Prayer Request: UPDATE on Jimmy

It's 9:33 pm. I just got back from the U of L hospital. Jimmy had just gotten out of his 3rd surgery a few hours before. John and I got to go back to the ICU and see him. John explained a lot to me. Jimmy was walking home on Sunday night and came up on a few guys. This part is a little sketchy as far as details go. There was only so much the the police told John. He was basically in the wrong place at the wrong time. He was shot 8 times in the abdominal area. One of the bullets severed his femoral artery (the huge artery that goes from the heart to the leg). He was still conscious when the cops got there and was able to give a description of the shooter before he went out. When the femoral artery is severed you can bleed out in a matter of minutes. When Jimmy got to the ER the doctors were amazed he was even alive. Throughout the next several hours he was given 48 units of blood. 48!! That doesn't include the plasma. The doctors told John and the family that it looked grim and to expect the worst. However, people were praying. He survived the first surgery. Then the next. Then the next. The doctors saved both of his legs and he is now in an induced coma. He's on a respirator but could breath on his own if it were ok for him to be awake. He's in stable condition, but not totally out of the woods. Its a very real miracle that he's alive.

Thank you for those of you who are praying. Keep praying for Jimmy, the doctors, and his family. Jimmy is a new and growing believer, but his family members are not Christians. He is a member of a great church (Emmanuel Baptist Church) and his community group is really ministering to the family (food, places to sleep, laundry, etc.). So pray that God would bring his family to salvation through this whole experience. Tonight I really got to see the family of God BE the family of God. Their light was so shining in a way that they were drawing the lost to the Lord. AMEN!!

So tonight was very encouraging. It was great to hang out with John. We talked about serious stuff and about very light hearted, spirit lifting stuff. It was a good time. Pray for John that he could continue to pastor and love this family. He'll need strength and a strong, alert mind. Pray for endurance and wisdom. He will be able to give great counsel to Jimmy's family.

I'll post more updates as I hear about them.