Letters:
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Summer 2004
Dear Truth Encounter Family:
The Mavericks had just defeated the Trail Blazers, and Brady Rapp, one of our church members, and I were headed back to Midlothian from the American Airline Center in Dallas.
I grabbed my cell phone to check in with Mary."Honey, the Mavericks won and we are getting on I35. We should be home in about a half hour."
"I’ve got a great surprise for you when you get here!" Mary teased me, but didn’t tell me what was up.
I racked my brain all the way home. "Did Willie, our West Highland Terrier, deposit again on the new rug in my office?" "Has another one of our young couples at church had a baby?" "Did someone just make a large donation to our new youth and children’s building that is under construction?" I filed through all the potential good news I could think of, but the news Mary had for me was better than anything I thought.
In our last TE letter I shared the news about Blythe, our two-year-old grand daughter, who was diagnosed with Rett Syndrome, a severe genetic neurological disease. Joel and Courtney, our middle son and daughter in-law, have deeply appreciated your love and prayers as they face this challenge. One of their prayer requests was that Blythe would walk.
At nearly two years of age she was getting too big for Courtney to haul around on her arm, especially when she had to carry Blythe’s little sister, Fiona, as well. Joel and Courtney challenged their family and friends to pray, and my Mary challenged her Tuesday morning prayer group and her Sunday morning small group to ask the Lord Jesus specifically to help Blythe to get off her knees, get up, and start walking.
Now I firmly believe that the Apostle James, Jesus’ half brother, told the truth when he said, "And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up…The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. James 5:17
I do believe that prayer is powerful and effective, but to be honest I was thinking more in terms of God teaching us patience through the things that we suffer in wrestling with Rett Syndrome. Mary told me she was praying for the Lord Jesus to work a miracle, but I was not expecting Jesus to say, Yes!
The Internet gave reports on Rett girls who didn’t walk until they were sixteen and some who never walked. The rational, scientific side of my brain dug in for the worst.
When Brady dropped me off and I walked in the house, Mary told me to go straight to my computer and check it out. I sat down. Mary had it set to play a video. I hit the enter button and watched.
There was Blythe standing by her electric piano hitting the keys and smiling as it made music. I could hear Courtney and her sister, Allison, cheering her on. "Girl, you can do it. Blythe, can do it. Go for it!" Suddenly, Blythe turned toward the camera, smiled, and walked right towards her mom and aunt. "Oh, my God!" Blythe was walking!
When we showed the video to our church family here in Midlothian there was hardly a dry eye in the place. Blythe continues to have many special needs, but she is walking and Joel and Courtney and Mary and I wanted you to be able to rejoice with us. Jesus has given us another glimpse of His heart and the power that we will all enjoy in His kingdom one day. Rejoice with us that Jesus still works miracles of healing for His people, and join us as we now pray that Blythe will begin to talk and communicate.
It has been several months since we touched base with you. Forgive us for this, but along with Blythe we have also had to handle an angiogram for Mary and then a stent in her right coronary artery. We had to put Truth Encounter on hold for a few months as we adjusted to Mary’s physical needs.
This is an important time for both Mary and me to re-evaluate our priorities. Both of us are wrestling with the fact that our church family here in Midlothian is growing and needs more of our time in order to shepherd the precious family of believers the Lord Jesus has given to us. With our Truth Encounter Board we are seeking direction about how to more effectively use Truth Encounter to make our biblical teaching available to you, to our church family, and to the broader audience through books and the Internet without increasing the pressure on me or on Mary. Our first priority is to our local church ministry, and yet we also want to make the teaching that God is using here in Midlothian available to a broader audience as the Lord Jesus gives opportunity.
Here at Midlothian Bible Church we are just completing a series on marriage and family titled, www.homebuilders.GOD. You can order this 9 Tape or 8 CD series now! Just call our Truth Encounter Toll Free Number: 1 888 668 7884, leave your name, address and phone and ask for "Homebuilder" and designate CD or tapes. (One MP3 CD of all messages is also available.)
Many of you have faithfully supported Truth Encounter and we covet your prayers as we and our TE Board seek the Lord’s will in making needed changes in our ministry.
Let us know about the challenges that we need to pray for that you are facing. Blythe and Fiona are with us this week and every step that Blythe takes around the house reminds us to praise the Lord Jesus that He is still giving incredible answers to His precious children’s prayers. Let’s rejoice in His answers together.
Because of His grace,
Dave and Mary Wyrtzen
If you want to support this ministry, send your gift to:
Truth Encounter
Box 580
Midlothian, TX 76065