Sustained by a Glimpse

In less than 2 hours Brin and I leave for Chicago, where a plane awaits to take us and 11 students to Romania for 2 1/2 weeks. This is the last youth group event that I will lead. A fitting transition I suppose... giving students a taste of ministry in a foreign culture. Something that we realize more and more we know so little about. God's plan, although so often mysterious, is truly perfect. The passion for missions that he gave me so early in my life has manifested itself in a call to full-time mission work. Who is God giving that same passion to as a result of this trip? Jeremy, Jenny, Alyssa, Kaylie, Brett? It's an honor to be a part of God's mysterious plan. We only catch glimpses of it, but the glimpses sustain me.

-JTP

Shots and tumors

A month ago I put considerable effort into getting my family immunized before I was to lose my health insurance. I researched which vaccines the CDC recommends and if those are actually appropriate for where we were going. The efficacy rates, dosing schedules, side effects, etc. Then I spent hours jumping through HMO hoops attempting to get $800 worth of shots covered. I am an RN and managing my family's health is what I do best. I do believe now that I have done my best to protect my family from the onslaught of disease we may or may not encounter. The whole thing was a pain in the butt (and arm) and according to the World Health Organization I am now only 33% likely to get typhoid fever. I am reminded of this today only because I noticed one of the reciepts from the Health Department still in my To Do pile. Frankly I am a little embarrased by my hypermanagement and ashamed at how quicky I forgot God's hand of healing on my own body just a few months earlier.
Last February I decided I had better see my Endocrinologist to devise a treatment plan while in Brazil (and, again, before losing insurance). I see an Endocrine doctor because I had a benign tumor on my pituitary gland that was found when I was 19 but I likely had had for many years. A tumor growing in your head may seem like a huge deal, and it often is for most people, but my tumor was easily controlled by medication (outrageously expensive). I never had surgery or radiation or anything like that. And in reality it affected my daily life only minimally and often not at all. Except that I would have hormone levels, MRI's and regular doctor visits quarterly. That is if I went. I had a strained relationship with my doctor (he was my only option, again issues with the HMO) mostly because I asked questions and tried to bargain down some of his treatment plans and he never appeared in the mood to talk. Anway, this visit it had been awhile since I had been in and he insisted I go for an MRI the next day before he would discuss the next two years with me. I also had not taken my medication for 2 + years since my symptoms weren't very bothersome and I couldn't take them pregnant or nursing (nursing as in lactating, not RNing) OK, fine, so I went. A couple days later I had gone to work and Josh had taken a message from the doctors office. "Someone from your endocrinologist's office called, they said your MRI was fine," Josh understatedly informed me. What do you mean fine? Fine, as in I don't require emergency surgery? Fine, as in it is smaller than before? I have never had a "fine" MRI. There has always been a report of a tumor, sometimes big sometimes small. In disbelief I called the office and had the nurse read a portion of the radiology report: "Mild deficiency of the superior margin of the right pituitary possibly in region of prior pituitary microadenoma. Pituitary gland has otherwise unremarkable appearance." I have a hard copy of that report and I will keep it forever. Is it gone forever? Maybe, maybe not but God knew I would expend a bunch of time and energy and He has other things for me to do. Twelve years ago a lot of people prayed for healing for me but God chose this time to reveal His power and provision as we follow His leading to Brazil.

-BZP

Sell house. Check!

Here is our house. Or was our house. Sold for asking price to the first lookers, God has made Himself boldly present in even the small details of our life. Early on Josh was concerned about how we were going to sell a house by owner if we were never home. For example we put the For Sale sign up and then promptly left the next morning for five days. When we did return to Tremont we only had a four hour span on one evening to devote to potential buyers. Two hours into the evening we had a verbal agreement and the next morning we left for Denver. Our buyers gave earnest money to the Hillrich's later that weekend. The Lord's day-to-day provision is overtly loving. I will cling to this testimony when fearful thoughts threaten peace or I attempt to "add a single hour" to my life with worry.
To our friends with big hospitable houses: No fear; we can stay until September so we won't be begging at your door for a bed or meal, or at least not a bed.

-BZP

A pitstop on the trail

Colorado is simply refreshing. We hiked the mountains with Tom and Connie and the Hillrich's. I inhaled as much clean crisp air as I could. That is Mia taking a pee on the trail. Which lends well to the training I am doing in teaching our girls to eat, sleep and pee anywhere in preparation for river life in the Amazon Basin.
-BZP