It's a Matter of the Heart

As the pilot began to start the engines on the twin engine mission airplane, the doctor put the oxygen mask over my face and turned on the monitor to watch my heart rate. Soon we were in the air and the mission doctor began asking me question after question about the pain in my chest and its related symptoms. The medivac flight had myself, Lori and the two girls on our way to the highlands of PNG, where there was a better medical facility where I could be evaluated. Fortunately, at this time, most of the procedures on the plane where precautionary and not due to emergency.

Earlier the week before I had suffered some severe chest pains and shortness of breath which led to a short hospital stay near Rabaul and then my transfer to Goroka. The final diagnosis is called pericarditis, which involves the sack around my heart becoming inflamed and filling with liquid. Though it has the potential to become serious, at this point everything seems to be returning to normal and I have been instructed to rest for the next two weeks while they continue to do some tests and monitor my recovery. For several of you, this is not new news and I thank all of you who have been praying for me and my family.

Back in the Patpatar tribe things are going well. Lori is continuing to settle the house, look after our two year old and 4 month old, cook, clean, do the laundry, and try to build relationships with some of the local ladies. I have been into language/culture full time just long enough to realize that I have quite a task before me. There are many stories I have heard, and many events I have observed, that at this point, leave me with more questions than answers. I look forward to sharing some of those interesting things in coming emails.

For now (the next two weeks) we are at Net's main base in PNG and it will be easier to receive our emails, but we do still have a size limit of 35kb, so attachments and pictures have to be very small. Our email address is the same aaron_luse@ntm.org.

For God’s glory in the Patpatar,

Aaron, Lori, Avalon, and Sierra Luse