Finding friends in Sousse

We prayed that Sue would find a gym, where she could exercise with other women. During our evening walk Sunday night, we happened upon a small gym three blocks from our house. Sue joined there today. It would be very encouraging for Sue to become friends with the neighborhood women at the gym. Joshua also played soccer this week with some new friends on our street.

Heavenly Father, thank You for providing a gym near the Farho's house. Help Sue to find a good friend there. Continue to heal Mike's sprained ankle. Give wisdom as he purchases a moped or scooter soon.

Pray for healing!

Downtown Abidjan

Urgent request from our Lebanese believers in Cote d'Ivoire: Please pray for our Lebanese friend, Pierre. He was evacuated from Abidjan. He is very ill in Marseilles, France. He has only one kidney. It seems that his liver and/or kidney is shutting down.

Heavenly Father, we ask you to touch and heal Pierre's body. Give his doctors wisdom. Comfort his wife and extended family during these difficult days.

John turned 23 and is visiting us!

We've had some exciting days since we returned to hot and humid Abidjan. It is good to be back visiting our believers and friends again! We also enjoyed talking with our son John, who turned 23 on Dec. 12. He informed us that he will be visiting us from Dec. 20 through Jan. 9. The last time we had Christmas together was 2005, before he went to Iraq.

Our friend is leaving for his eye surgery in Togo on Saturday. They hope to be able to repair his vision.

Heavenly Father, thank You for allowing John to celebrate Christmas with Mike, Sue and Joshua. Protect John as he drives and flies many hours. Heal Mike's friend as he gets his laser retina surgery.

Back home in Abidjan

It is great to be home again. But we have heard a lot of bad news already. One good friend was riding home in a taxi one evening. He woke up in a hospital the next day. He found out that the taxi driver died when their taxi was struck head-on by a car running a red light. Our friend recovered OK, but both of his retinas are detached. His vision is black about 10 minutes a day. A European doctor in Togo will do his laser surgery as soon as he gets enough money together for his surgery.

Heavenly Father, we ask You to heal these two retinas and save this man's eyesight. Give the doctors wisdom and steady hands for this surgery!

Farho Family Update

We are grateful that the Internet allows us close contacts with our friends and family. We are able to visit with John frequently. He is doing well. His shoulder is becoming stronger and more flexible each day. Joshua is doing well at homeschool. He seems more mature each day, even adding body hair and odors! Sue is grateful that her migraines are becoming rare. The ringing in my ears continues, but the pain I had in my feet is now gone.

Your prayers are needed, as we will be on the road for the next six weeks. We hope to send you weekly updates, but don't know if it will be possible. If you don't get updates from us, you might still find news from us at our blogs: http://blogs.farho.net

Heavenly Father, we ask You again to heal this ringing in Mike's ears. Help him to hear clearly, to facilitate his learning of Arabic. Keep the Farhos safe and healthy during their six weeks away from home.

The curse of Malaria

Every 30 seconds a child under 5 dies of Malaria in Africa. Malaria in Cote d'Ivoire is increasingly caused by the chloroquine-resistant Malaria parasite. It kills 63,000 children under the age of 5 a year here. That's more than 7 small children every hour in Cote d'Ivoire. Adults are also killed by Malaria.

We're grateful for your prayers for Joshua. He is doing very well. Please pray for Joshua's African French language tutor, Gerard. He is sick now with Malaria. When we visited the maternity section of the main Ivorian hospital in Abidjan last May, the doctors thanked God for President Bush. They said many lives have been saved here because of the USA gift of free vaccines and medications for pregnant women and children under 5 years old.

Heavenly Father, we thank You for being our Healer. Thank You for healing Joshua's Malaria and John's shoulder. Please heal Gerard and strengthen all three of them.

Joshua Malaria update

Joshua slept well last night. The very strong medication and your even stronger prayers are healing him. He had some headache all day, but is sleeping now. I woke him up and gave him his last pill at midnight GMT last night.

He's doing OK at home school this morning. Now he'll need a couple days in the house to recover. That will be torture for him. We might have a friend come over to play Legos with him.

Thanks for taking the time to pray for Joshua! We praise God for you!

Send us your questions advice, comments or prayer requests!

Pray for Joshua. He has Malaria

Please pray for Joshua. He has Malaria. We gave him a treatment right away. We're trusting in God to heal him. More than seven young children die every hour of Malaria in Cote d'Ivoire.

Heavenly Father, we trust You to heal Joshua and take away his severe headache and nausea. Help him to get back on his feet again. In Jesus name. Amen!

Send us your questions advice, comments or prayer requests!

John recovering well

Your prayers for John's recovery from shoulder surgery are being answered. He is still having some trouble sleeping, as would be expected with his surgery and his arm brace. He's working some every day at Gold's Gym. Soon he will be going away for 3 weeks at US Army National Guard Camp. That will be a challenge!

Ramadan is off to a smooth start here in Abidjan. I'm visiting my friends in the morning. Traffic is crazy in the evening as frazzled, starved and thirsty people are in a hurry to get home for food and water.

Heavenly Father, thank You for touching and healing John's body. Give him strength and good sleep at night. Continue to give our friends dreams and visions about Jesus our Christ and Savior.

Pray about John's shoulder pain

Please pray for our son John's shoulder surgery recovery. He's home but couldn't sleep last night because of pain. He is getting a different pain killer now.

With love and gratitude,

Mike, Sue, John, and Joshua Farho

http://farho.us

John's shoulder surgery Thursday AM

Photo of John in Iraq with some kids.

I had a good phone conversation with our son John today. He appreciates your prayers about his shoulder surgery on Thursday morning. He has had some annoying pain in one shoulder since his tour in Iraq. I don't completely understand his injury. but trust that the doctors do. I think it is called an arthroscopic outpatient surgery. He goes in at 6:30am, and out after lunch time. He will have three weeks of recovery. Then he has three weeks of National Guard camp in September. He is also taking a full load at college and working as a personal trainer at Gold's Gym. Oh to be 22 years old again!

Heavenly Father, we trust You to heal John's injured shoulder. Give the doctors wisdom and steady hands. Protect John from infection and further injury. Strengthen him as he juggles a very hectic schedule this fall.

God took away my fear!

On Aug. 7, 2001, a number of our friends experienced a living nightmare. God supernaturally saved us from being caught in the maelstrom of that evil day. I don't want to open the wounds that so many experienced that day. I need to share one friend's healing after that frightening day. Last week, she shared that the fear was so overwhelming that she couldn't sleep for days. Then she cried out to God to take away her fear. Immediately, a wonderful feeling of peace came over her. I can honestly tell you that she is now one of the most courageous people I know.

Heavenly Father, thank You for healing those who were so terribly wounded that day 7 years ago. Make this anniversary of that event one of increasing peace and comfort for all. Protect Your servants who serve You in areas of intense spiritual warfare. Deliver them from the evil one and his schemes to destroy them.

Measles and Travel

I don't think our John and Joshua ever had measles. Sue and I did. How about you? Nassif (12 years old) has a bad case of measles (is actually Chickenpox). He and his dad Fauzi haven't been able to sleep, because of the irritation. Poor Nassif just had Malaria recently too.

Radwan is trying to get ready for his family's departure to Lebanon next Monday. There are many problems that are making it difficult. A tax collector showed up today with a bill for over $5,000. He is trying to sell his wife's car to pay for all their plane tickets. She and their children will stay in Lebanon.

Heavenly Father, thank You for being Nassif's healer. Give him relief from his itching sores. Radwan thanks You for meeting all his needs. He and we are counting on Your provision for his financial needs.

Pray for healing

Fauzi thanks you for your prayers about his twisted intestine. After you started praying, he got better. He's already back to work!

I, Mike, need your prayers too.When we were in Senegal last month, I injured my right foot and my ears started ringing (tinnitus). We thought my tinnitus could be related to a medication, so I quit all medications and even vitamins. That hasn't make any difference. My foot is still sore and stiff in the morning or when I get up after sitting for a while.

Heavenly Father, in Your grace, heal Mike of these two annoying ailments. Encourage the team from Omaha, serving in Abidjan May 16-30, as they raise their support.

Fauzi has a twisted colon

We weren't able to have church at Fauzi's Sunday. He's very sick with what seems to be a twisted colon, that happened with the passing of kidney stones. He won't go to the hospital, so he is getting by with IVs at home. It has been complicated with a case of Malaria. We've been able to visit him for prayer daily. It really hurts us to see a dear friend suffering like this.

Heavenly Father, heal Fauzi and take away the pain and fatigue he is suffering. Use these days to draw him closer to You.

Our son John is leading a team of college students to Cote d'Ivoire next month. We're busy preparing for their housing and ministries in our seminary, a village church and and an orphanage. Tomorrow, I'll be visiting the orphanage and church with one of our pastors. If you want to support John financially, ask us how. He is raising $3,000.

Hyame has Malaria

It was a very difficult week for Hyame.

• Her brother died on Friday morning.
• She rushed down from Bouake to be at his funeral on Saturday morning. Muslims do their best to bury their dead within 24 hours.
• Now she is sick in bed with Malaria.

Heavenly Father, heal her body and comfort her as she grieves the loss of her brother.

Send us your questions advice, comments or prayer requests!

Claimed healing for my back

Thank you for sending us your prayer requests. We are honored to get them, and to pray for you and others.

Praise God Fauzi's back is better!

When I, Nellie, read your e-mail, I was so thankful as I read the first line of it..."Do we need to pray for your back too?" I said 'yes' outloud and claimed healing for my back that had some of the same symptoms that Fauzi had. I shared this with my Pastor at our International Conference where we were having our International Dinner with the Grace Alliance Church in Lexington, just as we did when you were here last year. This morning my neck, back, hip and leg are almost well. I am going to ask for anointing at our time at church tonight!

Thank you for taking time to pray for others back here. God says He will not forget your labor of love; I believe that means every aspect of your ministry. God bless, protect, encourage, and give you His strength as you and your family continue to work for him. Nellie and Ken

Send us your questions advice, comments or prayer requests!

Experienced His healing touch

Thank God, I have experienced His healing touch, from an upper Resperatory infection. I also praise Him that He protected Wade from being sick. I am now feeling well and growing stronger each day. The day your e-mail came and you prayed for everyone in pain I was not able to check my e-mail, but God heard your prayer. All your family is often in our prayers. Also we pray for those you are ministering to. Love, Wade and Myrtie

Send us your questions, advice, comments or prayer requests!

Praying for Fauzi and Baptist friend

I forgot to ask folks to pray for our 22 year old son John. He's still having trouble with his shoulder.

Please keep Fauzi and our Baptist friend in your prayers. Fauzi is grateful to be able to sleep again, but still needs to get back to work. We took a meal over to Bobbi and her husband Thursday evening. She looks great, but her doctor doesn't want her to leave her house.

Send us your questions, advice, comments or prayer requests!

God is healing backs this week!

Do we need to pray for your back too? Our Baptist friend was able to come home from the hospital. She is feeling much better. Wednesday, Fauzi got such a bad stiff neck and back that he wasn't able to sleep for 5 nights. He had pain across his back and down his left arm, making his fingers numb. His doctor feared he was having a heart attack. Sunday we had church at his house, as we have since 2005, with few exceptions. We anointed him with oil and prayed for his healing. Last night was the first night he got some sleep! Today, he is getting the feeling back in his fingers.

Heavenly Father, we thank You for being our Healer. Forgive us our impatience, wanting to be healed before it is time. We pray for each of our partners who are suffering today. Heal each sick body and broken heart, in Jesus name!

Pray for suffering worker

One of our dear Baptist worker friends here in Abidjan is suffering severe back pain. She hurt it somehow while in the USA. They just returned from home assignment. The plane flight aggravated her back severely. Tonight she is in the hospital, facing surgery this week. I wouldn't want to have back surgery in the USA, much less here. Pray for a miracle!

Dear Heavenly Father, You created this woman. You know every hair on her head and every cell in her body. In Your grace, please repair the damage to her back, so that she won't need surgery. In Jesus name. Amen.

Send us your questions advice, comments or prayer requests!