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June 26, 2006
Hot June Happenings
We’re now into the last week of June and hot weather has finally hit Portland. Our thermometer hit 104 F. both yesterday and today, but evenings cool a lot more than they do in Manila with similar high temperatures, so we’re not complaining. And we’re glad to see green tomatoes finally changing to yellow and soon to red-orange. My last planting of corn and beans are popping up really fast and we’re enjoying fresh lettuce, Swiss chard, spinach, zucchini, and even a few peas and beans. Soon we’ll have new potatoes as those plants are flowering. Dave has added a few recent photos to the online collection, but they are already a bit dated.
Last Friday Wil went as a counselor to 6-9 year olds at the Dunes Bible Camp. He was due home today, but called to say they need more counselors for the 10-12 year olds who start camp today and he wants to stay! Guess he’s enjoying himself, and being on the coast when it is so hot inland.
Dave and I drove south yesterday to collect a lamb we had ordered from friends who raise sheep. We now have 74 pounds of lamb divided between our freezer and a friend’s. We look forward to enjoying shepherd’s pie, moussaka and chops in the coming months. Take that as an added incentive to visit if you like lamb!!
Tomorrow I have a school board training session from 8-4 and Dave will be helping with the chisel order. He’s helping there right now. June 30th is fast approaching, and the beautiful wooden handles are ready, but not all the chisel blades have been delivered yet, so the pressure will be intense for the next few days.
When I went in for treatment last week I was told that studies have shown Herceptin is more effective when given in large doses every three weeks, than weekly as I’ve been getting it. So on Thursday I switch to the triple dose once every three weeks. Please pray that my system will be able to tolerate this higher dose without too many unpleasant side effects. One plus of this change is that I won’t have to go in every single week and will actually have two weeks a month free of hospital visits. That has made it easier to plan a trip to Michigan and Wisconsin in August.
Posted by David at 3:13 PM
June 16, 2006
Busy June thus far
It’s hard to top the news in our last update, but I’m sorry to have kept you waiting this long to hear more. Just this morning I was catching up in my journal on what has happened since Wil finished school on June 2. The next day he caddied, I bought a number of plants at a sale, and Dave and I went for a seven mile hike with friends from church. We had visitors the following week, then the Philippine Independence Day celebration on Dave’s birthday, then we took off for Sunriver for three days with the Phillis family (friends from church). We got back late on the 14th and I had chemo yesterday, so the only reason for not writing sooner, is we haven’t had time! Dave has spent many hours helping his friend Dave with a woodworking project (the end of June is their deadline for completing 4,000 chisels!!). I’ve spent free hours in the garden, and Wil has had a few very lucrative days caddying. One day he caddied 36 holes and earned $75. That may prove to be his record daily income for the year; he took it as an excuse not to caddy again for a few days!!
The results of my Muga scan showed that my heart is stronger now than the last time I had a test, so that result was more good news. But news of two very dear friends, both of whom have been like parents to me, is not so good. My Scottish ‘mum’ has had a recurrence of cancer in the bone and needs to undergo chemo again after doing really well for the past five years. And our neighbor and former landlord here in Damascus is having chemo for lymphoma in the kidneys. Two dear friends in England have been dealing with breast cancer in recent weeks as well. It’s easier to handle the side effects of my own treatment than to know that others I love are struggling. If possible, could you remember them in your prayers too? They all know and love the Lord, but that doesn’t take away their pain.
In the last update I mentioned being able to play my flute again. Well, the music we’re doing for a special Fourth of July program involves lots of marches and marches have piccolo parts… so I went online and ordered a piccolo through E-bay! It was my first time to use E-bay and a bit scary, but the instrument has come and I can play the music. It wasn’t an expensive instrument, but I’ve never had my own piccolo (just played the one the school owned) so this is a treat. I’m glad we don’t have a dog; the sound would drive one crazy. Even I need to use an ear plug in my right ear when I’m playing it. It’s better if I practice when no one else is home.
Wil gave his dad a jigsaw puzzle as an early Father’s Day present. He figured Dave does puzzles when he’s on holiday, so he needed it to do while we were in Sunriver. I’m starting to get into helping a bit more with the puzzles, and Wil doesn’t mind coming along to put in the last few pieces.
We will host the Portland area OMF prayer meeting on June 20th. Two couples on their way to Singapore for orientation and then off to other parts of East Asia will be with us for that meeting. Since the Lord isn’t allowing us to return to Asia at the moment, it’s good to be part of the support team for new workers He is calling out. Pray too for Dave as he prepares for conducting a workshop at the Northwest Asian Youth Conference, July 10-13, focusing on high schoolers.
Posted by David at 10:05 PM
June 1, 2006
June Bulletin-- Good News!
Lampinen Prayer Bulletin
Dave & Karen Lampinen, 14300 SE Wiese Rd, Damascus, OR 97009 H:503-563-1146 Cell:971-322-8517
Dear Team, 1 June 2006
We’ve had some queries about our statement in last month’s letter that we hope to see TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND Filipino missionaries by the year 2010. Yes, we meant 200,000. We didn’t put in too many zeros. Church and missions leaders in thee Philippines have sensed for years that God has been preparing their country to be a missionary sending nation. Filipino believers are well suited, through their culture, gifting and faith to be effective servant messengers of the gospel in these last days. Filipinos are favored as Overseas Contract Workers all over the world because of their adaptability, diligence, fluency in English and ability to learn other languages. And Filipinos can get into countries where we white westerners are not welcome. As leaders met and prayed the vision began to immerge of trusting God to raise up 200,000 Filipino missionaries by 2010..
How is this possible? Consider the fact that there are already over 8 million Filipinos living and working abroad. Now if the percentage of Filipinos that are born again committed Christians is around 5% (and actually it is closer to 8%) there would already be 400,000 committed Filipino Christians living abroad! Each day over 2,000 Filipinos leave home to work abroad. Millions are finding work in countries within the 10/40 Window. Many who go are committed Christians who see their job as an opportunity and opening to share the gospel among co-workers and the people of their host country. They are what we call "tentmaker" missionaries. Missions leaders in the Philippines are seeking to equip those preparing to work abroad to be effective witnesses and church planters in areas that are closed to the gospel, such as in the Middle East, North Africa, Indonesia, Malaysia and in places such as China, Vietnam, Myanmar, and Laos where communism still holds sway. Pray to the Lord of the Harvest that He will continue to raise up, equip and send out thousands of faithful Filipino Christians to help fulfill the Great Commission of taking the gospel to every tribe and language and people and nation. Pray too that we can see Filipino congregations here in the Portland, Oregon area catch this same vision and begin to play an significant role in fulfilling it.
Thank you for praying for my CAT scan last week. I was able to get my arm back far enough for the test (I’d never have been able to do that two months ago), the IV line went in on the first try and worked well, and best of all, the results show that the tumors in the liver are continuing to shrink and there was no sign of any problem in the lungs. I was less anxious while waiting for results this time than with previous scans, but the good report still means I can breathe easier and is a major item of praise. Those who get email updates had also prayed up my neutrophils (May 16 they were 1.48, too low for a full dose of chemo; May 24 they were up to 5.18!!) so I’ve had a number of encouragements health-wise. Another Muga scan (a test of the heart since a side-effect of Herceptin is damage to the heart) is scheduled for June 6th.
Because of the weakness in my arms, I haven’t been able to play my flute in the church orchestra since mid-December. But I went to the rehearsal last night, and thoroughly enjoyed playing. What a precious gift. And so is our garden. I love seeing flowers and vegetables coming up and flowering. We’re already eating home grown lettuce and enjoying having a lawn and so many flowers.
Tomorrow is Wil’s last day of school for the year. He has applied to be counselor at one Christian camp and plans to attend his high school youth group camp. But he has purchased a cell phone, so the rest of the time had better be spent earning money to keep up his monthly payments. In March we mentioned that we were hoping to visit the Philippines in August. We’re disappointed that that won’t be possible, so hope visitors keep coming our way. In fact, we’re expecting to see two families who are missionaries in the Philippines this month, one just arriving from the Philippines and one soon returning. And our time with the Otterbachs last month was very, very special.
Thank you for your faithful prayers, your love, concern and correspondence. May the Lord bless each one of you and encourage you in your faith and your relationship with Him.
Dave & Karen
Posted by David at 9:44 AM