Counting It All Joy

Too much time has passed since we have been able to update you on Pastor and the status of his recovery. Our season of Thanksgiving has passed and the calendar moves on toward Christmas whether we are ready for it or not. We have never been ones to overplay the holidays, as ours is a lifetime calling to the Lord's service and people need to hear the Good news of salvation through Jesus Christ whether it is a holidy season or not. Yet, with all that has transpired in our lives, we find that an attitude of gratitude abounds, and something about having a houseful of grandchildren at Christmastime heightens one's sentiments to look toward the more simple, joyful blessings in this life and after. That being said, lets fill you in on some of the happenings in Pastor's life.

Some things change....and for Pastor it was a sneaky adjustment from a hoary head of wisdom to a sphere of peach fuzz to adorn his skull. Louise walked in their bathroom one evening to find Pastor standing there with the razor, unable to finish the job he had begun to shave his head. With his large brace, the back portion that fits round his head was constantly pushing his hair up and creating a moppy mess that irritated him. He wanted it gone. So out with the clippers and off with the rest! He now loves it, and the rest of us can't say much about it, other than that it is gone.

Some things stay the same...that stubborn streak you all know is as strong as ever. This is great when Pastor is applying it to his exercises and blood sugar management, but not so good at other times. For instance, nearly all of Montana has experienced freezing temperatures the last few days. As a result, the water pump in the well house that supplies water to all three church buildings as well as the parsonage, froze. In no time he had his coat and gloves on, Louise in tow with scarf wrapped round her head, and out to the well house to investigate they went. He was able to reach someone who could tell them what might be the problem, but who did not have time to come by and fix it. Two men in the church were able to come by and help him, but FOUR hours later, they were still working on it and Pastor was frozen. His son Joel came by and sent him inside...he simply would not listen to anyone else. Please pray that we are able to fix the water pump soon and that no other pipes freeze.


On a much lighter note, get ready to laugh. Preaching has been better than ever. Each week, Pastor is stronger and feels less and less tuckered at the end of the day. The messages have hopefully been a blessing to others. The Lord has taught him many things through this experience and the sharing of those in messages has truly been rewarding. However, the delivery of these messages has at times been humbling. One Sunday after the song special, he rose from his chair to approach the pulpit. The attitude in the sanctuary was reverant and hearts were prepared, until two steps into his approach, his dress pants fell straight to his ankles. Yes, you read correctly, he now has experienced a more embarrassing moment than any of you preachers out there. You see, at this point, he has lost some 38 pounds. A belt cannot be worn under his body brace, which used to hold up those pants just fine. So for the last few Sundays, he has worn suspenders, and we have accepted seeing the color of his socks over the color of his boxers. Now how's that for a good laugh! Go ahead, he laughed at himself too...

We would ask that you please continue to pray during this time of recovery. His doctors have taken away his walker, he is completely off pain medication, and should be able to have his brace taken away after the first of the year. At that time, he will need to start physical therapy again for a different set of challenges in learning to use those muscle groups again. Blood sugar management is still a struggle, though we have seen some positive changes of late. We just need them to be more consistent. Thank you all. We love you.

Make a Smilebox collage

Healing is Hard Work

We apologize for the length of time it has been since we have updated everyone, but healing really is hard work. Pastor has been home for two weeks now and he and Louise have developed quite a routine. Louise's little sister LaDora has been visiting and helping Louise get some much needed work done, as well as find some time to rest. It has been a very sweet visit and we will be sad to see her go.

With the comfort of home, Pastor has begun to regain his appetite and is eating better. Nevertheless, he has now lost 34 pounds. The therapists have refitted his body brace so it will fit and support him better. He says his bones feel like they are healing well, and he has now been four days without a pain pill. Praise the Lord for this! The battle to regulate his blood sugar is still waging, but the VA has referred him to an endocrinologist and they have coordinated better on changes in his medications. It will still take some time to get a better system of control figured out between his diet, medication, and exercise. Please pray that he will be responsive to these changes and that Louise will continue to have patience in helping him with this.

We are so thankful for the new walkway that has been built. At the church workday, the men prepared the site and some other men in the church laid the concrete this past week. The walkway extends from the steps of the parsonage, down in front of the garage, and then over to the new church building. It is much easier for Pastor to navigate his way with his walker now without having to go over the rocks. The therapists have him walking for 10 minutes at a time a few times a day. The best way for him to walk is to head out of the house, over to the new church building, and up and down the isles in the sanctuary. We are sure this has only hightened his desire to be preaching again, as he walks up and down imagining the faces of his church people in their regular spots.

For a pastor who truly LOVES the people the Lord has sent him, it has been so hard for him to accept this time away from preaching and teaching. He has been able to attend services...this photo here was taken at the start of his first Sunday back. The children gathered around him with hugs and kisses and well wishes. It is a huge honor to be the kid that gets to hold his hymnal. He was able to teach the Wednesday Night lesson this week. Tomorrow he plans to preach again for the first time since his accident! We love you all and thank you for your continued prayers for strength.

All Church Work Day

Make a Smilebox photobook We are still amazed at the amount of work that was accomplished today! Pastor and Louise are so grateful for everyone who took the time to come and work, and for all that was done. We began with a list of 27 items that needed to be taken care of. All but two of them were completed, but several new things were added along the way. The church and parsonage grounds definitely look like they have received a "facelift" and many of us will be sore tomorrow! All in all, it was a joyful time of working together. From the many bags of leaves that were bagged to the huge basket full of dirty rags that went in the washing machine at the end of the day, there was much evidence of all the work being done. The chili, baked potato and cornbread lunch was a time of sweet fellowship as we talked and laughed and re-fueled for one more round of labor. Pastor was so blessed to see so many faithful. He was able to come over to visit and talk for a bit . The walk over there tuckered him out and much of the pain increased afterwards, but it did his heart good to be a part of it for a while. His eyesight was pretty fuzzy today, so please keep that in your prayers. We have a guest preacher tomorrow! Pastor Shawn Scribner is here visiting from Arizona and it will be nice to have him fill the pulpit again for this Sunday. His visit will be brief, but much enjoyed.

Homecoming

Pastor is finally home! With a deep sigh of relief and a smile, he settled into his new room, only nineteen days from the last time he slept here and 23 pounds lighter. Hospital food and bad side effects from pain medication are not a preferred way of losing weight, but certainly effective. Louise is so glad to be cooking for him again and he is happy to eat whatever she gives him as best he can handle. It may take the rest of the winter and some exercise to gain back the bulk he lost, but by spring he should fit back into his old suits. He says he feels ten times better to be home.

The transition to home has been smooth, with a physical therapist coming to make sure all is going well. Louise is an excellent nurse. After being offered a job at the hospital several times, she (of course) declined in order to continue caring for him at home. Showering, dressing, and getting around in general take MUCH longer now. He is still feeling pain and discomfort, as is to be expected. All in all the progress is steady and the current medication mix seems to be just right. He can no longer feel or hear the "click-click-click" of his ribs each time he breathes deeply. This is thanks to the design of an almighty Creator, who designed a "natural glue" to begin to gel at the fracture site and hold the bones together.

The recently installed steel handrails are wonderful! They line the walkway up to their home, and with the icy weather already here, they will be used and appreciated many times over.

The T.V. room has been converted to a make shift bedroom that nicely accomodates his hospital bed and assorted accessories, as well as the couch for visitors. He loves being able to see out the front window and yesterday was blessed to have a view of Lanny and Sue raking up the front yard's pine needles and plums from his trees. We all know that he is nearly the hardest working man we know and would be doing all the fall jobs himself if he were able. But he knows that each person who takes one of these jobs is showing their love and care for him in a tangible way and he is ever grateful for the work done, as well as the hands that do them. To that end, we are all looking forward to an All-Church Work Day tomorrow, where hopefully we can complete the list of fall projects and take that load of care off of him and Louise.

As you can see above, he did not give in to popular opinion and keep his bushy white beard. We think he looks much healthier and several years younger without it anyway. He never was one to give in to peer pressure.

The abundance of blessings that we can see in every part of this experience, we fully credit to the hand of our great God and Saviour, who hears the prayers of the faithful. Your prayers are needed even more now, as the healing will be slow and difficult. We will continue to keep you updated and thank you so much for your love.

A Field Trip Home

With his permission slip signed by the doctors, Pastor came home to "visit" for the first time in 12 days. They wanted him to practice getting in and out of the truck, walking up the steps, and negotiating his way around with his walker...all while keeping in mind his physical precautions. He cannot turn his head to the left or right, bend down at the waist, cross his legs, or "walk and chew gum at the same time", as he puts it. They also wanted to see his home and office to help eliminate any safety risks and advise of items still needed in order for him to be comfortable. The therapist measured the height of each chair, making sure they were atleast 20" high. She also told us where to place shower bars and other aids. The doctors will order a hospital bed for him to use at home for a while and he will move to the T.V. room until things get easier. He ventured over to the church building , walking through his office to get to the sanctuary. He will need a new office chair that does not have wheels and does not swivel. Some men in the church are working on some new handrails for the steps up to his pulpit area, but he can use the podium when he is ready. As he stood behind it, even the therapist noted his posture staighten and his demeanor change. If y'all had been there, he would have started preaching right at you! He told her, "These are my people, the people I love. Life is about loving and having someone to love. And I love these people".

The hardest thing about the trip was leaving. In light of all these physical changes, it is difficult to see his state as a "light affliction". Yet, he is ever grateful for God's grace and mercy on his soul and his life, and anxious to serve Him all the more. Please pray that these afflictions will work in him a "far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory".
(II Corinthians 4:17) To God be the glory!

A Note From Louise

Dear Friends: The boys and I met with the therapists to discuss Nathan's progress; again, they are amazed at how much he does considering his injuries; Wedesday and today he's been very tired and experienced a lot of pain in his hip (first time). Tomorrow (Friday) they will bring him home for a visit to see how he can get around and to address any more changes we might need to make. Thanks for all who helped clear out a room for his hospital bed! Tuesday, they will meet again and decide if he can come home; so we know he'll be in rehab until at least Tuesday of next week. Shawn called last night and he is coming from Yuma to see Pastor next week; I'm sure he'll be here Sunday the 25th so you can all see him. My sister LaDora will come too, probably in about 10 days to help. I do know that the first week he is home he has to have someone with him 24/7-so I may need a few "Pastor setters"....or is it "sitters"- We continue to covet your prayers; and thank you for all the cards; he really does enjoy them! We can't begin to tell you how much we love and appreciate you all.

Thursday Update

A medical pow-wow was had this afternoon with Nathan, Louise, the boys, and the doctors. It looks like the earliest he would be released home is next Tuesday. At that time, they will all meet again and decide whether he is ready or needs more time. While the doctors agree he is ahead of schedule as far as the recovery process, he is still in a precarious spot and in no way are they willing to take any risks. For that matter, neither are we. We need to thank you all so much for your prayers as one thing they are amazed at is what little pain he seems to have at this point, and we know this is because of your prayers. His pain level has gone from nearly unbearable to uncomfortable, allowing him to participate more in his therapy.

The doctors are working to decrease his two main risks: a re-injury to his spine and poorly regulated blood sugar. Regarding his spine, the doctors say he is so lucky he is even alive, and that he is not paralyzed. To this he repied, "I am NOT lucky. I have the Lord Jesus Christ looking out for me. He gets all the credit for that." The doctors say many who present with the extent of his injuries at his age end up in a wheelchair for the rest of their lives, or they are just never able to recover at all. Due to the location of the vertebrae that were broken, a re-injury to his upper mid back especially (he broke T4) would be dangerous. Please pray the bones continue to heal well, that his body is able to rebuild the muscle support around them, and that he has no falls. With regard to his diabetes, well, most of you understand what a struggle that can be. They are working on medication adjustments to avoid the kind of thing that happened the morning of the accident. In addition, they are counseling him on diet changes. Just the mention of adding more vegetables to his diet makes him cringe, and we won't even mention the "donut" thing. The sweetest, prettiest nutrition counselor came in with some information, which he took without looking at and politely said"Ok, see you later". Please pray he makes the decision on his own to help monitor his diet better. We know Louise has been an excellent help in this area, but he has to be in cooperation.

That's all for now. More later. Thank you all for praying.

A Note from Joel

When I got a phone call saying that my dad had been in a wreck, I was concerned and left the house right away. I have a tendency to downplay things and not worry about something until there is really something to worry about. I figured he had just gotten into a little fender bender in his truck pulling out of the restaurant and I really was not all that worried. Once I turned onto LaSalle and saw all the lights and the ambulance my heart began to beat faster. As I pulled up closer and saw the car smashed up and the building caved in, I just started praying the he would still be alive. All kinds of things go through your head. I prayed over and over, “Lord, help my Dad be okay.” Then I saw my brother there with him. We stood there together and he told me to let Dad know I was here. I rode in the ambulance with him and was able to talk to him, encourage him and be with him. I thought I was so glad that he was at least conscious and not in a coma or anything. I kept encouraging him as much as I could. It was so good to enter the Emergency Room and see a friend who was the acting ER nurse. The first two hours were such a rush of adrenaline. After I had a chance to walk outside and calm down and think for a bit, the realization of what had just happened and how close to death he had come really hit me. I broke down emotionally for a good few minutes. It took a while to assess that he was going to be okay over time, but still very difficult to face the amount of pain he was suffering.

This has made me realize anew how fragile life is and to be very grateful that he is still alive. I know he is fully ready to go and if the Lord would have taken him then it would be, as in the words of Paul, “For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain”. I would have been okay with that too, but I am so glad he is still with us. I know that God is still planning to use my Dad in a mighty way.

My Dad has been so dedicated to give out the gospel as much as he can. His boldness and testimony is so encouraging. Please pray with me that he can lead a soul to see salvation through Jesus Christ. Additionally, that God would allow him to fully recover with no further injuries through the winter. I am looking forward to the day that he can stand and preach once again.

A Note From John

There is not a more helpless feeling than seeing someone you love in alot of pain. As I watched the paramedics and fire dept, cut my dad out of the car, I could only pray that he was alive. As he was being pulled out of the vehicle, the first thing I noticed was how tightly he was clutching his big bible. As much pain as he was in, he had made the effort to locate and hold on to, as tight as possible the one thing that would bring him comfort.

When the paramedics were able to get my dad positioned on the board, to secure him, I was able to hold his hand and let him know that I was there. The first that he said to me was, "John, I don't think we are going hunting this year". I smiled and agreed...."No dad, I don't think we are".

I recently have been struggling with the price tag of a new rifle for my son. So much money for something you use once or twice a year. My son had endured a full week and a half of hunter's education, from 6-9pm each night, to be able to go hunting this year. I have shot several elk in my life, and dozens of deer. I cannot remember all of them, as a matter of fact, I have forgotten many, but I can tell you that the first deer I shot, was with my dad. The first elk I shot, was with my dad. Thanks Dad, for all of the memories. Last night, I saw the look on my son's face, as he held his very first rifle, I knew that them memories and time together, would far outweigh the price tag.

I would encourage everyone to do the following 3 things today:
1. Pray for someone
2. Be a blessing to someone
3. Cherish the time you have with your family

Smuggling donuts already?

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Click above to see Dad enjoying the donut he managed to smuggle in after the morning therapy session. It will be interesting to see how he explains this in his meeting with the diabetes specialist at 1:00 today.

First Day of Official Rehabilitation

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First day "on the job" Click on the link above to see a photo of Pastor Bemis freshly showered , dressed, and ready to go to work. The fog has cleared and the man is on a mission! Yesterday was his first official day of rehabilitation and all the doctors are already saying he is a good 2-3 days ahead of where they had expected him to be. They say it's because he is in such great physical shape, but we happen to know of more than a few prayer warriors who have been lifting him up before the Lord and asking specifically for good recovery. As with anything he does, he is trying to go above and beyond what the physical therapists are asking of him. If they want him to walk the hall once, he walks it twice, and so on. Please pray that he is able to find a good balance between working hard and resting well.

Less is definitely more when it comes to pain medication. He is now completely off the Valium, and tolerating the other new pain medication much better. Because of this his head is much clearer and he is back to his determined, ornery self. To that end, please pray for Louise. She is a fantastic help meet to him.

A homecoming already? Today we should learn more of the doctor's intentions for when they plan on releasing him from the hospital to continue his recovery at home. There will be plenty of changes in store with regard to how he gets around the house and we will expand on all of that later.

Sunday Update

A rough start to the day...For the first time ever, we spent all of Sunday at the hospital on the second floor Occupational Rehabilitation wing. Oh, how we missed our church family! The night had been difficult, with Nathan suffering from various side effects from the pain medication. The surgeon spent quite a bit of time with us, explaining that sometimes finding the right mix of pain medication is almost as difficult as dealing with the pain itself. Some changes were made and hopefully will lead to improvement. Please pray with us about this.

A genuine blessing...after a nap and a bath, Nathan was able to walk (with his walker and nurse) to the dining hall, where he was greeted with a sweet hymn caroling from many members of Bible Baptist. It did not take long for the tears to begin flowing as he listened to the sweet melodies of "Leaning on the Everlasting Arms", "Amazing Grace", and "In my heart there Rings a Melody". He was able to express a heartfelt thank you for their prayers and kind gesture in coming to visit him and sing to him. The caroling continued with his request of "Mansion Over the Hilltop" and then some more testimony from him of some of the struggles this past week has brought, what they have meant to him, and glory given to God for his faithfulness in everything, which lead us to a spontaneous singing of "Great is They Faithfulness". The children he loves so much were invited for hugs and mini-sermons to keep doing right and grow up serving the Lord. His dinner arrived and it was finally time for good-byes, but not without more tears and showing of affection and love between sheep and their shepherd.