2011: A YEAR OF GREAT CHANGE
Emily Kissell Oct. 2011
Dear friends and family,
Well, much has happened this new school year! I have had dramatic changes in my health, faced many challenges with my health issues, and have encountered God through it all.
For those of you who don’t know, at the end of August, I tripped and caught my toes in my flip flop sandals, spraining pretty much all of my toes. I didn’t take it easy and have since suffered the consequences. I eventually re-fractured my big toe (previously fractured in 2008) on my left foot. At first I had two post-op shoes on my feet (one black and one blue), setting new trends in mismatched shoes AND socks! A couple weeks later, walking was still very painful and I was even borrowing the wheelchair at the prayer room. Of course the prayer room only takes up 4 hours of my day and I was painfully walking everywhere else. Finally, I ordered my own wheelchair online. I was really worried about how I was going to pay it off, and only told like 3 people about my order. Well, the day after I placed the order, someone handed me a blue Hallmark (I love Hallmark!) envelope with a Hallmark card inside and $125 cash inside of it! I was in shock! I have no idea who gave me the money because the person insisted it was not from them, so I have no one to thank but God! In the end, the wheelchair only cost me $0.63 cents!
Side Note: my wheelchair’s name is Boaz, which appropriately means ‘swiftness’ in Hebrew! Also fitting because my middle name is Ruth…
Another praise report in between my fall, post-ops and the wheelchair, I got a ‘new’ used car! My parents traded cars with me, so I got to upgrade to a one year younger car with power windows which was very exciting for me! At first, before my injury, I was going to drive up to Des Moines to meet my parents for lunch and trade cars on September 11 (aka: my half birthday!), but we had to cancel due to my sprained toes and pain when driving. Instead, my parents decided to drive all the way down here, trade cars, go out to eat, shop, (dad fixed some stuff around my houseJ), and they headed back the next morning. It was awesome!
God had been teaching me how to rely on Him and trust Him alone. He has also been showing me how He really is my provider!
Over the past month and a half, my medical inventory has enlarged more than I ever have wanted it to. I had a black post-op shoe from my previous fracture, and since then, it feels sensitive and I just needed to use it temporarily. So, I had that just laying around and thankfully I had that because I sure needed it when it happened. But, I eventually needed to get another one, and they only had a blue one and it was a completely different style. Then, I added the wheelchair (to which I added a cup-holder and a small bag on each side!), then my asthma got really, intensely bad to the point that I ended up buying my own nebulizer to do breathing treatments at home. What a month….what a year this has been!
Even still, I am daily overwhelmed at how Good God is! Lately the hymn: ‘It is well with my soul’ has been in my head and I cannot help but agree with it, as well as sing it out of faith in prayer:
When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
(Chorus)
My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
(Chorus)
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
(Chorus)
My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
(Chorus)
And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.
(Chorus)
I just read the story behind this hymn and it has wounded me deeply. Horatio G. Spafford was like a ‘modern day Job’ in the sense that he suffered unimaginable loss through death of all of his 5 children, as well as the immense financial loss he encountered. If this man, when he was sailing over the very shipwreck that claimed the lives of his 4 daughters, could write this hymn, on top of still mourning his son’s death and financial trouble, my problems now seem extremely minor in comparison. When I read through the books of Job and letters from Paul during all their sufferings, I am struck again with the sobering reality that I am so blessed and God still cares about me, a mere human being. How great is our God?
I end this letter feeling overwhelmed with gratitude and burdened to pray even more for others around me. Please, never hesitate to send me any prayer requests you have. I don’t have much, but what I do have is a voice and a willingness to intercede on your behalf!
You can also pray for me in the following ways:
- Healing
- Financial Breakthrough
-Wisdom in daily living
- Humility; I want to be a servant like Jesus is to us (I encourage you to read Matthew 5-7)
- Healing
- Financial Breakthrough
-Wisdom in daily living
- Humility; I want to be a servant like Jesus is to us (I encourage you to read Matthew 5-7)
Thank you and I love you all very much and am so grateful for each and every one of you.
~ Emily Kissell
If you would like to partner with me financially, you can send checks made out to IHOP-KC and send them directly to me or the base. IHOP-KC is recognized by the IRS to be a religious order and any donations (so long as my name is NOT on the check) will be able to be tax-deductible. It is very important, if you do want to have tax deduction, that you do not put my name anywhere on the check.
If you send it straight to the mission’s base here please do not include any personal note or letter to me as they will discard of it and I will never see it. There are thousands of people at this mission’s base and they cannot just personally deliver my mail to me. You can simply put a post-it or a scrap piece of paper with my full name on it in the envelope or stuck to the check, it is better that you not write my name on the envelope. Kansas City and the United States government require that at least 20% of my check go towards federal, city, etc. taxes, so I will only get to keep 80% of the amount. If you wish to support me and do not want those taxes taken out you can simply make the check out to me.
“Contributions are solicited with the understanding that IHOP-KC has complete discretion and control over the use of the donated funds”
“Contributions are solicited with the understanding that IHOP-KC has complete discretion and control over the use of the donated funds”
Support checks for tax deduction may be sent to:
IHOP-KC Support
3535 East Red Bridge Rd.
Kansas City, MO 64137
Or
Emily Kissell*
11008 Newton Ave.
Kansas City, MO 64137
Or
Emily Kissell*
11008 Newton Ave.
Kansas City, MO 64134
(*only send personal stuff to my home address)
