Rock Climbing – jon and layne heller https://jonandlayne.com Casa Ahavá and our Family Wed, 05 Sep 2018 13:30:20 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.2 https://jonandlayne.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/cropped-tree3-32x32.jpg Rock Climbing – jon and layne heller https://jonandlayne.com 32 32 Hard and Holy Things https://jonandlayne.com/hard-and-holy-things/ https://jonandlayne.com/hard-and-holy-things/#comments Wed, 05 Sep 2018 11:44:05 +0000 http://jonandlayne.com/?p=3472 A Jon Post

Have you ever watched a mother in labor? Have you watched her breathe through immense pain, strain muscles to prepare for the anguish of what she is about to do, and then put her head down and begin the hard and holy work of enduring what the curse of sin requires of her?

Have you ever watched a child look up a cliff face? Have you watched that child stare in wonder at the waterfall that comes down from above, marvel at the rainbow refracted off the mist in the air, then put her head down and begin the hard and holy work of climbing the cliff face, reflecting that mystery of the eternal that the Father placed in each of us to see what’s at the top?

Have you ever watched an old widow die of cancer? Watched her body fail her, her flesh begin to wilt, her pain rise above what is tolerable or humane, then see her put her head down and begin the hard and holy work of enduring what the sting of death gives, but also part of the mystery of the eternal which says to climb this hard thing and get to the top?

When that mother holds her newborn baby in her arms, the pain is not gone. Her body still trembles from its laborsong and Eve’s curse still lingers for days over that mother’s recovering body. The pain of childbirth is not relieved by simple birth.

When that child reaches the top of that cliff and looks over the edge, the torrent of water still rushing over the edge singing its hymn of creation. The waterfall doesn’t abate, doesn’t slow, doesn’t offer safety when viewed from the top, the child simply stands at the edge of dangerous places and witnesses the beauty of the difficult.

And when the old widow finally closes her eyes for the last time, maybe… just maybe… like the beauty of the birth is made sweeter by the travails of the labor, the widow’s entrance into a new home is made sweeter by the cliff face climbed through pain. Maybe, though the pain still roars by like the waterfall over the escarpment, the widow’s climb can be seen as beautiful.

There are hard and holy things that I do not understand.

Last week Isabel lay panting on our floor looking at me. Her abdominal pain excruciating and demanding. “This is suffering” she said through tears. “This hurts” she said again, as she reached for another handhold up the cliff. For a moment, through the mist created by her waterfall of pain I glimpsed the spiritual light behind it creating a riot of color and beauty.

“I see” I responded. “I see your pain.” I told her as she rolled onto her side hoping for relief.

Isabel still lives in pain here at Casa Ahavá. Her climb is not yet over, and the waterfall still rages over and through her.

But she is near the top.

And I believe the view from there is one of the things that you cannot see and live.

Please pray that we support her well in her climb and that what little strength we can lend her is enough.

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Hope Changes https://jonandlayne.com/hope-changes/ https://jonandlayne.com/hope-changes/#comments Tue, 12 Aug 2014 14:25:02 +0000 http://jonandlayne.com/?p=2369 A Jon Post

I sat on the couch this week with my wife. I sat and wept for the frustration of the shattered reality that there is no forthcoming solution to the place we find ourselves.

Last Month

Last Month

Last month Layne posted that Pedro had an MRI and we were waiting for the next step to be determined based on the results of that MRI.
The results came.
Placed up against a florescent light to show the contrast between bone, tissue, cerebrum, artery, and tumor, this thin film of plastic brought with it ugly words.
Tumor, extensive re-growth, malignant, invasive, terminal.
An apologetic neurosurgeon sat in front of me and explained her inability to even close the surgical wound left behind by his first surgery.
“…only thing left to do is help him manage pain and dress the wound.”
And she left me with the honor/dread of telling Pedro his prognosis… of cutting the spidersilk thread we all had held on to that maybe surgery could help… of telling him that his seizures and loss of muscle control were only the beginning… of telling him that there is a God who loves. A God who loves. A God who loves.
Now… 1 week later, he sits in a wheelchair in my back yard.
Unable to move his right arm or leg.

Laughter

Laughter

And I sat on my couch and wept. In this situation, because of his rapidly deteriorating health, we would have hoped to bring Pedro’s wife and children to him here at Casa Ahavá. But just three weeks ago Pedro’s son was born. His forth child, not even a month old, waits for his daddy to come home. A daddy who cannot hold him, cannot stand tall with him, cannot wrap him against his chest and tell him how proud he is. This 3 week old cannot make the journey to Pedro.
Pedro’s health means he cannot get on a bus or an airplane to get home. His family cannot get on one to come here.
Let’s get Pedro home.
Thursday morning at around 4 we will help Pedro into the car and I’ll drive him the (depending on road conditions) 12 hour trip to his home village. His home is in a bit of a remote area but we’ll make it.
So our hope has changed.
It’s changed from hoping for long months, even years, to hoping for enough days to get home. Just two more days. And it’s changed to hoping for more than just what this broken body can offer. Our hope has changed. Pedro’s hope has changed.
A God who loves. A God who loves. A God who loves.
Please pray for us as we drive to Muxúnguè on Thursday to get Pedro home.

The Route

The Route

Pray that our hope is not deferred but that Pedro’s longing to see his son is fulfilled.
Please pray with us for Pedro’s heart.

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Pausing for a Breath https://jonandlayne.com/pausing-for-a-breath/ https://jonandlayne.com/pausing-for-a-breath/#comments Tue, 04 Mar 2014 15:00:50 +0000 http://jonandlayne.com/?p=2136 A Jon Post

Casa Ahavá’s first patient has left.
Zakarias arrived for the first time in April of last year. He spent 6 months in Casa Ahavá and then returned to his home in Beira. As many of you have read here and here, he came back in January and spent another month in Casa Ahavá with his wife and daughter.
After meeting with his oncologist, we received a final, though not unexpected, response from the oncology ward.
His cancer is untreatable.
Terminal.
Fatal.
So he went home.
We spent many of those days while he was here in January and February talking about how he could prepare his life for its end. We visited multiple government offices to arrange for his veteran’s pension and social security payments to continue to support his young wife and children.
And he went home.
A wonderful doctor in the hospital’s pain management unit prescribed some medicine that has helped him tremendously. His pain levels are much decreased and his sleep time is much more peaceful.
So grows his cancer.
So creeps towards its glory, the spirit of Papa Zakarias.
Upon arriving home, he promptly sent someone to find out information on Filomena. As we mentioned here, we have been unable to contact her.
A neighbor had the news.
She died. Two weeks ago.

Goodbye Sister

Goodbye Sister

So arrived into glory the spirit of dear, sweet, Filomena.
When I heard the news all I could remember was the night I held her trembling body in my arms and willed oxygen into her fluid-filled lungs.
For this, Lord? For this? You saved her that night… for this?
Though I know the answers to the questions and the pain that flooded my heart, when I heard of Filomena’s death, those answers brought little comfort. They brought little relief from the weariness that threatened to overwhelm my spirit.
So entered glory, the spirit of Filomena.
Casa Ahavá; Home of a love that chose pain before ease. Home of a love that chooses flood waters before abandonment.
Now Casa Ahavá welcomes her next love. Now she offers her bed and arms to her next friend.
Dear Tia Anita was all packed and ready to come to Casa Ahavá on Friday, February 21st but paperwork and slow processes turned that into Tuesday afternoon, the 25th. Having spent the last 5 months away from her family and faced with the prospect of the next 2-3 with us, her stand-in family, we made the decision to send her to her home town for two weeks to see her daughters and grandchild before her next treatment. She will be back to stay with us next week on the 11th.
So now we pause. Now we try to breath. Now we remember the Sabbath that our Lord made holy, and we try to keep it holy.

I think God thought up camping/rock climbing for just such a time.

Thanks for praying for us, Zakarias, and for Filomena. It is known and it helps.

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Jon is 30! https://jonandlayne.com/jon-is-30/ https://jonandlayne.com/jon-is-30/#respond Sun, 21 Oct 2012 18:56:57 +0000 http://jonandlayne.com/?p=1663 A Layne Post

Jon had his 30th birthday, and I must say, it was epic. His 3 brothers arrived here in Mozambique on Sunday afternoon. (Alright,  let’s take a moment and think on the awesomeness of that alone… okay, now we can move on.) They got here just 1 hour before his 80’s themed’ Minute to Win It’ party. To name a few highlights, there was a mullet, leather pants , denim, tie-dye, puff sleeves, neon colors, bacon wrapped pineapple, and wacky games. So fun. Thanks to all who made it happen.

No words, no words…

The bros

For Jon’s big birthday present he was given an indoor rock climbing wall. Seriously? Amazing! When I tried to think of the perfect gift, this was it! Our work is emotional and at times stressful and one of Jon’s biggest outlets is rock-climbing. Since having kiddos it has been a little more difficult to make those trips happen, since it is a 3-4 hour drive and then trying to figure out what to do with the kiddos during climbing time. Because Jon’s bros were coming, I knew they could bring some climbing holds for us, something hard to source here, not to mention so much more expensive. Even in the States, however, it is no cheap project, so I couldn’t do it on my own. I want to give a big shout out to:

Dan and Vicki Heller, Pete and Judy Prescott, Chris and Tara Craver, Stephanie Prescott, Ben and Louisa Heller, Joe and Evie Heller, Paul and Becky Heller, Javan Mesnard, Pete and Jenni Jacks, and Matt and Holly Jacks for making it possible both financially and with some physical labor!

Beginning of rock wall construction

So great to work alongside brothers

Some thinkin’

Here is goes

What are we gonna do?

1st climb

Happy birthday, Jon!

Also while the boys were in town they visit the hospital a few times, spend a morning at a ministry very dear to us Masana, and go fly fishing in South Africa.

Jon

Ben

Joe

Paul

The Heller Brothers

It was a quick trip, but one for the books.

Happy 30th birthday, my love, you mean so much to so many people, and me most of all. I love you!

 

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