March 26: Update on Jonatán

This update comes primarily from an email sent by Jona's grandparents in Uruguay:

How thankful we are for the prayer support of family and friends during this difficult time!

Late last night we received a phone call from John Mark, telling us that Jona wasn't doing very well. The hospice nurse had told them she thought it would probably be Jona's last night. Based on his condition, she felt that the Lord would likely take him Home within the next 24 hours; his breathing was very labored, and he was struggling to breathe.

We called this morning to find out how the night had gone for Jona and for all of them. John Mark (who had alternated watching at Jona's side) said, for the condition Jona was in last night, he did remarkably well. His heart rate was down some (though not normal yet), and he seemed to be breathing a little easier. He had slept some and didn't seem to be as restless. He found he could lie on his right side to get some relief. All these things are answers to prayer!

As we (grandparents) mentioned last night, we already have tickets to leave next Wednesday, arriving in Jacksonville, FL, on Thursday. A couple hours later we'll drive to Greenville to be with all of them. We're SO thankful for gracious friends who provided the tickets with airline miles, a car (sending it from Ohio), and a cell phone...

Daniel, Esther's brother, and possibly his girls plan to travel up when the Lord takes Jona Home. Esther's Uncle Will and his wife also plan to travel down from Canada, so there will possibly be lots of traveling in the coming days. Please pray for safety.

Docila and Julia, Esteban's mother and sister, would also like to go. Both have passports, but Julia does not have a visa for the US. John Mark and Deborah are currently working on finding a way for her to have an urgent interview at the American Embassy here in Montevideo – on Monday, if at all possible – so she can get a visa. Please pray! (Current wait time for an interview to try to get a visa is one month. Obviously Julia can't wait that long.) Pray that an interview and a visa would be granted – even if it's only for a week or ten days. Also pray the Lord would provide funds needed for their airfare.

The Lord continues to sustain us, and we thank Him for His goodness and mercy to Jona and to all of us.

We continue to covet your prayers. Pray for us this afternoon as we challenge the teens with the questions: What would you do if the doctor told you that you have only 4 to 9 months left to live? Are you ready? Pray for God to work in hearts.

We remain grateful for HIS grace...