October 7: Update on Jonatán

Praise the Lord! Jonatán came home from the hospital yesterday. He is still quite weak but very happy to be home.

This past chemo treatment was the hardest one yet. Prior to starting the chemo, Jona's lung partially collapsed due to the laparoscopy to remove the second spot; he recovered enough for the doctors to go ahead with the chemo on Saturday evening. Then, besides experiencing the nausea and pain usually caused by the chemo medicines, on Monday his heart rate dropped to only 40 beats per minute! Thankfully, he was (comparatively) much improved when we saw him at his home last night.

Please continue to pray that Christ would be glorified during this difficult time. We know that HE is always good and completely in control of every situation. Esteban has had many opportunities to minister God's truths to several other families whose children have cancer as well as to some of the hospital staff who have serious questions about the character of a God who would allow such suffering...

Even those of us who are trusting HIM for salvation and are believing His Word find it difficult to focus on His truths in moments of pain. Yes, we are in pain. (We're normal, too!) It's very hard to see our Jona so sick. How often we forget that we are all pilgrims in this life – like Abraham was – "looking for the City which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God."