so, upon my return, we have been hard at work finishing plans for women’s minsitry this semester as well as a church-wide retreat this weekend!

each year, casa de libertad pick an annual theme. this year, it’s “grace changes everything”. i love that. our retreat this weekend will look at God’s grace toward us and the resulting effects of that grace. i am looking forward to looking inward to see where i lack the gift of giving grace toward others and also where i have become complacent in my reception of God’s grace toward me.

we have about 30 people planning to attend (i say planning to because you never really know until the minute we leave who will show up or drop out). regardless, i feel certain those God ordains will be there.

please join me in praying for God to transform hearts for His glory this weekend!

i saw the cardiologist today and was “released” to go back to guatemala! praises!

bottom line is that i have something called “inappropriate sinus tachycardia”. yeah, that’s right…i’m inappropriate.

in all seriousness, it’s not a major thing…it basically just means that my heart rate gets too high too fast, so my cardiologist is keeping me on the beta-blocker for a while. he was pleased today with my results and the fact that the heart monitor didn’t register any major “events”. so, going forward, i will just monitor my heartrate/blood pressure periodically from guatemala and visit the cardiologist in knoxville whenever i am in town.

this is apparently something that could/probably will go away with time, so ironically, it can improve with age. at least that’s something to look forward to about aging!

thank you all for praying for me, i am so grateful for your support and concern. thankfully, this was nothing serious.

i am on an early morning flight tomorrow morning and should be back home by tomorrow (saturday) afternoon. yay!

there have been many, many blessings about my time in the States and i am grateful for it. pray as i return to life in guate that i can jump right back into routine and ministry there.

thank you again for praying. i was blessed by your outpouring of support. praising God tonight for His blessings of both good news today and the amazing friends/supporters with whom He has surrounded me.

i am one blessed girl.

so, thank you! you are loving me very well!

the medical update…

so…the last few days have actually provided the doctor with alot of information, which has proven very helpful in figuring out what is going on.

first, i received my heart monitor yesterday and have been wearing it for about 24 hours. ultimately, this data will provide my cardiologist with what he needs, but it will take more time to get accurate data. it’s a complete eye sore though…and huge. i feel like a complete dork .

second, i had a stress test, bloodwork and ECHO done. bloodwork came back normal and the ECHO i had this morning showed that i have a normal heart structure. there is nothing abnormal in the makeup of my heart. yay!

third, i met with the cardiologist today to discuss the stress test. the good news is that the stress test showed NO abnormal rhythms (arrhythmia). the “bad” news isn’t really all that bad. basically, it showed that my heart elevates too quickly with minimal activity. within just a few minutes of walking relatively slowly, my heart rate had jumped over 160. that was apparently too high. and during the latter part of the stress test, which wasn’t even hard, it got all the way to 196 before they stopped me. so……apparently that is not normal.

what now?

well, the doc prescribed me a medication (beta-blocker) to try and get it back to a more normal pace. he is monitoring the heart monitor data and i will go see him again next friday.

so, i am here another week! while i am very ready to return to my normal life in guate, i am focusing on the tremendous blessing of being with my sister and her family. there is SO much to be thankful for, and i am going to the family time until the very second that i have to leave!

that’s about all for now. looks like i won’t have another update until next friday! thank you again for praying for me!

GRATEFUL for YOU!

i was supposed to be on a plane this morning travelling back to guatemala. but, i am not.

for those who follow my journey, i wanted to let you know what is going on so that you can join me in prayer for a quick return to guatemala once some things are figured out.

over the last week, i have had 2 episodes where my heart has reached a frightening pace. in both instances, it came after very little physical activity and the episodes lasted around a minute or so. the second episode, we were able to calculate my pulse and it was 210. that is a scary number. my pulse eventually came down, but that feeling was so crazy.

my brother in law is a doctor and was able to quickly make some phone calls. unfortunately due to the holiday, we weren’t able to talk to anyone until yesterday. he spoke with 2 cardiologist friends and both told him this was definitely worth getting checked out and not to leave the country until we had a diagnosis and treatment.

so, yesterday i had a consult with the cardiologist and they did an EKG, which was normal. tomorrow i will have a stress test and bloodwork done, followed by an ECHO and doctor’s visit on friday. i will also begin to wear a heart monitor 24-7 starting tomorrow which will send immediate data to the doctor. this will hopefully give him great insight into what is going on.

i am not worried, but it is definitely wisdom to get this figured out and fixed before returning to guatemala.

so, please join me in praying and believing God’s will for the following:

1. for a quick diagnosis, and for it to be something minor and quickly fixable.

2. for a quick return to guatemala. i would love to be back as quickly as possible (though extra time with the family is not too bad!)

3. for ministry to not be interrupted in guatemala because of my delay

4. for continued peace and trust in the Lord with the unknown

i was reading something yesterday and loved this line:

“Do not be weighed down with problems and unresolved issues, for I (Jesus) am your burden-bearer. In the world you have trials and distress, but don’t let them get you down. I have conquered the world and deprived it of power to harm you. In Me you may have confident peace.”

and this: (Psalm 33:19)

“Oh, how abundant is your goodness,
which you have stored up for those who fear you
and worked for those who take refuge in you,
in the sight of the children of mankind!”

i am praying that God is glorified in this and completely trusting He has a greater purpose. thank you for joining me in prayer.

so, i apparently got the date wrong about the service focused on the miracle of healing. it’s going to be december 18th! so, keep praying and especially join me in praying on december 18th!

here’s the original post to catch up, if you are lost:

http://susankayjones.wordpress.com/2011/12/02/dios-de-milagros-god-of-miracles/

for the last 2 weeks, casa de libertad (my church here in guate), has been introducing a series of sermons focused on our God as a God of miracles. last week looked at faith, and its role in miracles. and while we must rest in God’s sovereignty over all miracles (and those He chooses not to perform), we also cannot deny the role faith plays for those who receive miracles.

so…i pursue faith. and while it is scary and uncomfortable (afterall, faith requires true surrender on my part, and let’s be honest—i love the illusion of control), i long for it.

next sunday, december 11, we will be talking about healing, and i will be prayed over. join me in praying for healing from rheumatoid arthritis that has plagued my body for 21 years. i fully believe He has promised to heal me, though i submit to His timing in that. wouldn’t it be awesome if He chose dec. 11? join me in praying!

do you have a miracle story to share? would LOVE to hear it!

there are few words that will adequately describe the way i was moved by God last week as a result of the ministry He did with this team. to say that i was blessed would be a great understatement. no. it was way more. it was life-giving.

i love non-surface conversation. i love hearing peoples’ life stories. i love God. i love watching Him use said life stories to impact others for the Kingdom. i love laughing. i love being challenged. i love dancing before the Lord. i love feeling the Holy Spirit. i love hosting people in my home. i love praying with intensity. i love loving on kiddos. i love being part of a team.

let’s just say that last week my love for these things was only stirred with greater passion and by week’s end, my heart was bursting.

of course, the minute this team left, my heart immediately sensed loss.

but, there is joy in loss.

feeling loss means love was present. love was fostered. love was tangible.

i will write more in another post about my time at “hospital del espirtu santo”, but for now…here is a picture of this extrodinary team. they loved well.

and He. Has. Delivered.

i feel as if the Lord has been awakening things in my heart spiritually that are so fun, exciting and intense! being in another culture has truly opened my heart and eyes to a greater understanding of the power of His Holy Spirit….and i have been blown away.

it makes me grieve on some level for the american church…we miss it sometimes. like alot.

i’m not saying guatemala has it all figured out, but i will say they aren’t nearly as inhibited here (mentally, physically, spiritually)…and that is something i continue to chisel away at during my time here: my inside-the-box framework for the Holy Spirit. i have been so blessed by great teachers who guide me biblically through this journey i’m on.

when we seek, we find. He desires to bless us, so why don’t i ask?

well… i am asking for more of Him. and, i am receiving!

how have you broken free from your box?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLMkTGPm-dU&feature=related

thursday (november 10), a team from my church in texas comes for a 10-day trip focused on counseling/ministering to the hurting. this team will minister to people who have seen rough lives, and they will need lots of prayer! i intend to join them in ministry during their week here. also…the women from the team will be staying with me! so, i’ll have 5 additional women around. can’t wait!

then…early december a sweet girl from my church in dallas is coming. she has forgone a vacation in order to visit somewhere she can serve! what a godly example! after contacting my church, she was advised that guatemala would be a good place for her to invest her time into something Kingdom-oriented…so, she will be coming to spend 9 days with me and serve alongside me. what a fun blessing.

when i came back this august, some worried i might get too comfortable living alone until my new teammate (KC Reed, follow her blog) joins me in january. hopefully this has put you at rest! plus…i’ve had several other houseguests since august…so rest assured…i am NOT getting too comfortable!