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June 27, 2007
CT scan results
I’ve just returned from having a regular physical exam since I’d not had one for several years. While I was there, Dr. P phoned with the results of the CT done on Monday. It shows some progression of the liver nodules. The one on the left side of the liver is now 3 x 3.3 cm, up from 3 x 2.4 cm. The nodule on the right side of the liver measures 2.1 x 2.6 cm, up from 1.8 x 1.1 cm. I’m disappointed, as I’d hoped they were continuing to shrink or disappear altogether. Dr. P said that with the liver nodules growing, we need to talk about possible chemo changes. I’ll see him on July 5th.
The good news is that despite being on Taxol since December, my hair has been growing back! It’s only about ½ inch long right now, and a lot more grey than the hair I lost in March, but I like it better than wearing a wig. There’s no accounting for why I have hair on my head and nowhere else on my body, but especially on warm days I’m glad not to have to wear the wig. God continues to be in control, though we don’t understand exactly what He is doing and why.
Wil phoned twice yesterday, the second time while standing in the Atlantic Ocean! He said the work crew had worked so hard that they were having a day off at the beach, and his phone had a signal when away from the camp. He seems to be enjoying himself!
Posted by David at 3:32 PM
June 22, 2007
June activities
Hopefully you believe the saying, “No news is good news” since we’ve been very slow in writing. We’ve enjoyed the last three weeks and just haven’t stopped long enough to do an update. Wil and the others made it to the camp in Maine safely. The drive took about five days and they arrived at two in the morning on June 13th. Meanwhile we went to the coast for two nights for Dave’s birthday. We left Sunday afternoon and arrived in time for a walk on the rocks at Cape Meares. The tide was really high that evening. In the morning, we drove south along the coast to Cape Lookout State Park. We hiked a “moderately difficult” five-mile trail with beautiful views, old growth forest, and LOTS of ascents and descents. We were so tired by the time we returned to Cape Meares that it was hard to stay awake until bedtime! But the weather was great and the time away very relaxing. On our way home we stopped to visited the parents of an OMF missionary and enjoyed lunch and fellowship with them. We rushed home from there to host the monthly OMF prayer meeting that afternoon.
Since last writing I’ve had another three chemo treatments. During the first, there was a leak somewhere in the system and most of the Taxol went into my clothes and on to the floor! I’d fallen asleep after having the IV Benadryl so didn’t notice that I was getting wet. I don’t think much of the chemo went into me because I felt good all that week and had more energy. The next week hit me harder, and the third treatment took even longer than usual. We left here at 9 am and got home at 4:30 pm. I’ve been able to continue with my walks since, but am slowed down a lot going up hills. This Monday I have a CT scan that will tell us what is happening to the tumors in my liver. Please pray the nurse will be able to get an IV line into a vein in my arm without too much trouble. I’m hopeful that the results will show less evidence of cancer, but the days of waiting for the results aren’t easy.
Last weekend we had visitors from north of Seattle. Stephanie and I were students together at Bethel College in the fall of ’82. She and her husband moved to the northwest last fall, but this is the first time we’re been able to get together. We took them to the Rose Gardens in Washington Park. It seemed as though all of Portland chose that Sunday to visit the gardens, but with good reason. The roses were spectacular and the sun was shining. The weekend before was the Rose Festival. Apparently it usually rains the weekend of the parade and this year, the centennial parade, was no exception. We chose to watch the parade from inside the Memorial Coliseum, so had a good, dry view of a marvelous parade with lots of excellent marching bands.
This weekend another couple from Seattle, former OMF missionaries in Thailand, will be with us. They and their prayer group were very supportive of us when we were in Seattle with Ben, and have continued to pray for us. As well as Bible studies, and work (some of that gets fitted in too!) we’ve enjoyed the garden. Peas, strawberries, lettuce, radishes, onions and garlic are all we’ve harvested so far, but those have tasted great. Zucchini, cucumber, potato, pepper and tomato plants are all flowering. Looking forward to some good homegrown meals.
Posted by David at 9:51 PM
June 5, 2007
God is fantastic!
Dear Team,
We’ve had a packed month since last writing. The time at the OMF Mobilization Conference was stimulating, refreshing, and encouraging. We had a report from the leader of one of our teams working in a creative access area of the world. We had no idea that this relatively new team now has 180 workers from 25 nations, working in 5 countries, on 18 teams among more than 30 people groups comprising a population of 160,000,000 people. They are praying for 140 additional workers over the next 5 years. Their target area includes about 100 unreached people groups! Let’s join them in prayer. God is at work there and here in the States as well. We heard reports on OMF conferences and contacts in different parts of this country and can see why the Lord has put together a growing Mobilization Team. To fill anticipated needs, OMF International is praying for 900 new workers by 2010! Will you join us in praying for these reinforcements?
Another highlight of the conference was having God meet with us in a very special way. The theme of our worship for the week was ‘Serving the Holy God.’ On Tuesday morning the devotional was on sin and judgment and God convicted many of us of the sin in our lives and need of forgiveness. Our director described it this way: “As people prayed, they opened up their hearts in humility, emptying themselves of all pretense, pride and self. Prayers revealed contrite hearts and a yearning for a deeper experience of God. For some, this experience was a result of prayer and fasting; for others, the experience has led to prayer and fasting.” We were united in Christ and abandoned our planned program for several hours to individually meet with God. We are excited at this taste of revival in our mission and in our own lives, in answer to prayer.
One huge item of praise is that the misunderstanding with our supporting church in England has been cleared up and their support has not stopped. The mission council there understood that our supporting church here in Oregon was offering to take on the finances that had been coming from Gold Hill. Since the church here also gives a third of our total support, they are not in a position to double their giving. We praise God for keeping our hearts and minds at peace during the two months when it seemed we were being ‘dropped’ and for the way He has reassured us that we are loved and cared for on both sides of several oceans.
Wil leaves early on Friday morning for New England Frontier Camp near Lovell, Maine. He will be traveling out with the camp director and a group of fellows. They will help with maintenance and setting up of the camp, then he will be a counselor until July12 when he flies back to Portland. We will return the same day from a training course in Denver held July 9-11. Before that, a Singaporean friend will be with us June16-20, and Dave will be speaking at a Filipino-American picnic on July 4th. Last Saturday the Filipino pastors and some of their wives met at our home for fellowship and an extended prayer time.
I start another three week cycle of chemo on Wednesday, and at the end of that cycle will have another CAT scan to see what’s happening in my liver. So many have prayed for me that I’m looking forward to this scan, believing God is shrinking those tumors in answer to prayer. I’ve been on three hikes in the past two weeks and am feeling great!
Rejoicing in God’s goodness, Dave and Karen
Posted by David at 10:55 PM