MEDINA, N.Y. (WKBW) — Russ Peters, the lead pastor at the Alabama Full Gospel Fellowship church in Medina, has been hospitalized in Guatemala for the past week and a half after he fell sick while working on a mission trip.
“I just started walking a nightmare,” Russ’ wife Jodi said. “There’s a pit in our stomachs that we can’t go on another week like this.”
Russ has made this trip several times to support the 40 churches they have planted there, but after he completed his work and was preparing to head home, things took a turn when Jodi got a phone call from the people on the trip with her husband.
“He just started falling sick very quickly. He was vomiting and was in a fetal position. He’s a diabetic, so his sugar began to go on a rollercoaster ride,” Jodi said. “We got a diagnosis that it was diabetic ketoacidosis and pancreatitis.”
Jodi said that for the past week and a half, Russ has been treated in the ICU of a hospital in Guatemala City, missing his flight home on Thursday.
Nearly a week removed from his scheduled flight home, his doctors said he’s still not stable enough to fly back.
“We have no idea how long he is going to remain there,” Jodi said.
The troubles don't stop there. Jodi has no passport, so she can't travel to be at her husband's side. She also just found out their insurance won't cover any of the medical bills and they have to pay everything out of pocket.
“We’ve had to put down probably $13,000 or more,” Jodi said.
With nowhere left to turn, she asked their community for help, and they answered, raising more than $55,000 on GoFundMe in two days.
If you too would like to donate to help the Peters family, you can do so at this link.
