Jarretts Ministry

Dear Friends and Family:

Thank you so much for praying. Marty went to be with the Lord last night, January 22, at 11:45 pm. We knew yesterday afternoon that her time with us was short as she nearly passed out after getting out of the chair. We helped her into the bed where she remained all day; she talked with us off and on—a little more than she had even the past two days.

Our immediate family gathered around her and sang songs, read psalms, and prayed. Later in the evening, Pastor Bancroft came over and talked with her and prayed over her. It was a very blessed time together, and I know Marty enjoyed the music and scripture. She remained comfortable with her pain medication, and her suffering did not increase at the end.

Thinking that she might pass anytime in the next 48 hours, we set up a schedule for someone to sit with her throughout the night. Debbye had first shift as I lay on my bed next to them. She and Marty were talking when Marty suddenly choked a little and stopped breathing. Susanna and Aaron were still in the room, so we all prayed for her, told her we loved her, and she was gone.

Visitation will be Monday evening from 4-8 pm and Tuesday morning from 11am to 1pm followed immediately by a memorial celebration service at 1pm. The graveside service will be private. An obituary should appear in the Indianapolis Star on Sunday.

The family has asked that in lieu of flowers, memorial donations be made to support the orphans at Tenwek through “Hope Ministries”, 9902 E 200 South, Zionsville, IN 46077.

Thank you so much for your prayers and support through this time. We love you all.

In Christ,

Paul

Dear Friends and Family:
Marty has experienced a fairly sudden decline in her health since New Years Day caused by accelerated growth of the cancer in her liver, and it appears that she’s entering the final phase of her battle. She hasn’t lost her will to fight, but the doctors have run out of ammunition. Her condition is too weak to withstand any further chemotherapy primarily because her liver isn’t functioning properly. It would take a miracle from God at this point to both remove the cancer and restore her body to health.
Marty is reasonably comfortable at this time. We’ve been able to keep pain controlled fairly well all along. She is still able to eat and drink. She’s able to walk around as much as is necessary. She appreciates the grandchildren being around and would enjoy brief visits from friends and family.
We will talk with St. Vincent Home Hospice in a few days; we will stop the rehab exercises that we have focused on the past three months and focus on comfort issues as they arise.
Dr. Milton didn’t try to predict how much time Marty has but feels like it may not be very long. Her liver function has deteriorated to the point of her being jaundiced. It may be hard for her to clear some medications. Already she has had moments of confusion but so far these have been very brief; he expects these will increase with the further decline in liver function that seems inevitable.
Our family is doing well at this time and is spending time together. We have absolute certainty of Marty’s eternal destiny. Our separation from her will be a short time relative to our eternal future together worshiping Jesus. This certainty is based on God’s promises in His word which can be trusted absolutely. It is available to anyone who will trust God’s son to save him from his sins.
John 14:1-3
Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

Rev 21:2-4 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband….God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

Joyous New Year 2010
The Paul Jarrett family sends you greetings from snowy Zionsville, Indiana. As our family grows, the size of each face in our picture shrinks. Hope your eyesight is good enough to make out faces in the larger groups. Here are the names to go with the faces:
Paul and Marty, Rachel, Laura, Amy, and Beth
Pat and Lisa, Elissa, Anna, Mark, Matthew, Ben, Nate, Becca, Christie, Katie, Luke, Will
Jon and Sharon, Ethan, Carter, Tyler, Asher, Ansley, Gabe
Tom and Christine, Austin, Andrew Chris and Susanna Gordon
Peter, Becki, and Charlotte Burke Aaron, Debbye, and Paul Biermann.
Marty is making progress in her recovery from the nearly fatal complication of chemotherapy in September. Tom and Laura continue to battle biotoxin related illness with varying degrees of success. Our time serving the Lord abroad has been limited, although Amy, Laura, and Pat served in Africa this past year, and Laura was in Japan.
Although circumstances in our lives are not always pleasant, we always have Joy in our security in Jesus Christ, who is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
Stories and updates from the Jarretts can be found at www.jarrettsministry.org

Latest update: Marty will continue on the hormonal treatment at the present time. She was very weak for 6 days after the Faslodex injection but is beginning to regain her strength again. Apparently weakness and nausea are common side effects; we’re praying they will be very short duration.
Thank you for praying for Hope Ministries, our orphan support project. Donations for December nearly equaled those of 2008, but overall in 2009, we received only one third of the amount as in 2008. We thank God for His provision. We believe we can meet the most basic necessities for the children. Please pray for God to continue to meet the needs of these precious children He has entrusted to Christian caregivers.
Donations can be made to Hope Ministries, 9902 East 200 South, Zionsville, IN 46077. As a donor covers ministry administration costs, 100% of donations reach the children and widow’s support ministry.