Josias set to leave hospital

Dear Armonia friends,

It is with joy that I write to inform you that Josias is due to leave the hospital today. However, he will need to be under a very strict treatment regime as an out-patient for seven months after his respiratory distress syndrome. A clinic near Casablanca will be in charge of the treatment because the doctors want the lesion in his left lung to close up completely. Josias is very happy with this news and has decided to submit himself to the treatment although it saddens him that he won't be able to attend classes at his university for a while. Doctors advise that he should not go over the next 4 to 5 weeks because he remains too weak and that is leaving him out of University for a while.

We praise the Lord for the outcome of his medical care and thank you for all your prayers. We ask you to consider helping us with the medical expenses because we will need to contribute in buying some of the medicines and his transportation. I spent yesterday´s morning at the hospital talking to the social worker and nurse who are in charge of a government subsidy program and they have been convinced that Josias' parents cannot afford to pay. Armonía is a civic association and has not budgeted for this outlay so the hospital will cover the important and expensive medicines. We still need to finalize the details between the clinic and the hospital, and it is probable that we will have to provide blood donations as a type of payback for the services provided. But if everything goes smoothly, we can bring him home today under this new arrangement. If not, we will have to wait until Monday.

You will also be pleased to hear that Pilar is improving slowly having fallen ill last Sunday. Her stomach was seriously hurt by the medicine prescribed earlier this week; we had to return to the doctor for more tests and to change the antibiotics and painkillers. Thank God that they're now working and that she slept better last night. This morning, she was able to have some food which indicates that her stomach is mending. Her fever is lower and I thank everybody for your prayers for her health.

I ask also that you pray about Armonía's resources because the last month has been a difficult time with many unexpected expenses for doctors and medicines. We hope we can recover soon whilst continuing to labor in our other projects around Mexico City and Oaxaca . An update on the summer's activities is coming and we remain thankful in the Lord for the creation of the new Armonia Friends blog (http://armoniafriends.blogspot.com ) in Orlando , a new Armonia Trust administrator in the UK, your prayers, your phone calls and your love.

With love and blessings in Christ.
Saul Cruz