September 26: Update on Jonatán

We’re thankful to be back in Greenville after eleven days on the road. The Lord gave grace, and we truly enjoyed the experiences of our first two deputation services. (We learned a lot, too!) We also enjoyed the fellowship of gracious believers in the churches and schools we visited as well as in numerous homes. We’re very grateful to the Lord and to His people. It was also encouraging to meet so many who are praying so faithfully for Jonatán and his family! Thank-you!

We also appreciate those who have been praying for John Mark's extended family. Gramma entered her Savior's presence on Friday, September 18, 2009. We’re thankful that she is now free from pain, rejoicing in Heaven. (But we will miss her!) We praise the Lord for the testimony of her life and a memorial service that glorified Christ. As we reminisced with extended family and friends, we again realized how much we have to be thankful for!

We’re now in the process of doing laundry, catching up on e-mail, and generally settling back in… Several notes regarding Jonatán have come via e-mail, so I’m going to post excerpts here. (Some of the information may be repetition for some of you.) Thank-you, more than words could possibly say, for continuing to pray.

First, some notes from the coordinator of the “Praying for Jona Torres” group on FaceBook. (This was posted on Thursday, September 24, 2009.)

I was in last night to see Jona; he was more of a blessing to me than I think I was to him. His spirits are high, and he is full of joy. As I talked with him, he shared something that we as a group need to be taking to The Throne Room of Heaven.

Please plead with Christ for the following:

• Jona’s testimony to touch the many people he comes in contact with at the hospital and at school so that Christ will get all the GLORY.
• Jona’s need for strength.
• Jona’s need to keep well. (There’s a lot of flu going around here in Greenville!)
• Christ’s guiding of the surgeon’s hands in a few weeks as they take out the tumor and part of the bone.
• Jona’s treatment next week as it is a long and hard one.
• Jona’s family's strength.

I just want to say thank you for joining in and praying for Jona. I just know that God has something great for him to do.

And the following are excerpts of notes sent from Jonatán’s missionary grandparents in Uruguay:

Praise the Lord with us for answered prayer! Jonatán returned to the hospital on Friday morning of last week for blood tests. His blood counts were actually better than they had been the last time they were checked. This was an answer to prayer. He was therefore able to have the four-hour chemo treatment on Friday evening of last week. He then went through the follow-up process of lots of IV fluid to flush the chemo medication from his system. He experienced quite a bit of nausea due to the chemo but was doing better on Thursday and had been able to eat a bit. He was holding his weight. This was another answer to prayer!

Perhaps the greatest cause for rejoicing is that the bone scan came back negative. The doctor also told the family that the tumor seems to be shrinking – after only two chemo treatments. These are both answers to prayer, and we are thankful. The main potential side effect of this second chemo drug is sores around and in the mouth. Jonatán hasn't had any trouble with this. Again, we are thankful for answered prayer!

A follow-up note sent yesterday adds more information:

We just talked with Esther. We asked how they were doing, and she said: “Fine. We're all home together." Then she went on to explain. Jonatán had originally been scheduled to start his 72 hours of chemo yesterday. However, after looking at previous scans and with the result of osteosarcoma in the spot on the right lung, the doctors decided to remove the spot in the left lung as well. So the revised schedule, for now, is:

• September 29: See the doctor for blood tests.
• October 1: Undergo laparoscopy to remove the spot on the left lung.
• October 2: Be admitted to the hospital to begin 72 hours of chemo.

After all this, Jonatán will have two weeks of rest. Tentatively, sometime between October 19 and 26, he'll be in the hospital for the final two rounds of chemo before surgery – four hours for each treatment. These are the treatments that require him to stay in the hospital on IV fluids until all the medication is out of his system.

Jonatán has been able to work on his school work even during hospital stays. Esther has been able to work almost every day, and they work with her when she needs to be off. Marcos is enjoying having Jonatán home for these extra days. This extra “time off” from chemo will allow Jonatán’s body to gain strength and also allow the chemo he has already had to work longer in reducing the tumor.

Please continue to pray:

• That Jonatán’s blood levels and energy level will stay where they need to be for continued treatments.
• That the surgeon will be able to do the laparoscopy quickly and that there will be less pain than there was from this procedure on the other lung.
• That Jonatán would not get sick from flu or other things going around.
• That they'd be able to control the nausea and other effects when Jonatán has the 72-hour chemo treatment.
• That Jonatán would be able to continue eating well and would not lose weight while undergoing the treatments.
• That Jonatán and his entire family would continue to be encouraged in the Lord and that God would be glorified.
• That the insurance company would pay well for expenses and that the Lord would provide all the family needs.

Esther said the surgeon who does these laparoscopies is very thorough in what he does and wants everything possible to be done and everything done properly. They are thankful for the doctors the Lord has given Jonatán during this time.

Thank you again so very much for praying so faithfully for Jonatán, his family, and his extended family!