Faith in the Unseen

Coming back to visit this weekend was good...


Gene and I got to cook together with mom - and we learned a lot of simple dishes that I can easily reproduce in Dallas. :)

And of course, we got to see our adorable little neice Mariella ~ (Gene's holding her in the pic below, and she was fully awake this time!)


but at the same time, just a little more sobering and challenging...

So our mom has had three rounds of chemo so far (last one was just last Tuesday). The CA 19-9 test (tumor marker for pancreatic cancer) came back at 16,000 (higher than last time's 14,000). Even though Dr. V. says this number isn't that significant and we shouldn't pay too much attention to it, it's kind of hard to ignore it. The abdominal discomfort (that had gone away for awhile before she had even started chemo) has returned...She's feeling more tired/fatigued, taste buds have changed, and loses her appetite sometimes.

It's been about 2 months since her first CT scan result, and the next one is due October 13th (about 3 1/2 weeks from now). I think we're partly scared to see these results - afraid of what it might show us...

At the same time, I feel God speaking to me through Hebrews 11:1
"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."

We already know that the chemo is destined to fail, and we can't put our hope in it by itself. Every time I start doubting Him, the Holy Spirit brings me to this verse...As tough as it is, to be able to see past the numbers and what's in front of our eyes, only comes by faith. I refuse to believe that all of your and our prayers are in vain...God knows what glory and honor to His name will come through all of this. He knows how many lives will be forever changed through this... He has already brought us so far - through so many small miracles that have already happened - that I can only be assured that He will take us to the bigger miracles to come...

For the next 3 weeks or so, please join us in praying for these things specifically...

*We ask that you to please continue praying hard and strong for our mom - that God would deliver her through this fire - and for God to be victorious over this cancer - because we know He IS victorious over all things.

*Please also pray for mom's faith specifically, ours as a family, and for your own faith as well...that all of our faith would be refined and strengthened in Him during this time -and that our faith would not waver like the waves of the sea, but remain firm as a rock that can withstand all circumstances.

*Please pray for Faye, Simon, and Mariella, as they're still living with Simon's parents due to no electricity/power at their own home. Praise God that Simon's parents were one of the 5 houses in their entire neighborhood to have power starting the day right after Ike hit! May God's favor remain upon them and protect their household. :)

*Please pray for me and Gene - as some of you may already know - Gene is living in Houston temporarily to help out his parents, spend time with mom, and to finish his pre-reqs for PA school - while I'm in Dallas working. It's been tougher than we thought it would - but at the same time, our marriage has definitely been strengthened and deepened through it all.

Thanks guys for reading, praying, and showing us your support! Don't forget to sign up for the prayer chain (link/directions located to the right) if you can!

Love,
Sharon