Hello, friends. I hope this finds you well, rich in the blessings of God, and experiencing His presence in your daily lives. 

We are grateful for you, knowing that so many have prayed, some even including us in daily prayers, and so many of you have sacrificially given to help us in our times of need. 

We have definitely see God's hand of care in many tangible ways over the last few months.

But we've also seen additional trials. As I write this, I find myself newly out of a job again. Speaking openly, it is hard to hold onto faith without wavering when it feels like the rug keeps getting pulled out from under us just when we're starting to catch our breath.

Two months ago, Christy fell and broke a bunch of stuff on her left side. She fractured her foot and her shoulder, and sprained her knee and wrist (then got a blood clot - scary!). She was such a trooper, soldiering all over the place in a wheelchair or crutches, and we're grateful to report that she has mended well, and pretty quickly (though still in some pain and physical therapy). A step backwards in some ways, but also a chance to witness God's healing hand and a daily experience of tangible love that strengthened some family relationships.

As I share some specific financial needs, I am aware that nearly everyone is struggling in this economy and has their own challenges, some probably greater than ours. Perhaps you could pray with us for some miracles that we are trusting God for. 

This month, two of our 3 cars died, so we're down to a truck that doesn't fit all of us and has its own mechanical issues. We've seen God provide cars in the past, so we are praying that He might intervene and drop something in our lap. 

It could be that He already has, in a crazy way. Our minivan died 2 years ago, and we sold it for junk after being told it needed $5k of repairs, including a new transmission. Well, as we were getting one of our current cars checked out, we saw our old minivan at the repair place. Turns out they have replaced the transmission and fixed it up, and are willing to sell it back to us for $3500! So we are praying whether this might be God's provision, and if He will provide the money to make that happen (needed this week, next at the latest).

Our medical financial challenges continue and include catching up on 3 months of our standard medical expenses (about $1k/mo):

• Appointments with functional doctor and nutritionist
• Nutritional supplements that enable Christy's stomach and intestines to digest food

And extra medical needs:

• Medical equipment we purchased when Christy broke her shoulder and foot, and sprained her knee and wrist (details in another post)
• A knee plasma treatment ($500) for the knee that went out and caused her great fall

And this next need is not medical, but with my job loss, we're praying for God's gift of a new job, new consulting/freelance work (online marketing), and the ability to cover December bills, with maybe a few Christmas gifts for the boys. 

We know God sees us, wants our good (even if that comes through the hard stuff), and He gives us the things we really need. He's come through for us in so many ways - we're really trying to trust our lives, and these needs, into His hands right now. As the Psalmist says, "My times are in your hands..."

And we know that many of you are also in a season of suffering or challenge. Please share with us, the good and the hard, so we can join you in prayer. We would love to connect and pray together.

Thank you for praying with us through these often trying times, and for the encouragement so many of you have sent, as well as some needed iron-sharpening-iron notes (+1), along with the sacrificial giving that has made such a difference at key moments. You help our faith hold strong.

A special request - We need a family-refreshing vacation.

Since this fundraiser was first set up for us, we have been careful to sequester the use of any money people have donated on health-related needs. While we haven't yet met all of our medical financial goals, the generous gifts you have given have sustained us physically and spiritually -- thank you!

Today, I am asking if some of you may be willing to help us have a family vacation. We have endured so many roller coaster days of medical ups and downs, days of discouragement and fighting for hope, spiritual and even physical attacks coming out of the blue, and so many high vigilance fight or flight moments that it feels important to rest deeply together in a peaceful environment. And Christy has really needed something to look forward to, a light at the end of the tunnel (or middle of the tunnel?).

So a few months ago we planned a vacation in August, but as I am still out of work, we are scrambling to pull the funds together to make it happen. We are not looking at anything extravagant - just driving a few hours to Northwest Colorado, staying at a KOA, and planning some activities like a lazy river float along a canyon, a visit to some caverns and hot springs, and lots of downtime to play cards and tell stories around a campfire (and a bonus to have Josh with us before he goes off to college). 

Would you please pray for God's special provision for this, and also for Christy's ongoing medical needs, and give if you feel led? Thank you, faithful friends!

Health update: Christy has stopped two mental health treatments that weren't working for her right now, but hopes to start a new one in August. We are still looking at some new innovative therapies, but a few of them remain out of our reach financially. We have found a few new specialists for Christy's physical ailments that are giving us some hope, and her some relief. Her digestive system is better than it was last Fall, but she still wrestles with nausea and/or abdominal pain most days and her diet is very restricted (she's down to 22 green-light foods and ingredients), which is commonly a source of discouragement. 

I had a few scares in May. One afternoon I blacked out while I was driving and woke up to find I had crossed several lanes of opposing traffic before my car came to a stop. We praise God no one was injured. It seemed to be a problem with super-spiked blood pressure, though we still don't know for sure. Then on Memorial Day, I checked into the ER with stroke symptoms. They kept me overnight to do thorough tests, which found that I did not show signs of stroke damage, but I likely had had a TIA mini-stroke. I have met with multiple doctors and there are many lifestyle changes we have implemented, but since then the myriad tests I have taken show I am doing pretty well, and my blood pressure has stabilized. So I'm praising God yet again for sparing my life!

Nathan and Sam have been diagnosed with severe sleep apnea, unusual for kids their age, and we were able to get them both into surgery in June to improve their breathing. They have recovered well and are seeing the benefits in deeper sleep and less fatigue. Josh is doing well as he prepares for college this Fall. 

The health of our cars has been a source of frustration interspersed with a few bright spots. Since I totaled our main car, we have been playing whack-a-mole with minor repairs on our other cars. But when we find a cheaper repair alternative or a friend helps us as a gift, we have another reason to rejoice.

On the job front, the Lord has provided some freelance work that has been supremely helpful, and I am exploring two job prospects that are showing potential for my next adventure! Hopefully I will soon be able to share some good news there. 

We all continue to learn new things about trusting God through the good and the hard. He is showing Himself faithful in so many ways, and we are truly deeply grateful, and we are being intentional about pointing out His mercies and provisions and thanking him together. Grateful for you and all of your prayers and support!

Let me start with thanks and praise. We praise God for how He has provided for our medical needs each month during this trying season. His provision, through your generous gifts, is one tangible sign that He is still watching out for us. This verse describes how we feel about all of you, and how we pray for you:

"I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy." Phil 2:3-4 Thank you for giving us moments of joy. 

The last six months since my last update has been quite a rollercoaster (not the mild kind, but Six Flag's Goliath level). That is not unusual in our recent years, but honestly the lows have been especially low. But compared to the previous period, we have seen more days of stability, more progress in treatment, and more moments of contentment and even joy. So a mixed bag.

Christy is still on a mostly liquid diet, along with a dozen or so supplements and oral treatments, but she has started adding some solid foods (within her 22-food limited diet), and she is experiencing less daily nausea and abdominal pain. Praise God!

PTSD and depression treatments are showing some success, leading to some of those better days. Christy is applying 5 kinds of treatment right now, from meds to infusions to counseling and neurofeedback. It all takes so much time and energy - I don't know how she does it. I can't tell you how much I admire her for how hard she is fighting to be healthy. My PTSD treatments are also teaching me a lot about myself and how best to support her and be a light to others. 

Financially, my job loss and the totaling of our car is hitting us hard right now. Some consulting work is helping, and I hope to see that expand while I continue my job search (know anyone who needs help with websites, social media, or digital marketing?😊).

At this point, it looks like we will need to cut back on some of our treatments, especially the supplements, unless God provides in unexpected ways for June's needs. I would appreciate your prayers for this.

Prayer... Yes, I need to emphasize how much we have valued your prayers, how many nights I have felt lifted, felt God's presence, seen small wins that have God's fingerprints on them. Please continue as the Lord brings us to mind.

The boys are well. Josh is preparing for college this Fall, and learning many lessons of independence while living with some great friends. He is co-leading a house church/Bible study ministry. Nate is about to get his adult blackbelt, and is loving every chance he gets to act in the local community theater. Last month, he played the Beast in Beauty and the Beast, and knocked it out of the park. Sam is also loving both karate and the theater (he was graciously given an acting camp this week), and we can hardly drag him away from his creative crafts and science experiments. I couldn't be more proud. 

I'm on a journey of re-engaging with my experience in Haiti, as part therapy, and part to learn again some of the lessons I experienced back in 2010, and how they could apply to today. It was such a rich experience, even though it left marks of trauma that I am still working through. If you want to follow my journey, and we're not connected on Facebook, consider friending me 😀: https://www.facebook.com/dan.woolley/

Thanks for listening and for your support, in whatever form that comes. Grateful for you! I'd love to pray for specific needs if you want to share.

Dan

The good news - we have started to see some positive changes to Christy's digestive system due to some aggressive treatments we have started: less constant nausea and abdominal pain/distress, and a few other changes that give us hope. 

Some bad news - we are out of money for medical treatments, and we will need to stop meeting with the medical providers that have been helping us and stop some of the most effective treatments. We are beyond grateful for the help we've received, sacrificial giving from friends and strangers, yet as we have only raised 16% of the need we identified, we are asking God to come through to meet the full financial need somehow. To be honest, this is very discouraging to have found some therapies that can help and then to have to stop them. 

The treatment path has not been easy - Christy is on an all-liquid diet with only a handful of not-very-tasty pureed meal choices, along with a regimen of supplements and enzymes (with a hefty monthly cost). She is showing so much resilience to handle all of these diet challenges (including an intense meal schedule and making home-made broth a few times a week) along with the multiple emotional, PTSD, and brain therapies she's enduring (which are exhausting in themselves). My admiration for her continues to grow. 

But with our medical fund depleted, we just don't have the funds to continue these therapies that are starting to move the needle. We continue to trust God for His plan and gentle, healing hand on our lives, but some days it is hard to see it and we feel like we're trusting in the dark. 

Would you please pray about how you might be able to help with these needs, either through a contribution, or by sharing this fundraiser with others (maybe someone specific you think might be moved to help), or through continuing prayers. We are so grateful for each of you who have given and prayed with us to get us to this point. 

[A Note to PlusOne: Thank you for your generous gifts and the book you sent - it is really ministering to me deeply.]

I wish you all God's grace and Presence as you celebrate the coming of Emmanuel this Christmas. I always find comfort in these verses from someone else who called out to God from the pit: 

"Where shall I go from your Spirit?

    Or where shall I flee from your presence?

8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there!

    If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!

9 If I take the wings of the morning

    and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,

10 even there your hand shall lead me,

    and your right hand shall hold me.

11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,

    and the light about me be night,”

12 even the darkness is not dark to you;

    the night is bright as the day,

    for darkness is as light with you."

--Psalm 139, David

We have to start by saying that we are absolutely blown away by the kind and generous response of so many friends and strangers who have stepped out to give us support. We know that gifts large and small are sacrificial - sacrificing other ways you could use those resources, even for your own needs, while you contribute to our lives. So for those who gave, for those who shared with others, for those who reached out, and those who prayed - THANK YOU! We feel Jesus' hand on us through you.

At the time of this update, we have reached 11% of the need Lynn and Roger shared. And with this start, we have begun one of the new treatments for Christy's PTSD! The attached brain activity scans give a visual representation of how PTSD has rewired her brain (kinda cool picture, and affirming), and why she so often finds herself in fight or flight mode, even in non-emergency situations. Over time, we should see some of the high activity lights change to green and blue, and some parts that are green and blue on other scans (relaxing and emotional regulation wavelengths) light up the way they should. 

As we work toward starting additional treatments, we trust God for provision for those services, and wisdom to find and choose the right care providers. We appreciate your continued prayers for our journey, and sharing it as you feel led.

As I'm sure most of you can relate to, I find myself in challenging times often leaning on songs that the Lord brings to my day. Lately, "Yet Not I" has really spoken to me, and maybe it will speak to you. Shalom.

Yet not I but through Christ in me

What gift of grace is Jesus my redeemer
There is no more for heaven now to give
He is my joy, my righteousness, and freedom
My steadfast love, my deep and boundless peace

To this I hold, my hope is only Jesus
For my life is wholly bound to His
Oh how strange and divine, I can sing, "All is mine"
Yet not I, but through Christ in me

The night is dark but I am not forsaken
For by my side, the Saviour He will stay
I labour on in weakness and rejoicing
For in my need, His power is displayed

To this I hold, my Shepherd will defend me
Through the deepest valley He will lead
Oh the night has been won, and I shall overcome
Yet not I, but through Christ in me

No fate I dread, I know I am forgiven
The future sure, the price it has been paid
For Jesus bled and suffered for my pardon
And He was raised to overthrow the grave

To this I hold, my sin has been defeated
Jesus now and ever is my plea
Oh the chains are released, I can sing, "I am free"
Yet not I, but through Christ in me

With every breath I long to follow Jesus
For He has said that He will bring me home
And day by day I know He will renew me
Until I stand with joy before the throne

To this I hold, my hope is only Jesus
All the glory evermore to Him
When the race is complete, still my lips shall repeat
Yet not I, but through Christ in me

To this I hold, my hope is only Jesus
All the glory evermore to Him
When the race is complete, still my lips shall repeat
Yet not I, but through Christ in me

When the race is complete, still my lips shall repeat
Yet not I, but through Christ in me
Yet not I, but through Christ in me
Yet not I, but through Christ in me

All the glory evermore to Him!