August 21: Update on Jonatán

Always your Lord has been with you. Always He will come with a most heavenly understanding of what your heart most needs.

~ Amy Carmichael (1867 to 1951), missionary to India

Yesterday started with Jonatán attending his first hour class. (What a dedicated and enthusiastic student, eh?!) After surgery to install the port for chemo, he spent most of the afternoon and evening resting – as much as the miscellaneous tests (being done to establish a “base line” before starting chemo) would allow. After another battery of tests today, the first round of chemo started this evening.

Elizabeth and I went up to the hospital yesterday and were able to meet some of the excellent staff working in the Pediatric Oncology and Hematology wing. One of Jona’s nurses had been diagnosed with a related sarcoma (but of the muscles, if I understood correctly) while a senior in high school. He began his freshman year at BJU studying international business but changed his concentration to nursing as a result of his illness and the Lord’s healing him completely! He now has a ministry to others in situations similar to what the Lord took him through!

This current treatment, the first of twelve weeks of chemo before surgery, is scheduled to span three days. The doctors are predicting a minimum of 34 weeks of chemotherapy. We are looking to the Lord for grace, strength, endurance, and comfort. I’ve been meditating on the truths of Romans 8 and the Lord’s purposes for all trouble. Maybe I’ll write more on that later...

Please pray specifically for Marcos, who is ten years old. These are especially difficult days for him. I was remembering yesterday that when he was just beginning to talk, he used to refer to Jonatán as “my Jona” before he learned to say “my brother” (actually “my /brudder/”). Though pronunciation has dramatically improved, the feeling is stronger than ever! Please pray for Marcos.