"O GIVE thanks unto the LORD: for he is good"

Having returned home briefly, only to have to re-enter hospital again last week, we rejoiced to hear that Pastor Don Fortner of Danville, Kentucky, has now returned home again, feeling much better than he has done for the last six weeks, since first being diagnosed with heart trouble.

Following his return home, Pastor Fortner was even enabled to preach again both last Sunday and on Tuesday. We praise God for His goodness in bringing him through this recent set-back, and pray that he may now be back on the proper road to recovery.

May the LORD be pleased to use our Brother in the coming days to once again, boldly “declare the works of the LORD” (Psalm 118:16) for the good of His people, for “blessed be he that cometh in the name of the LORD”.


Repeated below is the content of a message sent out by Don Fortner as an update on his recent situation.


Dear Friends,

Thank you for your notes. Please forgive my brevity and forgive me for sending this to you as a group, rather than writing personally to each of you, but after almost six weeks in the hospital I have several hundred pieces of correspondence that must be answered. Here is a brief, mater-of-fact synopsis of my recent illness. Please pass it along to any who are interested.

April 6 (2:00 A.M.) checked into hospital.
April 9 discovered that I had a defective aorta valve from birth.
The defect had caused such calcification that I was getting less than 25 % blood flow through my heart. -- No other heart disease or damage except for slight blockage in one artery and damage to electrical impulses caused by the birth defect.
Received a pace-maker to get my heart's rhythm in control.
Came home and preached April 13, 15 and 20.
April 21 received a valve replacement.
April 23 reaction to medication shut down liver and kidneys, causing 5 days of horror.
May 9 returned home.
Attended services here May 11.
May 13 (6:30 A.M.) taken back to hospital by ambulance after loosing blood throughout the night.
After receiving 6 units of blood, it was discovered that the shock to my system from surgery caused me to develop ulcers. The coumadin caused one ulcer to bleed profusely.
Returned home Friday May 16, preached here on Sunday and plan to preach tonight.
Gaining strength daily.

It appears that the Lord may yet have a work for me to do. Thank you, my friends, for your love and care, and for your continual intercessions before our Father's throne on my behalf. Shelby and I cannot adequately express our hearts' gratitude to our God for you.

Don