Hi All:

I had been waiting til my scheduled visit with my oncologist today to bring you more completely up to date. He was supposed to be visiting in India, apparently not back yet, so decided I should update those of you who so faithfully pray for me and our work for our Lord in Haiti. Personally, I had been feeling great all the month of December and into January until last week, when I again spiked a temperature to 101 plus. Not really any other symptoms except some chills, rigors and nausea, but no congestion, other flu like symptoms. So, got a blood count x 2 this week, some elevation of the infection profile but, so far, blood cultures are negative. I have increased my daily antibiotic dosage, hoping to stay somewhat healthy and have been able to function fairly well with continual Tylenol usage. Trying to taper off, not so great. So, Lord willing, am planning on returning to Haiti next Saturday early morning with a crew of family and friends, many of whom have made regular trips to help us but also a batch of “newbies.” I will continue the antibiotics and Tylenol faithfully to keep me going and hope that I can outlast whatever this critter is using to try to slow me down. Pray for wisdom and courage to keep going and that I can be a productive member of the team.

I still have not heard back from Dr. Bartlett regarding his reading of my CT scan done around Christmas, I have left messages and hoping to hear before I leave for Haiti.  With that in limbo and my local oncologist out of the country, I am no wiser than before, but, except for the fever and aches, feel decent and very thankful that I am able to continue to serve people both here and in the US. Like most of my friends and patients, I have gained weight over the holidays, earning the title of “my chubby hubby” again.  The last team (Grifhorsts x 3 and others) just returned with some delays in the Atlanta airport due to the weather. They did a ton of work putting up the rest of the enclosing fence to keep the increasing number of pilferers from helping themselves to hospital supplies, etc. They rearranged the walls and doors so that our team can finish the floor and wall preparation and paint the walls before the following crew put the tile down on the next week. Apparently, my brother Butch will get his long list of projects to be done this week from Dan and Duane. I don’t know that they ever have given a list one crew can hopefully get done in the time frame allotted, but appreciate their organization of the repairs and progress at the hospital site. We never feel useless or unwanted.

Thanks again for your prayers and support of our work in Haiti, we couldn’t do it without your help.

In His Service,

Bill and crew (don’t have it all done yet!!)