MEDINA, N.Y. (WKBW) — After spending three weeks in an intensive care unit in Guatemala, pastor Russ Peters from Medina has made it home.
I traveled two weeks ago to the Alabama Full Gospel Fellowship Church in Medina, where Russ is the lead pastor. His wife Jodi told me that he fell severely ill while on a mission trip in Guatemala.
Thankfully, Pastor Russ was not traveling alone, church members like Edna Calix were there with him.
“Very stressful. we did not expect all of this to happen… We stayed an extra three weeks,” Calix said. “The lord told me to be strong, and we will go through this, and we did. Praise God for the strength that he gave the pastor to deal with this.”
Last Friday, church coordinator Michael Zaidel was able to travel down to Guatemala and fly back home with his friend, Pastor Russ, on Wednesday after 30 days away from home.
“It was just a huge relief knowing we were on the plane,” Zaidel said.
His medical bills abroad are completely covered, thanks to the $65,000 raised on GoFundMe.
“When I was talking to Pastor Russ about the support he was given, he had tears in his eyes because he was just overwhelmed that people would come together to help him and his family,” Zaidel said.
Russ is currently staying at Unity Hospital in Rochester.
His wife Jodi tells me that he is making improvements every day and she’s optimistic he can be released later this week, just in time for Christmas.
