I'm going in!

As many of you know, I am going in for jaw surgery in the morning (10:15 am PST). First off, I want to say that this is a blessing. God has provided the necessary insurance to cover such procedures (or at least the majority of it). The original plan was to take out two of my wisdom teeth, then the other two, then do the jaw surgery. I'd rather get all of the pain out of the way at the same time. God blessed in that working out as well. While it is a blessing, I would request prayer for this whole ordeal. My orthodontist was unable to fix my overbite. My jaw actually started locking up and popping when he tried to fix it, so I had to stop wearing the retainer. Believe it or not, I have had braces for over 10 years (got them at age 8, and had a couple years without them before getting them back on when I couldn't wear my retainer any more). I'm kind of fond of them now. ;) My mouth just never wanted to move like it was supposed to. Anyway, I am having all four wisdom teeth taken out as well as my lower jaw extended. They will basically cut each side of my jaw vertically and then horizontally so that they can slide my jaw on itself. A huge blessing is that they are going to use steel plates and screws which means that I don't have to be wired shut for six weeks. I still can't have solid foods for six weeks following the surgery, but it'll be much better being able to talk and stuff. I guess (physically speaking) the biggest prayer request would be that the doctors would be blessed with skilled hands during the procedure, and that everything would go smoothly. I hate to bring this up because no one likes to think about it, but I know that there is always a possibility for a mistake (whether that be a small mistake or even a mistake resulting in death). I know that this doctor is very skilled, and a mistake is unlikely, but I have full peace knowing that God is completely in control and He can do to me whatever He deems best. I'm likely to get a bit more nervous about the whole thing as it comes up, so if you would pray that the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard my heart and my mind in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7), that would be greatly appreciated as well. If you would also pray for a fast recovery, that would be excellent. I am going to be a counselor at a camp nine days after the surgery for a week. If I am spending the whole week in the nurses station, that probably wouldn't be the most helpful thing for the 10th graders in my cabin. It's pretty much only once a year that I get to spend this much time focused on making a difference in the lives of teens. I really don't want to miss out on this great opportunity. Again, God knows best, and He can do as He pleases.

This is kind of a random story, but you will see how it fits in. Many years ago, I thought the worst way of dying would be drowning. I would often do somersaults in the pool to see how many in a row I could do without breathing. I would routinely do about 6 of them before I had to get a breath. This one time I was determined to break my record (8 I think). I got to 8, and I pushed for another one... and then another. It started getting easier and easier. I was feeling like I didn't need a breath any more. This was because I was passing out. At number 13, God literally woke me up, and I realized that I was sideways at the bottom of the pool. I jumped up and was completely fine. God used this to destroy my fear of death. I fear things like being stuck in the hospital with tubes in me more than death. This will be another great opportunity for God to work in my heart, and help me trust Him completely. It may sound weird, but I look forward to it for that reason. Please keep me in prayer as He works not only physically, but mentally and spiritually. I have great peace! Thanks for your prayers and support!

If you are in the area and would like to visit, I'd love to have you! I'll be at Loma Linda University Medical Center. http://lomalindahealth.org/ Friday night and/or Saturday morning would probably be the best times to visit. I really don't know how awake I'll be, but if you give mom a call before you come, that might be best. Feel free to call her for updates as well.

Thanks again!