Update 3/31/25: Disappointment

Proverbs 16:9 “The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.”

Many of us face disappointment in life. It can show up in many different forms. For me, disappointment lies in a canceled trip. I was supposed to be boarding a plane 12 hours from now to head to Istanbul with my sister. She had a work event and invited me to tag along. Wayne and I decided it was too amazing of an adventure for me to pass up. Last week though, my sister asked if I had heard about the protests in Istanbul. I don’t watch the news, so I had no clue what was going on. After doing some research, we were comfortable proceeding with the trip…until we saw pictures from Saturday’s protests that had grown from hundreds to hundred of thousands. Some estimated as many as two million! Suddenly, two women in a country facing many uncertainties seemed unwise. I had all the sites planned out to visit. I love studying history and couldn’t wait to visit the country where so much history has taken place. Constantinople to Istanbul, Hagia Sophia turned into a mosque, etc. But, as the verse above says, I may make plans, but ultimately, God directs our steps. So, I will trust that He has something else for me. Maybe one day I will see this beautiful, historically rich country.

Meanwhile, I purchased our tickets for our trip to China! That has helped distract me from this disappointment. The kids are getting excited. Micaela and Joella worked hard this weekend to earn some money for our trip. Let me know if you have any other jobs you need help with! 

After working hard, we headed to a baby shower for a sweet friend. 

Update: Wayne

Wayne is doing great. He went to the gym with me tonight and he just putts away at working out. His therapies continue to go well. He was a little discouraged this week after meeting with his neuro oncologist. He hadn’t seen Wayne at his worse, since we have been seeing his NP. Wayne was telling him how much better he was doing and the doctor said Wayne looked worse to him. 👀 Thankfully, we know that he has made improvements over the past year. 

Wayne and I enjoyed a date night as well. It was nice to escape for some quiet time alone. I still cannot thank God enough for our health and all the extra time He has given us. Wayne is a miracle!! 

Update: Rebecca 

My doctor prescribed me steroids to help with my inflammatory response to my immunotherapy. It seems to be helping, which is great. We made a plan to have my next infusion a few weeks later than normal to give my body time to not have a reaction while I’m in China. I do have a follow up CT scan 4/14 for my lung nodule. Please pray that it is completely resolved and that no other follow up is needed. 

I finally had success with my sourdough!! I watched a video and was able to tweak a few things. After China, I want to attempt gluten free sourdough bread. Wayne is loving this new baking adventure. 

These are custom pieces of art work that I commissioned from a friend. These are a gift for my friends I’m visiting on our trip. We have been practicing English while studying the Bible. I wanted to create something special the represents our special friendship. The writing in Mandarin is verses from Acts 8: “Do you understand what you are reading?” And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him…then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture, he told him the Good News about Jesus…the Eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?” And Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he replied, “I believe that Jesus is the Son of God.”

 

Even though the disappointment of my Istanbul trip is fresh on my mind, I am thrilled with the opportunity God is giving us to travel to China. Please pray that our crazy world stays sane long enough for us to make this trip! 

Prayer Requests:

- Wayne: pray that he stays encouraged and keeps working hard at therapy. 

- Rebecca: for my inflammation to heal up completely and for this reaction to not happen again. Please also pray for a clear CT scan.

- Please pray for my dad. We are still waiting to hear when his radiation will start. Also for Wayne’s dad as he starts radiation in a few weeks. Have I ever said I hate cancer?!?

- Please pray for a special family member who is sick. I am planning a trip to see them. Would you mind joining me in praying boldly for their healing and also for a safe trip?

Update 3/23/25: Huge Milestone

1 John 4:7 "Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born o God and knows God."

Life has been crazy the past few weeks. Between therapies, doctor appointments, school, work, and planning another party (anniversary party for my parents). So, I have failed to give a recent update. I will attempt to catch everyone up on the past few weeks. 

Update: Wayne - Wayne continues to do well. He works hard at PT and has even added some exercises at home that is improving his strength. He did stop OT since he hasn't seen any improvement with that despite all the hours of therapy he received. He currently doesn't have speech therapy since his therapist is on maternity leave. He is looking forward to getting back to that when she returns. Wayne also walks 2-3 times a week at the rec center with his friend Jason. They keep each other accountable, and Jason is his ride there. We continue to be amazed at God's goodness and mercy that gives us many more days with Wayne. We will take all that God gives us!

Update: Rebecca - My latest immunotherapy resulted in some negative side effects. I have noticed some random painful bumps on my fingers the last few times, but it was an isolated incident. After this latest infusion, I broke out with more painful blister/callous spots on my fingers. Not to sound vain, but my fingers are looking old and beat up from these weird bumps on my joints and now along the side of my fingers. The most difficult thing is when I try to lift something and it hits one of these spots, it causes a lot of pain. Please pray for wisdom for my team to figure out what steps we need to take next. 

 

My dad is preparing to start radiation this next week, I believe. Two weeks ago, I took him to the doctor to get another piece of skin cancer cut off his ear. They had to do a skin graft where they removed the cancer. My dad is a trooper! I love getting to spend time with him. Please continue praying for him and his upcoming treatment. We are praying for a complete healing!

We are so thrilled with the school the girls are attending. The teachers and staff are the best and we have seen them just blossom this year! Micaela recently helped volunteer at a glow in the dark fundraiser at school for her FCA club.

Joella attended the National Beta Convention in TN. Her team did a great job! She enjoyed getting away on her own with her team.

We have been working hard getting in shape for our trip to China. I told the kids they need to be ready to hike the Great Wall and walk many miles on this trip. 

Abigail and Elijah came for a visit for spring break. It was the first time we had seen them since the wedding. We had a great few days with them. I was sad to see them drive away. We are counting the days until we can see them again.

I have been working on some fun food projects. My homemade kombucha is in full swing and I have kept my sourdough starter alive for a few weeks now. I still haven't conquered the traditional sourdough loaf, but my bread maker has made some nice sourdough sandwich bread. I need to watch some videos and see what I'm doing wrong with my other loaves.

My sisters and I decided to throw my parents a surprise 50th wedding anniversary party. My sister, Rachel, was in town to visit my dad and so we thought it was a great time to celebrate this momentous occasion. My parent's official anniversary isn't until August, which helped us pull off the surprise. We kept the celebration small: our family, a few neighbors, and family that lived nearby. It was a lot of work, but worth it all. 

Prayer Requests:

- Please pray for Wayne as he continues to work hard at gaining back as much strength as possible.

- Please pray for my team to figure out a plan for my treatments and a solution to this issue with my fingers.

- Please also lift up my dad and his upcoming radiation treatments. Pray with us that it brings him a complete healing from this cancer.

- I have a HUGE unspoken for someone that I love. Please pray for a miracle in this person's life.

- Please pray over a trip I have coming up on 4/1. I cannot wait to share pictures and tell you all about it.

Thank you again to all of you who have continued to faithfully pray for us the last 10 years. We love you!

 

Update 3/5/25: Catching Up

Psalm 7:17 “I will give thanks to the Lord according to His righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.”

Update Wayne: Wayne continues to amaze me. He works so hard at therapy and is daily getting stronger. He recently added lifting weights at home as well as practicing sitting and standing. All of these activities are helping him improve immensely. He literally is a walking miracle. When fears about my cancer start to rise in my mind, I just think about Wayne!

Rebecca Update: Today I have my immunotherapy treatment. I use this time to pray for others facing cancer treatments. It’s amazing how sitting at an infusion center surrounded by other cancer patients can cause fearful thoughts to rise. Each time I come here, it is a test of my faith and trust. My amazing husband leads me by his example. I am tired of ivs and being poked!

Update Family: The girls got to enjoy donuts with “dad” at school. I love living near my parents because my dad got to experience this with them and Wayne.

This past weekend, the kids were able to participate in a missions event at church called G2Now. It was an amazing weekend for all of them. I made 90 homemade cinnamon rolls for the kids. I joked with my friend Toni that she can only ask me to make cookies next year after it taking 5+ hours to make them. 

Wayne and I enjoyed some time alone without any kids at home. Wayne requested a steak dinner. 

I got slightly distracted and my cinnamon roll dough rose out of control! Also, my cup of flour hit the blade and sent flour flying all over my kitchen 🤣

My friend Rhonda and I were able to attend a Singalong Tour with Phil Wickham, Cody Carnes, and Kristian Stanfill. It was a beautiful night of worship! Made me look forward to heaven even more.

Our ladies group at church had a cookie decorating event. It was a lot of fun!

The last month was filled with projects: some planned, and some unexpected. We painted Micaela and Joella’s room, as well as the bathroom upstairs. The picture above is a project that was unplanned: our sewer at our Airbnb got a clog and we had to have an emergency plumber show up to help us. Sewers are new to us and we have learned a ton through this process. It has been since pumped and dealt with…not a job I ever want to do!

My dad had surgery on his parotid gland. Unfortunately, they have determined that the cancer had spread to a couple lymph nodes under the gland. He should be starting radiation in a few weeks. My parents have such a peace through all of this, but will need prayers as they attack this cancer.

Bonus: my sweet friend, Shawna, was at the hospital for her mom’s surgery, so we were able to pray and support each other. Sisters in Christ are the best!!

February also meant Lunar New Year. We made a feast for Shan Chen and he ate like a king!!

My friend Wei Wei and I were able to chat on New Years. I cannot wait to see her and give her a hug in person!

Prayer Requests:

- Wayne: please keep praying that his therapies keep working and that he continues to be seizure free.

- Rebecca: pray that my treatment continues to work and keep cancer at bay. Please also pray over our trip details for China.

- Please pray for my dad and mom as they get ready to deal with his cancer. Pray that the treatments work and kill the cancer.