Mountains and valleys

Hi to all - Rick and I arrived in Tampa yesterday and I was so good to update the blog last night ...finally. However the internet ate it and it was gone. Maybe I was not supposed to post it as Dustin and I had duked it out when we arrived. I have a bit of fear of conflict and angry males and Dustin was "touching" both. Thank goodness for Rick that he is the compassionate, communicator/mediator. Today was a much better day all around.

It started out with Rick and I going to a small Vineyard Church next door to our motel. We pulled in the parking lot along with another car. There were no people to be seen. The other guy in the car got out and read that they were meeting in the park around the corner. We followed the couple to find maybe 8 people sitting under a tree. We got out along with the couple we followed and ended up really getting to know them. They were VERY interested in what we do in our ministry and we talked a bit before the service. The service ended and they were praying for a lady with breast cancer and invited everyone who might want to pray up. It was great to be able to pray and speak into her life with what we have learned at Be in Health. We told her all about it, gave her a journal on BE in Health insights to cancer and ended up giving the pastor a bunch of our 7000 Project journals as well as the couple we had just met. They had just moved from England. He had been through seminary in the past and they were recently married and had been having discussions on Jesus and healing. After church, we spent about an hour talking to them in the parking lot. We know we will see them again!!

On to to see Dustin after a not very fun yesterday. Tears, anger, disrespect would be a few words to describe but again prayer and Rick made it all turn out awesome today. Nerina and her parents were there when we got there and we spent some of the afternoon , letting Nerina and Dustin have some private time together. I had met a really cool man with a C-3 injury who has a "standing " wheelchair whose house had just burnt down and he was there on respite. He totally runs and manages a blueberry farm about 4 miles away from his stand up wheelchair. He was extremely pleasant and a delight and has 5 beautiful daughters that are most attentive. We definitely want him to meet Dustin and know that he will be a valuable influence.

We then went to see Dustin and then the mom and daughter from Project Walk came to visit. They went well and I think it was good for Dustin to see this 19 yr old girl, who is in a wheelchair, was getting ready to go surfing next week. We had a fun visit with Nerina, family and Project Walk all afternoon.

Dustin, although he did not pass his swallowing test, has been being fed eggs, thickened orange juice, thickened honey milk, eggs and French toast. I sneaked him a few bites of donut that the church had. OF course he informed me later in the day that he drinks water all the time from the water fountain out in the hall. (They have not given him water at all!!) He finds nice little old ladys and asked them to get him a drink. I guess he is way better tha they think ,as he is doing well. He is also off anitbiotics for the first time (minus a week) in 7 months!!

He has feeling in his left thumb and pointer finger, continues to have the cast to straighten out his arm and is now able to be in the chair for 3 hours per day. His wound is healing. He continues to have much pain in his neck, shoulders and head but I have a feeling that one day he will wake up and decide "hey it it time to get up and get out of here".

On another note, he had a very encouraging email from a film director who is a friend of ours that stayed in our cabin. This man sent a very personal and compassionate email to Dustin and gave him his phone number and told him to call him anytime. I emailed him back, thanking him and telling him we would get the email to Dustin this weekend. He emailed back again asking about his movie camera. He apparently had stayed in a children's hospital with my friend's son who was had a very significant illness. While there he met a paralyzed 12 year old who always had a happy face. His motto was "sad sucks". Today that is the film director's motto!

Fullsail, Dustin;s alma mater, also has said that he can come back and volunteer and get back in the swing of the film industry any time. A voc. rehab counselor would go and help set up the workplace and work with Dustin to "get the job done".

Today Dustin and I made our peace. I am very grateful. It is 8:00 so best go to dinner. I am a blessed and highly favored girl.

love to all
mary pat