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July 24, 2006
July News
I’ll let Dave tell you more about the Asian Youth Conference in our next Prayer Bulletin and in the meantime try to hit some of the highlights of the past few weeks. I’m sorry for the long delay in doing an update. It’s not because anything is wrong, just that we tried to fit in a lot of visits with friends while Wil was away at camp and the garden has taken more time as we’ve needed to water morning and evening, pick and deal with the produce.
This month we’ve been able to attend open rehearsals of the Northwest Chamber Music Summer series on Wednesday mornings. These have been almost more fun that regular concerts as we’ve been able to hear the musicians discuss how to phrase different passages, change dynamics, or try playing a piece at a different tempo. In addition I was able to go to a performance of Thornton Wilder’s ‘Our Town’ last night and enjoyed that as well.
Just before Wil went to camp, he caddied during a tournament. It was tiring, but he earned a lot more than on regular days and that was encouraging after having had a number of fairly low-pay days in the previous weeks. He has also been promoted from a 1A to a 2A caddy which means he gets paid more for each round. The night before he left for water ski camp he was able to attend a special get-together of people who had attended or taught at Faith Academy. The school is celebrating it’s 50th anniversary this year and get-togethers like this were arranged in 10 cities around the US and in other countries as well.
Once again camp was a very positive experience for Wil, the highlight being that he has learned to wake skate as well as wake board. I’m not sure I understand what that means, but he’s proud of his accomplishment. He thrived on the rustic, rugged camp life (no electricity, no running water, sleeping in tents or under the stars) and even seemed to enjoy the chores he was assigned. Now he just needs to get back into the swing of doing chores at home!
While Wil was away we had the opportunity to get together with several of Dave's cousins up in Battleground, Washington. Some where here from the East coast and thus we seldom see, but were in the area attending church meetings. It is always a special treat to spend time with family.
We have friends arriving from Canada tomorrow and quite a full week, including my next chemo treatment on Thursday. We’ve invited our neighbors for coffee and dessert on Friday to introduce them to a family we know who have just moved in on our street. We’re hoping it will be a way for us to meet many more of our neighbors. Then Sat. is a community event called Damascus Day in the Park where we also hope to connect with more people in the local area.
Posted by David at 8:58 PM
July 11, 2006
July Prayer Bulletin
Dear Team, 4 July 2006
On June 11th at the get-together of Filipino churches in the area, Dave was able to distribute a paper he’d written (and quoted from in the last letter to you!) on the place of Filipinos in World Missions. We had 70 copies ready. Response was good from those attending and the pastors especially seem to be more ‘on board,’ but we need to reach a much larger number of Filipinos. On Monday July 10th the Filipino pastors’ prayer meeting will be at our home. We hope some tomatoes will be ripe by then!
July 13th Dave will give a seminar on cross-cultural missions at the Northwest Asian Youth Conference, a first-time event here in Portland. Pray for the organizers of this event and that the youth and youth leaders who attend will benefit and put into practice what they learn.
In our last bulletin, we mentioned that I’d had a Muga scan (that’s checking to see whether Herceptin is damaging my heart), Results showed my heart is in good shape, and Dr. Panutich initially suggested changing from weekly injections to triple-strength injections once every three weeks, so that I didn’t have to go in for treatment every single week. Then when I saw him last week, he decided it would be better to do a double dose of Herceptin every two weeks and also shift the Navelbine from two weeks on, one week off to every other week. That means one visit every other week and a two week break after each visit! It’s hard to imagine having a life again, even with ongoing chemo, but I’m sure God will show me how to use the extra ‘free’ time. I’ve been asked to be a ‘table mom’ at an outreach you moms with preschoolers and to speak at one of their meetings this coming year. They are meeting for evening Bible studies during the summer and I’ll be part of some of those as well.
I do want to ask you to pray for my oncologist. At my last appointment, he was wearing a knee brace and we learned that he has multiple myeloma, a type of cancer. I had no idea that he was a fellow cancer patient. He is a wise, kind, compassionate doctor, and now I know that both his faith in Christ and his own circumstances contribute to that. Please add him to your prayers. News of several other friends recently diagnosed with cancer has been very positive; one needs no further treatment after a lumpectomy, and another only a few weeks of radiation. And Dorothea, the fellow missionary from our church who I mentioned some months ago has completed chemotherapy, and is almost through with radiation and is doing really well. God is good.
Wil extended his stay at camp since they needed another counselor for the following session. He enjoyed himself, but was fighting a cold or sinus infection much of the time and still isn’t feeling great. He has two weeks to caddy and recover before going to his high school youth group camp. He got his learner’s permit to drive yesterday!
Our love in Jesus and thanks for your support in prayer, Dave and Karen
Posted by David at 7:21 AM