Dear Praying Partners,
We have so much to be thankful for during these challenging days. God is so good and allowed us to have Denise home for Christmas and New Years for which we are truly grateful!!!! The past 3 months have been so very difficult but He has been with us each step of the way and for that, we praise His Name!!!
Here is an update on Denise as many have been asking:
She has come a long ways since 4 weeks ago. She is eating, can walk some in very short spurts, but is mostly wheel chaired to doctor visits as she is still very weak and frail. She has gained about 5 pounds which is a blessing. Denise says that a near-death experience sure helps put a different perspective on life as to what’s important. Only those things that will last for eternity’s sake are what are truly important and we all should be focused on those things. We have on average 3 doctor’s appts. per week. For the next month on Wednesday, we travel to Gainesville, GA where she receives her Rituxan Infusions. It last usually 4-5 hours. These are to fight the infection in the kidneys and help reduce the side effects of the Lupus Nephritis. The Rheumatologist said it can take up to three months to feel the benefits of these Infusions. On Fridays, we head to Jasper, GA where she receives her Epogen shot and in between, we’re off to the rheumatologist, nephrologist, and the hematologist. The rheumatologist shared with us this week that we are headed in the right direction but have a long way to go. Home healthcare is to start In-home PT this week to help her rebuild her muscles all over again. It’s all encouraging to us in retrospect from where we came from. Her HMG is still hovering at 8.6 and should be no lower than 12, thus the reason for the Epogen shots. These shots cost us $483 a piece after insurance. Her creatinine levels are at 1.7 which is down from 2.6. However, they would like those numbers to be closer to 1. Thank you for your many prayers as we know that is what has had the biggest effect in bringing healing to her life. God is good all the time!!! Please continue prayers. A HUGE thank you to each of you that have helped us with the expenses of it all. I dread visiting the post office as much of the mail received are medical bills. However, you all have been so faithful in helping us care for these needs. Words can’t begin to express our appreciation for all the prayers and help!!! Our prayer is Denise will soon be well enough to get along on her own and allow me to pick up my travels for our orphan children and Cote D’Ivoire.
Even though much of my time has been centered on being the primary caretaker of Denise 24/7 over the past three months, our ministries in Cote D’Ivoire continue to flourish. In regards to our church in Valvoua which is located in the southwest section of Ivory Coast, we still need $2000 to complete the building of the wall around the church property to keep the cows out so the people can meet in the church. $2650.00 has already been spent on the wall with $2000 more needed to complete it. Secondly, we are in need of $13,500.00 – $15,000 to put a fully-constructed church building on our church property that was purchased by Grace Fellowship Outreach in Tippecanoe, IN. This property is in Guidry, Ivory Coast and located in the southern part. This new church plant is currently running 130 members. This work is growing rapidly and we need desperately to put up the church structure as soon as possible.
Lastly, our large church in Bouake is in need of $5000 to repair the roof. The fear is the wood is rotting which will cause the roof to collapse. This is a huge structure and the repairs are immediately necessary to keep this from happening. These three projects are our goals to accomplish during 2022. The price of it all may seem overwhelming, but God!!!! He is able to provide these needed funds through His faithful individuals and our churches.
Trust this New Year of 2022 will bring each of you a year full of blessings and much spiritual fruit. Thank you for praying for our family and supporting our efforts in making a difference in Cote D’Ivoire!!!
With Much Love,
Jim for the Arnolds