Thank you!
Thank you to all of you for your support and encouragement to the DeMotte work team during the WWCS Honduras worktrip.
Marv and I [Bob G.] left Catacamas on Monday afternoon about 3 hours after his fall. The best I know so far is that there was a loose piece of roof sheeting that shifted slightly under Marv’s foot which resulted in his fall through the roof from about 12 feet above the concrete classroom floor. When he fell, his upper body went first and he broke his fall with his hands. This resulted in several bones in each wrist being broken; the doctor described these fractures as “the normal kind of fractures when you break your wrist.” He will require surgery to make sure the bones are aligned as exactly as possible by the joint to help avoid any future complications of arthritus. Marv also struck his head on something, but we really don’t know what. He is skinned up on the right side of his face, with stitches on a good cut above his eyebrow. Whatever he struck must have pushed his jaw to the left enough to cause the left side of his jaw to fracture. This will also require surgery. The jaw surgery took place on Friday (Feb. 3) and went well according to Ruth. Marv is experiencing pain in the jaw as well as pain and discomfort from the wires and rubber bands in his mouth. Surgery is planned on Monday (Feb. 5) for Marv’s 2 wrists.
When Marv fell God was there! And God was clearly holding Marv in his hands when he fell because, to have a person fall from 12 feet up down to a concrete floor with his upper body first, it is truly a miracle that far more serious injuries didn’t occur. Marv has no leg injuries, no abdominal injuries, no chest injuries, no back injuries, and no neck injuries! And we saw so many other examples of God’s intervention in this situation too! A good, well equipped clinic with an English speaking doctor and American nurse was 6 blocks away (a mission outreach clinic); an orthopedic surgeon from Holland, Michigan was on the other work team and went to the clinic to supervise Marv’s treatment and he set the splints on Marv’s wrists; the work team had 2 supplies of Vicodin along which Marv appreciated immensly; Continental Airlines had several open seats and we were able to fly Marv and I home a day earlier; we were able to meet up with Jorge Gomez, President of the Honduran Bible Society, who took us the last hour of the trip back to Tegucigalpa, took us to our hotel, and then picked us up the next morning for the airport; the night went well for Marv and he got a lot of rest; the airline flights both went very well; and Marv was checked over last Tuesday night at St. Anthony’s Hospital on our way home and a precautionary CAT scan showed no other difficulties.
Yes, we are all hurting because Marv is hurting and will continue to hurt for awhile; but if you step back and look at the Lord’s intervention in this situation. you realize what a LOVING and CARING God we have! He held Marv in His hand during the fall, during his treatment, and during the last two days of travel; and He will continue to hold him during the next weeks of treatment and healing. Marv and I had that discussion several times over the 2 days we traveled together, and Marv fully appreciates how good God was to him!
I would request 3 items for each of you to pray about:
1. Pray for Marv and Ruth and the doctors as they all work through his care, and pray for Marv and Ruth to have patience during healing process to be able to deal with the pain and extreme inconvenience of jaw problems, eating difficulties and two rather unusable hands for a number of weeks.
2. Pray for the work team members as they deal with their emotions about an injury to a close friend and fellow worker.
3. Pray for the teachers, parents, pastors, and fellow Honduran workers; they are hurting because it is very hard for them to see a U.S volunteer coming down to help them build their school for their children, and then see him injured like this.
Thanks again for your support, encouragement and prayers. God is clearly a Mighty God, but He is also a LOVING and CARING God!
Serving Him,
The DeMotte Work Team
