A letter from Bruce and Lora Whearty in Louisville
May 1, 2009
Dear Friends,
As you remember from our last newsletter, Bruce and I returned from Ethiopia in early March on the advice of a doctor in Addis Ababa. He had found that Bruce’s aortic heart valve (a valve transplanted in 2001) was leaking and needed to be replaced. Bruce had the necessary surgery on April 3 at a children’s hospital because this type of retransplant is most commonly done on children with heart defects as they outgrow the original transplant. We are very grateful that a surgeon experienced in valve retransplant surgery was available, though we laughed when the hospital admittance form told Bruce that he could bring his favorite teddy bear with him.
Bruce in front of one small part of our “card wall.” Thank you for your support during his recovery.
Bruce had a very good result from the surgery. He was released from the hospital on April 7. There were a few tough days — and nights — in the first couple of weeks, including one trip back to the ER to have his heart zapped back into a proper rhythm, but his improvement has been amazing. He now walks for an hour each morning and each evening, in addition to doing arm and shoulder exercises to rehabilitate his chest. He still naps almost every afternoon, but has more energy each day. We are deeply grateful to each of you who have held us in prayer throughout this time. We have felt your love surrounding us, and though we could never reply personally to all your letters and cards, please know that you have been an important part of Bruce’s recovery.
Bruce now has a mechanical valve, which can sometimes be heard thumping away if the room is quiet. It makes sort of a soft “thud,” followed by a little “ching,” so Bruce thinks that his donor was a tambourine. We are told that some people find that steady sound an annoyance, but to us it is a comfort and a gift, especially in the quiet of the night. Bruce says it’s confusing to play the recorder because he now has his own personal metronome that may or may not match the music he wants to play. Since he is on disability leave, he is not allowed to do any work at all, including writing emails to supporters or accepting speaking engagements.
We are completely unclear about his future, except that it will not include Ethiopia or any other assignment in the global South. We mourn the loss of that opportunity, which has given us such great joy, but “for everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.” We fully embraced the wonderful chances that you gave us, but now it is our “time to refrain from embracing.” With continued recovery, we trust that there is a place where our skills can be put to use, either for the church or in teaching. Please continue to pray for us during this time of healing and discernment.
I have started work as a missionary-in-residence at the World Mission office in Louisville, helping mostly with the Peacemaking Office, which will be itinerating several representatives from our international partner churches this fall. This is a temporary position, but it’s a great help to us as a bridge to our unknown future. It was strange to walk back into the building that we thought we had left for good and restart the same sort of work with the same people after only eight months away.
I can now begin to answer a few of the questions that you have asked. Thank you for your patience while we searched for answers.
Bruce is on disability and I am a missionary-in-residence. That means that neither of us will be paid out of funds — your donations, that is — designated for education in Ethiopia. If you would like to continue to support my salary, you can do so by donating to D506989. Please accept my thanks for that support, but please understand that we will not be going back overseas. If you would like your donations to go to Ethiopia, it’s time to look at alternatives.
Larry and Barbara Moir (pronounced “MOY-er”) will be the next PC(USA) mission co-workers to Ethiopia. Larry is a retired pastor and Barbara a retired school teacher. Now that their four kids are grown and gone, they hope to spend the next six or nine years in education work in Ethiopia. If you would like to be in direct touch with them or sign up for their email list so that you can accompany them from the very beginning of their call, please write to Larry and Barb Moir. They will go to mission personnel orientation in July and then travel to Ethiopia in August to start the school year. They will not be assigned to the same school where we lived in Addis Ababa, but will instead go to Bethel Evangelical Secondary School, (BESS), in Dembi Dollo. BESS is on the western edge of the highlands in an absolutely beautiful rural setting. Bruce and I visited there, stayed in their faculty housing and fell in love with the place. Bruce was often in conversation with the principal about educational issues, and we were quite touched by the work that is being done there. We have talked to the Moirs by phone and are impressed by their strong sense of call to help with education in Africa. We strongly encourage you to continue your pledges to “our” Mission Initiative account, MI910082, which now will become the Moirs’. You have been unfailingly generous in your support of our call; we ask you to continue that generosity for the Moirs, for the students of our partner church and for the work of God’s mission in Ethiopia.
If you would like to continue to support the work of “our” school, Bethel Mekane Yesus School in Addis Ababa, you can do so by contributing to the ECO account, E863112. Your donation should be labeled either for scholarships or for general use. Though the school cannot use additional yarn or knitting needles — that need depended on my being there to get the program started — they can certainly still use magazine subscriptions or books for the library. If you have further questions, write to Michael Weller, PC(USA) regional liaison for the Horn of Africa.
Please continue to write to us, and to pray for us, and we’ll continue in our friendship with you as our relationship enters a new phase, very different from the past, but still in the hands of God.
Love and peace,
Lora Whearty
This letter, along with an accompanying photo, will soon be posted to our Web page. You can visit our photo album from that page, as well as browse old letters.
The 2009 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 35
