April 18: Update on Jonatán

At times, it's hard to know what to write for an "update" on Jona's situation... Tonight is one of those times... So much is the same, yet so much is changing...

Will this be the night...? Will we witness a miracle of healing? Or will our gracious Shepherd choose ultimate healing for our dear Jona?

One thing will always be true: We need God's grace! We're thankful that HE stands ready to give that needed grace...

Please continue to pray!

Pray for Jona; pray for rest and peace and continued grace and strength...

Pray especially for Esteban and Esther.

Pray for Marcos.

Pray for Jona's Uncle Daniel who is on a plane, on the way from Uruguay, as I type these lines. He is scheduled to arrive at GSP tomorrow afternoon.

Pray for all of us as extended family.

Pray, most of all, that Christ would be exalted in everything! HE is worthy!

April 17: Update on Jonatán

First of all, last night's plumbing problem has been fixed. Thank-you for praying! We've been blessed as we've traced the small (as well as the big) ways our gracious God answered and provided...

God sent a (now) dear friend to help by Jona's side while Esteban worked on the water pipe and Esther got some much-needed rest. John Mark was over at our house, finishing his evening nap (since he was on deck to be the main one at Jona's side last night), and I was finishing the daily update (all the while I was on-call for our five-month-old who was scheduled to get hungry – again!) Looking back, we're so thankful for God's advance provision – in every detail!

Another exciting detail in this story was the very large case of bottled water a co-worker of Esther's dropped off just yesterday. Folks have been very kind and generous, bringing all kinds of things to help the family, but this was the first bottled water they'd been given – and just when God knew we would need it! We saw it as one of those "before they call, I will answer" situations! As Jona has reminded us so often during this whole trial in his life: God is amazing!

Considering the fact that Jona is getting weaker, today has been a good day for him...

Sweet friends came to sing hymns to him – including his two current favorites: Be Still, my Soul and Bow the Knee. He was able to sit up – and even participate, moving his lips to the words of Bow the Knee. As we asked him what else he wanted us to sing, he asked: Do Christmas carols count? At his request, we sang O Holy Night and then a stanza in Spanish. (Click here to see a video clip of Jona singing the carol in Spanish last Christmas.)

Later in the afternoon, when he was sitting up again for meds, he even told a long, drawn-out joke to John Mark! No... It's far too corny to post... Just let me say (again!) that we're thankful for every interaction we're able to have with our dear Jona.

Please continue to pray – especially now as night approaches...

God is good – all the time!

The LORD God is a sun and shield;
The LORD will give grace and glory;

No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.

O LORD of hosts, blessed is the man who trusts in You!

(Psalm 84)

April 16: Update on Jonatán

We're thankful for another day with our Jona. We are becoming increasingly aware of the fact that every day – every breath – is truly a gift from God. Then again, none of us knows our chosen time...

Yesterday actually marked three weeks since that Friday evening when we thought our Good Shepherd was calling Jona to his eternal Home. We are grateful beyond words for the extended time God has given Jona to minister to us, to so many friends and extended family, and to many others who have never met him.

Let us say, once again, how much we appreciate you. Thank-you for taking time to write and encourage us. Thank-you for so many other ways in which you minister to us as Jona's extended family. Thank-you, most of all, for praying...

Please continue to pray:

Pray for Jona. Breathing is increasingly difficult for him. As we sit by his side (especially through the nights), we notice that pauses between breaths are becoming longer and more frequent.

Pray for continued wisdom, especially for Esteban and Esther, as they oversee Jona's care. Swallowing (and therefore eating or taking medicine) is becoming more and more challenging.

Pray for rest – and peace. Night hours, as you know, are hardest. Jona is now experiencing periods of very deep sleep (even during the day); at times he is hard to awaken when the next medicine is due.

Pray for Jona's Uncle Daniel who will be arriving from Uruguay on Tuesday, April 19. Rejoice with us in God's marvelous provision! Amazingly, an air miles ticket for Monday opened up this afternoon during the call to the airlines!

Of course, life would not be real life without moments of added excitement: Like Marcos trying to help his normally sweet little dog while he (the dog) was fighting off some bees. The result was a half-inch gash on the back of Marcos' hand! OR like what happened a few minutes ago while Esteban was trying to do the routine task of changing a main water filter... The water pipe broke! He says he can fix it in only an hour; if you read this right away, please pray (for his sake) for that to be the case!

Thank-you for praying! We continue to trust the faithful and good hand of our loving Shepherd...

April 15: Update on Jonatán

Tia Julia Torres and I enjoyed the happiest of birthdays today: our good and loving Shepherd gave us a day with our beloved nephew, Jonatán!

We are reminded of how much we take for granted every day...

Make sure you tell your loved ones how much you love them; today is a gift from God!

[Pictures of our birthday celebration are pending...]

Praise and Prayer:

Praise the Lord with us! Jona's Uncle John Mark arrived in Greenville about a half hour ago – safe and sound but very tired after an almost 14-hour drive!

As you pray for a restful night for Jona, will you pray that God will give his Aunt Julia and me a good day with Jona tomorrow? (It's our mutual birthday!) I've been asking my Good Father for this gift...

April 14: Update on Jonatán

I know... An update is overdue. To fill in some gaps, I'm posting excerpts from a note written by Grandma Pat (who is now here from Uruguay):

The Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations...

(Psalm 100:5)

The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.

(Psalm 46:7)

First of all, let us say that we are grateful for and overwhelmed by all of you who are praying for Jona and for all of us as family. Many of you are passing along updates regarding Jona's current condition; this means a great deal to us even though we can't reply to each one of you individually.

Jona has been sleeping more and more during the day and resting quite well at night. Mornings the past four or five days have been the most difficult for him. He is getting weaker but still enjoys texting and talking with friends on his I-Pad 2 – a gift from some of the staff at the Cancer Center.

Prayer is a very important part of Jona's day and night. Whenever he's having difficulty breathing, he asks one or several in the room with him to pray. We count it a privilege to ask our God to calm his breathing and make it easier for him to get his breath. His pulse for the past almost month has been very fast – as if he's running a continuous race. Only the Lord knows how long Jona's heart can run this race. But God's grace is sufficient, and He's always near. We confidently trust Him to do what is His best and perfect will.

Grandma Dosila and Aunt Julia arrived last Saturday. Thankfully, we were able to change their tickets so they could arrive two days earlier than originally planned. They, too, have been enjoying Jona's good times and amazing wit. He also enjoyed a visit from Patch the Pirate earlier this week, and he enjoys the visitors and all who are encouraging and supporting him and his family.

Eating is becoming more and more of a challenge for Jona. Please pray that he wouldn't lose his ability to swallow as the tumors, no doubt, are continuing to grow.

We have enjoyed some precious times of singing, Scripture reading, and prayer together as a family. We consider each day with Jona as a special gift from God.

Please continue to pray for us...

April 12: Update on Jonatán

We appreciate your continual prayers for Jonatán. This morning was challenging – as the past four mornings have been. In spite of resting "well" during the night hours, he tends to have great difficulty with rapid and/or irregular breathing and racing pulse, a problem which is now more noticeable even in the daytime...

Visitors continue to be a blessing throughout the day. Jona appreciates you, and you're a (good!) distraction for family members, too!

Uncle John Mark is currently at a missions conference in Iowa; I more than suspect that Jona misses him. Please pray for a safe (and timely) return for John Mark.

We continue to rest in our loving Shepherd who as He promises is leading us in righteous paths for His Name's sake. The night hours are once again upon us, and we continue to rest in His presence.

As the psalmist penned many years ago:

If I take the wings of the morning,

And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,

Even there Your hand shall lead me,

And Your right hand shall hold me.

If I say: Surely the darkness shall fall on me,

Even the night shall be light about me;

Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You,

But the night shines as the day;

The darkness and the light are both alike to You.

(Psalm 139)