Update on Dad and Mission Trip – May 14, 2010

Here we are in Searcy, AR! I cannot believe it has been a year. The last time I was here I was with Dad. Right now, Dad would be working out details for the hotel we are staying in tomorrow night, organizing lunch, encouraging the volunteers, and motivating me. I miss my dad.

I haven’t been feeling really well. I guess things may be catching up with me. Please pray for strength and energy for me to finish strong. I want to use every available moment to disciple these young adult volunteers and to reach the lost. My hope is found in Christ and in who Christ is in me.

Because of Dad’s recent improvements, I think it would be wise to bring clarity to his condition. We are all encouraged by his progress, but Dad still has a LONG ways to go. Let me explain…

Doctors have now said that Dad is officially out of his coma. They now classify him as a patient with a traumatic brain injury. He can wake up now, but he is far from normal.

Dad is still in a phase of recovery called random. He has random moments when he appears to be connecting with the world around him.

In these random moments, he does recognize people that have been close to him and he is able to communicate very simple words of affection for them. In random moments, he has acknowledged that he remembers something that has been important to him when he has been asked. Dad cannot intelligently discuss these things in a way that shows he remembers a lot of specific details. He may say that he remembers something one day that he does not remember the next. His dialogue is limited to what he feels at the moment or what he desires. In this stage of recovery, what Dad has been told today about specific things, he probably will not remember tomorrow.

Even in these random moments of recognition, Dad is far from normal.

Our family sees little glimpses of Dad’s personality that we have known, and this is encouraging. But these glimpses are just glimpses and even these moments are not 100% normal for the “Greg Werner” that we have all known.

Now all of this is still very encouraging based on where Dad has been. Our prayer is that Dad will continue to make progress toward normal. The doctors do not know how far Dad will progress in memory, personality, or his ability to function. Patients with brain injuries are all very different. Some never progress to normal. Others fully recover. This is our prayer for Dad.

If things progress normally, Dad’s next phase in awareness will be a phase of aggressive aggravation. As his mind continues to heal, he will begin to put feeling with his circumstances; however, he will not always have the mental capacity to control his feelings. This stage will be difficult for the family and for Dad. Although it will be hard, it will also be an encouraging sign that Dad is still progressing.

Here are the prayer requests for our family right now:
• That God would continue to bring healing to Dad’s brain
• That there would be no long term affects from this accident
• That Dad would since the presence of the Holy Spirit and peace that passes understanding
• That my Mom would have peace and health
• For protection for the mission team in Searcy
• For people to continue receiving Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior and be saved from separation from God in hell (about 100 salvations since August 2009 through the ministries at Western Hills Church – Dad was a big part of that).

Please keep praying for me while we are in Searcy, too. We will be back in OKC on Tuesday. Jeff Deeds sent me an encouraging prayer for our team by email:

“Father, may your favor be upon the Character Focus team as they minister in this conference. May your power be visible, may your purpose be accomplished and may the lost be found and saved! Please watch over them as they serve the homeschoolers from Arkansas. Keep them safe as they travel, and empower them through your Spirit to do mighty things for your name’s sake. Amen!”

Dad would love to be here right now. The trip is certainly different and difficult without him, but God is faithful. I am writing this update from the conference right now. There are over 80 kids here and we are about to share the gospel! “God, please move in the hearts of these children and in my Dad’s life. Amen.”