We've Moved

For those of you who don't know, we've moved to Edgewood. We're excited to be closer to our church and to our friends. Ryan got a job in aircraft maintenance in Renton. So far he likes his job very much. It is also a huge help that his boss is a Christian and wants to help Ryan get his float plane rating this summer in his boss' airplane. This is awesome because it means that Ryan will get flight time for minimal cost.

Also, we recently acquired a "new" car for Ryan to drive to work. It's a 1990ish Toyota Camry with about a million miles on it, but it gets great gas mileage. It also frees me up to do things with Leslie during the day. Already, it's been a huge relief.

As for my brother Dave, he is donating stem cells to himself this week in preparation for his bone marrow transplant scheduled for April 5th. No match was found for him, but he donated his own marrow which will be used. It is not pure-of-cancer bone marrow, but this buys him quite a bit of time. After his transplant he will be going through extensive chemo where he will be receiving about six week's worth of chemo in one day. You know, it's awful, but Dave is strong and He loves the Lord. Please pray for him all through the month of April that he would sense God's presence all through this entire ordeal. Also remember to pray for his wife Cynthia, and their kids, Grace and Jack. I'm sure if I were in their shoes, I would be a complete basket case. God must be giving them a peace beyond understanding.

Another prayer item would be that we can get organized and back on the prefield trail as soon as possible. I was able to get some work done today, but it seems like the days are passing quickly and we are not progressing. Pray for our emotional strength too. With so much going on our future ministry tends to get put on the back burner. We know many are praying for us and we thank you very much! Please don't stop.

Many Blessings! Stephanie

BTW, praying for you Rylie as you get your tonsils taken out tomorrow.

Snow For Me

I couldn’t contain my excitement as I sat on my barstool wolfing down the last of my dinner. Tonight was my first school Christmas program! My hair was already curled and sprayed. I wanted to have it held half up with a big red bow and my long blond hair flowing over my shoulders. My new Christmas dress was hanging nearby waiting for me. It was a red velvet dress with a matching red satin sash and little satin bows evenly spaced around the bottom edge. My tights were lacy white, and my shoes were black patent leather with black satin bows over the toes. They had a strap that could be over the top of my feet Mary Jane style or pivoted to the back behind my heel. I would wear them behind my heel so I could slip my feet right into them like my mommy did. These shoes clacked on the floor like Mommy’s too. Tonight I was going to be beautiful. Once I slipped that dress on I switched into ladylike mode. I sat real tall and moved as gracefully as I could.

When we finally arrived at the church our program would be presented in, I was taken to a quiet classroom somewhere away from the sanctuary. My teacher was there waiting for us. Her smile of approval flashed upon each of us as we entered the room. She was so pleased with us. It felt like forever before she finally had us line up at the door. We all knew exactly how we were to stand in line; we had rehearsed it several times earlier that day. As we followed Teacher out like little ducklings behind mama duck, I heard prelude music in the sanctuary. Butterflies welled up in my tummy and my smile grew. No matter how hard I tried, I could not get my smile to go away. This was it!

We filed into our choir loft pews, my seat being about two or three rows from the front, and waited for our cue to sit down as rehearsed. I looked around the auditorium and spotted my parents. I waved and then quickly went back into ladylike mode sitting straight and folding my hands in my lap. When you’re six, your legs don’t quite fit adult made pews so my legs stuck out in front of me. It made for the perfect position for me to admire my attire once again and adjust what needed to be straightened.

The music started and I sang with gusto the songs that I had learned in the last several weeks. “Glo-ooo-ooo-ooo-oria in excelsis deo.” I didn’t know what an ex-chelsea’s deo was, but I loved the song. Then they passed out the bells. These were not your ordinary jingle bells, these were real bell shaped bells! Then we sang, “Come on ring those bells, light the Christmas tree. Jesus in the King, born to you and me! Come one ring those bells, everybody say, "Jesus we remember it's your birthday."” jingle jangling our bells to our hearts content all the time. Then the older sixth grade kids did a drama about Jesus being a sort of Christmas ornament who hung on a tree for us. I understood this well. I knew that Jesus died on that cross for me so that I wouldn’t have the face the penalty of death for my sins, and I was thankful to Him for coming to earth as a baby at Christmas. Our principle said a prayer, and then we were each given a small paper bag with some fruit, nuts, and the best, candy canes in them, and then dismissed to find our parents.

My Mom and Dad smiled big that night as they helped me put on my coat. Then as we turned to go to our car. I heard someone say something I’ve never forgotten, “You guys did so well, Jesus sent snow for you.” Sure enough, out those tall foyer windows, big fluffy flakes of snow were floating down. Already, enough snow had fallen to cover the ground with a blanket of soft white. I didn’t give it a second thought. I knew that Jesus had sent the snow for us, and I was thankful to Him for whispering “I love you” through the snow.

It’s been twenty years since that dazzling night. I remember the emotions I felt so well. It hit me as I was driving along the other day trying “get things done” that it might snow and a swell of excitement welled up inside me. This story came to mind because the emotion I briefly felt was the same emotion I felt that night. Then it occurred to me that Jesus still showers us with gifts like He did when we were children, but we just don’t tend to notice, or maybe believe they are from Him as easily. Oh, that I could have the faith of that six-year-old little girl after a Christmas program.

Lord, I know you love me today the same way you did “the little Stephanie.” Help me not to get so wrapped up in the adult world that I fail to notice the simple little things you do for me, your little girl, each day to show me that you love me and appreciate me. I love you Jesus.

Buczak Buzz~December 2009

We’d like to thank the Lord for our encouragers. There are numerous people who let us know on a regular basis that they are praying for us and want to know what the Lord is doing in our lives. We are so thankful for you! May our Lord bless your faithful ministry of prayer.

We are currently at 28% of our needed monthly support! Thanks to Edgewood Bible Church and some members there, our support level took a significant jump in the last several months. Ryan also has the funding for about 8 hours of flight time. Only 92 hours still needed to meet ABWE’s flight time requirements.

Our goal is to have 50% of our support by September 2010 and 100% by September 2011. To reach our 2010 goal, we need 15 churches and/or individuals to support us for $100 per month or 30 churches and/or individuals to commit to $50 per month. Will you partner with us to see our God’s Name magnified in Togo?

If you have already, or would like to commit to praying for us on a weekly basis, please send us by either e-mail or snail mail, a picture of you and your family. We’d like to add you to our weekly prayers as well.

On a personal note, we’d like to share with you one of the amazing things the Lord has been doing in our lives. Recently, Stephanie’s family found her long-lost older brother, David. Dave had been adopted out at 3 days old when Stephanie’s mother was just 15. Now, after almost 30 years we have been reunited with Dave who has turned out to be a believer! Unfortunately, Dave has stage IV non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and needs a bone marrow transplant. We are praying that someone in the family will be a match or that God will provide a match for him very soon. We ask that you would remember Dave as he begins Chemo again this month in preparation for his bone marrow transplant (of his own marrow to buy him time) in January. We’ve posted and will continue to keep you updated on this story on our blog, buczaks.blogspot.com. We praise the Lord for his perfect timing and for allowing us to be reunited with a very special brother.

We have been reading Hebrews lately, and as we prepare for Christmas we remember the little baby “Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels,” and yet worshiped by them “for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.” (Heb. 2:9) We are so thankful for that chubby little hand that would one day be pierced instead of ours that we might have forgiveness of sins.

Miracle Brother by Aliya Rose

You look so familiar
Have I seen you here before
I know I've never met you
But I see my eyes in yours

And you look just like a miracle
You look just like hope
You look just like my mothers child
And only heaven knows
Why we've been kept so far
From one another
But now you're here
My Miracle Brother

I'm so lost and confused
On how this story goes
When all this time we've been wishing that we'd finally find you
Now it goes to show

That you look just like a miracle
You look just like hope
You look just like my mother's child
And only heaven knows
Why we've been kept so far
From one another
But now you're here

My Miracle Brother

Meeting Dave w/Video

Found: Brother

It's really hard to know how to write this blog. Today, a major dream came true from my mom, my brother, me, and for several others who have prayed throughout the years. Today I found my brother.

Starting from the beginning, when my mom was a teen, she was had a baby boy on January 17, 1980. She was 15. As you can imagine, when she found out she was pregnant she was scared to death and didn't tell anyone. She was small in her pregnancy so she was able to hide it well. It wasn't until she was in her third trimester that her pregnancy was discovered by those around her. Her heart wanted to keep him forever, but she knew that what was best for him and for her was to give him to a family that would be able to take care of him and give him the life he needed.

The years after his birth, mom suffered like none other. She knew she had a son out there somewhere, but she could do nothing to find him until he was 18. At the time 18 seemed like a long way off, and it was. When he was 18, she searched for him, but was never able to find him. The person who helped her look for him told her that there was no baby born with the description she gave in the hospital on the date he was born. This devastated mom, but she did not give up. She posted her name with his birthday all over the Internet believing that if he wanted to find her he could. From there, she left it to him. She didn't want to interfere with his life if he was happy where he was.

However at 18, "brother" as I called him, got a case worker and spent two weeks in Seattle searching out his mother. His search returned void as well.

Over the years since I learned of my brother, I too have wondered. In fact, my name is also posted with his birthday on the Internet. It wasn't until three years ago when I had watched yet another talk show (forgive me for that) where lost children are reunited with their birth parents that I stumbled across the name of a confidential intermediary (CI) in Vancouver, WA who told me that she could help me find my brother. I then called my mom and asked her if she would allow me to look for him. Mom agreed, but I needed paperwork signed and I lived in NC. I put the project away for two years until I was about to have my own little girl. The thought of giving up my own blood gave me chills and set me on the search again.

I applied to get her non-identifying side of the birth certificate from the state of WA. It came to mom's house, but then it got lost. I was disappointed, but I guessed that eventually it would turn up when it was God's timing. Sure enough, about six or seven weeks ago it turned up and I sent it to our CI.

Last Friday, our CI called to tell me that she had found my brother and that he had actually wanted to find us! You don't know how exciting this was for me. All this time, mom had talked to other men who were put up for adoption and it seemed that most did not want to find their birth mothers. Mom had prepared herself for the worst. The CI told me that she would give me his name and number as soon as she got his signature in the mail stating that it would be okay for her to give it to us. Let me just tell you right now, it takes a loooooooooong time to get to Wednesday from Friday when you're waiting for something like this.

Sure enough the CI called me this morning at 11:03am. My brother's name is David Williams (ironically, my mom's maiden name was Williams). After talking to the CI, I called Dave right away, and to make a really long story a little shorter, my mom and I are going down to Portland this weekend to meet him!

God is in this. Dave is a believer! The timing of this could not be more perfect. Unfortunately, Dave has Lymphoma pretty bad and is looking for a match for a bone marrow transplant. Oh Lord, please let one of us be a match. Please pray that we are and that Dave is able to recover from this cancer.

To read a little bit about Dave's side of this story, click here.

Dave, we're so excited to finally meet you. May our Lord use every step of this for His glory as He already has!

Prayer letter from the Gayles

I read a lot of prayer letters from our future co-workers in Togo. This particular one stuck out to me and I think you'll enjoy it.

It’s good to be back in Togo safe and sound. It really feels like we’ve never left. (One of our veteran missionary colleagues has warned us not to let the surface fool us, though.) Pray for us as we integrate back into life in Togo and pray that we will be able to set some sort of boundaries so that we won’t wear ourselves out and so that we may remain effective for Him. We’re in this for the marathon, not the sprint.

We’d like to share with you just a few of the amazing stories that we’ve encountered since we’ve been back. Just before we arrived, there was a taxi that went off the side of the mountain behind the hospital one night. Since there is no “911” and very few ambulances out here, some of our Togolese staff went to rescue the injured. The taxi had held 4 Europeans and one Togolese taxi driver. Many were thrown from the taxi. Here they were in a foreign country where there are not very many choices for good medical care and where should they end up? Almost at our hospital door where there was good medical care! God not only had them “literally” fall into our hospital, but the most serious injury was that one of the ladies, Italian, broke her pelvis. The others were shook up and had cuts and bruises. None of the people were believers. So they got good, compassionate medical care and a chance to hear about spiritual health. Later, when one of our missionaries was transporting them to Lomé so that they could fly out, the lady with the broken pelvis kept asking questions about God and His plans for us. God desires that no one perish, no not one! And we’re convinced that He’ll use very creative ways to get our attention. Pray that they will accept Christ from the seeds that have been planted.

Also, shortly before we arrived, a young Togolese boy decided that the lye in that bottle in the house looked good enough to drink, so he drank it. Of course the lye pretty much dissolved his esophagus and he was unable to get nutrition. But…..there was a thoracic surgeon, Dr. John Yee, scheduled to arrive in Togo (from Vancouver) within a few days. And it just so “happens” that Dr. Yee performs a lot of esophageal repairs where he pulls the stomach up to make a “new” esophagus so that one can eat again. The little boy had successful surgery and was able to eat fufu and rice within a few days. God’s provisions are boundless and unending.

Right after we arrived back to Togo, there was a 3 person group from the Mercy Ship that arrived at our hospital in order to screen patients for possible orthopedic and GYN surgeries to be preformed when the Mercy Ship docks in Lomé for 6 months starting in February 2010. We had a great time getting to know the crew. They left with lots of potential surgeries to be done. The next Sunday, we were in Lomé to buy supplies for our house, and we had the opportunity to visit one of the Independent ABWE church plants there. At the end of the service, one of the men came up to Michael to ask if he could bring a relative of his to the hospital the next Friday for an evaluation for an orthopedic problem. Michael said sure, but he was thinking “too bad we didn’t’ know about this before the Mercy Ship volunteers came.” Friday arrived, and the man arrived with his relative at 7:30am. Michael walked to the hospital to see the relative. While he was going in to greet them, a van full of “visitors” pulled up to the hospital. It was about 10 Mercy Ship volunteers, including two from the original group, just stopping by to say, “Hi” on their way to a different site. Michael was able to get them to help him evaluate the little girl and get their input that “yes, they could indeed help her when the ship is in Lomé and put her on the list.” His timing is always amazing! It’s great to just rest in Him!

No, He doesn’t always heal somebody or prevent somebody from dying or have the right person there at the right time, but He does provide many opportunities and miracles in our lives. When is the last time that you saw a miracle? Are you looking? Do you appreciate what God has done in your life? Do you appreciate that He died for you to give you eternal life? When is the last time that you thanked Him for His Indescribable gift? And when is the last time you told somebody else about this amazing free gift?

Thank-you for praying for us and for being part of His Team for Togo. We miss you all already, but we’re content to be back in His Will for us at this time.

For His Glory,

Michael & Cheryl Gayle, Medical Missionaries to Togo, W. Africa

ABWE