Nursery Duty

Ministry Update

We are in the mountains of southwestern Pennsylvania this week in a very interesting meeting. After Sunday morning, most of the church members did not return because they did not like the fact that I raised my voice when I preach. There have been visitors, though, and I am thankful for that. I am grateful that we will be heading south very soon. It is cold here for October.

Family Update

Yes, it has been interesting… Because the youngest person other than our own children is in the eighth grade, there is usually no need for a nursery. I have been the nursery detail each evening as well as the pianist and soloist. There is a brief time during the special music where the children are totally unsupervised, and this is, as you might imagine, kept as brief as possible. Tonight, Abigail was feeling frisky, and between pirouettes on the front pew, she would turn around and stare at the visitors sitting behind her. Paul had his back to her as he played for my solo, so he was thankfully oblivious to her antics. My consternation, however, had no such luxury. Have you ever tried to sing sweetly while frowning at your child?

After the debacle was over, I came down with plans to leave the auditorium to feed Esther and give the visitors an intermission. As I turned to leave, Josiah whispered loudly that he needed to go to the bathroom – BAD! I rolled my eyes in disgust, and motioned for him to follow me as well. I have no idea what went through Paul’s mind as I trooped out the back door with our entire family in tow. I am sure it made a positive impression on everyone else, though. When the loud clumps and thumps of our departure had subsided, I began to breathe once again.

After Josiah had completed his mission, I sent him, with great trepidation, back upstairs into the service. I warned him to go back to his seat as quickly and quietly as possible. He is the most responsible of our children at present, so my plethora of nervous instructions seemed to make an impression on him.

After Esther was fed, I grabbed the car seat, and herded Abigail up the stairs and into the foyer where she assayed to go running down the aisle. I was spared this embarrassment by yanking her hair with the two free fingers on my left hand. She followed me to our new seat (behind everyone else) and began her antics once more, this time dropping a hymn book onto the floor with a loud bang. While Paul preached, Esther, who has recently discovered her own voice, began to talk to her sister. The cooing and smiling was the least of my worries at this point, so I just let it slide, since Paul was making plenty of noise (see above). Abigail got really excited that Esther was talking to her, and so I had to keep shushing her, because her voice carries much better than her younger sister’s. It was at this point that Josiah heard us, and turned around to smile his welcome to us. He then picked up the pew Bible and held it up as if to ask me if he was in the right place, having forgotten his own Bible at home. I guess my frantic gestures clued him in to the fact that he needed to put the Bible down. I gave him an encouraging smile as he turned around again.

It was at this juncture of the service that Abigail, carried away with excitement, fell off the pew and landed with a thump on the floor. I stared in horrified amazement at this new development, for I knew what was coming next. The great intake of air was my first clue. I hurriedly stuffed Esther in the car seat, and grabbed Abigail. I was halfway out of the auditorium before the first wail split the atmosphere. I rushed into the pastor’s office, and calmed her as quickly as possible. She was not really hurt, just surprised and scared. Esther, not to be outdone, began crying since she could no longer see anyone. I clumped back into the auditorium and plunked Abigail down and picked up Esther. Once again, peace reigned, and all was well with the world. Esther smiled contentedly, and Abigail sucked her thumb, while I wiped the sweat from my brow.

All too soon, or perhaps, not soon enough, came the invitation. I hauled the girls up to the front and set them beside Josiah. I told him to keep Esther quiet, and told Abigail to sit still. I sat at the piano, praying fervently that they would not make any more disturbances. Apparently, I was not “on praying ground” by this time. I heard a commotion and turned around just as Josiah loudly reprimanded Abigail for messing with Esther. My malevolent look put all to rights again, and the rest of the service was blessedly uneventful, at least, as far as our family was concerned.

This week has reminded me, once again, how thankful I am for nursery workers. Without the dedicated service of these ladies all over the country, in hundreds of churches, we would have these situations (and worse) more often. You are not unappreciated!

Sarah

Finally Home

Saturday, October 14, 2006

Just wanted to let everyone know that we made it safely home yesterday afternoon around 2:30 PM. Josiah is doing well, but very weak. He has lost at least 5 pounds, which, in a way, I am thankful for, since I have had to carry and lift him a lot since we have been home. He walks very slowly and will fall over if he goes too fast. He also has a hard time going up or down steps, and getting up from a seated position. basically, I have a 30+ pound toddler for a time!

Abigail was so glad to see all of us! She and Josiah have been playing with his get-well balloons all day. Thank you to each one who sent him a card or gift. The number of helium balloons in the trailer should give us better fuel economy the next time we head out! Ha!

Paul begins a four-day meeting tomorrow (Sunday) and will come home on Thursday. We will all be glad to have him back. Please pray for safety and blessings during the meeting.

My mom just called to say that she made it home safely (Her connecting flight left without her) AND she also has her luggage! What a blessing!

Sarah Crow

Homward Bound

Thursday, October 12, 2006

God continues to answer prayer! I talked to the doctor this morning, and he said that if they could get Josiah's breathing treatments down to one every four hours, that he could go home! He said that may possibly mean tonight, or at the latest, tomorrow morning! Hooray! Josiah said he wants to come home. I don't blame him one bit! They were taking him off the IV when I left, and he will be on oral steroids for 1-2 weeks and albuterol as needed, as well as his normal medications. He is still very weak and wobbly - can't stand or walk without support, but that will come back quickly. He was supposed to go for a little walk this afternoon. Mom is sitting with him now while I take a little rest.

I will send out an update when I know for sure what is going on. Please keep praying - this is not over yet.
later

I just talked to the nurse in PICU, and she said that because Josiah is still so weak, they will probably keep him until tomorrow morning. That means we will be homeward bound tomorrow around 11 am or so. It is about a 40 minute drive back to Wilton. Please pray for safety and a quick discharge in the morning. Thank you all for praying. We will keep you updated on his progress over the next few weeks, as time allows. Mom flies out of Albany on Saturday morning, so I will have a bit more responsibility in taking care of everyone after she leaves. Praise the Lord for all He has done in our lives this week!

More progress

Josiah is making progress slowly but surely. They have been weaning him off the albuterol, and this morning they finally took him off the continuous treatment. He will still get treatments every hour or two as needed, but this is another small step in the recovery process. Praise the Lord.

When I went to see him this morning, he was sitting in the chair, coloring. He wasn't doing a very good job of staying in the lines because he had very little control over his hands. (He has an IV in his right arm, and though he is left-handed, the albuterol has made him so jittery that he can't keep his arm from shaking.) The doctor said that he could eat today, so when I switched out with mom, they were in the process of ordering his tray. I know that will make him happy! Later today, they are going to bring in some Legos and let him play for a while. It is so good to see him getting back to normal.

Thanks for all your prayers, phone calls, and e-mail messages. It has been such a blessing to know that hundreds, and perhaps even thousands of Christian brothers and sisters are praying for us. Please continue to pray.

Sarah

More Progress

Josiah has been off the ventilator all day long and is doing okay. He is still on continuous Albuterol, but they are trying to evaluate him in regard to just doing a treatment every hour or two instead of continuously. He is feeling well enough to complain about how bad he feels. He still hasn't had anything to eat, which he thinks is cruel and unusual punishment, but I talked with the nutritionist today, and she was preparing a menu for him. Hopefully, they will let him eat tomorrow morning. I really feel for him. Everything is still a day by day, hour by hour situation as far as how long he will be in, and all that stuff. There are no certainties right now.

He felt good enough to sit up and watch Winnie the Pooh, and color in his new coloring book from Grandma for a while, but he still gets tired easily. They let him get out of bed and sit in a chair for a while today, and I was able to hold him on my lap for a time. It was a real feat to arrange all the tubes, wires, and monitors in such a way that we could both be comfortable. He has to take some anti acid to keep his stomach juices from giving him problems since he doesn't have any food for them to digest. Tonight they had to give it to him by mouth instead of putting it directly into his stomach through the tube. He didn't like the taste, and spit it out. We finally bribed him with some water, and he drank the rest of it. He told me he doesn't like feeling bad. He really is doing so much better. Please keep praying.

Sarah

Josiah's Progress

Praise the Lord for answered prayer! Yesterday afternoon, I was rather discouraged by his lack of progress, as some of you may have noted from reading the last update. We came "home" to the Ronald McDonald House, and settled out belongings and ate dinner. After dinner, we went back over to the hospital. Mom went in to see him while I stayed with Esther in the waiting room, and when she came back, she told me that he was awake. He had tried to tell her something, but with the tubes in his mouth, she couldn't understand what it was that he wanted. I hurried in to see him before he fell asleep again. I was amazed at the difference that two hours had made! He was doing so much better! His heart rate and respirations were down, and his oxygen level was good. I talked to him for a while, and he kept trying to tell me something. I figured out that he was telling me that he was hungry! Of course, he couldn't have anything to eat until he was off the ventilator for a while. I tried to comfort him as best I could, and he actually smiled when I told him that he could have jello and Popsicles when his tubes came out! It did my heart good to see him last night.

Shortly after I arrived at the hospital this morning, they took him off the ventilator and removed the tubes. He is now on continuous albuterol treatment and 35% oxygen. He said he had stomach cramps, which could either be from hunger (His last meal was Friday evening), or from air in his stomach from having the tubes in there. He has been so brave and good through the whole thing. Mom is sitting with him now, and I will go back in a couple hours. I have told him that all of you are praying for him. Please keep praying. He has a long road back to recovery. Even after he is discharged from the hospital, it will take a few weeks to get back to "normal".

Thank you to each one who has spent time in prayer for Josiah, for me, for Paul, and the rest of the family. We have benefited greatly from your intercessions, and I know that God is healing our son. Do not underestimate the power of your prayers. We love you, and thank God for you all. I will continue to update as the situation changes.

Josiah's Needs

Monday, October 9, 2006

Dear Praying friends,I just wanted to give a quick update on the family situation. Josiah is still in the PICU and still on the ventilator. He is receiving 30% oxygen, and his heart rate, respirations, and Oxygen saturation levels are all fine. Praise the Lord! He got a bath today, which improved his overall appearance. He is still sedated because of the tubes in his throat. He had coughed out the ventilator tubes early this morning, and they let him breathe for a while on his own. He was able to maintain good stats, but he was getting tired, because he still had to work so hard. They decided to go ahead and put the ventilator back in, much to my relief. He is breathing easily now, and I hope by tomorrow that he will be able to come off the ventilator. They have also put restraints on his hands so that he cannot pull out the tubing in his semi-consciousness. I am so pleased with the entire team of doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists, and everyone else here at the hospital. They have done a phenomenal job of taking care of him, and have been so helpful. The Lord has put us in good hands here at Albany Medical Center.

Many of you are wondering how I am doing. I am tired from some long shifts, but much encouraged by the presence of my mom, who flew in Sat. night. As of today, she, Esther, and I are staying in the Ronald McDonald House just two blocks from the hospital. It is a beautiful facility with real beds, and real food! Abigail is still with the Falks up in Wilton, and to my knowledge, she is doing just fine. They brought her up to the hospital yesterday afternoon, and i took her in to see Josiah briefly. She looked concerned when I told her that he was very sick and had lots of "owies", so she couldn't touch him. I didn't want to traumatize her, so I kept itshort.

To keep it simple, Josiah still needs a lot of prayer. His recovery is the slowest he has ever had to this point, perhaps because he was so bad for so long. I know the Lord is working in our lives, and that He is in control. Sometimes, though, during a trial, I would like to hit the fast forward button, if you know what I mean! Thanks so much for praying. I will be able to send out updates since I have Internet access here at the RM house.

Sarah

Family News

On Friday, October 6, I had to take Josiah to the emergency room because he was unable to breathe. They treated him all night without seeing significant improvement. I had to fly out the following day and so Sarah came to take my place with our son at the hospital. While I was flying to Nebraska for my meetings out there, they had to transfer Josiah to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at the Albany Medical Center in Albany, NY. On Saturday night, he experienced the beginnings of respiratory failure and the doctors decided to put him on a ventilator. The ventilator allowed him to get some much needed rest.

Josiah has begun to show some improvement over the last few hours. He was running a fever earlier today that is now gone. His oxygen has been lowered from 100% to 40%. He is not struggling so much to breathe. I thank you for all of your prayers.

As for me, the Lord has been good to me here in Nebraska. We had a good service this morning that included some interesting features. There was a family of Native Americans there, one of whom was under house arrest. The pastor had obtained special permission from the police to allow her to come to the service, but she had to be back at Noon. I did not know this and was somewhat surprised when she and all her family bolted from the service as soon as the invitation began. Despite that aspect of the service, we had a good service, with the Lord allowing me to preach the Gospel to several natives who were unsaved.

A couple of years ago, Bro. Byron Foxx told me that I should never travel without wearing a suit. He said that you never know when the airline would not get your luggage to you. I took his advice for the first time this last trip and wore a suit to travel in. It was a good thing because the airline did not get my luggage to me. In fact, I still don't have my Bible, toothbrush, cell phone charger, deodorant, etc. I did have my computer and my messages in my computer bag. Praise the Lord for that. If you will allow me to complain, though, I am a little bit tired of wearing the same clothes for the second day straight. Hopefully, I will at least get a new pair of socks by this evening. If I don't, I am afraid that the socks I have been wearing will begin walking back to New York or North Carolina in the night. Since they are predicting snow for Monday, I am second guessing the wisdom of going around with no socks.

Thank you for all of your prayers. God is good all of the time.

Paul