Mike and Maria Long

Clean Monday in Greece means clean outside and inside

Today is a holiday.  Everyone is thankful for Mike's clean blood after last month's kidney failure trial.  Spring is upon us and everyone is cleaning.  Cleaning inside our hearts is more important.  Thanks be to God, the precious blood of Jesus that cleanses us from all unrighteousness.  Greek Easter is April 27 this year.  This is spiritual time of ministry, evangelism, and spiritual renewal.  May this time of the year be spiritually uplifting for all of us. 

The following is a wikipedia description of the holiday:

Clean Monday (Greek: Καθαρή Δευτέρα), also known as Pure Monday, Ash Monday, Monday of Lent or (in Cyprus only) Green Monday (actually translated as such), is the first day of the Eastern Orthodox Christian Lent. "Clean Monday," refers to the leaving behind of sinful attitudes and non-fasting foods.   The entire first week of Great Lent is often referred to as "Clean Week," and it is customary to go to Confession during this week, and to clean the house thoroughly. In this way, the faithful begin Lent with a clean conscience, with forgiveness, and with renewed Christian love.

Wash yourselves and ye shall be clean; Isaiah 1.16

Clean Monday is a public holiday in Greece , where it is celebrated with outdoor excursions, the consumption of shellfish, bean soup and other fasting food and the widespread custom of flying kites. Eating meat, eggs and dairy products is traditionally forbidden to Christians throughout Lent, with fish being eaten only on major feast days, but shellfish is permitted.

Kidneys at 99%, arm released, and gaining strength

The doctor was so impressed with blood test results on Monday that he prescribed just one more week of special diet and scheduled the next blood test for March 17.  God clearly restored the kidneys way ahead of expectations.  Many times patients wait months for their blood results to return to normal.  The prayers for healing on Sunday Feb 10 were the turning point that resulted in remarkable recovery.  Thank you for the prayers then, before, and since.  Glory to God!

Thessaloniki Balkan Church was full last Sunday. Worship was high.  Preaching by new friend, Manolis, was strong. Encouragement was flowing.  Prophecy was spoken. Praise the Lord for the work that is growing and building.  Next Sunday Mike gets to ministry for the first time since Jan 21.  Prayer for the church.  The kidney failure has been a spiritual test personally, for the family, and for the church and its leadership.

Kidneys at 66%

One week at home has been wonderful.  Maria got the results from Monday's blood test yesterday.  The doctor was surprised by my quick recovery.  The doctor asked what have you did feeding him?  She said God is healing, not his diet.  Usually, patients who delay as much as my kidneys have, do not regain kidney functioning rapidly.  Usually, it takes months.  My blood values are near normal.  (Creatine is as 2.12 from 9.5+, for those understand. 1.0 is normal.)  Things are optimistic for full healing soon.  Praise God and keep asking for God to complete his work.

Maria is catching up on her rest.  Her biggest struggle is what to cook for Mike everyday.  The girls are catching up on school and are enjoying not having to cover for there mom at the store.

Our family is very grateful for the prayers and notes of support during this trial.

Home, kidneys working, and recovering

After Sunday's visit to the church, my kidneys started to open the valves and flowing like never before. My doctor took me to the church but hesitated to go in. I told him, that today I went to my dialysis and that it works so well that I won't need regular dialysis again. The next day after the prayers of many for healing, my blood values and amount of urine had changed so drastically that I no longer needed dialysis. When my doctor came the next day he told his colleague that "my dialysis" was the most effective of all, and he gave me a high five.

Today, Thursday, I came home with very good blood values but still needing to improve. After of 18 days of hospitalization, I am weak and weary from constant bed rest. Now, Maria and the girls get to take care of dad at home. Maria is glad to not have to run back and forth to the hospital. Next Monday I go for blood test to see how the recovery is progressing. Please pray for the adjustment at home and continued recovery. Thank the Lord for the healing and wholeness that He promises to those who believe.

Two pictures are included of the hospital dialysis machine and the church "dialysis" of mighty prayer.

A day of healing and more

I am on the 14th day of hospitalization trying to recover from kidney failure from medications and surgery. Nobody knows why. Nobody knows when I will bounce back. I have 9 days on dialysis (70 hours) and am continuously improving, yet still confounding the doctors why it is taking so long. Prayers raised up to the heavens have brought the beginning of healing and strength to endure the grueling ordeal of prolonged hospitalization. Still we are waiting for complete healing.

On Sunday, there is a break from dialysis and an opportunity for divine healing to glorify the power of God to heal and restore. Because the dialysis IV's are on a major artery, I am not allowed to leave the hospital unless escorted by a doctor. Because my doctor, George Liltsis, who performed the surgery has been visiting me twice a day and feels extremely sympathetic for my unexpected kidney failure, he has agreed to take me from the hospital to our church and back during the morning worship service. The doctor and I will arrive for a worship hymn, prayer for healing, and greetings. Then, he will return me back to the hospital. He agreed to do me this favor as long as it is not a trap. He is a typical Greek Orthodox Christian that believes in the general good of all religions. Pray for two divine works on Sunday at 10:30 am: complete healing of my partially functioning kidneys, and the beginning of salvation in a doctor's harden heart.

May Sunday February 10th be a day of healing and more!!

Slow Progress

February 5, 2008 - Mike is continuing to be a dialysis each day and it helping. It is still going slower than what every one would like, but things are improving. Keep praying for Mike and the family. Here is a photo of Mike in the hospital. We hope to have a post from Mike in the next day or so!

reported for the longs by A Mellinger

New Clinic...

February 4, 2008 - Mike was moved to a different clinic today and after getting all the proper paper work together, Mike was put on the dialysis machine late this afternoon local time and is doing better. Still has a ways to go but he is more comfortable and is hoping for a better nights sleep. It appears that Mike will be in the hospital for a few more days.

Pray for Maria as she is caring for her father, the kids the bookstore ministry and running to the hospital to help care for Mike.

Pray for Mike to rest and be patient with the process.

Reported for the Longs by A. Melinger

Out of Intensive Care

Mike has been moved out of Intensive Care – (there was nothing for him to do there) to a room where he can move around a bit more – The Doctors are still concerned about he amount of liquid being passed by Mike. So they are continuing to watch him closely. No clear word as to when Mike might be released from the Hospital. If things continue to improve they may Move Mike to an other clinic for a more specialized dialysis.

Pray that Mike will get some needed rest (as when in intensive care they keep checking on you and waking you up so mike says He didn’t get much sleep)
Pray for Maria and the girls while Mike isn’t at home as they continue to run the ministries. Especially for the services on Sunday at there church.
Pray for the Doctors to be better able to figure out what caused this so they can treat it better.

Reported by A Mellinger for the Longs

Update on Mike!

Mike's surgery on the shoulder went well, it is the aftermath that has created the problem. Mike is improving but has a ways to go! The medicine for preventing infection caused his kidneys to shut down but the dialysis seems to be working and they are responding once again.

BUT THE DOCTORS ARE CONCERNED THAT IT ISN'T IMPORVING AS FAST AS THEY HAD HOPED - SO PRAY FOR THIS!

Keep praying as it has been a rough few days for the Long Family. Pray not only for Mike's kidney but also for Mike to slow down and rest during this time. If you know Mike you know that may be the hardest part.

An update on Gina's Teeth She is doing better - Thanks for your prayers.

Posted for the Longs by A Mellinger

Toothless and Still Screwed Up

Gina had 7 teeth removed on Monday.  Her Grandpa was very proud of how well she did and still smiled afterwards.  Genetically, she is missing adult teeth.  The baby teeth had to be removed inorder to make room for implants later.  She has been wearing braces since 2004.  We hope that by the time she finishes at Spring Arbor University (2010+), she will be able to have the smile that she deserves for the degree that she will have finished in music, and Bible.  She is very special and as Greeks, we are not bashful to be extremely proud of her.  Of course, prayers for her are a constant need and the best support possible.

Mike found out that the screw fixing the collar bone in proper location for healing had become detached and the two month wait for shoulder repair had failed.  He is scheduled for surgery again on Monday Jan. 28.  The doctor will remove the bent screw and will secure a tendon transplant from a donor through holes made in the collar bone and the shoulder.  May the surgery go well, and Doctor Jesus completely heal the broken parts.

In the Thessaloniki Balkan Church we are asking God for a prayer team, a street minstry team, and for the gifts of the Holy Spirit to be released.  Over our city prayers hope to be increased in Greek, Bulgarian and Albanian for spiritual change.  Praise be to God for two new Bulgarian families that moved to Thessaloniki from Sofia.  Thanks to Zhoro Penchev, but mostly to the Lord, our prayer for a Bulgarian minister are being answered.

Please, give regularly to our support.  The FM mission has changed to a new system this year and funds are very low.  Thanks for Kingdom investing in Greece, Bulgaria, and the Balkans.