Thanks for the prayers and keep on praying!

A huge thank you to all of you prayer warriors out there! In record breaking time (and with the help of my amazing sister-in law) both Noah and I have secured appointments with specialists for next week! What we thought might take several weeks at best, took only a few days! Praise the Lord! So, we are in a bit of a whirlwind packing and getting ready to head to Houston. We are leaving tomorrow and will be back as soon as possible.
Here are some specifics you can pray for during this time:

Monday~ Tina's doctor appointment. Pray for the doctor to have wisdom and know how best to treat my damaged nerve. Pray for there to be a clear vision as to what is going on.

Thursday~ Noah's doctor appointment. Pray for Noah (and mom) to feel at ease with the doctor. Pray for him to be able to give us practical advice on how to help Noah manage what it going on.

Pray for Tim and the girls as they are at home in Costa Rica.

Pray for sweet time with our family and friends in Houston.

Thanks again for being willing to lift us up in your prayers! You are the best!

Medical Update and Prayers Needed

I want to share a little bit about the challenge our family is facing. I will begin with my medical issue. As many of you know, I have had severe nerve trauma in my leg following a bone biopsy in November. I have been taking a whole bunch of medication, and going to physical therapy almost every day since that time. Recently, the doctors performed a nerve test on my leg. It seems that even with this intense effort, there has been no change in my nerve function in 3 months. The doctors at the International Mission Board have made the decision that I should return to the United States for a second opinion. I will plan to be there a few weeks while I seek medical advice.
Now for the situation that is much harder for me to talk about. Several weeks ago, we began to notice some irregular behavior and actions in Noah. We also became aware that for the past two weeks, he has been really struggling in school. Those of you who know him, know that he has always been FULL of BOY, but he has never had trouble focusing or excelling in school. Noah came to us and shared that he felt as if something was wrong with him. We of course, made a doctor appointment. After several office visits and tests, the doctors have told us that in their strong opinions, we are dealing with Tourettes Syndrome. We have continued to see behaviors from Noah that confirm this diagnosis. Noah is going to join me on my trip to the States, so that we can meet with a specialist who can help us better understand how to manage this disease.
I could type for the next 2 hours and barely scratch the surface of how God has been with us in this time. He has orchestrated so much in our lives to help us handle this challenge in our family. As a mommy, I will say that this is the hardest road I have walked. However, Tim and I have not had to walk it alone. I have walked knowing that there was a purpose in the hill we were climbing. We trust God's plan for Noah and for all of our children. It is just not always easy to watch it unfold.
We have chosen to see doctors in the Houston area. My mother and brother live in the area, as well as good friends who are available to help us as we need it. There are amazing medical facilities in the Houston area, and we are so blessed that the IMB is allowing us to go there. As you might imagine, getting into these kind of specialists can take months. Please pray that God would move mountains and calenders and allow us to get in to the doctors quickly. Also pray for the right doctors to be found for each situation. We will head to the States as soon as appointments have been confirmed.
We know so many of you love us and pray for us while we are serving in Central America. We just want you to be aware of how to specifically pray for us at this time. We will keep you posted. Thank you again for your prayers. Much Love- The Louderback Family

February Newsletter

Hello from beautiful and sunny Costa Rica! We pray that this New Year is starting off well for each of you. One of our personal goals for the New Year is to do a better job at keeping you informed about what God is doing in our lives. Your support and prayers are a vital part of our ministry!

We are enjoying getting to do some “hands on” ministry after graduating from language school. We will remain here in Costa Rica until June and train for our work in Panama.
We are working in a local community called Los Yoses. We are getting to know the families in this community, and are praying that God would open the doors for us to begin a Bible study in one of the homes there.

The kids are all having a fantastic year at school! Trinity is in the school play. Noah is playing basketball on the school team. Gracie Lynn is on the gymnastics team, and Eden is spending lots of time watching plays, basketball games and gymnastics meets.

Our family has been blessed with a special friendship with a local Costa Rican family. The Vaverde family has taken us into their hearts and home. They have 4 kids very close to our kid’s ages, and we are enjoying spending time together. Please pray that this family would know what it means to have a real and growing relationship with Jesus.


Prayer Requests:

· Pray for Tim as he meets with Jason each week to study the Bible.
· Pray for Tina as she meets with Rosie to study the Bible each week.
· Pray for our work in the Los Yoses neighborhood.
· Pray for safety and health for our family

Many of you are aware that Tina has been dealing with significant nerve damage in her leg. Please pray that the doctors would have wisdom in how to treat the situation. Pray for Tina to have joy in the midst of a difficult situation.