Tests Troubles and Trials

We left for Waterfall on Friday morning - then about halfway there the darn accelerator cable breaks. So I fix it with some electrical cable and a few cable ties. I get to Harrysmith and get a engineering works to repair the thing for me as there are no Tata spares available in the town. Just past Pietermaritzberg the cable breaks again. But this time I cannot make a repair, so I attach electrical cable to the thing and run the cable through the bonnet to the drivers window and use a bic pen to work the accelerator. Took us a little longer to get there than usual, but we got there in the end. More about the weekend later.

The week ahead

This week I will work like a banshee and on Friday Elizabeth and I leave for waterfall in KZN to preach and visit.
We will be returning on Tuesday to continue with the ministry in Welkom.

Blessing upon blessing

Well, Isn't the Lord wonderful - the car's engine blew up but the Lord made provision with a twin cab. And what is more, we have had a really good week of work this week. Have to make enough to pay for the vehicle's repayments now.

 

The in-valid at home

So now Elizabeth is in a neck brace - even has to shower with it on - so they give her two of the things, one drying after the last shower and one on the neck at all times.
Physiotherapy has given her exercises to do, and she can lift and do nothing strenuous for 6 weeks - so I have to carry the washing to the laundry and she trundles along and supervises my every movement. She cannot pick up the Kettle, water bottle, make the bed, hang out or retrieve the washing, move a pot on the stove and so forth and so on.
I have her comfortably ensconced on the couch with a good book and we run around catering to her every whim, not that we mind and not that she does not deserve it.

Now the car is bust - so I cannot do any installations or get to church - phew! how much is this going to cost us now? I pray God will give us a new car or the wherewithal to fix this one. Praying for a decent twin cab.

Post Operative pics

To begin with, we travelled to Bloemfontein and booked in at the Mario Marshall residence, a 5 star accommodation facility for the Free State CESA Ministers. Our deep and humble thanks to Mario and Nadja for the wonderful hospitality and warm fellowship and advice. (I stayed with them till Elizabeth came out of hospital)

The Next morning at 6am we got Elizabeth booked into Rose park Hospital in Bloemfontein early on Wednesday Morning. I was able to be with her all the time, but was not allowed to take a nap on an empty bed. They took her into the operating theater about 11:30am and I sat outside waiting for her to come out untill 2:30pm. (Prayer and tears) Silly how emorional a fellow can get about his wife going in for a serious operation.
Dr. Pierre Lewis (the neurosurgeon) said that when he started the operation he was alarmed as he expected the C6/C7 vertebrae to be in a certain position but as Elizabeth has such a short neck it was tucked behind the collar bone and he had very limited vision for doing the job. Also he could not get to some spots and had to insert a different prosthetic disk to the one he intended. He reckons it was a very difficult job and took an hour longer than he expected as a result. Then he said, "But with the Lord's help we managed." Now that warmed my heart. He told me he has inserted a vocal on/off switch for my use when she talks too much, but I just cannot find it.
Then Neurosurgical ICU for 24 hours and boy - she sure needed it. She was in great pain after the op and I was dreading the pain enduring (so prayers and tears)  - she had a pain pump and she pumped away as if her life depended on it - but it only allows a squirt of pain killer every seven minutes. By God's grace and the prayers of His saints her vocal chords are OK phew!
The next day they moved her to the ward and wonder of wonders, no pain at all - (more prayer and tears) though this time of gratitude to our Father who so wondrously answers prayers.
on Friday they booked her out after x rays and we had a meal at Mario and Nadja's before taking the long trip home - 9 kilometers out of Bloemfontein the engine starts to make an awful noise and black/blue/grey smoke bubbles out from under the bonnet.
Thank God for cell phones - Mario and Nadja roll up and take Elizabeth to Welkom for me - Bruce, Mark, Leonard and Lloyd arrive in about 2 and a half hours to tow me back to Welkom - Eish, now what is the Lord teaching me with this now traumatic event. There were several other events that night that made me wonder why these attacks - but I will not go into them