Sunday, December 16, 2007

Please Pray for My Dad, Don Peterson

I got off the phone with my mom & dad a few minutes ago... He's in the new Kaiser Medical Center in Antioch, California. God answered our prayers of last night, because he agreed to go to the hospital a few minutes after my mom hung up the phone last night after refusing to go for quite a while before that.

We actually got a preliminary update from my mom at 4:30 am this morning (2:30 Pacific time), as she had just returned home from the hospital. The latest diagnosis is this: my dad is experiencing a complete liver failure....the cirrhosis that he was diagnosed with a few months ago seems to have run its course... According to the doctors, what he really needs is a liver transplant, but he's far to weak to survive that. So they are treating an infection that he has with antibiotics and are hydrating him, etc....but there doesn't seem to be anything that they can do other than to treat his symptoms and try to keep him comfortable... Mom is hoping for more information tomorrow when the specialists are able to examine him....

So we're asking that you continue to pray for him--especially that he would come to faith in Christ... I've asked a couple of pastor friends in Antioch if they would visit him... Please also pray that God would strengthen him physically and mentally. He told me that he was going to fight this as much as he could and that he is looking forward to seeing Allison and me on Saturday....that's an improvement in attitude!

Please also pray for wisdom for me about when to fly back home. Allison and I have tickets on American Airlines to arrive in Oakland on Saturday afternoon....but I might need to get there earlier.... Allison is giving finals at her school this week, and I have two finals (Greek & Systematic Theology) to take--the last one being scheduled for Thursday night.... We are also still in need of someone to take care of Hershey (the sitter that we had lined up cancelled
last week).....

We covet your prayers during this time.....

For Him,
Kevin Peterson
http://youthherders.blogspot.com/
6146 Keeneland Pkwy. - Dallas, TX 75211 - 214-989-3291
NEW Cell Phone #'s: Kevin = 214-264-9003 & Allison = 214-264-9481


I'm sending last night's e-mail below, since many of you weren't included in that blast....
--------------------------

Dear Praying Friends -

I just received a frantic call from my mom. She called 911 because my dad had fallen (according to mom, he's fallen a few times over the past few days). The paramedics deemed it best to take him to the hospital for treatment, but he refused. So she called me to see if I could talk him into it...but he would not listen to me... From what one of the neighbors said, his blood pressure is way up in the 150/130 region....

My dad was diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver a few months ago. Since then, he seems to be digressing physically. He's very weak--my mom has to help him get up, put on clothes, etc. He also seems to have lost hope for any sort of recovery...he mentioned to my mom that
he hoped that he would still "be here" when Allison & I fly out next Saturday...

I would greatly appreciate your prayers for my dad in several areas: (1) that he would consent to going to the hospital tonight (Saturday, 12/15); (2) for strength and healing for him; (3) for a will to live and to try to recover; (4) for his salvation. I would also appreciate your prayers for my mom, who is exhausted by the incredible challenges of trying to take care of my dad....and compounded by his refusal of treatment tonight.

Allison & I are flying out next Saturday, 12/22, to spend a few days with mom and dad in Rio Vista, California for Christmas before flying out to Orlando, Florida to be with Allison's folks... Please pray that we would be used of God to help see my folks come to faith in Christ while we're there.... (on a more mundane note, please pray that we'd be able to find a dog-sitter / dog-boarder for Hershey while we're gone -- the one that we had lined up cancelled a few days ago)

Thanks for listening and for praying!

For Him,

Kevin & Allison Peterson
6146 Keeneland Pkwy. - Dallas, TX 75211
NEW Cell Phone #'s: Kevin = 214-264-9003 & Allison = 214-264-9481


PS - Many of you have been praying for us since the break-in and shooting of Hershey last month. We're excited to report that Hershey has made a great recovery--she is now walking with a limp! And she's playing with her ball, etc. Praise the Lord!

And God has blessed us with a number of friends who sent money to help with vet bills, etc. Hershey's entire bill (and a portion of our deductible) has now been covered! Thanks to each of you who helped ease our financial burden--we greatly appreciate it! (We discovered a week ago that someone has been stealing our mail--we fixed that problem by installing a locking mailbox--so if you sent something and haven't received a "thank-you" note from us, your gift was likely stolen....)