A Quiet Victory

My hearing test results showed that I have recovered some hearing on all frequencies (sounds I heard were over 100 dB). I still don't have useable hearing, but this test shows that I am on the road to recovery. God's still working on me.

After two months, I finally returned to the small town and visited the families on the hill, the families across the river and a few other families. A friend of mine from our local church went with me by bus to the small town, so that I would not be alone on my first day back. I couldn't hear anything, but got by on lip reading and a lot of repeating.

It was obvious that God did not let any doors close, and opened a few more. I was worried that we would lose the momentum, as I had been planning to baptize and a week before this, lost my hearing and was confined to bedrest. Yesterday I was able to tell one story to the families on the hill. The story of the last supper. I did not do much discussion of the story, because of the challenge with my hearing. We should be able to get back into rhythm soon.

My helper and I also saw another possible storying group. I will call them "The gathering of old men." There is a place by the river where 10-20 older, retired men sit around and spend the afternoon talking. Pray that the Lord make it possible for us to begin telling the story of God to them.

I will return to the small town in a week.

Hearing Test

Today I am going to have my 3rd hearing test since I went deaf. The first test showed zero response to any frequency. The second test two weeks later showed zero response to all frequencies, except one, which I could hear vaguely at 90 dB. I expect today I will be hearing a number of frequencies.

I've been recovering some hearing. It isn't much, but I can hear a few notes when I whistle and I can hear a little of my son Nilson when he cries or screams. I can hear things banging and I can hear when I chew something crunchy. I still don't hear myself when I talk and I still can't get anything intelligible from turning the radio on full and putting my ear on the speaker. I hear some things, but nothing that sounds like a melody or speech.

I preached the morning service at Igreja Batista da Vitoria last Sunday. There was a wonderful response, and I was later asked to preach again this Sunday and again in 3 weeks. I had planned to go to the small town yesterday, but my energy level just wasn't high enough. The medicine I am taking leaves me feeling tired and weak. I will be going next week.

I'll post any interesting results of my hearing test later.