WIKLUNDS NEWSLETTER 2007

Oct 3rd, 2007

The Size of Your Cross Matters. The following emailed graphics was sent to our mission from an unknown artist. Take a look at the photo gallery and learn from it.

Oct 1st, 2007

Written in Sept/Oct 2006 by F. J. Bing West, a former assistant secretary
of defense. I found this article and Jeremy's picture through Google.com

[PDF] It has become commonplace to blame the neoconservatives in the
File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat
U.S. Army SPC Jeremy Wiklund provides security as SGT Allen Ronnei cuts the lock of the entrance gate of a home. during a cordon and search mission in ...
usacac.army.mil/CAC/milreview/English/SepOct06/West.pdf

August 27th, 2007

Last week was a tough one. My upper arms, shoulders have been hurting much. Its seems to increase by Wednesday. Every Thursday I take Methorexate, 10 pills (total of 25mg). But it must take time to kick in. Thursday was very painful, could barely move by right arm. I had to use my left arm to shift gears on the car. Not getting much sleep. This may be related to Gout; I need to figure what other foods groups beside meat products that might be causing the problem. I did fairly well on Friday, but Saturday onward I started having problems again.

Larry

July 18th, 2007

Dear Friends

We were surprised when Jeremy arrived at our Church Sunday morning. He was on a week leave from Ft. Riley Kansas. He did spend the night with us before heading to San Marcos, Texas to see his girlfriend, or I should say fiancee. Being there with us at church was an answer to prayer. I thought of it as being the perfect sermon for this occasion, and certainly for everyone there. Our pastor preached on Matthew 16:24-27.

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.

Many believers can get side-track and lose their focus on Jesus and aim for lesser things of this world. So I am praying that the Spirit of God will bring this passage to Jeremy’s memory that he might seek after and desire to have full joy in the presence of Jesus here and for eternity.

A week ago Betty fainted, fell and hit her face against a low table edge. She awoke about ten minutes later on her back. Cheek bones and forehead hurting. She has had some dizzy spells in the past thinking it was due to the medication Niacin. But the doctor says it was a bladder infection that caused her to pass-out. The antibiotics she’s taking presently do make her very sick.

For about three weeks Larry’s swelling in feet went down. But now it has gone up again. It may be certain foods or the change in medication. The doctors have dropped the Digitek (Lanoxin for the heart), they increase the Methotrexate to eight tablets once a week, and reduced the Prednisone (steroid for the joints) to one pill daily. His right wrist has sharp pains, and his left shoulder hurts when he try’s to lift or stretch his arm.

At Missionary TECH Team I have been working hard on a spiral bound construction manual for Warren Daniels with SIM in Africa. One blessing is that Warren is stateside in Dallas and was able come to Longview and go over a hundred drawings and 200 pages of text. Another blessing is Andrew Davis, an intern from Pensacola Christian College who has been a great help on this project. We are getting so close to completion.

Thanks for your prayers and support,

Larry Wiklund
Graphic Designer
Missionary TECH Team

May 4th, 2007

February 28th the doctor took me off all anti-inflammatory drugs since they are destroying my kidney. The drug must have been working, for in a day or two all my joints started hurting. So these have been difficult days getting around.

My doctor wanted me to have a Echo cardiogram at Good Shepherd Hospital since he believed I may have congestive heart failure. It turned out his diagnosis was wrong. It was expensive and it means we will be making monthly payments for many years to come.

He sent me to two doctors, a heart specialist who believes my heart is OK, and that the swelling in my feet and legs has nothing to do with my heart. Yet he thinks I should get another ultrasound to see if I have blood clots or varicose veins.

And he sent me to the only Arthritis doctor in Longview who believes I have both Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis and possibly Gout. I woke up one morning thinking both my thumbs were broken. These seem to be like traveling pains that last three or four days. Now my shoulders hurt; I can barely lift my arms horizontally.

So you can imagine it takes more time to work on the mission projects that are pouring in at this time. The drugs make me very sleepy in the morning, so I usually come back in the evening when I more alert.

I take 15 pills daily and Methotrexate once a week (6 more pills).

I still meet with Jim Englund each week for our discipleship time and encourangement. At church it looks like my only student in Sunday school is following his parents and grand parents (our former pastor) to another church. I will miss this student.

Appreciate your prayers.

Larry Wiklund Graphic Designer
Missionary TECH Team

P.S. My current drug list is as follows:

My Family Doctor Prescribed:

POTASSIUM - (KIDNEY)
20 MEQ - 2 TABLETS - 3 TIME'S DAILY

LISINOPRIL
10 MG - 1 TABLET - 1 TIME DAILY

FUROSEMIDE - LASIX - (REDUCE FLUID)
80 MG - 1 TABLET - 2 TIME'S DAILY

ATENOL/CHLOR - (HEART)
50/25 TAB MYLA - 1 TABLET - 1 TIME DAILY

PRAVASTATIN
20 MG - 1 TABLET - 1 TIME DAILY

DIGITEK ( LANOXIN ) - (HEART)
0.25 MG - 1 TABLET - 1 TIME DAILY

--------------------
My Rheumatoidologist prescribed:

PREDNISONE - (STEROID FOR JOINTS)
5 MG - 1 TABLET - 2 TIME'S DAILY FOR 3 WEEKS - THEN 1.5 PILLS DAILY FOR WEEK 4-6

FOLIC ACID -
1 MG - 1 TABLET - 1 TIME DAILY

METHOTREXATE -
2.5 MG - 6 TABLETS - 1 TIME WEEKLY ( THURSDAY )

March 6th, 2007

Praise the Lord we have found out that the man who rear-ended Melissa did have insurance and Melissa was able to file a claim.

Since we've been back home from the conference Betty and I have experiences various physical problems. Betty wakes up daily feeling dizzy and sick in her stomach, cause unknown. She has to get up very early to drive Melissa to her two jobs, chiropractor and other places.

Betty has not seen the neighborhood kids lately as she has spent little time at home.

Larry's doctor has taken him off all anti-inflammatory medications as it is doing harm to his kidneys. Larry's joints do hurt and his feet have swollen and are painful to walk on. Sometime this year we may need to replace his car, which doesn't have power steering and automatic transmission. Lord help us find car that's easy to get in and out of.

David Leventry still has his leg in a splint. Surgery is due on April 2nd.

Anna Ramsey has been a great help with the work load. We'll miss her as her internship from Kilgore College is for only a month.

Pray for our mission's annual board meeting March 21-24

The memories of meeting COD'ers again has been a wonderful joy. And praise God for Boysenberry jam.

Appreciate your prayers.

Larry Wiklund
Graphic Designer
Missionary TECH Team