Hi ,

There are some of you who are fully aware of Pastor Mike's health crisis. We also realize that there are those of you who may not know, and are wondering why the daily e-devotionals are no longer arriving in your inbox. 

On May 5th, Pastor Mike suffered a massive heart attack, in rural North Dakota. He was away from home, helping with a Men's Retreat, when he began to have symptoms. Paramedics/EMS were sent out to attend him. As they walked into the hotel, Daddy coded/died on the lobby floor. It took them five minutes to resuscitate him. He ended up being transferred to the nearest hospital. They decided to airlift him immediately to Sanford Medical Center, in Bismarck ND, as their hospital wasn't fully equipped for his type of condition. 

At Sanford, he received wonderful care, but his condition rapidly declined. He was put on full life support. The medical team shared with us that we needed to prepare for the worst outcome and potentially get ready to say our goodbyes. However, God had a different plan...

Daddy's surgeon approached us with one more option, if we were willing to go an aggressive route: Mayo Clinic. We, of course, were willing. The physician shared with us that Mayo was basically a long-shot. Because of their prestige, there is a wait list, and they would need to be willing to accept Daddy's case. Miraculously, everything lined up quickly, and he was airlifted to Rochester, MN. 

The trip to Mayo was difficult for his critically ill body. His heart rate became erratic, more than once. By God's wonderful mercy and grace, Daddy made it to the hospital. Mayo Clinic's medical team has been nothing short of incredible. The care that he is receiving is top notch in every way. In a short 2+ weeks, we have seen so many miracles occur, amidst all of the challenges.

Unfortunately, Daddy's heart attack created so much damage that his best option is a heart transplant. Things are being set in motion, as I type this. He has yet to be listed, but the hope is that his name will make that important list, this upcoming Monday. We have been in contact with the transplant physicians, and they have shared with us that Daddy's name will be higher up on the list, which is good news. 

Thank you for being a part of The Open Word family. My daddy appreciates every single one of you. We apologize for the delay in sharing his difficult situation with you all. In closing, I want to ask you to pray for Pastor Mike and his situation. We still have a long way to go in his recovery