The gloomy wet weather this week has been very similar to the mood here in our community.  We lost a great guy early Monday morning when Ryan Prudhomme died and it has literally been raining and dreary ever since.

 I will never forget the first time I met Ryan, we had just moved up here, and it was the middle of winter.  My parents were up so we took a drive to see the area. We found the one restaurant that stays open year round in a neighboring town, and went in.  It's a very small bar/restaurant and when we walked in we saw 2 cowboys sitting at a table and I remember thinking..."where do I live?"  It seemed like a picture from out west!  Well, my dad, who never knew a stranger, decided to talk to these guys.  He goes on to tell them who we are and that we had just moved to the area.  They were both very kind and said they worked at the Ranch at Grace Adventures.  So I wondered if they were just dressed that way because of the ranch or what, I mean they were in full get up, hat, bandanna around the neck, big belt buckles, vests, leather slicker coats, the real deal!  I had seen several cowboys out west, and even knew one, but most people in Michigan, just wear the boots or hat or whatever not the whole shebang!  After living here a while I came to realize that indeed they were true cowboys. And not only that, they had a passion for the Lord and used their love of all things cowboy at the camp to help others grow in their faith and knowledge of the Lord.  It was a blessing to get to know Ryan, yes he was a great man of God, he was also a lot of fun and quite mischievous, he shared some great stories around campfires about his growing up years. He will definitely be missed!

 Today we went to the visitation and were once again reminded that we have a living God who cares for us and gives us the grace we need to deal with the difficulties of this life.  His wife, parents and brothers were all a picture of this kind of amazing grace.  While we are all so very sad that he is no longer with us, we are not like those without hope.  I cannot imagine going through life without the hope that is found in the Lord. 

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 NIV

¹³ Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. ¹⁴ For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. ¹⁵ According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁶ For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷ After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. ¹⁸ Therefore encourage one another with these words.

There may be some who read this and think this is 'hogwash' so to speak, but I urge anyone who thinks that way to think about something: What if you are wrong?  I mean, if what I believe is wrong, and when we die, we die and that's that, then at least I had hope{don't worry, I'm not changing my mind on this} But, what if what you believe is wrong, and what I believe is right?  Then what?  Just something to think about.  Ryan left a legacy of faith and trust in God, and I can't help but share that with you.  If you've never read Ryan and Kendra's blog, please check it out.  It will be sure to bless you, stretch you and make you think.

Please keep Kendra, Colton and their families in your prayers.

Please Pray...

Please pray for our friends Ryan and Kendra and their son Colton.  They really need a miracle right now.

 Click here for a link to their blog.

 

Haiti...

In just a few days, I will be traveling to Haiti with a group of ladies from church.  I can't believe the time has finally come, we have been planning this trip for a long time.
We will be holding conferences for ladies where we will be teaching classes on basic life skills and health, sewing, mending, doing medical clinics, and most importantly sharing the gospel with them.  We also realize that in order to meet the spiritual needs of people we must attend to the fact that they are starving for physical food.  We will be serving food to the ladies each time we hold a conference, as well as handing out bags of beans and rice.  We plan to go to a school and feed around 300 school children as well.
It has been almost 3 years since the earth quake ruined the already impoverished country of Haiti and so many are still living in tattered tents struggling to survive. Recently Sandy also took its toll on Haiti.  We want to go and love on the women, let them know they are not forgotten and hopefully offer hope.
I would really appreciate  your prayer support, as my friend Hannah and I will be teaching classes on health, specifically cholera and HIV prevention as well as basic life skills.  I was assigned this post, I'm not much of a teacher, I really felt weird about teaching basic common sense things such as hand washing and not drinking contaminated water, but God...God sent an encouragement to me in the form of a Haitian national who came and spoke to our group and wouldn't you know it, he said "The number one thing you can do is teach the ladies basic hand washing, the importance of treating water and prevention of HIV" I left that meeting so excited that God had spoken to my jittery heart.  I'm still nervous, I mean it's easy here to do those things, we have soap, clean water, flush toilets etc...It's a whole other story over there.
We will be staying at a mission house in Port Au Prince we will be traveling to several different villages a few hours away, please pray for good health and safety for our group.

I hope to be able to blog while there, but internet is not a sure thing.  This is one of those trips where, I am so excited, and at the same time, I know I will be wrecked by what I see and left wondering what more I can do...I hate that there is such poverty that women make mud 'cookies' for their children because they are starving, and I live here and have so much.  But, I am excited to go and share God's love and also see what God will teach me through this experience. 

VZ family fun...

I have been preoccupied lately with a little "review" from the lovely IRS...more on that in another post, but today I want to share some photos of our recent VZ family get together.

 We started out our morning with breakfast at the Trestle Stop, then we celebrated many birthdays.  Then we played a game of Kick ball.  Unfortunately we were too busy playing to get any pictures.  Then, the guys took the kids to the farm while the ladies hid the easter eggs, for the annual easter egg hunt.

 Lucy, was not so sure about the baby chicks!  What is that thing?

 maybe I can pet it...

 Oh yeah, this thing is cute, let me have it!

 Oh my goodness I am holding a chicken!

 Anaya loved them from the start, look at the dust on her face and sleeves!

 The boys helped uncle Robb catch floor birds...

 Ryan used to farm chickens and the boys miss it so much, they love helping uncle Robb.

 Aunt Sarah explains the rules of the hunt...

 the girls finding their eggs...

 everyone and their loot...

 we decided Dylan couldn't do it next year, he hit the mother load!

 The birthday gang! 

We had a great time sitting around and chatting while the kids went off on the golf carts, made forts and just had fun hanging around.  The guys, were of course, walking their hunting grounds and watching basket ball.
Lisa heads back to Mayo this week for more scans...please pray that they receive great news.

IRS, 203K, FHA...

 

What do all these things have in common?

They are all giving me one HUGE headache!!

We need to get a few things straightened out SOON, and I know GOD alone can move the mountains ahead.

Thanks, and I plan to expand on this topic soon...but for now, we could use some prayer!

Max...

Saying good bye to Max.

We had to put our dear sweet Golden Retriever, Max, to "sleep."   He was only 3&1/2 years old, but he had cancer.  We had the first lump removed while I was in Colombia, but when the 2nd lump came so quickly, and on one of his nerves in his hip, there was nothing we could do.  He was in pain, and it was heartbreaking to see him suffer.  I have never really liked a dog before, but I REALLY liked Max, {or Maxey boy as I affectionately called him.}  We are sad, but we know and love a few HUMANS who have cancer, and are fighting for their lives right now, so it helps to keep things in perspective. He was the best dog, and will be missed!!

Here are a couple of links to blogs of some families we know who are dealing with cancer, I know they would appreciate your prayers.
Kristi
Ryan

Updates...

First and foremost, I want to let everyone know that God has answered a HUGE prayer request!!

  We have been praying for my sister -in -love Lisa and the newest round of chemo she was on, as it was wreaking havoc on her body.   Well, they just got wonderful news from her appointment at Mayo, they said... the treatment is working!!  And her doctor is also going to switch some of her meds as he thinks that it should be easier on her body and still shrink the tumors!  Quality and quantity of life!  That is what we have been and will continue praying for!! 

Next up is Luisa...

She is doing great, her bronchoscopy went very well,  she did awesome, and Mommy did good too {I only teared up a little!}

Some of the tests came back already and some are still out, but so far so good.  We are so blessed by this little trooper.  She is a sweetheart, very calm and easy going, perfect personality for all of the waiting around at doctor and hospitals!

Finally, we could use some prayer as we are searching for a place to live.  Every house we have pursued, has not worked out, which is fine, we want what God wants for us, but we do need something! ....Please pray we are put on the right path!

Proverbs 3:5-6 (New Living Translation)

 ⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
      do not depend on your own understanding.
 ⁶ Seek his will in all you do,
      and he will show you which path to take.

First Dr. visit...

  Precious baby girl in her big gown

We had Luisa's first PID (pediatric infectious disease) doctors appointment last week Friday.  We started out at DeVos Childrens hospital for chest x-rays and then we went over to the Dr.'s office.  The chest x-rays showed some 'abnormalities' so the doctor was going to call the pulmomologist to get his opinion.  She sent us down for lunch and told us to check back after we had Luisa's blood drawn to see if he was able to look at the x-ray or not. 

While we were at lunch, God arranged a little impromptu get together for us!  The pulmonlogist and our doctor met in passing while in the hall right in front of the cafe, the cafe that we were eating in!  So there we all were!  We were able to talk for a bit and he told us to come up to his office as soon as we were finished.  YAY God!  We got an appointment with the pulmonologist the same day!  Luisa is scheduled for a bronchoscopy on Tuesday afternoon at DeVos.  We would appreciate your prayers!

The good news is that her viral load (amount of hiv in a ml of blood) is now 1,347 copies, down from approximately 90,000 copies in January!!  This is a lot of medical jargon to say that...we are heading in the right direction!  Eventually we want to see this number be below 50, at which, she will be considered 'undetectable'.  This is because she is receiving her medications on a regular basis under our care!  Thank you Lord for ARV's (antiretroviral drugs) and their life saving capabilities! 

I know there are millions of people all over the world who do not have access to these drugs, and are dying.  It breaks my heart.

Heaven gained a great man this week.  My friends dad, Larry Hurley died Thursday morning.  We are grieving with the Hurley family as they walk this difficult path.  But, we do not grieve as those without hope.  Larry loved the Lord, and his family is taking comfort in the fact that one day, they will see him again.   Please pray for them as they learn how to do life without their beloved dad, husband and grampa!  We love you guys and pray that God will heal your broken hearts and give you His peace.

A few prayer requests...

One of my very best friends Dad had a heart attack on Sunday.  Here is what was posted on his care page:

On Sunday morning, April 3, Larry had a heart attack and was pronounced dead after no response for nearly 30 minutes. However, the doctor came out shortly thereafter to inform us that on his own he regained a pulse and was breathing. He was transferred from Zeeland Hospital to Spectrum-Butterworth. There was not too much damage to the heart, one artery was 99% blocked and they put in a stint. As of now, he is in an induced coma and on cooling mats and medication for the next 24 to 36 hours. After that, they will let him regain his temperature and see how he responds. Not sure how he will wake up and respond but we will be praying for a second miracle at that time.

We are praying big today, please join us! We have seen God's hand and know He is in control. Tim already had to tell Mom that Dad was gone once, only for them to get a call 5 minutes later saying there was a pulse. We are praying for another miracle!
Kadie

Would you please join us in praying for him and his precious family.

We have a friend who just found out he has cancer. Please Pray for Ryan and Kendra as they wait to hear the exact details and what options they have.  They are young parents to a sweet baby boy and are completely trusting God and praising him during this uncertain time.

And last, but not least, is my sweet sister-in-love who has her next chemo treatment scheduled for tomorrow.  The last time she had a treatment they found out she has colitis from the radiation (I believe,) and it caused extreme pain.  They know this now, so they have a plan, but we are praying that she will have very few side effects and that this chemo treatment shrinks the tumors that are there.

So many dear friends struggling through rough stuff, we are asking all prayer warriors to join us!

Thanks.  

Ephesians 3:20 (The Message)

 ²⁰God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams!

a much more interesting day...

Thanks Mike and Lee for helping us pass our time today!

Our dear friends emailed the boys a list of things they need to find on a digital scavenger hunt!  So we headed out this after noon and got most of the things on the list.  We have not yet completed our task, but by tomorrow we will have it all up and ready in a fun little blog post.

Until then, I will leave you with several random thoughts/observations about Colombia.

* When being introduced to someone they will stick out their hand and grab your forearm and not your hand like you would think.  I finally figured that out, it was awkward at first, I kept thinking..."they missed my hand!"  Now I know! 

*They like to kiss.  A lot.  Small kisses on the cheeks when meeting someone, and also there are plenty of lovers kissing.  The parks are filled with people making out!  Seriously, the kids are like, "are they kissing?"...um, yes.  "They look young."  They are.  No kissing like that until you are married, okay?  "Do you kiss Dad like that?"  Ummm, maybe, but not that long!  "Are they still kissing?" I guess so, I can't see their faces!  Oh the joys...

*A guy tried to sell me a Mickey Mouse topper for a car antenna today, I think it was stolen off someone else's car, it looked like it had a few miles on it already!  I told him "no gracias!"

*The women dress up here, and they always look nice, and their shoes are awesome!  But all too many of them wear tight pants and shirts which, well lets just say we have seen too much of them!

*There are men who sit by the side of the road with a club. {I haven't gotten a good picture of them since I feel weird pointing a camera in their direction.} They act as sort of a parking attendant, and they seem to try to hustle people into 'their' spot, and help them maneuver up to the curb, or in many instances over the curb and onto the sidewalk.  Then when the person is ready to leave they stop traffic for them and help them to back out.  They are then paid a small fee, which I am not sure if it is set or a 'donation' of sorts?  Very interesting, not sure what the club is for, have not yet witnessed the use of that!

*Today on our walk we found 2 women who were begging on the street, so we gave them both all the change we had.  Spencer was on cloud nine!  He LOVES to help these people and it just makes him so sad that they are so poor.  I wish we could do more than just offer the little we did, but I think that Spencer's smile and the way he looks them in the eyes, ( I hope) they feel the love he has for them.

*You can't flush the toilet paper here. As I was leaving the old house, I typed the book the owner had left us in to Google translate (as it was all in Spanish) to see what all had to be done upon leaving, I found out that we were in fact supposed to put the toilet paper into the trash, not the toilet!  OOPS!  There are these spray things near the toilet, I should have taken the clue.{See picture below}

I have yet to use it!

*Fruit is so cheap here, I know I said it before, but I will say it again.  We got these fruit cups all cut and ready to go for about $0.50!  We are definitely getting that again.  They offer them with cheese on top.  I said "no gracias!"

On a much more somber note...
 We found out today that my sister in law's cancer is not responding to the current treatment and will have to begin an aggressive form of chemo once again!  Please pray for her and her family, and that this will work and the side effects would be minimal!  Fight on Lisa, We love you!!!                                                  

Sad...

We are all very sad to be separated from each other! This is the part we all have been dreading, pretty much from the beginning. But we know that we are here for a very good reason, and trust God to help us through! Will post more later, just wanted to give a quick update. Ryan, Dylan, Easton, Anaya and Mary Ellen are all stuck in Bogota. Their flight out of Bucaramanga was canceled this morning, so they missed their flight out of Bogota. Last I heard, they were flying out tomorrow morning! We are really bummed we couldn't have spent this day together!

Lots of tears were shed this morning when 1/2 of the family left!  It is just not right!

Luis was wondering what was going on!

Here are a few happier shots we got last night before they left!

Please pray this process goes fast so we can be together again! 

Please pray...

We are not exactly sure why, {though we have an idea} but every time our interpreter (Patricia) goes in to get the medicines we need, she is turned away for one reason or another.  She is going back this afternoon to try it again.  Please pray that she is able to get it, as we will run out by tomorrow, and it is IMPERATIVE, that Luisa takes all of it every 12 hours.  We know that God knows and is in control over this situation, we just ask that HE receives the glory, as even Patricia said we should pray.  Thank you!

A few things....

 T-3 days and counting until we leave!!! 

....But we actually leave our house tomorrow to head down and visit with family and have a party for Dylan, my niece Tryna and brother in law Robb.


Packing, packing and more packing....but I am done(ish) I will probably slip in a ton of items I forgot  to pack....


One more thing, I don't think I ever mentioned that the kids, Mary Ellen and Ryan are only staying 2 weeks. Then it is just me and Lucy! And...to be completely honest, I can not think about that part of the trip, it makes me cry just thinking about it!  People hear about the fact that I have to stay in Colombia for around 4+ ? weeks alone and they say "Oh my, I could never do that..."  Can I just say...I DON'T WANT TO!  Hello?  I am a people person, I mean really, I have this many kids for a reason you know.  I love having my people around me!  I have never left them for more than a week.  This is such a complete and utter stretch that IF I did not know that I have everything I need right inside of me because of Christ's Life living IN me, then I know FOR SURE, I would break!  Seriously, as it is I really do not like to even think about it, but, I KNOW, that GOD CAN and WILL help me through THIS, so...I AM GOING TO LET HIM!

Please pray for us as we embark on this part of the journey.  I will post as often as possible depending on our internet connection!

An update from Lisa herself...

Let's start by saying that the weather is gorgeous here!  We have not experienced temperatures over zero here in a long time!!  We were able to get outdoors in between appointments and enjoy the day!  Now on to the good stuff.  Again, can't say enough about my surgeon here.  He is awesome!  I will be checking into The Methodist Hospital @7:00 tomorrow morning...8:00 your time.  :-)    I will be getting a nuclear injection in my ankle(yes, I will be glowing once again!) and then I will have surgery within two hours of this procedure.  The dye will travel up my bloodstream to my sentinel nodes which Dr. Sims will remove.  He will also be taking a large area around the ankle location.  He will remove tissue until the margins are clear....and also remove lymph nodes if the sentinel nodes show signs of cancer. The lymph nodes are tested during surgery so I will have an answer as soon as I wake up.  The plastic surgeon is on stand by in case I would need a skin graph done of the area.  If I need this, I will possibly be in the hospital for 5 days on bed rest!  YIKES!!  If I do not need a skin graph, I will stay the night and hopefully leave on Friday.  This will all be determined when the surgery is performed.  SOOO....Pray that the surgery goes well and that the least amount of procedures is needed...and NO cancer spread.  I would love to spend Easter back at home, but that is all in the Lord's hands.  I am feeling good and ready to get this surgery done and over with.  Enjoy the nice weather and I will be sure to let you know the news tomorrow when I am coherent.  My family would argue that I am the best when just out of surgery....I am quite a comedian, I hear!   Thanks for all your prayers....even though I am far away I am comforted to know you are all with me in spirit.   Love you all!   Lisa

Prayer request and praise...

For those of you who don't know, my sister-in-law Lisa has been diagnosed with Melanoma{on top of her other cancers and surgeries...ugh!} She is going to Mayo tomorrow, and will have many appointments on Wednesday. Surgery is scheduled for sometime on Thursday. I will let you know what time so you can join us in praying for her. Here is the excerpt from her email explaining the surgery:

I will need surgery to cut out a large portion of that area[spot on ankle]...then they inject a die in the area and follow the blood flow so they can find the first sentinal nodes to remove also. This will either be behind my knee or in the groin area. Then the plastic surgeon has to do a skin graph because there is not much skin to work with in this area. Just for your information....this is a huge rarety for an area to change from OK to cancer. You all know by know that I do not fall in the norm....no surprise for me here!

So with all this said.....pray we get into Mayo soon[took a few weeks, but finally have a date!] and that my lymph nodes have not been infected

**We are praying for good news on Thursday!**

Have you ever heard this song? Every time I hear it I think of Lisa!


I also have a praise/request:
My Mom spent most of the day Friday in the hospital, they ran a bunch of tests and feel that she was having a reaction to the 'new' medication she started. Praise!! Everything checked out fine, however, when she had open heart surgery almost 8 years ago, she passed most of the same tests...so, would you pray that she will start to feel good again as the medication wears off, and she can get back on her 'normal' medication?!!! Thanks!

Another quick update...

I talked to Lisa tonight, and she is doing well. She has been up and walking around! She is her usual bubbly self and it was great to chat with her! She is amazing!

Thanks for all your prayers, and please continue to remember her as she has yet another long road to travel!

*For those of you who don't know, (beginning late summer 2007~I believe) Lisa had breast cancer, surgery, chemo, radiation, reconstruction surgery, and yet another surgery. Yes, the girl has been through the ringer so to speak. But she has the most amazing spirit and I am blessed to have her as my sister in law/friend!

Out of surgery...

Lisa is out of surgery, and the doctor said that it went as good as can be expected. She is in recovery. They were not able to get all of the cancerous tumor removed, but the doctor was very happy to get as much as they did. They stabilized the spine with 2 rods and eight pins, did a bone graft to fix the hole in the spine. Doctors feel that at this point there is no paralysis, but there is still a small chance of that being a possibility during recovery. In about a month she will need to go back to the Mayo clinic for radiation.

Thanks so much for praying. Jesus is the reason for Christmas and our eyes and hearts are definitely drawn to Him, even more so these last few days. I am glad we serve a LIVING savior.

Have a very merry Christmas.

another quick update...

Lisa is having surgery NOW! *8:30 AM*
Please pray and I will update later when I hear more.
Thanks, Our God is good all the time.

UPDATE!!!

PRAISE THE LORD!
And please keep praying...
We just received word that the doctors have said the cancer has NOT spread to any organs. They are shocked and amazed at the fact that she is not paralyzed already, as the tumor is quite large and in a very critical spot on her spine. She will be having surgery tomorrow or possibly Christmas morning to remove what they can. They even said that her risk of paralysis is greater now than in surgery. So please continue to pray that she will be able to have the surgery tomorrow, that they can remove it all and she won't be paralyzed. If you know my sister in law, you know her incredible spirit, and her generous heart, and she of course is being a real trooper! We are so grateful for this news. We know God is in control, and we are praying for the peace that passes all understanding to dwell in their hearts and minds this Christmas! (Robb, Lisa, Brylynn, Mady and Tryna)
May God be glorified.
Amazing how perspectives can change in an instant.
We did NOT want to hear that Lisa has cancer...AGAIN. Though we don't understand, we are resting in you Lord.