We are HOME again!! Thanks for all your prayers!!
Mur and I have been in “a waiting room” a good part of the last 10 months. It wasn’t always easy to rejoice in the waiting room, as I mentioned in a previous update, but every once in a while we experienced the “sun of hope” burst into the room. At times it was the smile on Mur’s face. Other times it was a loving note, card or call that brightened our day. One young nurse brightened Mur’s day when she said to Mur, “I wish I had more patients like you. I would gladly work with them all day long.”
One special time was when the elders of our church came to our home to pray and anoint us as per James 5. Sometimes the conversation with a nurse or assistant lingered and the opportunity opened to share about our relationship with Jesus and the hope we have from Him. Even though the time to share is brief because of the shortness of staff in hospitals these days, we have had the joy of praying with three workers as they decided to trust in Jesus and left tracts and books with others.
The last return to the hospital has given us a little better understanding of what has been causing Mur’s difficulty breathing. After going through the cycle of being released, rehab and returning to the hospital and again getting ready to be released without the promise of a better outcome, we decided to go home and sign up with Hospice. The roller-coaster experience has made it difficult to report on how she was doing at any particular time because it changed so often. Now we need your continued prayer as we go through this next part of her marathon journey.

This past week my wife Mur was taken off the ventilator in ICU. She has survived since then, breathing on her own with some oxygen, though with difficulty. She was moved to a regular hospital bed, and then on Saturday, she was moved to the Weils’ rehab/therapy center where she is now. They have started therapy. This will be a significant challenge since she has lost a lot of muscle strength over the last month of lying-in bed. We would ask for continued prayer that God would work in her “to will and to act according to his good purpose or will” (Philippians 2:13). I know this has a primary focus on living out our Christian walk and witness, but later in this letter from Paul, he declares, “I can do everything through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13). This could include struggling to overcome significant health issues. So we see ourselves in a place, different, though similar to what Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, “Abba, Father, everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will” (Mark 14:36). That’s what we want. Nothing more. Nothing less. Just God’s will. Please pray with us to that end.

For some time now we have reported on Mur’s health. There have been moments when she seems to be doing better, but then, all of a sudden she has an unexpected turnaround. At times it can get scary. That becomes a challenge to our faith walk. Most of us have had moments when this happens, some more serious than others. When this happens, how are we to respond?
1st Peter 4:12 tells us “do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering as though something strange were happening to you.” That’s easier said than done. James 1:2 tells us to “consider it pure joy…whenever you face trials of many kinds.” The Psalmist also encourages us in Psalm 37, “Fret not!” and in Psalm 42 and 43, three times, he does some self-talk, “Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” And, one final quote from Jeremiah in Lamentations 3:21-26, “Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every moment; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, ‘The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him…it is good to wait quietly.”
Back to Mur’s health. It sure is great to have the Lord with us in all that we face in life. And for us, it’s great to have your wonderful, faithful prayer support and friendship. We need it. We’ll try to keep you updated.
In the mean-time, life and ministry does go on. We mentioned in our last update, the network that carries my program in 4 languages is working with us to produce a year-long study in Romans in Chinese. Think of it, Chinese speaking people make up 1/5th of the world’s population. Obviously, we need prayer for this project.

As mentioned in a recent update, as we meet with people in the areas of radio and print we plant the seed, pray and wait with expectations that God will bring the outcome He wants (Psalm 5:3), “Morning by morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; morning by morning I lay my request before you and wait in expectation.” A week ago we got two follow up responses. The first, the network that carries my radio program in Spanish at 4am, Monday through Friday, notified us that as of May 2, they will air the program a second time daily at 11:20am, over their 80 plus stations all over South and Central America. This is a significant increase to a whole new audience. They also are open to participate in preparing a year-long series in Chinese on the book of Romans. Then, another network that carries my program asked permission to include the program in their new app. Only God knows how many thousands of new listeners will hear the program daily. Praise God with us for this blessing.
We just enjoyed a few days visiting with our two sons and families in the Chicago area, and watched two grandsons play Ultimate Frisbee, a new game to us. On the way home we stopped to visit with our granddaughter, Sarah and her family in Indiana. What a joy to see them and be a part of their lives.
We appreciate your prayers for Mur’s health. Some Dr. appointments at the end of this month should give us a better idea of expectations. Lud is doing well and keeping busy. He enjoyed preaching on Easter Sunday and the week after at two area churches. Thanks, as always for your prayers.
If interested, the link for the Easter message is: http://andrebernier.com/audio/LUD-Easter2022.mp3

As mentioned in a recent update, as we meet with people in the areas of radio and print we plant the seed, pray and wait with expectations that God will bring the outcome He wants (Psalm 5:3), “Morning by morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; morning by morning I lay my request before you and wait in expectation.” A week ago we got two follow up responses. The first, the network that carries my radio program in Spanish at 4am, Monday through Friday, notified us that as of May 2, they will air the program a second time daily at 11:20am, over their 80 plus stations all over South and Central America. This is a significant increase to a whole new audience. They also are open to participate in preparing a year-long series in Chinese on the book of Romans. Then, another network that carries my program asked permission to include the program in their new app. Only God knows how many thousands of new listeners will hear the program daily. Praise God with us for this blessing.
We just enjoyed a few days visiting with our two sons and families in the Chicago area, and watched two grandsons play Ultimate Frisbee, a new game to us. On the way home we stopped to visit with our granddaughter, Sarah and her family in Indiana. What a joy to see them and be a part of their lives.
We appreciate your prayers for Mur’s health. Some Dr. appointments at the end of this month should give us a better idea of expectations. Lud is doing well and keeping busy. He enjoyed preaching on Easter Sunday and the week after at two area churches. Thanks, as always for your prayers.
If interested, the link for the Easter message is: http://andrebernier.com/audio/LUD-Easter2022.mp3