It’s time for a sing-along in honor of Allen and Trish!
“Oh give me a home, where the buffalo roam
Where the deer and the antelope play,
Where seldom is heard, a discouraging word
And the skies are not cloudy all day.”
That is a lovely thought. It’s not a completely accurate representation of life for Allen and Trish at the moment–though the internet does confirm that the state of Florida is home to both deer and antelope. The weather is pretty good, too. It’s that part about seldom hearing a discouraging word that doesn’t ring true. They have had to hear far too many discouraging words while trying to stay positive themselves. In case you don’t always keep up with their news via Facebook, let’s get you up to speed.
In the last major blog update on their situation, Allen and Trish knew they were going to need to leave their cozy donated cottage in Georgia but they didn’t know where they would land. In early December they put out the word that they were in search of new housing. They were hoping the new place would be both budget-friendly and near Allen’s medical facilities. As it turned out, a friend of theirs, who also happens to be a Sowers4Pastors boardmember, lives in Orlando and knew of someone in the area with a house they weren’t using. It’s an older house set on a lake in a beautiful neighborhood. Because the house doesn’t fit in with the neighborhood and was neglected for some years, the new owners purchased it with the intention of razing it and building a new home. But that hasn't happened yet.
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| Gorgeous Lake Maitland - Allen and Trish feel so spoiled having this view! |
In the meantime, the house was just sitting there, so the owners have chosen to make it available to individuals with temporary housing needs. Trish wants to be clear that they are not living in some ramshackle abode. It more than meets their current needs. It’s a large one-story house with gigantic windows and views of the water. Trish said, “Don’t think that we are making-do here. We are feeling very blessed.”
However, it is a temporary solution since the house will eventually be torn down. Trish and Allen do not know the timeframe but they believe that they will be able to stay there until at least the end of February. Please be praying about their housing situation for the future.
And Allen’s health? That’s where the discouraging words come in. Allen and Trish have been in Honduras for long enough that the US healthcare system is causing them to have a bit of culture shock. They have been amazed at how long it takes to get an appointment, receive test results, etc.
Allen did finally get in to see a spine specialist this past week. It wasn’t what could be called a positive experience. Apparently the doctor was having a bad day because he was preoccupied when he walked into the exam room, and hadn’t even looked at Allen’s MRI results before the appointment. Overall, nothing the doctor said made Allen feel confident that he was in the right hands. What they do know is that Allen’s back pain - and thus any solution to the problem - is complicated by the fact that the damage is in multiple places, and the pain may be caused by a variety of different problems.
The good news is that Allen was able to get an appointment for a second opinion this coming Friday, with a doctor located only ten minutes from the house where they are staying. Allen and Trish are hoping and praying this will be a better experience. They are REALLY hoping for an answer that can allow them to make some plans and move forward in a positive direction.
Trish said, “I’m not going to say that we are discouraged, but we are fighting it all the time. This is obviously not a situation we would have chosen and it is out of our control. This is very much a prayer request. Pray that we can keep our focus on whatever God brings us. We are aware that sometimes what He’s trying to do isn’t quite what we were hoping for! Be praying for a solution that will allow Allen to get back into life again. Right now he is feeling sidelined. We’re hoping that God will give us a solution that can change that. If not, we pray that we will figure out what our lives will look like. If we will be staying in the US, we need to figure out finances. If we go back to Honduras, where we own a home, it would be better for us financially, but Allen might have to just deal with ongoing pain and disability. There are a lot of things to figure out.”
People are curious about their financial situation. Currently, they are managing to make it work because of the donated housing. However, they are going through money they wish they weren’t, in order to pay for the medical care and other expenses up to this point. Since the housing situation will be changing and they could be facing one or more big surgeries, finances are an ongoing major prayer concern.
Trish shared about the recent scare of their car making a horrible noise as she was backing out of the driveway. Fortunately, a “free” brake inspection that cost them $11 helped put their minds at ease (apparently the car just makes a noise when the weather has been very wet). But, as Trish said, “Anything can pop up and we are not in a situation, financially, to deal with anything popping up!”
To leave things on an encouraging positive note, Trish and Allen were able to have a very fun mini family reunion when Christopher and his wife, Audrey came from Sarasota for a visit, at the same time that Bethany (Boo) came down from Virginia with her one year old son, Steven.
Thank you in advance for continuing to support Allen & Trish and the ministry through your prayers. If you feel led to help Allen and Trish with their up-in-the-air financial situation, donations can be made through the donation page on the Sowers4Pastors website. Thanks so much!
- posted by Christi
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