Jeanne Acheson-Munos Enjoying Heaven

Been an emotional week around here after the Haiti earthquake last Tuesday. Upon learning of it, this is an excerpt of an email Kevin & I sent:

Friends,
Kevin & I are asking you to please help us pray …. Our former pastor (Nazarene Church) landed in Haiti 2 hours before the earthquake. The Nazarene church has a very big presence there. J.K. is unharmed. But our very dear friends were living there, and Jack has been found and has been transported to a Miami hospital. But Jeanne is nowhere to be found, and their apartment is in rubble. Please please help us pray to our amazing God for an amazing miracle! Jack & Jeanne Munos-Acheson. Haiti hospitals are in rubble. My heart is broke. Just so broke. Thank you.

The days ticked on ... then we sent this follow-up email:

Friends:
Regarding Jack/Jeanne --- we received a report yesterday afternoon that when the anticipated heavy equipment arrived on Saturday, the Bishop could not convince them to dig at the site where only Jeanne and 2 others were known to be buried. Hard to swallow, but understandable in the ever emerging crisis … that all equipment should go to the places where the most lives can have a chance at rescue/recovery. We know that a memorial service was held in Haiti on Saturday afternoon by the church where she/Jack served. You can watch an excerpt from her funeral service here:

http://www.helphaitiheal.org/2010/01/rev-jeanne-acheson-munos-merle-west-and-gene-defour/

Kevin will be going to Florida later this week, and plans to visit Jack who remains hospitalized in Miami. We picked up a beautiful (almost full size!) crocheted blanket from Ron/Connie’s house yesterday, and we know it will mean a lot to Jack since he has nothing – nothing left, except his faith. Thank you Connie! Jack/Jeanne’s best friends were in the process of selling everything they owned and planned to join them in Haiti to partner in their efforts. They, along with Jeanne’s brother, are now in Miami to help Jack through his recovery until the time he is able to travel back to Indianapolis. It is anticipated he will then live with our friends, Dan/Patye Bridget for an undetermined amount of time.

Since Kevin will be flying to Florida before our next Sunday School class meeting, would you all commit to pray “over the prayer shawl” for Jack/Jeanne Acheson-Munos, and their friends/family? We have established a specific prayer time for this Wednesday, 8pm, and ask that each of you, individually --- will join us collectively in prayer. God will honor our efforts and speak peace to the many hurting people left behind. I know that a revival is/can happen and pray that it does!

If you can spare one last tidbit – I think you’ll find this a blessing. When state-side, Jack/Jeanne often went around and gave their “Haiti” shpeel to welcoming churches, to raise awareness/funds for the place they loved and God laid on their hearts. She pinned buttons on any living thing that said “Haiti for Christ.” And yesterday, her dad (Rev. A) said: “I imagine by now that my Jeanne has pinned one of those buttons on Christ, and He’s proudly displaying it in Heaven!” AMEN to that!

Thank you for indulging Kevin & I, for ministering to us and loving us so effectively. Know that we cherish each and every one of you.

Jeanne Acheson-Munos ... Enjoying Heaven!

“Your faith makes you offer your lives as a sacrifice in serving God.” Philippians 2:17
When we face struggles, we often wonder, Why? Years from now, though, we may realize that it was those struggles that taught us something we could not have otherwise learned—that there was a purpose in our pain. God’s purpose is greater than your pain, and he has a greater purpose than your problems.

Goodbye Ms. Bladdie

So here I am, coming to you live ... gallbladder-less! The surgery was originally scheduled for 2pm today, then it was bumped up to 11;30am. And then, just yesterday, they bumped it up again to 10:00am. I told Kevin at that rate, it could be out by the evening! LOL! Well, as God would have it, today's surgery was indeed orchestrated by the Great Physician Himself and I can honestly say I feel better right now (just hours post-op!) than I have felt in the last several months! This pain is nothing - natta - lower than low! They even gave us 4 sequential pictures of the inside of my guts, showing all the parts & pieces! That's just too much!! Scrapbook material?!? Ha Our Sunday School class pretty much had a party in the waiting room. And now that they've seen the pictures, they can honestly say they know me inside and out! So --- the parting was graceful, and although I appreciate everything she did for me while we were together, it's goodbye Ms. Bladdie. Rest in peace.

Kevin & I truly do appreciate you praying us through. Anyone who might doubt the power of prayer hasn't been hanging around with us enough! Of course, it's not the power of prayer. It's the mighty miraculous power of God sought in prayer. I praise Him to the highest heavens for His generosity! Not once did I feel apart from His tender care. Not once. N-o-t o-n-c-e. He even granted us an opportunity to witness (of course, we did that all the live long day), but a specific opportunity to talk with my nurse about Jesus and to invite her and her husband to join us at church. I think she will -- Cindy, God is anxious to prove Himself to you! He loves us so much, and He is all the time arranging details to let us know He's there. This, I k-n-o-w!

I'll be crafting again soon! It might be my most inspiring creations to date! Amazing what a good gallbladder surgery will do to ya! Thank you again family & friends. You are loved. You are never forgotten. Never overlooked. My heart is completely stolen by God over each of you, with bleary eyes.

If you can spare one last prayer, my very very very dear friend, Eleanore, is having lens replacement on her eyes starting tomorrow. And we are expecting a snow storm as well. Please pray for her surgery to be perfect, and her pain to be tolerable, and their safe travels. She was very very very instrumental in getting me the medical attention I needed so quickly (she's kinda a big shot at the hospital, but you'd never know it. Especially since she's a short tiny little speck of a thing!). We have been very very very close friends for like-ever (23 years) and she is precious. Thank you for remembering her and Brent.

Kiss your life. Accept it, just as it is. Today. Now. So that those moments of happiness you're waiting for don't pass you by.

New Year's Eve -- 2009

So ... will it be Two Thousand and Ten, or Twenty-Ten, or just Ten?!