Whited Update - Special Prayer Requests 1/2011

(This was the e-mail update I sent out on Thursday night, but I have made some additions in red so that it reflects the present regarding Emma and our Overseas Set-Up Account!)

We pray that your New Year is off to a wonderful start and you have found ways to continue to serve the Lord which will bring Him Glory!

We wanted to come before you to ask you to pray for several items. 

First and foremost on our minds is our little Emma (now 5 years old).  She’ll be having a “minor” surgery this Friday (tomorrow 1/28) to remove her adenoids, and she’ll also have a turbinate reduction performed.  If you want to know more about the “why, etc.,” you can visit our blog.  We’d appreciate you praying for God’s hand of protection to be over her and the doctor’s hands and the others who will be taking care of her before, during, and after the procedure.  Please pray for a quick & simple recovery.  Also, we’d like for you to ultimately pray for her complete healing.  (I’m praising the Lord how easy it was to get care for the other 4 so that Dano & I could both be at the hospital with Emma!)

(UPDATE:  God answered our prayers for her protection.  We had a very good experience at the hospital!  She had a lot of bleeding when we left the hospital, but that quickly got under control.  She is doing great now!  The turbinate reduction is what caused the additional bleeding.  She is still having a little bleeding.  We'd appreciate your prayers for that to quickly cease!)

Please continue to pray for Wesley’s healing from his eczema.  We’ve been doing a good job keeping it under control again, but it would be wonderful for him to be free from this burden if the Lord desires. 

Also, we are starting our last month here in the Carolinas.  We have a lot of loose ends to tie up before heading to TN for our last 6 weeks or so in the states.  Please pray for us to be disciplined and make good priorities and stick to them.  Pray for wisdom as we make decisions on what to take with us and what to leave behind.  Pray that we’d say goodbye well and help our kids to say goodbye well to their friends.  While we are excited about this next step, this will be a sad time as we say goodbye to our friends from the last 3.5 years.

On February 6^th (yes, Super Bowl Sunday) we will be speaking briefly in our two morning services at our church here (Covenant Baptist in Lancaster, SC), and we’ll be speaking at a late afternoon service here at the JAARS center.  Please pray for the Lord to use us for His glory.  Pray that we could easily communicate what lies ahead for us and our need for prayer. 

In February, our new entity will start the application for our visas!  Please pray that this would be a smooth process and our visas would be granted without a hitch.  Once our visas are approved, we’ll be able to purchase our airline tickets!

Lastly, please continue to pray for our financial needs to be met so that we may leave in April for Southeast Asia.  We are so close in our Overseas Set-up Account.  We only lack $1455!  We are also still in need of funds to pay for our visas and airfare.  These funds are vital in being able to leave.  (Now we only lack $905!!)

Thank you for continuing to stand with us (or kneel with us) so faithfully over the years!  Thank you for allowing us the privilege of praying for you.  May the Lord bless you as you seek Him daily. 

Serving Him alongside you,

Melinda and the Whited clan

Dano, Melinda, Olivia, Derek, Emma, Wesley, & Virginia

     

To keep up with our family and ministry happenings

visit our blog or find us on facebook.

http://whited-underhiswings.blogspot.com/

HOW TO GIVE:

Send in a check made payable to Wycliffe Bible Translators to:

Wycliffe Bible Translators

P.O. Box 628200

Orlando, FL 32862-8200

                                                                                                                                                                                          

please include a note designating it for Dano & Melinda Whited Account # 215422

(gifts with this designation that are not our normal monthly gifts will go toward our visa costs and airfare costs)

If you want to contribute to our Overseas Set-Up Account, your note should state that with the Account # 215422-71.

  

You can also give online or by phone:

http://www.wycliffe.org/Partnership.aspx?mid=7D4FD8  (Be sure and make the designation mentioned above in the comment section according to your desires)

or

1-800-WYCLIFFE

You can also visit this link for other ways to give:

http://www.wycliffe.org/Give/WaystoGive.aspx

Emma's Surgery - Please Pray

Emma (5)

Okay… I’m not sure if you all know what is going on, so I will “catch you up.”

Emma (age 5) started coughing when all the other kids did when we were in TN for Daddy's last days and funeral.  The others stopped for the most part.  Emma kept coughing.  This isn’t her first episode of chronic coughing.  In the past, it’s been diagnosed as an allergic cough since post nasal drip is always present.  Our chiropractor has always been able to help.  She was “cough free” for a long time!  This time around, her coughing has gotten a lot better since the fall… and even since Christmas… but it remains!  And the crazy thing…the only thing at times that would make her stop coughing would be a breathing treatment (albuterol with the nebulizer). 

SO… we finally decided to take her to the allergist/asthma doctor.  She went two weeks ago, Thursday 1/13.  I took her.

Much to OUR surprise and HIS (based on her symptoms)…she has NO allergies and NO asthma!  (They did skin allergy testing and an eNO test to test for asthma.)  These are HUGE praises yet we still didn’t have answers!  So the doc wanted to do x-rays on her sinuses and her breathing passage way.  He said a chronic sinus infection and/or enlarged adenoids could be the cause.  X-rays could reveal these.  We left the appointment and went to the imaging place and got the x-rays. 

The nurse called the next day with the results.  No sinus infection!  Yea!  BUT her adenoids are enlarged.  =0(  We were referred to an ENT.  He is supposed to be the BEST.  (I hope so.) (Dr. McClelland)

We expected him to say SURGERY which we did not want.  (You know us.)  I have been doing a lot of research, and we’ve been praying.

Last Thursday was that appointment.  I did really like him.  (just Emma & I went)  He explained how this could be happening without allergies.  It is basically caused by the environment & her reaction to it.  So chemical smells, cigarette smoke/smell, perfumes, irritants in the air, etc.  It is especially bothering her because she is a mouth breather (even though her thumb is stuck in it most the time)!  If you breathe through your mouth, unfiltered air is going straight to your lungs.  Your nose acts as a filter and humidifier, etc.  This “treats” the air so that it is more suitable for your lungs.  Emma’s little nose is so inflamed on the inside (80% blocked on one side and 50% blocked on the other side), that she is forced to do a lot of mouth breathing.  And on top of that, her enlarged adenoids also make it hard for her to breathe through her nose.  Listening to her talk these last couple of  weeks (after reading about mouth breathing), I realized how much her voice does sound like she is stuffed up all the time.  =0(  So anyway, the unfiltered air going straight to her lungs is probably what is causing her bronchi to be inflamed and spasm and COUGH! 

SO (as we suspected), he wants to take out her adenoids AND he wants to “shrink” her turbinates.  These are the areas inside the nose that are all inflamed and blocking the airway.  Thankfully, he doesn’t want to take the tonsils (they look great) or mess with her sinuses (unless this doesn’t fix the problem).  He does want to look at them with a camera during the surgery.

(If you are just dying to read more, this is an article from their website:  http://www.cornerstoneent.com/about-face-preventing-adenoid-faces-in-children/   )

Oddly enough, I pretty much had peace about all he was saying, but I wasn’t 100% sure we would do the surgery.  Dano & I needed to discuss it… and of course, we wanted to pray some more.  BUT I did go ahead and schedule it so that we could reserve a spot.  Emma will have this outpatient surgery this Friday.  It should be very quick with a 24 to 48 hour recovery. 

He added that most likely this will continue to happen.  This surgery will relieve her symptoms now and immediately help her breath better.  So to prevent it from happening again, she’ll need to use a nasal steroid (Nasonex) to prevent inflammation.  Also, he suggested that she might need something like singulair to help with the lungs.  We are going to play that stuff by ear.  Since we are moving to a completely different environment (Indonesia), it could stay the same or get better… we’ll just have to wait and see. 

Starting with the meds to see if they could reduce the inflammation without the surgery didn’t appeal to him because she is so blocked that the meds wouldn’t reach everything they needed to.  =0(  If we were staying stateside, I would probably at least try the meds first or do some more searching.  BUT we feel like we have tried so much and researched so much and our little Emma needs to breathe better now.  I wish I had a good homeopathic doctor.  I would definitely try that. BUT since we don’t, we have decided to do the surgery.  So far, anyone who has said they had their kid’s adenoids removed has had positive things to say.  I know it seemed to help my "little" brother when he was about Emma’s age and my "little" sister when she was in high school.  

Please pray for our Emma's protection during this surgery and ultimately for her healing.  I know in the grand scheme of things, this is a "tiny" procedure; however, it is still our little Emma going in a hospital for surgery... and that is big to us.  Thankfully our Lord is big enough to shoulder our concerns, and He loves our Emma even more than we do which is hard to believe.  Thank you for standing with us!

Love,

Melinda  =0)  

WANTED: Pink Blanket

WANTED: Pink Blanket... if you have one EXACTLY like this, I want to buy it if the price is right. I want a "back up" for Virginia's FAVORITE thing. I can't find one at any of the Targets around here. I think they are discontinued. =0( I found one on e-bay but the price just went out of my range. =0( It is a Carter's Just One Year. I'll pay shipping, too.


I know a lot of you are yard sale junkies or thrift shop browsers... if you see one, please get it for us!  I will reimburse you!  


Originally it was around $14, I think.  So, I would prefer not to pay more than this with shipping... but I might pay a little extra.  Sleep at night is VALUABLE!  =0)  I'm looking for a substitute because when we were in TN, she got sick on her blanket. She wouldn't go back to sleep until it was out of the dryer! UGH! I don't want to ever have a repeat of that! =0


Thanks for looking!!  =0)  


UPDATE:  A friend in TX found a blanket almost exactly like this one (from Target also made by Carter's Just One Year).  The pink satin around the edge is the same and it has embroidery around one corner.  But the minky dot material in the middle is white with pink hearts on it instead of solid pink and the back is more like a fleece material where Virginia's is pink satin.  Paul offered to get it for us and I asked him to get it & keep it in case we found a pink one.  Well, I was at a different Target with a friend and found the same one as Paul.  I bought it & brought it home.  (and let Paul know he could take his back)  I had it in the bag on the table.  When Virginia saw it, she said, "BLANKET" and immediately started rubbing "the" corner and sucking her thumb!  The differences weren't enough to distract her.  So... I have found a blanket that will do the trick; HOWEVER, I would still LOVE to find an EXACT back-up for two reasons:


1) moving to a third-world area, the pink will show less dirt


2) the satin backed blanket will be much more appropriate for a tropical climate instead of a fleece blanket


I'm pretty sure now that the only place to find this blanket will be in a resale shop, a yard sale, or in someone's home.    

Happy New Year and What's Ahead!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

We are blessed beyond measure, and we want to thank you for being part of our many blessings!  As we look back over 2010, we see God’s provision for us in an amazing way.  We appreciate your sacrificial giving that has made our service with Wycliffe Bible Translators possible!  Because of your gifts, God’s Word is going forth to many who have never heard.  Because of your giving, we will soon be leaving for Southeast Asia to play a role in speeding Bible Translation in that part of the world!  All of your gifts and prayers make you our PARTNERS in Bible Translation!  You may not be physically moving across the globe, but you are serving alongside us where you are!  Thank you! 

UPDATE ON SPECIAL ACCOUNTS! 

We have 100% of our Orientation and Language Study Account!  Thank you!!!

We only lack a tiny portion for our Overseas Set-Up Account!  We only need $1805 to have the need met for this account!  How amazing is that?!  We will send out a special e-mail when this account reaches 100%!!

OTHER NEEDS

As we meet the goals on our two special accounts, the major needs remaining will be for our visas and our airfare.  We have already received some gifts toward these expenses.  Thank you!  We look in anticipation how God is going to provide the entire amount needed!

VISA UPDATE

We will start the application process in February for our Visas since we are anticipating an April departure!  We have already scanned in 120 pages plus our 7 pictures and one resume for our application!  We just have to send this to our new entity in Southeast Asia then they will begin the process for us! 

IMMUNIZATIONS

We are ALMOST done with this area of our preparation.  We had hoped to be finished by the end of 2010, but that didn’t happen.  We have a total of 15 left to get!  Shew!  By the time we are finished in February, our family of 7 will have gotten 44 immunizations since June 2010!  (Granted, a lot of those will have been for our 2 youngest getting “caught up.”)  Thank you for your prayers for this area, too.  I know immunizations are a good thing, but I am also aware that they can sometimes cause harm.  Thankfully, we have not had any negative effects that we are aware of.  Please continue to pray for protection! 

TOOLS

Dano’s tools and tool box are all packed up, inventoried, and value estimated.  They are just waiting to be shipped with the rest of the shipment heading to our new entity!

WHAT ELSE?

We need to purchase our footlockers (2 per person) we’ll use as our checked luggage and start packing them with the items we’ll take with us.  Other than Dano’s tools, we won’t be shipping anything.  It is much more cost effective to purchase what we need overseas rather than shipping what we have.  While we have already gotten rid of our furniture and many of our belongings, we still need to get rid of more items and decide on storage solutions for items we want to keep long term (like keepsakes, pictures, and items our kids think are priceless!).

MARCH 2011

We plan to move to Tennessee during March and live in the mission house in Hendersonville until we depart for Southeast Asia early April.  This will enable us to spend our last 4 or 5 weeks in the states with our family and celebrate the birthdays of Virginia, Emma, & Derek with family. 

THERE YOU HAVE IT!

These are our PLANS… but we know sometimes the Lord redirects our steps. In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps.  Proverbs 16:9 We are actually WELL aware of that!  We have sought the Lord in making our plans in hopes of doing what He desires and when He desires!  If things don’t work out as planned above, we’ll wait on God’s timing!

THANK YOU!

Once again, thank you for your support and prayers!  We are excited about what 2011 holds for our family and ministry!  Thank you for standing with us and sending us to serve in Southeast Asia!  Please let us know how we can pray for you in this new year!

Love in Christ,

Melinda for the gang

Dano, Melinda, Olivia, Derek, Emma, Wesley, & Virginia 

To keep up with our family and ministry happenings

visit our blog or find us on facebook.

http://whited-underhiswings.blogspot.com/

HOW TO GIVE:

Send in a check made payable to Wycliffe Bible Translators to:

Wycliffe Bible Translators

P.O. Box 628200

Orlando, FL 32862-8200

                                                                                                                                                                                          

please include a note designating it for Dano & Melinda Whited Account # 215422

(gifts with this designation that are not our normal monthly gifts will go toward our visa costs and airfare costs)

If you want to contribute to our Overseas Set-Up Account, your note should state that with the Account # 215422-71.

  

You can also give online or by phone:

http://www.wycliffe.org/Partnership.aspx?mid=7D4FD8  (Be sure and make the designation mentioned above in the comment section according to your desires)

or

1-800-WYCLIFFE

You can also visit this link for other ways to give:

http://www.wycliffe.org/Give/WaystoGive.aspx

Fundraising Dinner for Dano & Melinda Whited

**See Change Below in RED**

Okay... this replaces the Golf Tournament.  Keith decided to go with this instead because it will not be dependent upon weather, and he thinks he will be able to help us more!  What a blessing he is being to our family and ministry!  If you are on facebook, go to this link:  http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=167384173305150

I'm assuming you'll need to make reservations in advance so they'll know how much food to prepare.

We are looking forward to seeing you there!!

Here is the basic info from Keith:

Friday, March 18 · 6:30pm - 9:30pm

Bethlehem Baptist Church, Springfield TN on Hwy 76 and Bethlehem Rd.

Dinner is $25 per person. NOW there is NO "per person" charge... instead a love offering will be taken as you come in.  This should enable anyone to come!

We will be having a good evening spent with the Whited's and take time to love on them and pray with them before they leave for the mission field. 

I would like to encourage all of our classmates to make a serious effort to come out and attend this dinner as well as all of our church and family members of the Whited family.

We want to invite everyone we can to this event, because the more we raise the more at ease they can be knowing that money is not gonna be an issue. It takes money to get there, and to stay there. The Whited's are completely supported only by the love offerings of their friends like us. Please help to make this a successful event!!!

If you have any questions, please feel free to call me on my cell phone-615 483-3164

Please invite your friends. 

Win a Bible, Win a Trip

Tyndale House Publishers and Wycliffe Bible Translators are partnering in an effort to give the New Living Translation to contest winners—and to give one fortunate family the opportunity to learn about the exciting world of Bible translation with a custom-designed adventure at the Wycliffe Discovery Center in Orlando, Florida. Visithttp://biblecontest.newlivingtranslation.com/index.php for details.

Wycliffe is the mission organization we serve with.  Enter for a chance to win.  The Wycliffe Discovery Center in Orlando is a GREAT place.  Our kids really enjoyed it this summer while we were there!  We did, too!  

If you win the Bible, you could enjoy a new study Bible or you could give it to someone who needs a Bible!  What a blessing that would be!  

Blessings,

Melinda  =0)