Maybe you remember the good news in my last Blog Update (Sept 19) about the opinion from my new heart surgeon that I would not need surgery in the foreseeable future. Well, I just got the results of the PET Scan of my prostrate and was told that the chemo treatments have apparently eliminated all the malignant cells in my prostrate. Today my urologist did a fiberoptic exam and said everything also looks normal in the bladder and prostrate. It's been a blessed month.
I applied for a tourist visa for India last week and as soon as I receive that I will proceed with purchasing the tickets for the flights to India and Nairobi, Kenya (Jan 23rd). I received an email yesterday from my friend Sister Mary John in Nairobi. Her Mother House is in southern India (Kerala) and she said one of my favorite Kowak sisters (Sr Jincy) will be home in India at the time of my visit. Sr Jincy and I met at language school 5 years ago and learned that we would both be working at Kowak village. She is a lab tech at the hospital. I was hoping to add their Mother House to my travel agenda and it looks like that will work out. I plan to be in India 3 weeks before flying to Kenya and Tanzania for 6 months and am really looking forward to that.
My friend Rose from Miami made a surprise visit this month while she recovered from shoulder surgery. She lived and worked here in the early 80's after attending nursing school in Wichita. We met in 2005 in New York as we attended orientation for Maryknoll. She worked in Kenya as a nurse practitioner so we also attended language school together. Rose stayed at my house 10 days and introduced me to a lot of her friends here and in Emporia and Sedan (her home town). We even got to visit our friend Tara in Oklahoma who had worked with me in Tanzania for 3 years. She just arrived home from a year of graduate school in London.
Rose's visit was especially helpful for me by introducing me to Sr Barbara at the Keeler Women's Center and Fr Wempe now retired from operating the Catholic Worker House here. Sr Barbara is introducing me to a sister that has a meditation group here which I hope to start attending. Rose also introduced me to a Prayer House near Leavenworth called Shantivanam that looks real interesting and very unusual. I hope to spend a few days there in November at one of the 7 cabins in the woods.
I started exercising and golfing again this month thanks to the approval of my new heart surgeon. The exercising isn't much yet, just 10 minutes a day on the basement Air Dyne bicycle and a 30 minute walk in the neighborhood. The weather has been beautiful and the golf cheap due to the Sunday afternoon discounts to attract football fans. Maybe we'll get in a few more rounds before the weather turns bad. Lately I've been spending a lot of time watching baseball playoffs on TV and recording some games to take back to Africa for training purposes at the school.
Regarding family news, my sons Adam and Kyle are both doing well in Baltimore and Texas and are still employed, thank God. Adam's wife, Megan, has started home schooling Lauren, so I'm sure she has her hands full. They are anxious for the holidays to start so they can get a few days off work to spend with family in Kentucky. Grandma, Pam, is in Baltimore this week and will return there for Christmas. Kyle and Chrystal are getting involved with the catholic church now that she is attending RCIA classes weekly. I'm very pleased about that.
I have no plans yet for these holidays but will probably stay here and enjoy the cool weather and rake the leaves which are now changing colors beautifully. Brother Jim's daughter Bridgette and husband Ben are expecting their first child (a boy...Wyatt) in late November so that will be an exciting time for all the family. What better Christmas present. Sister Peggy's son, Braden, just got engaged this week so that is also exciting news. Sister Janice's step granddaughter, Tyler, has adjusted well in her sophomore year at the local catholic high school so we are all thankful for that. She just move here from North Carolina this summer.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Sounds good bud. All except the part about Megan homeschooling LAUREN?! We usually spell her name AUDREY, lol! She is by proxy Homeschooling Roman, too. Both learning a lot and really enjoying it.
ReplyDeleteI worked with a guy on the rig from Kerala India. He invited me to come stay with him. A brother in Christ. He taught me a few sweet sayings for Valentine's Day in his native tongue "malayalam". Note that the name of the language is a palindrome - spelled the same forwards and backwards!. Very pretty script letters, too.
Wish I could go with you. You'll enjoy it.
Thanks for the update dad. So glad you're doing and feeling better. I read a very inciteful quote a little while ago about prayer: "Do things happen out of coincidence? Maybe. But I find that the coincidences occur more frequently whenever I pray." Prayer works and I'm glad all ours were answered. Praise be to God!
Adam