RTWministries

Christmas 2011

2011-12-15T20:26:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas from Colorado!

Dear Friends

As we come to the end of 2011 and turn over another calendar page, we are thankful to be able to greet so many friends – and to testify to the ongoing grace of God. His mercies are new every morning.

Even as we chronicled our challenges of 2010, we hardly have expected them to ratchet up this year. It is now 20 months since Lauren and Jason bought what proved to be a meth house; and they continue to live with us as legal issues with VA and the bank continue -- with some progress and now some hope! We did manage this summer to have the house remediated of the meth through a grant from the Colo Department of Health ($30 K), but they will never feel comfortable in the house and are giving it back to the bank. It was the cover story in the Co Sp Gazette on Mother's Day (http://www.gazette.com/articles/house-117081-four-drive.html)

So Kelley Grace, now 3 ½ (and very busy) is here with her parents. We are eager for them to be in their own home, but we certainly love the opportunity to have her with us fulltime! What joy!

We told you last year that Andrew (21 last June) was diagnosed with Lupus nephritis. A year later while he is not in full remission, his lupus is at a low level and steady -- for which we thank God. It’s hard to know how Andrew is processing all this as a young man – he is not very verbal about such things.. Maybe he will be more so with his new “love interest.” His highlight this year was a week in Fresno, CA, visiting his bio-mother, bio-father and three siblings for the first time. It was quite a story!

We could virtually repeat what we wrote about Bob’s health. His sarcoidosis continues to gradually advance and as it does, his lung function continues to decline. Resulting heart trouble continues, and this April had a heart attack and received another stent (in spite of his new vegan diet and cholesterol levels of about 120). This was followed in August by two hospitalizations for pneumonia. His sarcoidosis has now invaded the heart and will have to be monitored carefully because of the danger of v-fib. Bob is feeling well but fragile right now, clearly aware that the lessons in Navigating Your Perfect Storm have to be lived out daily. Your prayer for health and strength are coveted as we look to the possibility of a lung transplant, perhaps as soon as late 2012. [ http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/drbobwenz]

The pneumonia may well have been the result of having taken on too much – especially travel – in April-June. Trips to LA, Salt Lake, Orlando, Toronto, KC, LA again, Toronto again, and Chicago were productive but took their toll. He has not been on an airplane since and will not travel again until January and much less in 2012, even though visits to sea level are always welcome.

The Toronto trips were appearances on the 100 Hunltey Street and Full Circle programs. [http://www2.crossroads.ca/fullcircle/player?vidID=21844 or http://www.rtwministries.com/videos-bob-wenz.asp]

Navigating your Perfect Storm is not going to be a best seller, but continues to sell -- with the prospect of increased sales this year as Biblica has transferred all of its trade books to Intervarsity Press. They promise to be a more aggressive marketing partner. Want a SIGNED copy?

Bob’s ministry of coaching preachers is still waiting to get fully airborne. He continues to enjoy teaching various courses Pikes Peak Community College and King’s University as well as mentor doctoral candidates. Most encouraging has been the invitation to serve on a part-time basis with Ravi Zacharias International Ministries here in Co Sp for the next year as we prepare for an outreach in October of 2012.

Suellen happily marks her six-year anniversary in February as Sr. Editor at Compassion International. Despite the workload and pace, this job has proved a blessing in many ways. Suellen is devoted to Compassion’s ministry and counts it a privilege to contribute to Compassion’s worldwide mission to help children in poverty. With all that went on this year we have postponed Suellen’s five year anniversary trip to Ecuador in August when we hope to visit the college student we support through Compassion.

And, of course, we want to say thank to those of you who pray for us and those who support us financially through RTW Ministries (an affiliate of Faith in the Family). As we have shared with you before, some of the ministries that God has “assigned” to me during this season do not provide realistic compensation or require travel that is not provided for. We are blessed to have some gracious supporters. Thank you! If God should lead you to include RTW Ministries in your yearend giving, please note that Faith in the Family has a new mailing address:

Faith in the Family
P.O. Box 49341

Charlotte, NC 28277

Strength for today. . . and bright hope for tomorrow!

Bob and Suellen

2011-07-23T18:30:00.000-07:00

Compared to the folks who tweet every 18 seconds ("I'm in line at Starbucks. . ."), posting a family and ministry update every six months is darn near Neanderthal, but it is twice a fast/often as in the past years!

We are thankful for the grace of God that continues to sustain us -- we simply don't know where we would be without his grace and mercy.

Those of you who have followed our posting on Caring Bridge know about the health issues we have dealt with this year. Suellen had a heart ablation procedure at the end of 2010 to correct an arrhythmia -- a procedure that seems months later to have been quite successful and enabled her to get of a couple medications. You also know that after almost a year of a vegan diet and weeks of cardio therapy (and 110 cholesterol) that I mysteriously had a mild heart attack in April. I was back in the classroom a week later, but taking it quite easy. Right now I'm getting over a bout of pneumonia that befell me this summer. My major concern right now is that at rest I need twice the amount of oxygen that I did three years ago -- three and a half to four liters per minute. To exercise or with exertion of any kind it goes up, significantly. Then there is Andrew who still has lupus, but who is low active and rather stable.

As I post this, the biggest family news is Andrew's trip this week to California where he will spend a week with John and Becky Cardwell and their kids. It's a big deal for all of us because John and Becky are Andrew's birth parents; and Lindsay, Analyse and Tommy are his full siblings. Face Book has been great getting us all connected since Andrew's 18th birthday when all the protocols of his adoption expired. We are all a bit scared and excited at the same time. Not many kids could write this for their "How I Spent My Summer Vacation" essay. (By the way we hope ARW will start college this fall and may write such a piece,)

Suellen and I will leave on a Colorado vacation the same day -- and we are ready. Suellen has been tsumanied at work much of the year as the only Sr. Editor. A new colleague was finally added recently but that is always a slow process at Compassion.

Lauren and Jason and Kelley Grace are still with us. The issue of their meth contaminated house continues defy resolution after 17 months. The C.S. Gazette ran an article on Mother's Day about the house http://www.gazette.com/articles/house-117081-four-drive.html, an article picked up all over the country. We are still working to get it resolved but it is exasperating since the laws are unrealistic.

I've been busy with their house issues and rather busy traveling -- more travel than I really wanted. Travel is hard with all the oxygen and equipment issues, but I sure do like sea level! Orange County in January, Salt Lake City in March (NAE Board), Toronto in April (recording book related TV programs ) Kansas City in May (C&MA Council), Toronto again in June (more TV), LA in June (Kings Seminary), Chicago in June (RZIM Summer Institute) and DC in July (Faith in the Family Banquet). Not getting on an airplane until October sounds wonderful.

And, on that recent trip to Chicago I was invited to preach at South Park Church where I came to faith in Christ, where I was ordained, and where Suellen and I were married. It was the 35th anniversary of my ordination and a very special time. I even got to sign a few copies of Navigating Your Perfect Storm .

While I see a great need for preachers to get some coaching to take their preaching to a higher level, not too many pastors seem willing to be that vulnerable and seek out a coach. While I had three clients last fall, 2011 has yet to produce a client, which has been very disappointing.

I am continuing to teach at The King's University one course per quarter -- mostly on ground modular classes here in COS. But I also did an online this year and was a 1st and then 2nd reader on doctoral dissertations this year (hence the trip in June for oral defenses). I'll be back a Pikes Peak this fall teaching intro to philosophy to undergrads -- something of a mission field for me. And I continue to teach in the Foundations Program at Woodmen Valley Chapel -- a 10 week class this spring. Unfortunately adjunct teaching pays poorly, but it seems to be where God whats me these days.

All of that leads us to a significant financial squeeze. How thankful we are for a few faithful supporters who by their monthly gifts enable me to teach in these significant but significantly underpaid roles.

Would you pray about possibly being part of our monthly support group or perhaps making a one time gift at this time. RTWMinistries is an affiliate of Faith in the Family and you can connect at http://faithinthefamily.org/invest/ Regardless, would you pray that God will send me some paying clients who want to be better preachers.

I've been enjoying Fernando Ortega so much recently. If you know his mellow worship music will know why I wish you grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father, and Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.

Overdue Christmas Letter

2011-02-09T12:45:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,

This is our Christmas 2010 letter…a little late! Thank you for your cards and letters this past holiday season. We look forward to connecting with you each year.

Challenges for 2010

This past year was a year of challenges for the Wenz family! As we began 2010, Lauren and Jason were anticipating buying their first home after Jason’s medical discharge from the Army and subsequent new career with T-Mobile. They found what they thought to be the perfect home (completely remodeled), only to discover from neighbors after their March 12 closing that the home had formerly been occupied by meth users. Testing showed the home to be unfit for habitation. We spent 2010 working through many channels to solve the problem, and only recently have we received a commitment from the EPA and state health department to remediate the home. One step at a time! In the meantime, the Hardys live with us and we are enjoying having 2½ -year-old Kelley Grace keep life exciting here!

On the same day in March Andrew became quite ill and was soon diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus, and specifically lupus nephritis. Most of 2010 was spent finding the right doctor and getting Andrew stabilized with medication. He’s doing better now and trying to get back on track for life.

Bob continues to deal with health issues. His sarcoidosis continues to gradually advance and as it does, his lung function continues to decline. The resulting reduced activity level has led to some heart trouble with a near heart attack in July followed in August by a stent and the beginning of cardio-therapy (and a new vegan diet). However, suspicions that the sarcoid has now invaded the heart have proven unfounded through a recent heart mapping. Living at 6932 feet makes heart and lung issues more difficult, but short of a miracle we cannot relocate to sea level for a few more years if at all.

Gratitude in 2011

Along with some discouragement came the encouragement of the release of Bob’s new book, Navigating Your Perfect Storm [Biblica] in October. Mark Galli of Christianity Today already gave it ««««¶, so we are thrilled by the early reception it has received. We are thankful that as his capacities change Bob’s fledgling ministry of coaching preachers is starting to take flight, and that he is able to enjoy teaching various courses and students at The King’s Seminary, Woodmen Valley Chapel, Pikes Peak Community College.

Suellen happily marks her five-year anniversary this month as senior editor at Compassion International. Despite the workload and pace, this job has proved a blessing in many ways. Suellen is devoted to Compassion’s ministry and counts it a privilege to contribute to Compassion’s worldwide mission to help children in poverty. We are really excited about the opportunity to travel to Ecuador in May for Suellen’s five year anniversary trip.

Had it not been the Lord who was on our side,

Then the waters would have engulfed us. . .

Then the raging waters would have swept over our soul.

Blessed be the Lord . . .

Our help is in the name of the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.

May 2011 be a year of blessing for you and yours!