please pray for Ellie!

Greetings to you all from the south Pacific!

We apologize for the lengthy lapse in correspondence. So much has happened (and continues to happen) since our last update, volumes could be written! We know you’re all very busy yourselves, so over the next several days we’ll be sending you a series of brief updates to fill you in.

This update is centered on events back home in the US. We need to ask for your fervent prayers for Ellie.

Many of you already are aware of this as you check her blog on the internet, but for those who haven’t heard, Ellie is currently fighting for her life, and has been for over a week now. She underwent septic shock due to infection and other complications, and had to be revived from cardiac arrest as well as placed on a ventilator to assist her breathing. There have been several attempts to remove the tube placed into her throat to get her to breathe on her own, but these have failed and the tube reinserted. The last attempt, she struggled for over 24 hours before doctors had to reintubate her.

The latest we have heard is that Ellie is now sedated and in a drug-induced coma in an attempt to stabilize her. Our precious Ellie is critically ill, please be praying! Long story short, due to paperwork problems both leaving and returning to PNG, we find ourselves here in the country with no way of returning to the US in the near future, so this has been very difficult for us. We must leave Ellie in God’s hands where she belongs, and trust Him! He is faithful, and we are so glad to report to you that His love and grace have been showered over our family. To understand more of what I mean by this, check out Ellie’s blog!!! (ellieskees.blogspot.com) God’s grace comes when we most need it, and we want to thank you so much for your prayers and encouragement over these hard days!

Clinging to our Rock,

Chad, Janeene & Elijah

Papua New Guinea