Tuesday 9 June 2009
Dear dear friends, family, and dear ones we don’t even know…
there are so many of you out there who love us and think and pray about us, I can’t even begin to comprehend it.
I wanted to write to thank you personally for all your prayers, support, messages, gifts, loving thoughts, phone calls, emails… the list could go on and on. I know Troy has been communicating with God’s strength so amazingly with you all, and it has been such a blessing to our family. I have had trouble with reading the computer because of my eyes and headaches and can’t last very long, but finally the other night got the opportunity to catch up on the blog Troy’s been keeping (he increased the font and put it in a word document for me!) He has just done such a wonderful job. God has truly blessed myself and my children with such a loving, God-honouring and serving husband and Daddy.
As you would all probably be aware, the MRI scan I had last week showed that the brain tumour has grown back and aggressively so it seems. We knew there were cancer cells still left in my brain as they couldn’t cut them all out back on February 25th without causing brain damage. But we were all hopeful that the 30 sessions of radiotherapy and 42 doses of chemotherapy would shrink the tumour. However, it seems to enjoy the conditions of my brain… Anyway, my neurosurgeon here, whom we had just met for the first time straight after the MRI, was done, told us he was shocked by the regrowth and recommended surgery within a fortnight. What a first meeting! Troy and I were both shocked, although knew this conversation would be coming, maybe just later in the year. My doctor suggested getting another opinion quickly, but he’s the second neurosurgeon I’ve seen now (the first in Israel) and we knew we just needed prayer and spiritual guidance. So thank you once again for covering us with your committed and loving prayers and 24-hour prayer rosters over the weekend as we prayed for guidance. We were so covered and I just felt so honoured and anointed.
So our decision is to go ahead with this second surgery. I do feel anxious this time around as I’ve had so much more time to think about it and it will be AWAKE surgery!! I won’t be awake for the whole time but I do feel nervous about it.
We have spoken to Ben and Gabi about it all and they responded very naturally with fears, worries, questions, tears, anger. They are beautiful and amazing children and I love them dearly. We counted with Gabi tonight that it is 6 sleeps until Monday. They pray for me daily with Troy.
We have the rest of the week for appointments to plan for surgery. I think that will help the time pass.
I just want to finish here by saying that I love you all and thank you for loving me and my family. From the beginning in Israel we have been carried in God’s hands throughout this whole challenge. We really felt it and still do. We have been carried through dreams, visions, words, the Bible, other believers in God and those who know the truth about Yeshua Ha’Mashiach, Jesus the Messiah, and those who don’t believe but love us. God uses us all for His purposes, and what a blessing for us all to be part of this awesome perfect spiritual plan whose purpose we have no idea except to bring honour and glory to the Father, turn hearts and eyes to Jesus, and souls to the Holy Spirit. I have no idea what will result after Monday’s surgery, but my heartfelt, no, my soulfelt desire is that you will be called to turn your weary bodies, spirits, hearts, eyes to God, drink in the joy of Yeshua Ha’Mashiach, live your lives with the Holy Spirit as your daily companion, and join us in Heaven for eternity. I finish on this heavy but peaceful note
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.
In this world you will have trouble.
But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
With my love,
Maria
