Lance Update, 9/12

Another update from Dori . . .

9.12.07 4:09 PM

Hello family & friends, I wanted to fill you in a couple of updates. One is that KCOY channel 12 came today to interview our family and I told them that I would do the interview but that but it was important to me that God get the credit for saving Lance's life and that it was our faith that was getting us through this experience. I told them that I had explained all of this to KSBY last night and yet they had edited it all out which made me even sadder, plus they got the number of deceased wrong and Lance's injuries wrong. The reporter told me that she was a Christian and did these stories to glorify God so she would not edit our Christian faith out of the story. It should be on the 5:00 and a longer version of the 6 or 6:30 news tonight and possibly channel 11 10:00 news as well. Also, Lance’s story was in the Tribune today. You can check it out at www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/story/140172

A friend of ours from church, Matt Kokkonnen was in Germany visiting his daughter who is an emergency room Army doctor at Landstuhl Medical Center where Lance is. He called and told me that he went and saw Lance today! Lance was thrilled to see someone from Grace Church and SLO. Matt said that he looks great and sounds good although he is in a lot of pain, mostly in his back and chest. He began moving his legs today under the covers! Praise the Lord!! We knew he could feel but he had not moved yet. Lance was excited to move his limbs for the first time. The CAT scans showed more fractures in his chest that they were not aware of. Lance said that they are planning on putting him in a back brace for the next few months for the breaks in his back to remain immobilized. As you can see by the pictures, his ear and head look great! He has 60 staples holding his scalp together and 30 stitches on his ear! He is swollen but not that black and blue.

One amazing story I have to share that Matt told me about: Lance was pulled from the bottom of the wreckage by his buddy PFC Brendall (who suffered 5 broken ribs, a broken hand and a broken arm). Lt. Roberts, who suffered a broken shoulder, talked to Matt about Lance and said, "Lance is the strongest Christian man I have ever met. It is not easy being a Christian on the battlefield let alone in the Army. I am a very weak Christian. Lance was always really strong no matter what and we didn't make it easy on him. After he was pulled from the wreckage, I was holding his ear onto his skull and the whole time he kept saying, 'I'm praying for you LT, I'm praying for you'. I just started crying right there while I was holding his ear and he's praying for me. He made me a stronger Christian at that moment." Matt then told me that he prayed with Lance and the other wounded men in Lance's room for the gifts that they had received (not only their lives but on had just had a baby two weeks ago). Thank you all so much for your prayers and your support. I honestly feel so lifted up by the Lord it is very humbling!

In His great and amazing love, Dori