Dear Friends,

Our friend Susie Frerichs has now transferred to a rehabilitation center in Edinburg, TX, which is connected with McAllen Medical Center. Her dad reports that therapists are working with her throughout the day, alternating rest and therapy, and no visitors are allowed until after 3pm. Carol Friesen, of The Antioch Partners, visited her today and says Susie is alert, talkative, and much improved from when she first visited her two weeks ago.

She continues with pain medications. Some tests results are pending, and they are still searching for the cause, or causes, of her illness. She is moving her leg well. Pray for the return of movement to her left arm and, of course, a diagnosis.

Thank you for your faithful prayers.

Dear Friends,

Susie’s friends and family report that she is walking a little better. She continues with pain medications administered by a pump intravenously. Several more tests have been run requiring days for results. Pray for good physical therapy.

Confusion and lack of communication by the hospital will delay, by about four days, a much desired transfer to a nearby rehabilitation clinic in Mission, Texas. This confusion also caused a temporary interruption in insurance coverage. Once at the clinic, a transfer to an appropriate hospital will be more certain once test results are in.

It has been three weeks and still no diagnosis. An experienced nurse and good friend of Susie’s, who just returned from visiting her, angrily declared “this is unheard of in this day and age!” Here is were we need to be wise. Is this hospital an isolated situation? Or is this a trend that is spreading?

As we reflect on the suffering the Lord is allowing his servant Susie and her family to go through, maybe He is calling you and I to look at the medical care in our own communities? Is there good leadership? Has an impersonal “system” and “liability medicine” creeped in and cancelled out personal, thoughtful, professional care where good reasoning and communication is expected and encouraged? Are our educational institutions inspiring people and equipping them for doing the job well? How can we help?

Thanks for your continued prayers for Susie and for the whole situation.

Dear Friends,

Thankfully, Susie’s biopsy report does NOT indicate cancer! We join with you in giving thanks to God for that.

Pray for the doctor’s as they continue to search for the cause of her illness. Susie said she will continue receiving physical therapy at McAllen Medical Center while additional tests are being carried out. She can now walk with assistance and is eating better, according to Abraham.

Susie sends her heart-felt thanks to all of you and asks for your continued prayers.

Friends,

Susie Frerichs Hernandez has finally had the long awaited lung biopsy performed today, at McAllen Medical Center, with no apparent complications. I understand from Roberto Medina that Susie’s family had to almost “break down the doors” of management to head off another delay.

The results are expected to take 24-48 hrs. The doctor commented to Susie’s father, Jim, that the sample did not seem to be cancer but, nothing definitive yet. Pray it is not cancer and pray for a quick transfer and diagnosis!

Here, again, is information for those of you seeking to send financial help to Susie:

Ways to Give:

Check (most cost effective): Make payable to “The Antioch Partners”, write “Partner Special Needs Fund-Preference for Susie Frerichs” on the memo line. Mail the check to: The Antioch Partners,
7132 Portland Ave. , Suite 136, Richfield, MN 55423

The donations will support Susie, but we need to ask people to say “Preference for” due to ECFA guidelines.

Credit card or e-Check: Go to https://secure.qgiv.com/for/TheAntiochPartners/restriction/PartnerSpecialNeedsFund
The donor can email Hope ( admin@theantiochpartners.org ) saying they made a donation for Susie.

Dear friends,

The long awaited biopsy scheduled for today has been postponed, once again. A blood thinner was not stopped early enough, making it necessary to re-schedule for tomorrow. A long series of fumbles in Susie’s care continues to frustrate the family and worsen her suffering. Fortunately, the family reports she is sleeping more.

In this frustrating situation, we see just one example of the break-down in our institutions in society. There is a growing lack of Godly character and good education (education that builds character as well as knowledge and skills). Jesus Christ charges all of us with teaching the nations (Matthew 28:18-20). His ways are excellent, loving, hopeful, creative, caring, and self-sacrificing for the good of others. As you know, Susie and Abraham devote their lives to doing and teaching just that. Pray for God’s vision for life in our own lives and guidance for a great revival in teaching the nations. Pray for God to send help and transformation to this hospital. Susie and the people the hospital serves in South Texas need it.

Some of you are asking how to help with expenses. The information below for how to donate is from The Antioch Partners, Susie and Abraham’s sending agency. You can also visit their page here https://www.theantiochpartners.org/frerichs-hernandez

Ways to Give:

Check (most cost effective): Make payable to “The Antioch Partners”, write “Partner Special Needs Fund-Preference for Susie Frerichs” on the memo line. Mail the check to: The Antioch Partners,
7132 Portland Ave. , Suite 136, Richfield, MN 55423

The donations will support Susie, but we need to ask people to say “Preference for” due to ECFA guidelines.

Credit card or e-Check: Go to https://secure.qgiv.com/for/TheAntiochPartners/restriction/PartnerSpecialNeedsFund
The donor can email Hope ( admin@theantiochpartners.org ) saying they made a donation for Susie.

Dear Friends,

Tests for bacterial infection have come back negative. The first test for Tuberculosis is negative. The lead physician believes Susie has cancer. A much needed biopsy has been postponed twice, so far, and is now scheduled for Tuesday (results will take 24-48hrs). A request for transfer to MD Anderson hospital in Houston has been made but, it is believed this biopsy will be needed for that to happen. Pray for that.

Susie continues with severe pain and paralysis of left arm and leg. Pray for her and strength for the family.

Pray for the leadership and overall mission and practice of McAllen Medical Center. The family has been very frustrated there.

Susie, family, and friends have been very encouraged by so many prayers, comments, scripture readings, hymns sung and visits by various friends.

Thanks for your continued prayers.

Dear Friends,

There is not a lot to report on Susie’s condition as she awaits test results which, hopefully, come in tomorrow. Doctors are trying to determine if multiple masses around in her body are caused by cancer or some kind of infection. She is in a lot of pain. Abraham is with her around the clock. Her parents and brother are also with her. She is aware of all the prayers and greetings being sent her way from all of you. She sends her thanks and love.

Pray for guidance as the family seeks a transfer to MD Anderson Hospital in Houston, Tx.

Dear Friends,

Many of you know Susie Frerichs Hernandez, who serves the Lord in the Huastecas along with her husband, Abraham. Susie is gravely ill and needs your prayers.

She was hospitalized at McAllen Medical Center, McAllen, TX, on Friday after a life-flight from Laredo, TX, hospital. The doctors are still trying to pin down exactly what the source of the problem is but, it is life-threatening.

Thank you, for your prayers for her healing. Pray for wisdom for the doctors.

We ask for your prayers for God’s work of transformation in Chiapas, Mexico. Pray specifically for protection, wisdom, and discernment for the AMO training team in the neighboring state of Tabasco who have begun serving in Chiapas through their visits. The team walked through the door God opened to them by way of a “misionera” working in Chiapas who was trained by them last January.

After her training in Tabasco, the misionera returned to the indigenous community where she serves and met with a local pastor and a few of the church leaders to tell them of her experience. They became very interested. Even with the church’s limited funding and knowing how reluctant the members are to anything outside their routine, the leaders ventured an invitation to the team in Tabasco for two days of conferences around the biblical principles taught in AMO.

In order to build relationships and show testimony of the impact God’s Word has had on their own families, the team responded by taking their families with them on the long arduous drive to visit the congregation. The pastor interpreted for the group from Spanish into the local language. They taught about God’s vision for life and education and about the great potential and calling the congregation has for discipling their children and the community for Jesus Christ.

The congregation was deeply impacted. God’s Word evoked tears and expressions of gratitude and praise to the Lord and thanks and encouragement to the team. Completely unsolicited, the congregation gifted each of the three families represented with one thousand pesos to help cover their travel expenses. The significance of this three thousand peso gift should not be overlooked. It represents profound gratitude, hope, and determination to continue receiving the team for future visits to learn more and to be equipped for transforming their future for Christ.

Again, please, pray for wisdom for the team, provisions needed to continue the work, and for sensitivity to the special circumstances they face in Chiapas.

NEW PROGRAMS – In February, Francelia visited programs in Tabasco and assisted Esther Suarez as she trained leaders in Xalapa, Veracruz. Please, pray for church leaders in Xalapa and Orizaba, Veracruz, who have recently begun AMO Programs for children.  Pray for God’s blessing on the training now in progress in Comalcalco, Tabasco, and for those scheduled this summer in Merida, Oaxaca, and Nacajuca. Pray these result in strong leadership and consistent, stable, programs for children.

NEW INITIATIVES – Join us as we pray for God’s direction for new initiatives using AMO Program in the United States and for raising up the necessary leadership.

Zurisadai with her students at church in Veracruz. Zuri is also a public school teacher and has implemented AMO Literature component with permission from her school’s director.

ONLINE TRAINING – We ask your prayers for the nine-month online course by Chrysalis International starting March 20th. This course will prepare forty-six individuals from various Latin American countries (including 14 of our AMO Teachers in Mexico) to become AMO Trainers with skills to equip families and leaders for discipling their nation for Jesus Christ. Pray for Dr. Elizabeth Youmans and others who will be teaching, including Francelia and Cristina Inchaustegui.

TOOLS FOR EXPANSION – Please, pray for the AMO website that is under construction. Once finished, this website will provide practical and important tools to a growing network of tens of thousands of parents, students, teachers, trainers, donors, administrators, and church leaders – all involved in transforming their nations through biblical Christian education and discipleship.

WORKING TOGETHER – Join us in praying for the Disciple Nations Alliance (DNA) Global Forum taking place this week in Panama. Our own Pastor Josias Luna of Oaxaca will share at the forum about how Mexico is being impacted by God’s Word through AMO Program. We use DNA materials to prepare communities for AMO and DNA’s co-founder, Darrow Miller, teaches part of the online course mentioned above. I know this is an over simplified inadequate description but, DNA helps a person think biblically in all areas of life and AMO helps the person (or child) have the skills to live-out that biblical thinking in all areas of life.

JOIN US – Finally, we invite you to be our Prayer-partner-for-a-Month by phone. This is a brief, weekly, visit with us by phone during the month of your choosing, when we can discuss and pray together. We have been very blessed by those who have already joined us. Contact Chris at cmcr12@gmail.com to sign up.

Thank you for your prayers and support.

Chris and Francelia

AMO class in Tabasco and cover photo for the future AMO website.