Captain Slog.. Stuart Read

CAPTAINS SLOG: Stardate June 4th, 2010

As many of you have heard I have been through a few trials over the past couple of months. Toward the end of April I started feeling some pain in the back of my right knee. It was the same time that Fernando Torres got injured and at first I just put it down to our psychic connection, but over time my calf started to swell and I decided to get it checked out by a doctor.

We went to the clinic on Monday evening and I was diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis. By Tuesday afternoon I was in hospital having an operation to have the thrombosis (blood clotting) removed. The surgery was successful and I was told that if I had waited a few more days I could have died since some blood clots had moved up toward my lungs! But I felt very safe in the Lord's hands!! I spent 10 days in hospital and now have to wear a compression stocking which won't be much fun in the humid Korean summer!!!

Prior to my hospital visit, I had been working hard to get my MA dissertation finished for the London School of Theology. March and April were busy months because we had yet to replace my co-pastor at the church here. The new co-pastor arrived at the end of April - just in time to run things while I was in hospital!

In some ways March and April were as much of a trial as May has been. I have learnt a new perspective on James 1.2-4:

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

 

I'm not sure I responded well enough to these trials of faith to say that myperseverancee developed through them. But the Lord did open my eyes to the need of our church plant here to move into maturity and completeness in him. I pray for theperseverancee to remain faithful in the work god has called me to do here for as long as it takes.

Many thanks to everyone who prayed for us while I was in hospital last month. I don't even know how people knew! But was very blessed to have been remembered. We hope we can say 'thank you' face to face soon. We will be coming to England in August and are very much looking forward to being with our Brookside family then.

To read more about Stuart and his work in Korea select this link: Read's in Korea