May 2007

Surgery update

From the surgeon’s perspective, Dad’s operation was a success. He believes he got all the cancer. Please continue to pray as the results have not come back from the removed Lymph nods. Also pray for quick healing and for the family as they care for Dad.

Stressed?

The cure for Stress: Can time!

Do what you can while you can, so that when you can, you can have the time you need to get it all done.

Paul Sudbrock

Vivian Update

Good news! Vivian has been offered a job teaching beginner's guitar at BBC two hours a week starting in the fall. Though this will only amount to about $50 a week, it is a great start. We are so excited for her and the possibilities that are beginning to open up. Here is the letter that she received:

We are still excited about you attending BaptistBibleCollege this fall. I trust that you received the scholarship award letter sent earlier this year. I am writing you about another opportunity that could be beneficial for both you and the music department. We offer two beginning guitar classes for students who would like to learn to play. Our teacher accepted a position as pastor of a local church and can no longer teach for us.

I have spoken with the academic dean about you and we would like you to consider teaching the beginning guitar classes for us next year. The classes meet two hours a week and you would be paid $25.00 an hour for teaching them. One class is offered in the fall semester and the other class is offered in the spring semester.

This is a minimal teaching load and should not affect your ability to study and practice for your own class work. You will be working with one of the music professors who can help you with any needs.

Thank you for your prayers on Vivian's behalf. Please keep it up. We are eager to see what great plans God has set into motion.

Cancer Surgery

Please pray for my father as he undergoes his cancer surgery on Thursday, May 10th at the Methodist hospital In Des Moines, Iowa. This hospital is the only one in Des Moines that has the Robotic equipment that will be needed for the surgery. Please keep my mother, Dorthea as well as our sending church, Newton Baptist Temple in prayer during this time as well. Thank you so very much.

Paul

Visa permits

For 12 years now we have been praying for a permanent residence visa. This is not a work permit but rather just permission to stay in Germany and live here as long as we would like. Repeatedly we have been told that this is impossible, but year after year we have gone back and applied for it anyhow. Our current temporary permit expires on May 30th. I went in last week to start the process of applying for another extension for our family. There I was given a new list of requirements to fulfill and worked on completing everything before returning this afternoon. Right after lunch I gathered up the paperwork and pictures and double checked the list to be sure I had everything before the girls and I headed downtown. We turned in the paperwork to a different person than we picked the list up from and found that we need one more letter. That was a little exasperating, but then came the glimmer of hope that we have been waiting for. The lady said that they had been discussing our case in the office and that they think that a new law has made it possible for us to receive our permanent permits. She needs to check into it further, but she is hopeful that she can give us all permanent permits when we go back to the office in 8 weeks. She did warn that the cost of these permits would be quite a bit higher than the $50 per person that we are accustomed to paying each time. Please pray with us during the coming weeks that God's will will be done. For years we have prayed that God would either soften the hearts of these two ladies or remove them from their office. We are so thankful to be able to report that there has been an obvious softening of their attitudes towards us. We covet your prayers in regards to our visa permits. We are so very hopeful that this will be the last time that we have to complete this process.

Chelli