Our call to Missions involves surgery for me

In the spring of 2004, while reading John Piper's book "A Hunger for God" that my husband felt called to the mission field. I didn't feel the call until September 2006 at a CESA Summit (Central, Eastern, Southern Africa) in Nashville, TN. By this time my husband was already in Seminary. In December of 2006 we started the application process with the International Mission Board which is associated with the Southern Baptist Convention. This process usually lasts about a year. As you can tell we are beyond a year now. More on that later, if I remember.

In February, we went to Candidate Conference in Richmond, VA. It was a wonderful week. It involved complete medical physicals. The Dr. there said my (Rita) right thyroid lobe was enlarged. All medical information has to go through Travel Health America. About 2 weeks later we were informed that I needed to have follow up with my family Dr. My family Dr. couldn't feel anything. She did do more in depth lab work, which showed nothing. She did schedule an ultra sound, which showed lumps on both sides of my thyroid. She sent me to a surgeon.

On Monday, April 14th I saw the surgeon. He did his own ultra sound. He showed it to me and pointed everything out, which is helpful in my thinking. You can see for your self what is going on. He did not do a biopsy. My family Dr. had told me he would. He will biopsy the thyroid after it is out. The biopsy needle is only so big. If is is malignant they might miss the malignant part with the biopsy needle.

Surgery is scheduled for Monday, April 21st at 3:00PM. Our church here has lined up several women to watch our kids. :) I will be in the hospital for three days. Please keep us in your prayers.