Archive | January, 2016

family update

26 Jan

Hi friends and family

So after the late last 2015 lulu we sent out on our visit to the States and then (now) our return to London, I would like to share facts interlaced with prayer concerns. Please excuse the bullet format, but so much has occurred that this format is best for me at this time.

+ My father is home in Staten Island, recovering from a very near bout with pneumonia. At 89 the long extended time in hospitals watching and waiting for my mother’s open heart surgery did not help his condition. He misses his wife of 63 years tearfully. He spoke last week to her on the phone, (she is alert and conscious) stating ‘get well soon…I am lost without you.’
+ My mother Joan has always been a fast, quick talker; now -two weeks after her ‘successful’ open heart surgery,- she is a step down ICU unit breathing through a ventilator. She can’t slow down her anxiety enough to breathe deeply and slowly. Our prayer: that she breathes deeply and gets off the ventilator. This week I am feeling is a key week.

+ My brother, Donald, sister, Susan, and father Donald have a number of key, family decisions to make. Pray that as we speak and meet His spirit will lead.

+ me: a number of you have called and texted. emailed me. Truthfully, I am not quite up to responding individually at this time. Today I saw a counsellor and she helpfully pointed out that being ‘sad’ and even at times being angry was ‘alright…normal.’ She also pointed out that the past comes in for all during these end days, the good as well as the poor times. My prayer request: to allow myself to feel without judging myself as a person, son, brother, father, Christian.

Thank you all

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Geordies

22 Jan

Flying home to London from NYC Tuesday, I was standing in the BA aisle waiting for the people to fill in my row before I took my assigned seat. The steward and I began talking and they asked me where I was from and my business in London. Hearing their accent, I asked where they were from and she responded ‘Newcastle.’
I then said, ‘you are a Geordie.’
They were so impressed that I knew Geordies our conversation continued and as I moved to be seated they came to me and moved my seat on this slightly filled airplane to first class.
God Bless Geordies!!

a late lulu

8 Jan

a late November/December lulu

As the Osewalts are now in 2016 (I hope you all are in 2016 also) this is a very late ‘catch-up lulu.’ Here are our highlights and prayer requests as of 8 January:
Highlights:
• We visited Deardra’s and Bert’s new son in October, Hero. He looks like his mother and her mother, beautiful.
• I had through Stewardship 5 weeks Annual Leave. We went to NYC for our first Thanksgiving (spent with my twin brother and his family) in 3 years.
• The series I composed ‘Advent Wonder’ was well received by 14,000 individuals as of 15 December and 501 churches. (Sermon notes)
• Priscilla and I went to MOMA in NYC with Elizabeth, Sarah, James, Charlotte and Samuel to see the brilliant Picasso sculpture show. The grand kids loved it more than me.
• I caught up with a number of RPC (Redeemer friends) I missed all you so.
• My family had a night of “7 fishes” (look it up) on Christmas Eve dinner at my Dad’s and Mother’s home in Staten Island. It was great to have a family plus fellowship. More on this time in prayer requests.
• Priscilla and I saw the musical ‘Hamilton’-Go!!! (but tickets are difficult to come by…try the lottery)
• We had family and friends over to our house Christmas day. Lovely time.
• The James’ and Elizabeth’s children, our grand kids, slept over New Year’s Eve and we all played ‘Volcano’ together. This is a game I made up where you take and unopened bottle of seltzer water; shake well; open and shout ‘Volcano!!’ The kids loved it!!! (The adults not so much)
Prayer requests
• Priscilla fell a block from our house in NYC and broke her right wrist for the second time in a year. She got the cast off two days before we left and she seems to be healing well. Pray that she does heal
• My mother is not well. I took her and my father to a hospital 28 December after seeing her on Christmas Eve. (She was difficult to convince) She was in congestive heart failure. The hospital in Staten Island admitted her but we moved her to Mount Sinai in NYC on New Year’s Eve. She had open heart surgery the day we left for London, Tuesday/Wednesday of this week. Please pray for her healing as she is in intensive care today, sedated as she recovers.
• Please pray for my family as we all try to prayerfully cope with these events. Our family all agreed for us to return to London at this time as there was little we (Priscilla and I) could do beyond what we had done at this time. My brother, sister and my children are managing with a dear RPC friend. We will know more on Monday-11 January.
Thank you all for reading, praying
Charles and Priscilla

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