Our Friend Jack Clark

This video is about our friend Jack Clark. Please add him to your prayer list and feel free to email him at jackwclarkjr@gmail.com and say “Hi”!

Leaving TFC

Yep, Margaret and I are retiring from Transport For Christ (TFC) at the end of July. That will be eight years and one month since our first night on the chapel as volunteers. On August 1, 2009 I will no longer be the Lead Chaplain for the Life-Saver Chapel in Elkton, MD., but I will still be an ordained Chaplain, just not with TFC. And before you ask, we have no idea yet what TFC’s plans are for the Life-Saver.

This will be the third time I have retired.  The last time Margaret put up with me at home for six months and then told me I had to get a job or volunteer someplace.  She had enough of me home underfoot.  It will be different this time because now Margaret is the one working and I’m at home.  Just call me Mr. Mom!  I will still be filling in as a relief preacher when requested plus teaching an adult Bible study every Thursday night at church.  I’m sure the Lord has other things for me to do as well.

My main focus initially will be to get some health issues under control.  Last November I had two sleep studies which confirmed that I have Complex Sleep Apnea which is a combination of Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Central Sleep Apnea. From December through May I spent six frustrating months trying to get a V-PAP breathing machine to relieve the apnea.  I tried six different masks and they all failed to work correctly.  My apnea is so severe that it takes a lot of air pressure from the machine to force air into my lungs while I sleep.  At full pressure, all of the masks leaked which defeated the purpose plus the leak was loud enough to wake me.  At one point I had a serious infection in the bridge of my nose caused by a mask.

Life without a breathing machine means Chronic Sleep Deprivation for me.  That is much more serious than just being tired all of the time. When we consistently don’t get adequate sleep lots of health problems develop and the effects are cumulative.  The longer you suffer Sleep Deprivation, the more severe the symptoms get—some of which are irreversible.  The biggest immediate issue for me is that it causes migraine headaches. When I get a migraine I don’t get pain, I get vertigo which puts me completely out of action for hours.  Right now I don’t do mornings!  I need ten to twelve hours in bed at night to not wake up with vertigo.

There is surgery for Obstructive Sleep Apnea but my pulmonologist did not recommend it for me.  The only other alternative is to lose weight.  My apnea is related to my being over weight  Gee, where did I hear that before?  So, this afternoon I have an appointment with my doctor to begin a 800 calorie per day diet.  I expect that it will be an easy diet to follow—if it tastes good, spit it out!  I also expect to hear my doctor use that awful word “exercise".  Please be in prayer for both of us as I do this.  I will be posting my progress here so you are all my accountability partners!

On a happier note, Lord willing, our goal is to move back to the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia after the Lord gives me victory over this health issue. That should be in 1.5 to 2 years.  I would rather not change doctors in mid stream.

In His name,
Chaplain Sam Houchins

Brother Andrew of Zimbabwe

I am a member of AECC and received this message through that ministry's news group. It was originally sent from Zimbabwe to a fellow AECC minister.

To me, this prayer request was also a reminder of just how blessed we are in this country. Let us pause at this time of special Easter finery and delicious family feasts to lift up our brothers and sisters in the Lord who are called to serve in situations we can barely imagine.

There is one thing life has taught me and that is to depend upon the Lord, It is with great joy that I inform you that we have planted yet a new branch church in the City of Gweru just about 75 kilometers from Torwood Redcliff, apperently Gweru is the Capital of the Midlands Province, last Sunday we had 10 adults in attendence and this Sunday we are expecting more praise the Lord.

Life in Zimbabwe is not getting any better like I said we have learned to live like the Apostle Paul lived, with lack, with much, with suffering: we all find God in all situations. Pray for us as a nation as we approach our elections in the next 9 days. that we will not have a situation like the one that was in Kenya.

Man of God I wish to inform you also that you need to pray for order in our nation for one the reintroduction of real money, we don't have money here all we have is a bearer cheque which is valueless, if one changes say US Dollars into our currency the money really becomes valueless, one needs 10 million to buy a loaf of bread, 150 million to buy a bag of maize meal and this is our main meal but we can not afford any more, like in my case as I speak we have no maize meal no sugar no cooking oil not even salt in my house, now its been 3 days like that and we have no clue as to when we have a decent meal.

Man of God I wish to make this clear to you, when ever I get any funds through the AECC, back here I have people that I lead I make all efforts to split it among the people at least for them to get a meal say for just a day, we have no one who is standing with us only you brethren. Above all God is good. With the best regards Andrew & Thabeth Mapimhidze

Humbly in His name,
Chaplain Sam Houchins