FIVE EMPTY SEATS!
I was reading a post by Dee Dee Sterling about five empty seats... and my heart is broken. I wanted to re-post part of it below. But first a little background:
Matt & Catherine Hudson have been in the Ukraine for over 10 years and are doing a wonderful work. Just over one year ago, they finished building their new church building -- so much excitement and so much to do.
For over 80 years, Satan had full control over Ukraine and the former communist countries. He is not happy about the souls that are being saved by the thousands -- lives that are being changed that were once bound in darkness, and the Baptist churches popping up around Ukraine teaching nationals how to become leaders. Satan is working frantically discouraging missionaries through trials, making it difficult to obtain visas - and even attacking the health of missionaries and their families.
Another missionary wife, Natalie Tuttle, is battling cancer. Bruce & Natalie have been in Bela Tserkov for years. Bruce is the director of the Bible college there - training pastors and leaders. This is the same college that Bob worked in for two years - after the founding leader (Doug Emr) died. Natalie is currently in Switzerland receiving a new treatment - please pray for her.
Over the past few months, several missionaries have given up hope of staying in Ukraine because of new visa laws and have left Ukraine permanently -- three Baptist missionaries have left our city alone. Some missionaries have taken unexpected furloughs to deal with these new laws - the Sloan family is one of these.
Five Empty Seat: Today,
Wednesday, March 14th, 2012, there will be a plane taking off on its
way across the Atlantic Ocean towards Kiev, Ukraine. Five seats on that
flight should be taken by a faithful family on their way back to Ukraine
where the Lord has allowed them to serve as missionaries for over 12
years.
Instead
of being in their places on that flight, Matt and Catherine Hudson will
be spending their day at a cancer hospital in Mesquite, Texas, where
Catherine will receive her first chemotherapy treatment.
After
a recent visit to the doctor, Catherine found out her liver was
enlarged and contained many lesions. Testing and a biopsy were done and
cancer was discovered. However, the doctors told her that the cancer did
not originate in her liver. Further testing revealed that Catherine had
Stage 4 breast cancer.
Their children are now eleven, thirteen, and fifteen. Below is a photo of the Matt Hudson family.
Matt wrote on Tuesday: This
last week has been a whirlwind of emotions and we certainly appreciate
all of the prayers. At the same time tomorrow (12:00 pm), which we were
previously prepared to board a plane and return to Ukraine, we will now
be going in for Catherine's first treatment. We don't understand this, but we do know that God is in control, and that His way is perfect. Thank you for praying. Matthew
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