We serve an amazing God! We are leaving Hope 4 Cancer in the morning. It has been such an impactful 3 weeks for us both. I will share our highlights in brief as the specifics are too many to convey and some are even still being processed.
Karyn’s health: yesterday we met with her Dr to summarize Karyn’s condition, and how to proceed. The general word is good- her condition is ‘stable’. We were so glad to hear this! It doesn’t mean cancer is dead, or anything like that. It simply means we are at a holding point and cancer is not wanting to OR is not able to grow, or spread. In general this is a first step for healing! Her only difficulty is continued hip pain. Some fatigue as well, which is expected!
Also, her organs tested clear, undamaged or stressed from anything. The cancer is still in her bones and lymph nodes and just staying put by all indications. We have to be careful on bone stress at home. We do not know how strong they really are. So far, they are functional for normal activity…
There are a few new lymph nodes that were swollen on her right side, (everything has been on the left to date) a bit of a new instance. However, with all the therapies there is a lot of detoxing that her body is going through, this is normal. The lymph nodes were not hard (a sign of cancer inside them) which reduced concern.
At home: We will need to continue many therapies at home. Including but not limited to: a red light, white light, sauna (we have this already), further tuning of diet, supplements, and a unique sound machine. (Purpose of the lights and sound machine: she ingests an ‘activator’ in darkness- actually a dark room- waits 15 minuets. The ingested product binds to cancer cells. Don’t ask me how. It is activated by light and sound so it releases oxygen. Cancer cells cannot live if exposed to oxygen. Cancer cells die- our favorite part.)
I am going to pursue building out a room in our basement for this work to be done in and not having these therapies spread over our house (Home Despot gift cards welcome). The concept is to make cancer treatment a part (however large) of our lives, and not the only part of our lives. The importance to live outside of “I have cancer” is evident from the emotional support portion of this trip we have learned. We must keep on living as much as we can, as well as we can. We must find our identity first as a Child of God- not the 'cancer mom'. This includes dreams full of joy and peace. I am not entirely sure how this will look beyond our current means, but I believe there will be great provision coming down from a good Father! We have 3 of them waiting for us back home, and all of you around us! The Father is so good.
Our hearts have also been under renovation from God. I believe this has mostly been where I have been under construction. I have shared these in previous posts. Take a look at some of the earlier posts for details- especially I AM in ME! However, Karyn has recently expressed some fears God has been revealing to her that she has buried behind the screen of all this going on. I will share a little here.
In her FB post she expressed the fear of being absent from our children- and not just to Mexico for 3 weeks. Not the far of death itself, thanks be to Jesus! Death has no sting. This she knows and believes this wholeheartedly! Yet, she sees her life as a mother incomplete- understandably so. I suppose my summery of her fear is not be able to finish the work God allowed her to begin for our three children. To this I say to her, “Well then that’s decided. Live well!” We have talked about this at length in our evenings here, now that it is in the open, and we recognize this as a fear, God can touch us here as well…
So this is our mission. Dream and live these dreams as God provides, share our joy with others, be vulnerable in a world that is so walled up and afraid of being without (even toilet paper!). If this is how I am to provide for my wife, I will do this part- seeing her dreams and making them as real as possible.
Not only hers, but mine as well! Look, I am writing and you are reading it! I am sharing the gospel via my own example within my own life to anyone who will listen. It is such an interesting concept I am seeing. If I help my wife achieve her goals and dreams, God uses my own goals and dreams to fuel hers… so what does He then create? LIFE. Life abundantly. Isn’t this what we are designed for? Worshiping God, glorifying God, joyful work, dreams and blessings? It’s like a sort of a heavenly cycle that feeds off itself and keeps going.
Lord willing it gains momentum and doesn’t ever stop! This is my request to you all, that would pray for life abundantly in our lives- but only after praying for your own life first! This way we can share in the abundance of blessings to create more abundance between us… being the body of Christ living and active.
Matthew 6:33 “But seek first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.” Seek it, ask for it, read about it, think about it. Intentionally tear down walls of fear and proclaim Gods promises. Be grateful each day for He has given you. Start here daily and you will see how much God loves you and me!
We fly out tomorrow midday (local time) and get home about 10 pm Indiana time. As we head back into ‘home mode’, as we start a new chapter in our lives please pray for us. We now have more information, guidance that we ever had in our journey. We now have more focus on our lives in entirety than we ever have- all this newness of perspective is what God wanted out of this trip for us.
I told you a few weeks ago of how I told God I didn’t like His plan? How this was His plan and He would have to work it and provide for it? I was done and would do anything He said, but I am playing along and planning nothing? His glory or His tragedy- it was all on Him. Though my position on the ‘give up’ proclamation has not changed- my attitude toward His plan has. I am still not a fan of cancer in my bride. However, God’s plan is not all bad… He knows what is going on… and will be all good.
He knew we needed this trip for the coming days. And each day is working to bring us closer to His likeness.
Onward and homeward! We are so looking forward to home- despite good tacos!
(Hmmm…Hope we are not out of toilet paper!) Thank you all- see you soon!