August 2011 prayer letter

"A Song of degrees of David.

I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD." Psalm 122:1

Our praying friends and family in the Lord,

What a privilege it is to be able to attend 'God's House'! There is nothing like it on earth, when fellow believers come together, in one mind and one accord, for the express purpose of worshipping God. It's a little slice of 'Heaven on earth'. It reminds us that we're only pilgrims here, and that our pilgrimage won't be long, and that one day we'll arrive at the "house of the LORD", never to depart. These refreshing truths were made all the clearer, as we recently attended our second missionary camp meeting. (Three times a year, all the missionaries cooperating together to reach the Turks here, gather for four or five days of English preaching and singing.) The first camp meeting we attended was soon after our arrival, and having just been in almost two years of services stateside, it felt like any other camp meeting. But now, after having been isolated, for the most part, from regular English speaking interaction outside of the home, this camp meeting was sweet. It makes a difference when you can't afford to have division. No one can afford to come to meeting with a chip on their shoulder, lest they miss a blessing, and have to go another three months without hearing preaching in their mother tongue. I go to meetings all the time here, and while I don't understand the language well enough yet, I'm aware of God's presence, and am able, in measure, to participate in the services through song and prayer. Still, there's an intimacy in hearing the "wonderful works of God" in your own language. That's why, though we live and labor in Bulgaria, and, for the most part, these Bulgarian Turks all speak fluent Bulgarian, it's our desire to learn Turkish, to speak 'their' language.

I began this letter, early on the morning of the 12^th. I had been ill, suffering for a couple of days with what I thought was a strain of the flu. Friday morning I awoke early, feeling better than I had, and determined to see my wife to a doctor's appointment. As the day wore on, I began to feel worse and worse. As we were in the area anyway, I stopped by our family physician to see if she couldn't recommend something to take care of this flu. After listening to me breathe, she recommended an x-ray. Upon receipt of that, she informed me I had pneumonia. I was told only the hospital could administer medication strong enough to help me, and that I was to report immediately there. I knew I wasn't well, I just didn't know how ill I was. They admitted me that night with a 103.5 degree fever, and told me I would remain there a mandatory 7 days. The hospital was exceptional by Bulgarian standards, and all the staff I encountered were friendly and as helpful as they could be regardless of the language barrier. Because of my inability to communicate, I was at their mercy as to what they prescribed me and why, and could only pray that the Lord would help me. My wife asked me, before being admitted, if I was nervous. I told her I felt too bad to be nervous. But, looking back, I wasn't nervous at all. In fact, all I could do was resign myself to God's will, trusting that he had me there for his purpose. And, in spite of my physical discomfort, I enjoyed a week of fellowship with the Lord: reading and praying and enjoying His company. I am now home, and on a high powered antibiotic for a few more days. I feel a tad weak in body, but refreshed in the Lord. Please keep me in your prayers, that the Lord would grant a full recovery, and that I would soon feel myself again. Also, please keep us in your prayers, as our residency visas will soon come due. We are presently here on a 6 month visa, awaiting our residency visas. We have other prayer requests, and the Lord knows them all. Help me believe God for the needs of this work, and ours as well. God bless you all.

Because of a living Saviour,

The William LeFevre Family

Home

Dear praying friends,

Thank you all very much for the kind expressions of love sent during my hospital stay.  Also, thank you, from the depths of my heart, for your prayers.  I can't express their worth in words, the Lord knows.  I was discharged from the hospital today, at 11 AM Bulgarian time.  The doctors came in this morning at 6 and woke me up to draw blood.  Then 30 minutes later, they returned to stick my finger for more blood.  An hour later the Dr. came by, spoke to me in Bulgarian, and left (I still don't know what he said.)  Later a nurse dropped my with a prescription (for some extremely high-powered antibiotics) and my discharge papers.

I am now with my family at my brothers house, and we'll soon make our way back to Dabravino.  Please continue to pray for us.  We love you all.  God bless you.

William LeFevre

Update from William

William wrote this letter from the hospital and asked me to mail it for him. At the visit today I spoke to the doctor and they said he might get out in a day or two. We can't wait to have him back home. 

Hannah

Dear praying friends,

Let me say firstly, The Lord is good, always has been, always will be, especially to me.  He treats me very well, in fact it seems I'm spoiled by his goodness.

I'm writing this from a cafe near to the hospital where I'm staying.  This is the first day I've been out of my room.  I was admitted Friday evening, after our doctor concluded I had pneumonia.  I thought at first, that I had merely contracted a strain of flu going around.  Wednesday morning I awoke feeling 'achy'; Thursday morning, still achy, I felt slightly feverish, but, thought this would be the worst.  Friday morning I awoke early, cleaned up, and felt well enough to take Hannah to her Dr.'s appt. in Shumen.  As the morning progressed, I began to wear down, and thought, that while we were here I may as well have the Dr. check me out too.  I wasn't expecting the diagnosis.  But, having accepted it, I resigned myself to whatever the Lord had for me.  Friday afternoon, we returned to Dabravino (a little over an hour away) collected what I'd need for my stay, and then made our way back to the hospital via Zlatna Niva to pick up Zach to help us with admitting and driving arrangements.  I was admitted that night with a 103.5 temp, a little sore and weak, but contented in the Lord.  I can honestly say that I've enjoyed the peace of God during this whole experience.  I don't feel well, still at the writing of this, (I have a port in my left arm through which they administer meds once or twice a day), but I know who is with me, and have been blessed with his fellowship.  Thank you all very much for your prayers.  Please keep Hannah and the boys in your prayers.  And pray for this work.  I have confidence in the Lord concerning anything I might go through here.  But let's pray the Lord blesses this work, and makes the days and years to come, the best yet.  It seems that everything the Lord commences, he concludes better.  It is my prayer, that this work, that He so obviously began, He will, even now, bless exceeding abundantly above anything He has done previously, and show us all again, that, He is God and beside him there is none else.

Pray for us, the Lord knows our needs.  You're in my prayers, daily.  God bless you.  

William 

Update on William

Dear Friends and Family,

I wanted to update everyone on William's condition. I have had so many people contact me to let me know that they were praying for us. It is so wonderful to know that there are so many people who care about us and are praying. It is through your prayers that we are able to stay here in Bulgaria.

Today is the is fifth day that William has been in the hospital. Every day Verity or Zach drive me into Shumen so that I can visit William and take him food. It has been such a blessing to have them over here. Katy and Polly (my nieces) have been able to babysit the children so that I can visit William. Yesterday when I went to visit, I was quite worried because William looked very pale and didn't seem to be improving. However, by evening time he had finally been able to get some sleep and it really seemed to improve his condition. The first couple days he had not been able to sleep at all. I think that the combination of exhaustion and pneumonia were really taking a toil on him. Today when I visited him though, his color was improving and he was a bit more talkative. I have read him the letters that some of you sent and he was very happy to hear from you. Thank you once again for all your prayers. We love you all.

Hannah LeFevre

So we thy people and sheep of thy pasture will give thee thanks for ever: we will shew forth thy praise to all generations. Psalm 79:13

William

Dear Friends and Family,

I am writing from Zlatna Niva, Bulgaria. The boys and I are staying at Zach and Verity's (my brother and sister in-law)  home for a week. William has been sick for a couple days and yesterday he was feeling so ill that he decided to go the doctor. We know one doctor here in Bulgaria who works in a town called Shumen; which is a little over an hour away from where we live. The doctor doesn't speak any English but I knew enough Bulgarian to be able to communicate with her. She checked William's breathing and then sent us to a lab on the other side of town to get an X-ray and blood work done. After about 20 minutes of looking for an 'orange building' we found it. We took the X-ray back to the doctor's office and after she looked at it she said that William had Bronchial Pneumonia. She told us that he would have to be hospitalized. We tried to see if their was any way to treat it at home (since we live so far away, and I can't drive over here) but she said that the medications he needed were only available at the hospital. 
Once we left the doctor's office we drove back home and I packed a bag for William. In Bulgaria the hospital doesn't provided personal items so you have to bring your own plate, fork, toilet paper, towel, food, water, etc. We found someone to watch the house for a couple days, and then headed to Zach's house. Zach only lives about 15 minutes from the hospital so I left the boys with Verity and Zach drove William and me to the hospital. 
The first thing I noticed about the hospital was that it was clean. This is unusual for Bulgaria. When we arrived they took William's passport info and then after looking at his X-ray they gave him an EKG test. I don't know why they did this but they did. The equipment they were using looked really old too. After that they took his blood about 4 times and then inserted a port. He was allowed to go to his room after that. He was very sleepy and kept complaining about his head hurting him. It was at that point I took his temperature and it was 103.6 F. The doctor's were very concerned about his fever and immediately sent me to the pharmacy to buy him some fever meds and a thermometer. (Over here you also have to supply your own thermometer) They gave him two shots and put him on an IV. I spoke to the doctors for a little while and did some translating for William before heading back to Zlatna Niva. Once I got home, I cried. I don't know if it was because I was sad, sleepy, nervous, or all three; but afterwards I felt much better.  
This morning I headed back to the hospital to take William some lunch and supper. His fever is down to 99.7 now and he seems to be doing a little better. I did google one of the meds he is taking and it is banned in 50 countries; after reading that I decided I wouldn't look up any of the other ones. 

We are in God's hands and I know that he will take care of us. Please pray that the hospital bill will not be very expense as we have our visa fees due shortly. We covet your prayers.

Love, 

Hannah LeFevre