know that they are doing well.

Thank you for your faithful and impassioned prayers for us. He is at work and we are honored to be a part of His plan to glorify Himself.

4th Update on Whitney

Thursday, September 4th


Whitney and her Ophthalmologist, Dr. Oram. He spent a lot of time shining super bright lights into Whit's eye. She was really brave though and did all he said to do even though it hurt.


Here is Whitney in her hospital bed. She has to sit at a 45 degree angle all the time to allow the blood to settle in her eye. She can't open either eye, except to eat and go to the bathroom. She has been so patient and obedient. I am really proud of her. Sometimes we sit together on the bed and sing or pray or listen to books on CD.


Whitney had a visit from "Dr. Pinky". We are staying on the pediatric ward of the American Hospital, here in Istanbul. Dr. Pinky comes to visit the kids and show them magic tricks and cheer them up. It sure worked for Whit! She was amazed at the slight of hand magic tricks and loved the bubbles. It was good to see her enjoying herself even while she was receiving a rather painful infusion.



Whitney and I just returned from visiting the Dr’s office here in the hospital. There is some good news and some faith challenging news. I was going to say good news and bad news, but since I am absolutely confident that God IS good and DOES good (Ps. 119:68), and that only good gifts come from His hand (James 1:17), then no news is really bad, is it?

Our visit this morning was with our regular ophthalmologist as well as a retinal specialist.

The good news is that the blood in the eye that was obstructing clear view of the back of the eye has decreased quite a bit. Also, the Dr. was encouraged that the infection in the eye is well under control. He said that he thinks we are almost out of the woods in regard to the infection. Whitney still has no better vision, but she said that things seemed a little less blurry today. We praise God for those things. They are direct answers to prayer that only confirm our full belief that God hears and answers our prayers.

The news that causes us to cling more tightly to His sovereign hand is that now that they can see clearly into the middle/back of the eye they can see that there was a rather severe “shock wave” to the area at the time of the injury. This has caused a hemorrhage in the middle part of the eye where the vision actually takes place. This hemorrhage may resolve itself as the eye continues to have complete rest. However, there is the possibility that this will not clear up, in which case they will have to go in and surgically clean it out. Also, it may be that it is not actually a hemorrhage, but a rupture in that area of the eye, which would also require surgical intervention. There is no way to tell, at this time, which it is. There is a serious possibility that from either case she could have irreparable damage to her vision. The specialist today was adamant that Whitney refrain from doing anything (like coughing, sneezing, moving quickly or becoming agitated) that would compromise the hemorrhaged area. He said that a further hemorrhage would be far more serious and would almost definitely cause loss of vision. We will be in the hospital for at least another 7-10 days for complete best rest, antibiotics and more tests to determine whether the hemorrhage will resolve on its own. Also, we will be going to another facility in a few days for a specialized test that they can not do here because they don’t have the equipment.

In all of this, God has given me such sweet peace and rest. God has used Psalm 121, especially, to remind me of His tender care. I can sleep well at night because I know that He never sleeps (vs 3, 4) and that He is keeping (holding gently, protecting, treasuring, and hiding) (v 5) Whitney in His loving arms all the while. He has not allowed our foot to stumble (v 3) by going to another hospital or staying in Albania – He directed us, very clearly, to this facility. So, I am, by God’s grace, able to rejoice during this time.

In these past days, Whitney and I have had many opportunities to pray about many things – small and great. It has been so wonderful to see God answer her prayers. Last night she was crying because the food has not really been that great (to her taste) and she was pretty hungry. We prayed that God send some yummy food to our room. When we arrived back from the Dr. visit there was a super tasty meal waiting on the table. She gobbled it up and we praised God together. Also, an even bigger answer to prayer, for her, is that there is Dunkin’ Donuts here in Turkey. We don’t have donuts in Albania and she misses them tremendously. She has been asking several times a day if we can get donuts here. Today, a Turkish national that learned of our stay here through a fellow missionary, called to see if we needed anything. He is going to bring some donuts. Whitney just lit up with that news! God is at work in the important details of her eye and the seemingly unimportant details of food and comfort. Both of these are a testimony to her that God hears, He answers, He cares, and He is worthy of serving every day of our lives. Praise God!!!

I have to say that your continued e-mails with words of encouragement, verses, prayers and offers of help have been such a blessing to both Kris and me. Whitney is always happy to hear the little notes that I read to her from you as well. Thank you for not only praying yourselves, but for having others pray for us as well. I can’t tell you how much peace I get from knowing that at any hour of the day, someone is praying for us!

Here are a few things for you to pray about:
• That the infection in Whitney’s right eye would continue to heal.
• That the hemorrhage in her eye would be healed – whether miraculously or with medical intervention.
• That the “shock wave” that the middle eye sustained during the injury would not be the cause of her vision loss because there is nothing that can be done (humanly) to resolve that problem.
• That the pressure that is built up in her eye and causing her pain, would go down as the medicine takes effect.
• That Whitney would be able to lay quietly for the next 7 days (a tall order for a bored 9 year old that can’t open either of her eyes) in order to avoid causing a secondary hemorrhage. Thanks to some friends who gave us the Chronicles of Narnia on CD we have quite a few hours of audio entertainment that keeps her quiet and closing her eyes.
• That Kris and I would continue to cling to God for our comfort and not find it in the medical care Whitney is getting or any other source but the Great Comforter and Keeper of our souls.
• That God would reveal Himself to Whitney, to me, and to the staff who see us praying in crisis moments, as the magnificent, mighty and majestic God that He is.
• That God, if it’s His will, would just touch her eye and heal it completely! What a testimony that would be to all the Dr’s and nurses who have seen the damage to her eye.

I will continue to keep you updated as to the answers to your prayers. We are praying in faith!

Third Update on Whitney

Wednesday, September 3rd


Whitney waiting at the airport in Tirana for the air ambulance to take us to Turkey.


Whitney by "her" plane. It was the first time that either of us had flown in a chartered plane. She was really excited. I was glad there was no turbulance.


Whitney on the gurney in the air ambulance. She thought it was cool that she got to lay down on the plane. She slept most of the 2 hours flight to Turkey.


Here is a view of the inside of the plane. The doctor and paramedic took great care of her. One of the pilots was from N. Carolina. It was good to hear a southern accent in a strange country.



As I write this I am sitting in a hospital room in Istanbul, Turkey with Whitney. God has, again, shown Himself our Refuge and Protector.

The journey from Albania to Turkey was rather surreal. The small air ambulance was staffed by 2 pilots, a doctor, and a paramedic. I felt that Whitney was so safe and cared for during the whole flight and transfer to the hospital. Whitney did great and had no complications with the flight. We arrived in Turkey at 4 a.m. on Wednesday.

God was gracious to allow us to move quickly through the customs and visa issues at the airport. We even had an ambulance drive us from the airport to the hospital. Once we arrived at the hospital we were cared for in the Emergency Room until we were admitted and seen by the ophthalmologist. The Dr. and the hospital are very comparable to a mid-sized hospital in the states. The language barrier has been a small issue, but the Dr. speaks very good English. I am so thankful to God for such a clean, professional hospital. I feel very confident in the care Whitney is receiving.

The Dr. did a very thorough exam on Whitney’s eye and was encouraged that the infection has not spread to the other eye! He said that the antibiotics that we started using in Albania had been helping the infection that he says is still present.
Whitney is still unable to see anything with definition farther than about 2 feet away.
Her iris is also still dilated and not reactive to light.
The Dr. was also happy to see that the hole in the cornea has begun to seal itself. This is very important to maintain the integrity, shape and health of the eye.
However, he was unable to see the retina at the back of the eye with the biomicroscope due to the blood in the eye, so he ordered an ultrasound.

The ultrasound report was very promising. At this time she does not have retinal detachment so we do not have to have surgery! That is a HUGE answer to prayer.

The Dr. admitted us the hospital for IV antibiotics, hourly eye drops and absolute bed and eye rest. His hope is that as the infection is dealt with, the eye will begin to absorb the excess blood in the eye and that this will prove to be the reason that her vision is so impaired. If the blood is the cause of her vision problems we should see some improvement by tomorrow. Pray that this will the case that that she will have some marked improvements tomorrow. At that time he will be able to deal with the iris and continue to be watch the state of the retina.

We did have a very scary incident once we got in the room. Whitney had an allergic reaction to one of her IV antibiotics. She immediately complained of difficulty breathing, a pounding headache and a severe skin prickling sensation. I had 5 minutes, that seemed like 50, to beg God with tears to protect Whitney. I am so thankful that even though I could do nothing to help her, but hold her and pray, God protected her from going into a full allergic reaction with anaphylactic shock. The Dr. discontinued that medicine and will begin tomorrow with a different kind. Please pray that she will respond better to the new antibiotic.

At this time Whitney is having quite a bit of eye pain. The pain medicine has helped some, but has not given her a lot of relief. Pray, with us, for pain relief. .

Pray for our witness in this place. Turkey is a staunch Muslim country – I can hear the Muslim call to worship from the hospital room. Even though there has been persecution of Christians in recent times, I don’t want to waste the opportunity to share the hope I have in Christ and glorify God on this short “mission trip” to Istanbul. Also, continue to pray for Whitney to be impacted by this situation to rightly see her spiritual state with God. We have lots of time to just talk and for me to read to her, since she is not allowed to open either of her eyes.

Also, I would appreciate your prayers for Kris and the girls back in Albania. Kris is doing a superb job and I am so thankful that he able to care for them so well.

We want to express our deepest gratitude for all your fervent prayers for our family and for Whitney. We thank God for you as we are experiencing the comfort and love that comes from being part of the body of Christ.

I will continue to keep you updated during our stay here in Turkey. I am unsure how long our stay will be.

Second Update on Whitney

Tuesday, September 2nd

We want to thank you for the tremendous outpouring of love you have given to us over the past few days. Your prayers have truly upheld us. Your e-mails have been such a source of encouragement to us.

Things have been changing rapidly here in the last 12 hours. After Chel sent out the last update, one of our friends in the states contacted a friend that is an ophthalmologist. We communicated about the diagnosis and the report from both the American and the Albanian doctors. She was very concerned that the treatment recommended was NOT the best and, in fact, may be a cause for more damage. She was very concerned with a film that is covering Whitney's right iris. The concern is that it is an infection that will cause irreparable damage to the eye and may transfer to the other eye and also cause blindness in that eye. There was also significant concern about retinal detachment based on the results of the Ultrasound. Unfortunately, the clinics and hospitals in Albania are not capable of delivering the kind of medical treatment needed to treat an injury to the cornea and retina of the eye.

With this information, we contacted our insurance to see what we should do. They got us in contact with their on-call physician who then consulted with the American doctor here. They agreed that we need to get Whitney to a hospital out the country as soon as possible. Because there is the possibility that there is air in Whitney's eye from the puncture of her cornea, it is highly inadvisable for us to fly commercially. We looked into a hospital in Greece (within driving distance), but the Dr. with our insurance was not very confidant that we would receive adequate care there. Her concern was to such a degree that she suggested that we emergency evacuate Whitney out by an airplane ambulance, which would fly her at sea level to avoid causing any more damage to the eye. All of this discussion between the UK, the USA, and Albania took place over the last 12 hours.

In about 3-4 hours Chelle and Whitney will, Lord willing, be on an emergency medi-vac flight from Tirana, Albania to Istanbul, Turkey. Apparently the hospitals in Istanbul are EU / American standard-care. The insurance company has already contacted the hospital and an ambulance will then take Whitney from the airport to the hospital to be admitted tonight. An ophthalmologist will be able to see Whitney immediately and will be able to administer the medical attention she requires.

God has been giving us such strength and peace during these uncertain hours. Chelle has had some great opportunities to talk with Whitney about God's sovereignty, His eternal purposes, and the ultimate purpose of life. Together they read from "My Utmost for His Highest" on Monday morning and this was the comfort we (more for Chelle I'm sure) received. "The destined end of man is not happiness, nor health, but holiness...At all cost a man (or Kris or Chelle or Whitney) must be rightly related to God." The bible passage read was I Peter 1:16, "Be holy for I am holy". What perfect words to keep our minds focused on the most important thing in life - fulfilling God's purpose of holiness in our lives. Thank you for praying for us, for the opportunities to spiritually challenge Whitney, and for a soft heart for her. He is answering those prayers.

Thank you for your continued prayers for Whitney's eye. We are fervently praying that God will protect her eye until we can get to the hospital in Turkey.

We are confident that God knew all the time delays we would encounter along the way. The beautiful sunrise that we saw this morning is a majestic reminder that the same God who calls forth the dawn can heal a small eye in a little girl in the tiny country of Albania. What comfort! What peace! What a God we serve!! Amen.