Elijah Update (May 4)

Dear Friends,

I write to you now asking for more prayer. I know, I know, how much more can we pray for this little boy? The Lord has brought us through so much already, and He gave us a glimpse at the "gentle whisper" but then the storm began again. We do not know why, but Elijah has continued to get worse. He now has chest tubes back on each side, but still the fluid continues to build up and we do not know from where it is coming. At this point Elijah's condition is critical. When I left his bed tonight he had many things going on. Elijah does not know all the comings and goings because he is sedated. Earlier today we were preparing Elijah for a surgery to occur on Saturday morning. Now the medical staff is trying to keep Elijah stable. We have no idea what happened... why the shunt stopped pumping, why the chest tubes don't seem to drain and why he is having such a difficult time... BUT GOD KNOWS.

I am a mess (as well as Joel at home) right now, but if we did not have a strong faith in a loving God we would be more of a mess then we are. The other night Joel asked me, "Is someone's coming to Christ, or changing their walk with the Lord, worth what Elijah is going through to reach them?" We both agreed that the answer is yes. As much as it pains all of us, if lives are changed through Elijah's life, it is worth it.

Pray for Joel as he hopes to be able to make it here before Saturday, and please pray for me. We are not sure how much more we can handle emotionally, but we have a great team lifting us up all over the world. Thank you so much.

JJ and Super E