Last weekend, my Father, Harry Nachtigall, had a stroke in San Jose, Costa Rica. For the most part, details have been pretty sketchy. Family is keeping me updated in bits and pieces, phone connections have been pretty awful, and the hospital doctors haven't given that much information. What I know is that he had a stroke on the right side of his brain and he has paralysis in the Left arm and leg. He will need to move to the rehabilitation wing.
It's also clear that since many people started praying, he has improved remarkably well. He was the patient in the worst condition on Sunday in his ICU room of 6 people, and now he is in the best shape (May God Bless those others). He did not sound good to me at all on Sunday/Monday, but sounded better during my later call.
This is always the hardest part about this job for all of us in this line of work. Births, birthdays, graduations, wedding, sickness, and funerals happen while we live overseas and rarely are we able to be with our families. I know all of my colleagues understand that frustrating, helpless feeling. I've only seen my father and my sister for a handful of days over the last 14 years or so. And of course, all of them miss out on Marco's childhood. Yes, we're thankful for email and skype and all of that--but it's never the same as being there.
Well, this isn't a pity party. We love what we are doing and all of us feel called to do it. It's more of a tribute to all of my colleagues that have lived through this all before. Cheers to you.
My father's visitation times have been next to nothing. Julia gets 90 minutes a day and that's all. We are waiting to hear when that time gets expanded, how long it will be expanded to, when he will get to move to rehabilitation therapy, and what does the neurosurgeon say about his prognosis and what happens next. I have not asked permission for a leave-of-absence yet, but I haven't ruled out traveling to Costa Rica one we know more about visitation possibilities.
I've been deeply touched by all the love, support, prayers, and well-wishes from everyone around the world for my Dad. My Dad served as a missionary in Kenya, Panama, and Costa Rica and has lived the past 20 years in Costa Rica working as a teacher and in retirement. He's a dearly loved man who has never had an enemy. Quite a remarkable feat for a human being. Thank you for thinking of him during this time.
I just returned from Budapest, Hungary where we are having a special consultation with the Hungarian Church of God. Tomorrow I will preach in the church in Paris. And on Monday we kick off our 3W Roundtable III in Northern Italy (Venice and Lago di Garda). That will be followed by a 3W Seminar in Rome.