Surgery Update - Good news!

I wanted to post a brief update after my surgery a couple of weeks ago. Good news! The mass tissue was benign.

But the surgeon said it was a complicated surgery. To his surprise, he found a hernia in my diaphragm that had pushed through the wall into the lungs and was part of the mass he removed that was draped over the heart. So, it seems I got a 2 for 1 special ... removal of the tissue and a hernia repair at the same time! 

I have one more follow-up visit with the surgeon in a month, for another X-ray and check-in. If everything is looking good, he says I can get back to normal (including returning to Tanzania) with some follow-up as needed.

I've been recovering slowly but surely. But, just as I am getting strong enough to get back to my normal activities, I've had another unexpected event. As many of you know, my 89 year old mom has not been doing well the last few months. I thought she was improving, but it seems she has taken a turn for the worse in the last 2 weeks and seemingly entering the end of life stage. So I'm focused on balancing my time between my recovery and spending as much time as I can with her.

I can already see God's hand in all of this - the discovery of the need for surgery, and getting it within 2 days (unheard of!), just when I was in Canada and when I can be here for mom. His timing is perfect.

Thanks so much for your prayers, and for lifting me up in your church and prayer networks.  Please pass this update to them. Also, please continue to pray - for complete healing, that God's peace will be with my mom, and that we can be with her to comfort and love on her in her final days. 

A special thanks, too, to the VOH team, especially Serge and Nancy, my directors, who are carrying the urgent items of my workload during this time.

Be assured the VOH work is carrying on -  we just started the new school year, the children are back studying hard, we are in the final stages of new 3 year strategic plans and are this week are are starting an expanded discipleship training program for the leaders of the VOH centres. It's always exciting! Once I'm back in Africa, I will do an more detailed update related to the work and mission, but for today, I just wanted to give this praise update and thank you again for your concern and caring of my personal needs. 

Many thanks!
Jeanette