AN UPDATE ON RITA THIS AFTERNOON

We have an appointment with Rita's neurosurgeon on the 3rd of January at 9am. He is concerned about the size of Rita's primary tumor and she may have to have more aggressive surgery than thought. Keep us in your prayers at that time that we will make the right decisions and do the right thing for Rita's health.

This afternoon on the 27th, Rita's family physician Dr. Rachel Hess called Rita and told her that they are believing that there were only three options for her:

1. Watching the tumors and see if they get any larger(That is not an option as far as we are concerned and her doctor agrees)
2. Using the Gamma Knife(although the largest tumor is 4.5cm and the Gamma Knife generally is not used for tumors large than 3.5cm)
3. Performance of what is called Transnasal approach to remove tumors at the base of the brain, especially at the pituitary level.(UPMC has the most experience with this radical new technology, opening up a special operating room at the University Medical Center. Our resources tell us that they have done over 1000 of these procedures with great success and are known all over the world in the performance of this type of brain surgery) They believe Rita would be a good candidate for this procedure and she would be able to leave the hospital after a few days, if there are no complications to resolve. The affect on her would be significantly reduced compared to complete craniotomies as have been done in the past. It is possible that both the Gamma Knife and this procedure will be used, but that is just discussion at this time.

Of course we will know more what will be the best choice on January 3rd but our hopes are high and we have been much encouraged by her physician's daily sharing of information to us. GOD grant us the wisdom and may he guide those physicians who will participate in her procedures and healing.

YOUR PRAYERS

Many of you already know from our e-mail that Rita has been diagnosed with meningiomas in her brain from a recent MRI. We know that she has one large tumor deeper in her left side of her mid brain and another smaller one high on the right side closer to the outside of the brain. The one in the mid brain is the most concern because of its location to the pituitary gland and other blood vessels and sinuses. This tumor lesion measures 4.2 cm at its largest position. The one on the right measures only 7x12mm and its position is less concern. She will be seeing a neurosurgeon after the first of the year and the plan at this early stage is to consider her for the Gamma Knife. The Gamma Knife is a radiation machine that uses high energy 201 gamma rays to penetrate and go directly to the tumors and remove them completly, God willing. We are praying that this technology can be used for Rita as it will keep her from a craniotomy, and no risk of bleeding or loss of cerebralspinal fluid and all the other complications and recovery that occur with invasive surgery. Rita has a wonderful family physician who has been most attentive to her and through her physician's aggressiveness and also her experience as a researcher these terrible tumors have been detected we believe early. Since Rita also works for the University Medical Center, our care can be managed more closely and with more sharing of expertise and support from her employer. Rita was blessed by the fact that when she received the news from her physician at work and before she called me, she had a Christian co-worker to share this with and be in prayer. Meningiomas grow slowly so we do not really know how long they have been there but Rita's symptoms of left side tingling and headaches have only most recently been a consistent irritation. Rita is strong and her faith is strong and we are of course encouraged by the hopeful diagnosis at this early time and only GOD will be able to control the events in our lives. We pray for complete identification of the initial diagnosis and subsequent healing and your prayers will of course be such strength and support for us. The class I participated in and most recently subsituted in leading on prayer and intercessory prayers, at our CMA church, was certainly appropriate for us and does remind us of the power of prayer in our lives and gives us strength.

GOD is testing us now and we must remain faithful, as He does with us. We praise GOD for our wonderful church family and their now prayers and concerns for us and we are anxious to move forward as soon as possible to restore Rita to her wonderful health and faithful living. GOD is with us and we ask you to walk with us also and we know you will. I will of course use our BLOG site to provide updated information as we undergo this journey and join with GOD as He works his wonders in our lives. We are always glad to hear directly from all of you anytime. Thank you and again keep us always in your thoughts and prayers.. GOD BLESS.

"MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR AND GOD BLESS EVERYONE"

Well we have had a marvelous Christmas Eve and Day. After preparing a full Christmas dinner the weekend before, for many of our church friends, we looked forward to continuing the season's joy with family. Rita and I went away on Christmas Eve to my home town over in Mercer County. We stopped and visited Mom's surviving sister Eva, as she was recovering at Greystone, an assisted living residence in Fredonia, PA. Aunt Eva is 92 and her health has taken a turn downward these last few months. She looked in good spirits when we arrived and we had a wonderful visit with her. We then drove over to Bobby Fisher(Mom's nephew) and had a short visit and left some Christmas gifts. Then another short drive over to see Eddy and Rowena Slater at their farm. We found them doing their chores and feeding the cows but they were expecting us and we had a wonderful time with them. Eddy showed us some pictures of Mom and his relatives on the Slater side and Rowena gave us some treats and provided milk straight from the cow. Rita thought that was real neat to drink that milk and she liked it. Rowena had to show us the room that mom slept in the last time she visited them and we could tell that mom was a special person to them. We heard a few more stories and promised to come back when we could spend some longer moments. We then went to a Christmas Eve party at my cousin David Dale and his wife June and daughter Molly. They had a family get together and invited us earlier and that was a great evening with lots of talk and good eating that June had cooked. Dave and June are planning to come up to Pittsburgh next week to see some of the museums and they promised to stop by. We got home late but the day was a good time and the weather could not have been nicer.

Christmas day we slept in and had a hot breakfast and fried bananas and juice and than enjoyed some of the TV concerts for awhile until evening and than we drove to an organized "Celebration of Lights" at a large 629 acre park called Hartwood after the large Tudor mansion that was built there. It was three miles long and two million lights and Christmas displays that you could hardly believe. I have some pictures below for you to see some of it. It is amazing how the folks back here love their Christmas lights and displays but this was certainly something we had never seen. We are planning next weekend to drive to the West Virgina area where they are supposed to have the one of the largest display of professional lighting in the US. This is 6 miles long and 300 acres at Oglebay, West Virginia. It is called the "Winter Festival of Lights" and you can find it on the internet as well as the one we visited at Hartwood. We will let you know how that all works out. Well anyway we have had a nice Christmas and Rita is back to work tomorrow and I have some things to keep me busy. One of my friends in California wondered if I felt bad sleeping in every day while Rita went to work. Well! let me tell you I am as busy if not busier than before I retired and I take Rita to work and pick her up everyday(in my defense, Ha!). Hope you all have had a marvelous Christmas. We talked to Dan and Judy in New York today and they were in a cab on their way to Christmas dinner. They said they had a nice day of weather yesterday and it sounds like they are enjoying themselves. We miss so much enjoying the time together with our family and friends out West but maybe next year if it works out for our work schedules. We may be a few miles away but you all are in our hearts everyday. HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE and GOD BLESS.

"CHRISTMAS AT HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS"

MORE "CHRISTMAS AT WESTFIELD"

HARTWOOD "CELEBRATION OF LIGHTS"

DANNY, I THINK IT IS READY TO EAT NOW !

OUR THANKSGIVING

Rita wanted to stay home for Thanksgiving this year and she wanted me to cook for her a traditional dinner so...

We found a small turkey(one that had ended their life in the early years! a bit of a runt!)and we began the process of finding the right ingredients like: fresh corn off the cob, chestnuts, yams, white potatoes, rolls, real gravy(from the can, well it's real!)fruit, stuffing mix(alright, it came from a box!!!)and of course pumpkin pie and sweets. Rita roasted the chestnuts in the home fires(gas stove). I prepared the stuffing with her delicious chestnuts and hard shredding of the veggies, shredded the corn, peeled those yams and potatoes, opened that can of real gravy and stuffing mix and dove into the project...

I can say after many hours of preparation, peeling, shredding, can opening, chestnut roasting, turkey stuffing, and Rita's faithful and diligent turkey watching on the floor(picture above) we achieved success and the turkey made it to the table(picture above) We humbly said our grace, lit the candles, attacked the turkey with all the pose of hungry and purposeful Thanksgiving pilgrims and about 20 minutes later we were done. I figured 8 hours or more of work for 20 minutes of Thanksgiving(although we are still eating turkey and soup weeks later) Well after all Rita did get her Thanksgiving dinner at home...NEXT YEAR WE ARE GOING OUT!!!

INTERCESSORY PRAYER

I TIMOTHY 2:1 "EXHORT therefore, that first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men"

I was asked this last Sunday to direct our continued discussion in Sunday school while our regular teacher was gone. My topic was to be Intercessory prayer and what a wonderful part of our prayer lives that is. We all have read and talked about how Abraham prayed for Lot and to save Sodom and how GOD heard his prayers and saved Lot and his family. Unfortunately Sodom could not be saved because he could not find ten righteous men in the city. We know how Moses was such a persistant and bold intercessor for the people of Israel, reminding GOD how HE had brought them out of Egypt and not to turn HIS back on Israel now and GOD heard and held back HIS hand and responded with grace.

"I stood between the LORD and YOU" Exodus 32:7-14.

And the power of intercessory prayer of the Church in Acts 12:5-12 when the whole church prayed for Peter and his chains fell off and he walked out of prison. We know that even the LORD sought an intercessor in Ezekiel 22:30-31. Because GOD did not find anyone to "stand in the gap" to intercede for the land, HE poured out HIS judgment due to its disobedience. Psalms 14:2(2 Chronicles 16:9)

" The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, that did seek GOD."

How many of us want the prayers of others to bring us closer to our LORD or save us from some sin that binds us like Job felt in JOB 16:21

" Oh that one might plead for a man with GOD, as a man pleadeth for his neighbor."

Why do we pray for others? Of course I TIM 2:1 tells us to but we pray for others so that GOD can know our faith and we can draw closer to HIM, prayer changes us. How can you pray for another person and still hold a grudge in your heart? How could you not know forgiveness when you pray? When you take the pain of others and their misfortunes you open your heart and bind in fellowship with GOD. GOD may have placed a burden in that person's pathway to bring them to HIM but again HE may only be waiting to hear your prayer, as HE once searched for intercessors in the Old Testament. Jesus prayed for his disciples and for all that came to Him through them. Jesus is the most powerful intercessor, dying on the cross for our sins. It was our sins that stood in the gap between GOD and us. What could be more powerful then to be praying to our LORD as HE is praying for us! I grew up learning the Trinity in the Methodist church, praying to the FATHER, through Jesus the Savior, in and with the Holy Spirit. That is a powerful process that GOD guided us in as we read the scriptures but it doesn't always need to come exactly in that order. When we have difficulty with the words or thoughts in our intercessory prayers the Holy Spirit guides us and leads us to draw closer to GOD to open our hearts and draw near to HIM. One of the members of the class drew attention to a lady named Bess who passed away. A binder was found in some of the items she left for the church. In that binder was an organization of scriptures and names of people she had been praying for in the church. She kept the names in order and when she knew those prayers had been answered she crossed out the date and the name. Bess prayed for her own son for 24 years before he came to Christ, what a faithful intercessor she was. Another class member told us of how he came to Christ through the prayers of others, as he fought the conversion for years. I think of my own son Seann. We have struggled in our relationship for many years and for so many reasons that leave fault on both sides. I will never give up on him in my prayers as I continue to plead to GOD for HE to bring someone or open a door to lead Seann back to fellowship with the FATHER and for forgiveness. My wife Rita has always been the patient intercessor in our relationship and I know she would tell you her prayer life has grown through a better understanding of intercessory prayer. My loving mother, what a great intercessor she was, always keeping so many of us in her prayers. I want to be a faithful intercessor. The story of Bess and the testimony of our class member gives me great hope and inspiration as it should to all of you that seek answers in your prayer lives.

WHY ARE OUR PRAYERS ANSWERED? GOD tells us because of our Faith, just as in Mark, chapter 2, when Jesus healed the man who was lowered through the roof and said it was because of the faith of his friends that he was healed.

WHEN SHOULD WE PRAY? As soon as we know the need, start praying now.

KNOW THAT THE GOD WHO HEARS THEM IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART TO YOUR PRAYERS. The power come from HIM, not us.

MEET WITH OTHERS, in fellowship and pray.

WHO SHOULD WE PRAY FOR?
Leaders of our government
Spiritual leaders, our pastors, their families, Christian lay persons
Our community, friends, all who have sinned and come short of the glory of GOD
The saints of the church, people of GOD.

Pray with persistence and determination, patience, discipline and great Faith.

GOD BLESSES THE WORLD WITH OUR PRAYERS AND REMEMBER THIS WEEK THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER FOR THE PERSECUTED CHURCH. "THE EARNEST PRAYER OF A RIGHTEOUS PERSON HAS GREAT POWER AND WONDERFUL RESULTS, REMEMBERING THE GREATER POWER IN THE ANSWER COMES FROM GOD"

Thank you for letting me share my lesson with you as I presented it to our prayer class. I hope you will keep Rita and I in your prayers always as we do for all of you. GOD BLESS AND HAVE A GREAT WEEK. MONTH, YEAR AND FOREVER ETERNITY...

A BABY IS BORN: 10/27/1955 ROSARITA KOSANA KORNELIA BALAY/HAPPY BIRTHDAY RITA

BOY! DOESN'T SHE LOOK GOOD AT 51

Dan and Rita With Minister in Oregon after Marriage

Rita with the CHAMP

Rita in Indonesia

Happy Birthday Rita

Yes, that is my Honey Rita. Doesn't she look like she needs adopted by Madonna? My wife the war orphan. It was so hard to get any pictures from Rita's family but they sent the top picture years ago and I love it. She has the most beautiful eyes. Yeh, I know Chris and Sarah, you got more baby pictures than I do but mine is an antique already, although who can't love Beka. Well lets get back to Rita. She became 51 on the 27th(I better post this Blog before she reads that I am telling her age). I don't think my wife has ever looked better at 51 and to me she has not changed in the fifteen years that we have been married. Rita had such a great life growing up in Kalimantan(Borneo) in the Dayak tribe and I always like to hear about her child life. I have heard the stories so much about how she played by the river, where her house was located, and the stories about climbing the Mango trees and her pet monkey. She traveled the river in canoes, fished along the shore, swim among the dangers of the jungle and experienced a very exotic but spiritual life. She had such interesting parents. Her father was a machine operator on ships and traveled away a lot. He fought in the underground against the Japanese, when they invaded Indonesia. Her mom was the mother of nine children, Rita being the youngest, and her mom served as the local medicine specialist, and matriarch to the locals there. Rita's grandfather was the last ruling chief of the Dayak tribe until the Dayak became Christians. Rita was so blessed to have Christian parents who led her in that life as well as her brothers and sisters. I was so pleased to have met her Dad after we got married and sad not to have met her mom who passed away a year before we met. I have met most of Rita's family and to our great joy many of them have visited here in the USA. Rita, I am glad to say is doing great at 51 and she is a vibrant and loving Christian and she makes my life all the better. For Rita's birthday we purchased a health club membership for three years and I now have to pay the price for that, as she had me there 4 times last week. Boy am I stiff after that week and now I realize what it feels like to be really old and out of shape since I will be 65 this January. I have included some great pictures of Rita before we met and doesn't she look "HOT". One of the pictures includes a shot with the CHAMP and another with the minister who married us, in Oregon. Of course the ones in the beginning is my wonderful wife now. Happy Birthday Kasih AND MANY MANY MORE.

The pictures below are taken mostly along the Allegheny Passage Trail, OhioPyle State Park and the Youghegheny river. The home in the woods is the famous FallingWater home designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and is a park area for touring. Of course the cute girl by the river is my honey Rita and just in case you didn't see her the first time I put the picture in twice....

Laurel Mountain Trip

Dan had a full week staying in the Laurel Mountains, south of Pittsburgh last week. He took our motorhome to Roaring Run resort, where we set it up among the beautiful fall colors. The resort was quite empty of guests during the week and it all made for a quiet retreat. He couldn't stop talking about how the fall colors were in their peak and how georgeous all the countryside looked. Of course Rita had to work but Dan picked her up on Friday night and we both stayed through the weekend continuing the fall activities. Dan rode the Allegheny Passage Trail several days. This is a trail, mostly paved by compact gravel, that goes from Pittsburgh and to Washington D.C. The area he rode was at OhioPyle State Park, about one hour from Pittsburgh. It is an easy trail that when completed by next year will go 330 some miles from Pittsburgh to Washington. The trail goes along the Youghegheny river and into the deeply wooded areas of Pennsylvania. I cannot completely describe how beautiful it is all year long. It as Dan mentioned a compacted trail, like riding on soft concrete. The trail has no more than an incline of 2% for most of it and is easy riding. Dan took his bible with him and found that bible reading was never better than riding the trail. He met and had some good conversations with some Kayak folks and met a lot of bikers, although during the week it was very quiet. On Saturday this week Dan and Rita walked a good portion of the trail and than enjoyed some good spiced apple cider at the ButterFly Inn along the trail. This is a must see area if any of you all ever come to see us here in Pittsburgh. Rita is back at work this week and I don't know if Dan is ready to stay put with all the good fall changes coming about. It is getting cooler this week, so I guess it is a good time to stay inside and keep warm until the next warm breezes come through, I hope soon. Hope you all are having a great week. Pictures are here for your viewing of some of the trip. GOD BLESS

Well it is Sunday and another week has been completed for Rita and I. Rita completed her first week at her job and from the daily reports she has given me she really enjoys the staff and her new research boss Dr. Hall. She has appreciated their support of her first week there and has found everyone most informed and helpful to her. I can tell you personally the highlights have been the: good humor and cheerful attitudes of everyone, the quality of the university academic life, the new challenges she has been given and the opportunity to use her previous skills and learn so many new ones. The highlights continued to include the great new cafeteria food(reasonable)and all the free "kleenex". I know about the food situation because she rarely is hungry when she gets home to eat the supper I have prepared with my hard work and effort("tears"). As far as the Kleenex, well whatever gets you excited my Dear!... I am so happy for her that she has found such a good work environment and know that she will be a great success at what she does. The LORD does bless all of those "who are happy in their work".

After church today we went downtown to several of the museums, as there was a free admission day. The weather has been in the 70's and what a beautiful fall day it was. We found a string quartet playing at the library as well as a full choral group singing in the Natural History Museum. It is really wonderful to be only minutes from downtown to enjoy the many activities that are available. As the colors are changing slowly I will get some camera shots to include in my next posting for all to see.

We are waiting for the happy news soon about Chris and Sarah's first child as we heard that Sarah is in labor and the days are close. Our prayers for them as they wait upon the Lord for this gift. I would like to share a poem that was read to us last week in our sunday school class and then I will be back in a week or so with more updates and hopefully some good fall pictures. GOD BLESS EVERYONE.

TIME TO PRAY

I GOT UP QUITE EARLY ONE MORNING
AND RUSHED INTO THE DAY
I HAD SO MUCH TO ACCOMPLISH
I TOOK NO TIME TO PRAY

THE PROBLEMS JUST TUMBLED ABOUT ME
AND HEAVIER CAME EVERY TASK;
"WHY DOESN'T GOD HELP ME" I WONDERED
HE SAID " WHY DIDN'T YOU ASK!"

I SAW NAUGHT OF JOY OR OF BEAUTY
THE DAY SPED ON, GRAY AND BLEAK;
I ASKED "WHY WON'T THE LORD SHOW ME?"
HE SAID "BUT YOU DIDN'T SEEK!"

I TRIED TO COME INTO GOD'S PRESENCE;
I USED ALL THE KEYS AT THE LOCK,
GOD GENTLY, LOVINGLY CHIDED,
"MY CHILD, WHY DIDN'T YOU KNOCK?"

I WOKE UP QUITE EARLY THIS MORNING
AND PAUSED AS I ENTERED THE DAY;
THERE WAS SO MUCH TO ACCOMPLISH

I HAD TO TAKE TIME TO PRAY

MOM

I will always remember my mother in many ways as will all of you who knew her. Her passing this year leaves me with a void and mixed emotions. I loved her and the life she led and the influence she made on everyone besides her sons who loved her so much. I would like to share the presentation I made on her 85th birthday as it was one of the memories that meant so much. I remember when I asked my mother what she wanted on her 85th birthday and she quickly said "A party". So we gave her a great party and this is one of the moments from that day.

It has been said that there are three ages of women: Youth, Middle Age and "you haven't changed." Change is the name of the game! Consider the following:

Mom was not before the difference between the sexes was discovered, but she was before SEX CHANGE was the discussion of the day. She was born before frozen food, penicillin, polio shots, radar, credit cards and ballpoint pens. For her, time share meant togetherness, a chip meant a piece of wood, hardware meant hardware and software wasn't even a word. She was born before pantyhose and drip dry clothes, before icemakers and electric dishwashers, clothes dryers and electric blankets.

It was the custom to find a man, fall in love, get married(not necessarily in that order)having children came after, not before and divorce was not an answer.

Some wore Peter Pan collars and thought a deep cleavage was something butchers did? It was before the wine craze, disposable diapers and the Jefferson nickel. When she was in elementary school, pizzas, cheerios, frozen orange juice and instant coffee were unheard of. Fast food was what you ate during lent and having a ..gay.. time was definitely OK.

Cigarette smoking was unfortunately fashionable, today it's just another addiction and might keep you from getting a good meal. Grass was mowed, coke was something you drank on a hot day and pot was something you cooked in? Mom was before day care centers, house husbands, baby sitters, computer dating, and the term "making out" referred to how you did on the exam.

There were five and ten cent stores where you could buy things for five and ten cents. For a nickel you could ride the train, bus, or a ferry, or make a phone call, if you could find a pay phone. It would buy you a coke, or stamps to mail one letter and two post cards. You could get a new Chevy or Ford coupe for $695, but who could afford that? A pity, because gas was eleven cents a gallon. I remember when the first TV came into our neighborhood in 1950 and how special it was to see all of those folks in real black and white! Most of the time we listened to Amos and Andy and Jack Benny on the radio, on a hot humid night, sitting on the sun porch, talking in between the Ivory soap commercial.

Mom had a way to always do with what she had. She had a habit to put a little away in a drawer for that neighbor or friend who might need a birthday card or small present someday. I always thought of that drawer as the "prize drawer." I remember it well and how often the present that was given to her from another person found its way in and out of that "drawer" to make someone else a bit happier and who needed it more, as Mom always thought. You see we never had the money during those days to buy someone else a present, so Mom just saved a little from what she had received and passed it on so someone else would not be forgotten. "It is better to give then to receive" Our first lessons in Christian sharing came from Mom, who did it so well and with such humility and character.

I am told that there were lots of girdles, I mean real girdles with garters on them, petticoats and I guess even serge bloomers for gym in school(You young folks will have to look all of those words up). When cookies came to the house the container was returned full with her best contribution to the neighborhood recipes. The best the kids could offer when they came home, was to call out "MOM!" and present the laundry. But that's not our fault, we were always distracted by the smell of apple pie cooking and had to get to the eating.

I heard that there was great soft music, Toscanini, Schubert, Beethoven, Tennessee Ernie Ford and you could even hear songs that had lyrics. Of course there was Rock and Roll, but that wasn't music was it Mom? There were saddle shoes and really neat cars with special seats called "rumble". I guess the highlight was when Ray Noble played "The very thought of you" and you got a buzz, oops! jumped about 50 years there with that thought.

I continue to guess Mom was in the springtime of senility... She must have been some kind of misfit. I had never known her to go into consciousness raising, or sensitivity training. You never saw her jogging, too busy working those hard days and nights to feed a family and she still wanted me to pump her gas for her, imagine!
Forget about Yoga, veggies or punk. Her idea of a good time was to recycle(yes I said recycle, she knew the word)some old thing into beautiful gifts and treasures. She left a legacy of quilts, stitchery, crocheting and homemade crafts that are being enjoyed today and perhaps forever by many friends and certainly all of her family.

The best part I remember about my mother was how she never missed a night, on her knees, to pray to her LORD, at the end of the day. Those knees have bent many times beside her bed with prayers of supplication and intercession and she was always a spiritual inspiration to all who knew her. Some people preach about how to live life according to the Bible and others like Mom just don't think about it, they just believe it was the only way. Our mother is truly the "GIFT THAT KEEPS GIVING" AND EVEN AS SHE IS WITH THE LORD SHE WILL BE TO US THAT SPECIAL GIFT.

Tell me MOM "Is Heaven beautiful, can you touch every star in the sky? As you are walking down those streets of gold are you watching the angels fly? In those mansions up there do you sit with the saints and marvel at the majesty of GOD"(Chaya)

We miss you so very much Mom. We will see you again in our Father's House. How beautiful it must all be.

Pictures from Niagara Falls and Notre Dame University