“Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.” Lamentations 3:22 October 1, 2006 Dear Loved Ones, We are so pleased to share with you that Cora's recovery has been smooth and quick. Thank you once again for all your prayers on her behalf. She was very excited to return to school and is quite proud of her scar. Her experience in the hospital was positive and she talks about her doctors and nurses quite often. As parents, we are filled with gratitude that God led us faithfully through that trying experience. One may never fully understand why our loved ones must suffer, but as Jeremiah exclaims in the verse above, God's great love never fails. In his book, A Sacred Sorrow, Michael Card shares how, “Jeremiah has exhausted himself against God… Having poured all of himself out in lament, he finds in his hopeless emptiness a greater hope than he could have imagined: the surprising hope of God's loving-kindness… It is a praise that can now hope all things, having been forced to let go of everything.” Jeremiah's praise poured out from his deep sorrow and lament over the ruins of Jerusalem. During our hospital stay, God spoke to me of the importance of lament. I felt permission to experience doubt and sadness. And through them simply ask that God would be with my daughter. Card goes on to explain that, “Lament is the path that takes us to the place where we discover that there is no complete answer to pain and suffering, only Presence.” That is what I long for, to experience above all else the presence of God, the true (and at times difficult) answer to all our doubts. Because of Cora's quick recovery we are able to go ahead with a trip that was postponed before her surgery. Both Cora and I have been given permission from our doctors to make this visit to the Word Made Flesh field in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. As Regional Coordinators it is our responsibility to pastor and visit the various WMF fields in South America and make ourselves available to the Field Directors and staff. Our last visit to Rio was in 2003, when the field looked much different. We are excited to visit our friends who serve within favela (or slum) communities and minister among children living on the streets. We look forward to communion and fellowship with them. Prayer Requests: We ask for your prayers as our family travels, for health and safety, especially for our unborn baby girl. Walter mentioned in his last letter two very special couples striving to leave their life on the streets. Both have since gathered with us during our weekly home Bible study. Those times were special moments shared between them and members of our church community. Thank you for keeping them in your prayers. We thank God each time we remember you, your love and friendship. Peace, Adriana