 (This was a hard copy mailing)
Dear Friends And Supporters Of The Robinsons
April 2001
Greetings from ‘Almost Heaven’ West
Virginia! This past week the weather has been in the mid to high eighties with beautiful
skies. It reminds us very much of Carriacou, which is very temperate all year long. We
miss our home very much, and we miss our friends and flock at Windward Bible Church.
Those of you that have supplied an e·mail address at some time in the
past have been receiving e·mail updates on what has been happening with the Robinsons since
April of 2000. Our copy machine has been down and e·mail is the only way I can keep most
informed at this time. I also have a rather large web site up and running. On top of
supplying a large number of photos of Carriacou and our work in general, it also supplies
online copies of all our prayer letters going back a for a few years. Visit the
site, tell others about it, and stay better informed on how to pray for us. If you have
not supplied us with an e·mail address, you may do so and we will add you to our mass
e·mail
group. NOTE: We will never give your e·mail address to anyone else, and our mass
emailings always use the Bcc mode to hide the e·mail address of all.
Those who have been visiting our site or receiving e·mail notes from us
probably know that I (Walter) suffered a pretty bad motorcycle accident on Christmas Eve.
My left leg (at the knee) and left shoulder (collar bone) were broken severely. It is also
likely my left hip had a hairline fracture.
After being evaluated on the mainland of Grenada it was agreed that I
would be better off traveling to the US for surgical correction of the knee. The other
injuries were healing okay.
Early on January 8—and after I had regained some strength—we
traveled first to the mainland of Grenada by sea ferry. About midnight we arrived
exhausted at Dulles International near Washington DC where we spent the night. The next
day, Tuesday, we arrived in Charleston, West Virginia. We saw a doctor a few days later,
who confirmed that I would have to undergo surgery to fix my knee.
I underwent surgery on Wednesday, January 17 (Ouch!), and was released
the following Monday (PTL!) I had a lot of trouble with the pain medication—both in
the hospital and at home over the next few weeks. It did not manage my pain well, and it
thrust me into emotional states that I hope to never experience again.
I saw the surgeon about a month after surgery who confirmed that I was
healing okay. He also prescribed immediate therapy to help strengthen the atrophied
muscles in my leg so that I would be ready to begin some weight bearing training in the
future.
Therapy began with an easy pace. It was uncomfortable at times, yet not
very painful. In the weeks ahead it became more intense and a few times the forced bending
caused tremendous pain. But God gave more grace!
I saw the surgeon a month later once more and he authorized fifty
percent weight bearing. That progressed fine for two to three weeks—until I began to
experience severe pain in the left knee during therapy one day. The discomfort got so bad
the therapist stopped the therapy and sent me home. My leg felt almost as though it had
been broken all over again. I spent most of the remainder of that day and most of the
night in bed trying to cope with the pain.
My surgeon saw me the next day, x-rayed it once more, and informed me
that I had a ‘screw loose’ (literally)!
During the initial surgery the doctor had installed a three inch screw
that went horizontally across and through the top of the tibia. The tibia plateau had
fragmented into about three sections and the screw was used to hold the parts in place
while they healed. The doctor also installed another long screw in the same area along
with a rather large metal bracket that is mounted vertically along the tibia and held in
place by six or seven other screws.
The loose screw had backed out about 1/4 an inch and was pressing on a
ligament! Thankfully, all the fractured pieces were still in place and appear to be
healing okay.
The doctor instructed me to stop the therapy for three weeks. The pain
began to subside about four or five days later. Some three or four weeks after the screw
came loose, on April 4, the doctor removed it in outpatient surgery. The next day I was up
and walking around with the aid of walker.
I have resumed therapy as of April 9 and seem to be improving weekly. I
even did a little walking with the aid of nothing during therapy, but for the most part I
am going slow to not over do it. I do not want anymore set backs.
We had hoped that we could realistically look forward to returning to
Carriacou the last of May or the first of June. To my dismay and disappointment, on April
12 the doctor informed me that July or August is a more realistic goal for returning. My
break was particularly bad and he believes it will take that long before one fracture is
strong enough for me to return to normal activities. But, the doctor, a professed
believer, added that it was up to God who could make me heal up so that we could go back
the first part of June. Please pray for the healing to hasten and for the injured areas
to become strong.
I have spoken repeatedly to the two gracious and hard working
missionary families
that are filling in for us during our absence.
These and their families already had their plates full, but readily agreed
to take over for us as I made preparations to go stateside for surgery. They
have been a blessing for us in ways that would take pages to relate. Please
pray for them as they carry on the work in our absence.
On April 14, one of the men on Carriacou informed me that
he and some men from
Windward Bible Church had finished patching and painting the interior masonry walls in the
pulpit area at our new location in Windward. A nice man from Maine, Jeff Dworsky, donated
some money that helped to get the project started back in February. We had become friends
with Jeff after we met on Carriacou several years ago while he and his family were on
vacation. We are eager to see what the sanctuary looks like. They told me that it looked
like a different place and looked very nice.
We have also spoken to some of the flock of Windward
Bible Church on numerous occasions. They are remaining faithful and looking
eagerly to our return. They are also enjoying the fellowship
with the folk of Open Door Independent Baptist, where American missionary,
John McPherson, serves as pastor. Please remember to pray for them to
remain encouraged, to respond to the godly preaching and teaching, and desire to glorify
God daily.
I understand the dry season on Carriacou is particularly bad this year.
To the point that some animals are dying from lack of water and some people are having to
haul water to fill their cisterns. Please pray that the Lord will either bring showers out
of season or that He will bring the rainy season early (usually begins in June).
Linda and Jeshua are doing well and often times waiting on me. They are
seeing doctors for checkups also. We all have had our eyes checked, and prescriptions had
changed. Linda and Jeshua have new glasses, but my change was so slight that the doctor
told me that I could continue to get by for awhile before getting a new set. We also hope
to see the dentist and have our teeth cleaned and checked out.
We are all enjoying the fellowship with our friends at Cross Lanes
Bible Church (CLBC). They have graciously let us stay in the church’s missionary
apartment and numerous people volunteered to transport us back and forth to therapy. They
have also supplied numerous meals and loved us to death! J
They have certainly taken much of the sting out of our difficult times over the last four
months and we are privileged to have such a loving family. I just wish we could take them
all back to Carriacou with us!
I have had several invitations to speak and preach, but have not
accepted any, except for speaking briefly for a prayer breakfast at CLBC that helped kick
off the annual missionary conference. I did so from a wheel chair, but was thankful for
the opportunity to do so. The Lord also helped me to prepare a ‘PowerPoint
Presentation’ of our work and ministry on Carriacou that was presented at the
missions conference in lieu of slides. It took about seventy hours of hard work, of which
the first twenty was spent learning the program and developing a layout. I finished twenty
minutes before we had to go to the church to set up my laptop and a provided digital
projector. Linda and I prayed and held our breath as we watched it in its entirety for the
first time from beginning to end at the missions conference that night. The Lord blessed
and it worked perfectly.
The preaching at the conference was very good and challenging as Vernon
Rosenau served as the keynote speaker. It was really nice to hear a man that has been on
the mission field for twenty years challenge folks. It was also refreshing to hear him
speak so openly about the struggles missionaries face everyday so that people would know
how to pray for missionaries. The four day conference was a blessing to all, but
especially to the Robinsons.
Linda has been enjoying the fellowship with the ladies of CLBC. She has
been attending a couple of ladies’ Bible studies. Thankfully, she is now getting
uninterrupted nights of rest as I am now sleeping all night without waking in pain. For
some three months she repeatedly and often had to wake to get me medicine, massage my leg,
etc., and she was weary most of the time. She has been strong and I am thankful for her
care and help.
Jeshua has been attending Cross Lanes Christian School since arriving
in January. Though the eight grade work has been difficult for him at times, he is
enjoying learning with others. He has several friends with whom he is always wanting to do
something or go somewhere. He has also been a huge help to me. He is now much taller and
looking more and more like a little man. He is nearly as tall as his mom, which makes him
feel really good. He has also slimmed down quite a bit, for which he is also very thankful
and happy.
Lastly, as I mentioned at the begging of this letter, I have a web site
up and running. It is quite large and informative. One can find information ranging from
virtual tours of Carriacou, discussion of various contemporary topics from Biblical
perspectives, the work of Windward Bible Church, and a clear presentation of the gospel of
Jesus Christ.
Please pray for the continued development and use of the web site
(LCM). Sign the Visitors' Journal if you visit. J
We have had visitors from all over the world and the numbers increase
daily. Many visitors have left notes of encouragement in the Visitors'
Journal. Click on the ‘Visitors' Journal’ link and see for yourself at:
www.lastchanceministries.com
The family within the Kingdom of God is marvelous beyond description.
We are blessed to be a part of it, and we are thankful for those who continue to touch our
lives with theirs. We are constantly reminded that we are not alone. God is with us, and
His children are all around us. What a blessing to be part of such a loving family.
Still looking up for Him as your coworkers,
Walter Robinson II for the Robinson Family
Copyright © 2000 Last Chance Ministries. All rights reserved.
Revised: June 13, 2006.
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