Racquette Valley Ultreya

Greetings,

It was great to see so many of you in Massena for the Closer Walk Men’s Weekend #97! DeColores and thank you for praying, working, supporting in any way the babe chicks, team, kitchen crew, all involved with the weekend!

This coming Sunday evening, July 29, 6:30 PM we will gather at the Potsdam United Methodist Church, 26 Main Street to give God our praise and thanks. We will sing, pray, hopefully meet some of the new roosters from Walk #97, consider the works of the Lord with a program and share Holy Communion. Sponsors of men who attended the walk, please be certain they are invited to join you for this meeting.

Please wear your nametags, bring your songbooks and the love of Jesus to share with the group that will gather!

DeColores!
Glenda Schuessler, WTE #29

Prayers

Please pray that our  daughter, gets the job she’s interviewing for next week. It’s so important to the family since it means she can move out of the crime ridden neighborhood she now lives in.

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PRAYERS, PLEASE, FOR MY BEST FRIEND. SHE ASKS GOD’S WILL IN HER WORKPLACE.
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Just watched the horrible news about Aurora Colorado where at this time 14 have been
killed and 50 injured at a movie theater at a midnight showing of Dark Knight. Please keep
the families of those killed in mind and healing prayers for those injured as you pray.
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A terrible crash yesterday morning claimed the lives of six people from
the area, including my very favorite high
school English teacher. Her son lost his mom, his wife and his
children…the loss of these lives is going to impact at least three
communities…please pray for us as we grieve…
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I have an urgent prayer request for a friend. She has been in the hospital for two weeks with a rare stomach disease that she has been fighting for some time now. She has to be admitted to the hospital periodically to control the pain that she is in, but she has now developed a fungal pneumonia in both lungs and is having trouble breathing. They have put her in ICU at hospital and they can not get her oxygen levels back up. She is young, only 20, and is very scared. Her mom and her boyfriend are by her bedside supporting her and also need prayers for strength. Please lets cover them in a prayer avalanche.
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To the Closer Walk Community,
First and foremost I wish to express my gratitude for your generosity and your commitment to each other. With the donations given for the bus, a used one has been purchased. Of course, like all used vehicle purchases, the bus needs some work. While it runs beautifully, the power steering box has a leak, the exhaust needs some work, and…
If you are a person with some time and experience who could help improve the situation on the bus, please call, text, or e-mail Jeff Haines at 315-430-8596 jhaines@twcny.rr.com.
If you are not physically able but have the know-how, or if you don’t possess the knowledge but are physically able perhaps a team could be created to get the job done.
Our God is a God of creativity and wonder with endless possibilities. We just haven’t thought of it yet.

Cindy Jenkins
Lay Director Closer Walk UNY
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I need prayers I went to doctors today and had a test done and now have to wait.

Hello All! Well, after 5 long years of Doctors and specialists it has finally come to light that I have been suffering from Fibromyalga for years now..It is nice to know I am not crazy (never mind the comments) lol. I was wondering if anyone here is suffering from or dealing with living with this nasty condition? If so I would love to have some way of us all helping and supporting each other! Let me know what you think.. Bless you

Asking for prayers for my daughter. She had a mass on her Thyroid they removed it she was told that in was not cancerous. She had a follow-up today and they now say it is cancer. She needs to have rest of thyroid out and radiation treatments, also prayers for her mom & I as she is in Hawaii and we are here not able to hold her and be with her. We know that God has a plan and will always find peace in him.

Please keep my son and a local family in prayer. He delivers bagged lunches to local parks in lower-income areas for his summer job. Today one of the children was coming to get a lunch and was hit by a car. He doesn’t know how the boy is doing and isn’t quite ready to talk about it yet, but please keep everyone in your prayers.
UPDATE – The young child that was hit yesterday was back today. He suffered a concussion and quite a few cuts to his face but he was back in business! God is so good!!!

For those of you unable to follow here is his moms latest update!!! Its awesome! So on the 17th, he again went next door to Hospital and had surgery. The surgeon placed three valves in his upper left bronchi. He took pictures of them as a teaching tool because so few people, especially kids, get them. Immediately after the surgery it seemed the leaks had stopped. Oh, I like typing that: Immediately after surgery it seemed the leaks had stopped!

~ When you have a chest tube in, the way to monitor leaks is by having the end of the tube connected to this big plastic box. This box sits on the floor and has chambers inside to measure fluids that drain and it also has a chamber with water. The whole thing is sealed and if there is a leak in the chest the water will bubble. Usually it will bubble when someone exhales. His was a significant leak and bubbled constantly. Since May it has sounded like a jacuzzi for that whole time – very loud – and quite annoying only because we knew if it was bubbling, it was not healing. It never stopped bubbling. For 53 days we listened to bubbles. ~

So we had all our hopes, dreams, faith and prayers counting on these valves to work. This was the less invasive route.These valves have to work. The alternative is not pretty. Major invasive surgery that is extremely dangerous, especially on someone post transplant. As soon as he was done with surgery there was no bubbling. We were so happy, This means it had worked! The leaks had stopped. All night we waited for a bubble, almost holding our breath. How stupid we must have looked watching that friggin box all night. Lol. There were no bubbles all night … Yeeeeeeesssssss!

The next morning physical therapy came in and had him do exercises that caused a leak. We heard one loud bubble. Then there were two bubbles, then a few, then when he coughed, a whole bunch of bubbles. We were beyond upset. I tried to tell him not to get too worked up until we talked to surgery and they took an x-ray. The doctors came in, surgery came in and so did x-ray, all within half and hour. Surgery said they did not think it was anything to get too upset over, that it could be positional and that these valves do have a little give to them until everything heals around them. The pep talk didn’t really work on him. So we listened to that stupid box all day. Every time it bubbled I jumped. Not very impressive when I’m telling him to not worry. (I knew if my husband were here he would roll his eyes at me and tell me to “just relax.” That NEVER works and I don’t know when he is going to realize that!) The bubbles lessened throughout the day and then would only do it if he coughed. By that evening it had stopped and they came and told us the x-ray looked all right. Whew! So they watched it overnight again. No bubbles. The next day they clamped the tube. This was a test to see if his body could tolerate it if the tube were to come out. A test he passed and … (insert drum roll here) yesterday his chest tube came out!!!

It has been so long since he has been “tube free.” We were trying to figure out when the last time was. I guess it would have been November 2011 because he became very sick in December and had a central line placed. It is good to see his chest with nothing hanging out of it. No nightly flush when we get home. No fear of line infection. No fear of catching it on something. No fear of turning over in bed. AND no fear of Scrappy biting onto it and running!

So this is a huge step toward going home. Follow up x-rays were taken this morning so we will see.

Going home … Sounds simple, but after transplant there are rules for home too. He will be in isolation at home for another two months. His immune system is, well, gone. It was erased. Completely. Overkill gone. Fried. Okay, you get the picture. It was so destroyed that he will have to have all of his immunizations all over again in a year, as if he were a newborn. Catching a virus, even the common cold, will be life threatening to him. He cannot leave the house (unless it is in his car which he has informed us will be A LOT!) So you may be able to wave to him as he drives by. Lol. No contact with the general public whatsoever. He may have limited visitors but masks must be worn -unless it is outside and there can be some space between him and guests. Our back deck is Perfect for this and we are lucky that it is not December. If all goes as planned, after three months the masks can come off. After four months he can have limited contact with the public and months five and six will be getting back to NORMAL! Real normal. Not; I still have a tube in and have to sleep in my hospital bed downstairs normal. But real normal.

I must give my husband credit for getting things at home ready for him to return. Along with taking care of the house, the animals, working two jobs, coming down here on his days off, he has also had to: take the cat to the vet to determine if she has some cat toxic infection thingy (?) that could be devastating to him- she was negative so she can stay. He had a new water system installed to improve its quality. He had an expert come in to evaluate our cellar and take air samples, that too came back normal. He has had the pool liner replaced so that it’s our own little piece of heaven on the back deck. And he has had work done on his car so that he can take those long rides safely. Everyone gives me credit but my husband is behind the scenes doing it all. And through it all I know he is hurting and thinks of his dad all the time. Your dad was always proud of you and we are too. He taught you well. Thank you for taking such good care of your family.

Asking for prayers for a young man I used to know. God knows his needs.

Update on a friend, father of my dearest daughter-in-love. He has gone to be with his beloved wife. Thank you so much for all your prayers
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We ask for prayers for our son. Got word that he is going in for surgery today {7/25/} @ 1PM. That’s all we know at this point. We pray for healing comfort and strength and for guidance for the medical team.
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asking prayers for friends.

Asking prayers for my Aunt as she is in the hospital now being prepped for surgery for lung cancer this morning. They will be removing part of her lung. Prayers for God’s hand to be on her during surgery and also the hands of the surgeon. Prayers for her family for peace and strength during this time and the weeks and possibly months to come as they all deal with her illness. Special prayers for my mother please as she watches her sister go through this as they are very close. Thank you all and God bless you.
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Update on the prayer request I sent a few days ago. We are still needing a lot of prayers for the young girl that is in hospital. She is still in critical condition with a life threatening fungal pneumonia. She is on a breathing machine and she is not doing very well tonight and we are asking everyone to pray hard. God has brought her through so much and been with her and we know he has something special planned for her life. Her mom and Boyfriend have not left her side since this started and need strength and prayers also. Lets surround them and the medical staff with prayers and with God’s miracle healing touch, they will all get through this.
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Prayers for my brother and sister in Christ. Special healing for him and strength for her. God can do all things!
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Announcements

Subject: Clergy help for Community

I am looking for an Elder to lead the community worship services on Thursday and Saturday for the upcoming Men’s walk in Massena. I am hoping someone in that area or someone taking a person to the walk will step forward.

Thank you for your time,
Brian Fellows
<stpaulspastor@twcny.rr.com
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New Light Ultreya will gather this Friday evening with a dish to pass at the Oswegatchie Coffee House on Main Street in Gouverneur, NY.
We will share food, fellowship and singing. Please remember that the Men’s Closer Walk Will be going on this weekend also.
Wes Gleason and Earl LaLonde from our area are serving on team this weekend. Please keep them, the rest of the team and the pilgrims in prayer.
There are many opportunities to support the Closer Walk weekend – beginning Thursday, July 12 at Emmanuel Congregational Church, 39 West Orvis Street, Massena.

Thursday, July 12 – the Men’s team will be setting up at the church to get ready for the weekend, if you have time to assist please show up there. Our Ultreya (Racquette Valley – assistance welcome!) will be serving the Team Dinner (5 PM, I think), if you can assist with this please come to the church.

Thursday evening – candidates arrive at 7 PM, you can meet and greet them at that time.

Friday, July 13 – help in the kitchen is welcome all day!

Saturday, July 14 – kitchen help at any time; drive for showers in the afternoon.

5:00 PM – Potluck at the First United Methodist Church, 189 Main Street, Massena (placemats available to sign)

6:00 PM – Holy Hour, First United Methodist Church

7:00 PM – Serenade – approximate time as the weekend is on God’s time!

Following Serenade – decorate the Dining Area

Sunday, July 15 – help in the kitchen welcome at any time.

6:00 AM (or as directed by the Community persons) Las Mananitas – men, don’t forget your flowers!

2:30 PM (ish) – gather for Break-In

4:00 PM (ish) – Closing

Remember – Please keep the weekend bathed in prayer.

Decolores,

Bethj

Prayers

can you please put my co-worker and her husband on the prayer chain? he is almost, if not already, 60. he was training a horse yesterday and got bucked off. he has a torn bladder with internal bleeding and a dislocated disc. his wife left hospital at 5 am this morning after spending the night in the emergency room with him. there’s one more test they want to do this am and then pt will come in to evaluate his inability to walk. she is 56 herself and now has to feed the horses and care for his 90 year old mom without help.
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Dear brothers and sisters,

Our dear friend, an indigenous missionary in Kenya sent me this prayer request, “We would like to continue to kindly request you to remember to pray for our safety as we traveled in risky places to reach out to the unreached with the Gospel through the Jesus film in their own local languages, yesterday two churches where attacked by the terrorists while they were worshiping and 17 people killed and 65 seriously injured, the day before yesterday our neighbor pastor was attacked , the pastor was killed and his head cut off in front of his son, have you been able to read this in the news about Kenya? this pastor was killed right where we are working and it is really threatening! please pray,pray,pray for us.”

News of the attacks: <http://www.persecution.org/2012/07/01/muslim-radicals-kill-17-christians-attack-two-churches-in-kenya/>.

He is the most committed Christian I’ve ever met, daily risking his life for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Thousands of new believers have come into the Kingdom by his humble yet steadfast ministry. He visited our home nearly 2 years ago while he was in the US and our spirits bonded immediately. Please lift up this humble servant in prayer for protection and provision. If you would like to do something tangible to help his ministry contact me via email: drew.edwin.hill@gmail.com

I praise God for each one of my Emmaus/Closer Walk brothers and sisters,
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I am asking for prayers for my husband, and his whole family as they mourn the loss of his brother (-in-law).
Please pray for his sister, that God give her strength and comfort during this time. Pray for their children as they process the loss of their father.
God Bless you all.
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