SLAMS: We Need Prayer

Dear Family and Friends,

I feel I need to send out an e-mail and ask everyone to pray for our family. We have just received some horrible news about my mother-in-law, Louise McDonald. She has been diagnosed with a meningioma. Some of you may know that Sam went back to the States June 10 to be with her because she had just had a younger brother pass away, then her twin brother was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer, and then a close cousin was killed in a car wreck when an eighteen wheeler hit them. His wife, Cathy, and daughter, Lee Lee, were in the car also. Cathy is doing fine physically, but Lee Lee had two punctured lungs. So please pray for them. Anyway, while Sam is home his mom started experiencing some unusual symptoms, so he took her to the doctor and they admitted her to the hospital to run some tests. That is when they found the meningioma. To read more about this type of tumor you can go to http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/meningioma/DS00901. She will visit a neurologist June 30. Hopefully then they will be able to tell her what course of action she will need to take. Until then, Sam will stay in the States to be with her.

It seems like our family has been beaten up by Satan since coming to Africa last June. All the legal issues Sam was having to deal with, Amber Elizabeth’s allergic reaction to something that made her eyes swell almost shut, my broken wrist, Sam’s two black eyes from playing basketball, some mysterious rash Molly Grace had all over her body, Sarah Rose’s ringworms, Molly Grace’s swollen lymph nodes, Sarah Rose’s croupy cough, all the other sicknesses the girls have gone through, my gall bladder problems, Molly Grace’s chipped tooth, and my ear stopping up and not being able to hear for almost three weeks. But, we are still turning our eyes to Christ. He has us here for a reason and Satan does not like it.

Here are some specific prayer requests that I have:

1. I want to ask that you pray for Mrs. Louise; that this meningioma will be benign. Pray that the doctors will have wisdom as to what the proper treatment should be. Pray that she will be comforted through all this. I praise God for the wonderful church family we have at Faith. There are many people there who will be looking out for her once Sam comes back to Malawi. Thank you God.

2. Please pray for Sam as he is going through all this too. He wants to be there for his mother and he wants to be here with his family. He is torn. Right now though, he is where he should be – with his mother.

3. Please pray that when Sam and Molly Grace return to Malawi that they would have a safe trip with no problems. Pray that immigration, customs, etc. Would go smoothly.

4. Please pray that Amber Elizabeth, Sarah Rose, and I will be safe here in Malawi and not miss Sam and Molly Grace too much. We do miss them.

5. Please pray for our family that we will stay healthy and safe. Please pray that Satan would not continue to torment our family. Pray that we would be able to stay focused on God and know that he has a purpose for all this.

I have to say too that there have been some wonderful things happen here this past year. We have met some wonderful people from all over the world. I was able to teach students from eighteen different countries and learn a little bit about their culture. I wouldn't have had that experience if we were in Mississippi. I have seen a little Muslim girl grow closer to God. Maybe she will take what she has learned home to her family. The girls have made some really good friends; also from all over the world. Amber Elizabeth has been able to reunite with old friends. Sam has been able to preach in rural villages and spread the gospel. Molly Grace has really excelled in school; thanks Mrs. Goncalves.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. Thank you all for your prayerful support. We love you all so much and could not be here without you praying for us.

We love you dearly,
LeAnne (for all 5 of us)

P.S. On a different note, please pray for Zimbabwe. They are having a run-off election June 27. Things are getting really violent there now. We have some good friends who have had to flee because of the violence. I taught a little boy from there this past year. His name is Dylan Pyman and he is the sweetest and cutest boy ever. My heart breaks for his family. Here is a picture of him the next to the last day of school. They were able to wear traditional clothes from their home country. His mom made this shirt. I told him that I was going to send this to our friends and have them pray for Zimbabwe, so please, for this family and many many others, pray; especially June 27. To read more about Zimbabwe, you can visit www.bbc.com.