Recent News and Updates from GMI

Tuesday, March 23 - Here is the latest update from Sue that she wrote yesterday: "Hi Everyone. Bill came home from the hospital today. He's glad to be out of that place! He has an appointment to see the surgeon again 3 weeks from today. Until then, he's supposed to eat (that hasn't been a strong point so far), walk, breathe (with the little ball in a tube thingy), take his medicines, and sleep. I don't think he'll be doing a whole lot more than that. After he sees the surgeon he'll probably start doing cardio rehab for a couple of weeks before we return to Congo. Our plan at this point in time is to fly out of Chicago on May 9. Again, thank you for all your prayers. It looks like my vacation time is over and now I will be taking care of Bill and learning how to plan and cook for heart-healthy living!"

Friday, March 19 - Mike Benton, GMI missionary in Tanzania, reports that they currently have 38 students in the vocational school in Kapenta. They also have 10 teenage orphans attending whose tuition is being paid by the Anglican church. Praise the Lord for Pastor Oscar Nyami who has been hired as a full-time teacher and will be teaching English and Bible. Pray that he will impact the students spiritually as well as intellectually.

Thursday, March 18 - Bill's surgery went well yesterday and he is now off the breathing tube. They are hoping to move him to a regular room sometime today. There is no damage to his heart which is very good news. He will be on a strict diet and need to do aerobic exercise daily in addition to being treated for sleep apnea which the cardiologist says is a significant contributing factor to coronary artery disease. Please continue to pray for Bill during his recovery.

Update on Bill Vinton - The appointment with the heart surgeon was informative and encouraging. Bill will have a quadruple bypass surgery next Wednesday. The doctor feels that if things go as planned that they will be able to leave for Africa on May 10, which is the date on the return tickets. Thank you all for your much needed prayers.

Wednesday, March 10 - Steve and Lorene Gabler request prayer for the following event in Bolivia: "March 14th we're participating in the Ladies' Annual Retreat which will be held here on the mission property and next door at the school. We're expecting about 120 women from the various Bethesda churches. Liz and Henoc are in charge of the worship time and are preparing the music. Lorene is teaching for about 45 minutes — using the story of Martha and Mary from Luke 10 — the topic is 'Choosing the Good Part.' What did that mean for the two sisters and what does that mean to us as women? DeAnna is busy organizing the particulars for the day. The women will be voting for new officers of the ladies' committee. Pray they will do their jobs and work well together."

Tuesday, March 9 - "Thanks SO MUCH for your concern and prayers.

We just arrived back from picking up Bill and Sue in Chicago. They had a good trip back. Bill is on 9 medicines and weathered the trip very well. The Kenyan cardiologist in the Nairobi Hospital is a very good doctor. He also had Sue give two blood thinner injections on their trip back to the States.

Bill has an appointment with the thoracic surgeon (a great Christian doctor who did Sam's bypass surgery) tomorrow at 3 pm. This doctor is getting back from Haiti tomorrow, so it really is the working of God and answer to prayer that the doctor was able, and willing, to fit Bill into his jammed schedule on Tuesday. Bill will have to go off of all blood thinners 7-10 days before surgery (hopefully we'll know the date at tomorrow's appointment), so it will be at least a week before he has surgery.

Pray for protection for Bill when he goes off the blood thinners. Bill's doctor in Nairobi did a stress test and echocardiogram on Bill this past Saturday and Bill did very well on the stress test and the echocardiogram showed that Bill's heart is rejuvenating where it was damaged from the heart attack.

We all are just praising the Lord for the way He has protected Bill and Sue during this time and worked all the appointments out, etc. Thank you again so much for your prayers.

Becky Vinton

Friday, March 5 - Praise the Lord that Bill Vinton's stress test was successful and he has been released from Nairobi Hospital to travel back to the States for further treatment. Bill and Sue will be leaving Nairobi Sunday night and arriving in Chicago Monday afternoon (it is a 16-hour flight). Please pray for a safe and uneventful trip. The plan is to consult with a cardiologist in Grand Rapids on Tuesday afternoon. We will keep you updated.

Tuesday, March 2 - The angiogram done at Nairobi Hospital in Kenya on March 2 showed that Bill Vinton has three blockages in his heart. Please pray for Bill and Sue as they discuss treatment options with the cardiologist — placing stents or bypass surgery. Stents can be done in Nairobi, but bypass surgery cannot. Please pray for wisdom as a decision is made.

Monday, March 1 - Bill Vinton was taken by ambulance to the Nairobi Hospital this morning. Bill and Sue met with the cardiologist there. After examining Bill, the doctor put Bill on some medicine and said he will perform a heart catheterization tomorrow morning (Tuesday 1am EST).

Please pray that the heart catheterization will go well and for wisdom for the doctor in treating Bill. Pray also for Sue as she is alone there, has to get to a bank to go and get the money that GMI will wire to her, which has to be paid before the hospital will allow the heart cath to be done. The doctor is going to do the heart cath and then give Bill and Sue various options of what further things should be done. Pray that the doctor, Bill and Sue will make the right decisions concerning treatment.

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