Two opportunities...

Hey everyone,

 

This is Mandy and Amybeth - friends of Donna and Jon's from Atlanta.  We are so grateful for everyone who participated in the GODSTRONG shirts - buying shirts and sending in pictures  - what an encouragement as you guys helped to raise 23,000. Thank-you!

 

We know everyone is concerned over Jon having to go back to IU for surgery.  We also know that many of you must feel like we do - there isn't physically a lot we can "do" and that is a helpless feeling. 

 

But there are two opportunities to walk with them leading into surgery that we wanted to make you aware of.  

 

1.  We have set up a 24 hour prayer wall for the week leading into surgery.   If you would be willing to take an hour sometime the week of Jon's surgery please click this link and sign your name.    If you hit enter after signing your name it will update automatically.  You don't have to "save."   If the date for surgery changes check back on this link as we will adjust the dates accordingly.

 

PRAYER WALL FOR JON

 

We would love 168 people to take ONE hour to intercede for Jon and Donna leading into surgery.  

 

SECONDLY

 

2.  Amybeth had a GODSTRONG blanket made for Jon.   

We are going to put this blanket in several different locations over the next few weeks for people to pray over.  We would love for you to stop by in the area where it is going to be - place your hands on the blanket  - pray for Jon and Donna, and then sign it.

 

Below are the locations and "contact" people at those locations who are handling mailing, etc:

 

Atlanta area -

Providence Christian Academy (fun in the afternoon room) 

Monday October 28-Wednesday October 30

contact:  Mandy Chapman - twochapmans@gmail.com 

 

Atlanta area -

NCF  - Martha Nunnally

Thursday October 31-Friday, November 1

contact: Martha Nunnally - mnunnally@nationalchristian.com

 

Hilton Head area -

Hilton Head Christian Academy - Sherry Bundy

Tuesday, November 5-Wednesday November 6

contact:  Sherri Bundy - Sherribundy4@aol.com

 

Hilton Head area -

Riverview

Thursday, November 7-Friday, November 8

contact: Mandy Klepper - Mklepper@riverviewcharterschool.org 

Dallas area: 

Sara Strebe  (Gateway Frisco Church)

Monday, November 11-Tuesday November 12

contact: Sara Strebe - sarastrebe@yahoo.com

 

Arizona area

Sherry Saylor

Thursday, November 14-Friday, November 15

contact:  Sherry Saylor - Rsfarms2@dishmail.net

 
Indiana:

Linda Dodson

Monday November 18-Wednesday November 20

contact:  Linda Dodson - ldodsoncbs@att.net

It will end with the group in Indiana who will get it to Jon as he heads to surgery at IU November 21.     

 

We want this blanket to be another symbol for Jon and Donna of people standing with them.   We know we can't send the blanket to every place in this short amount of time.  If you can't physically get to a location but you would like to sign the blanket please e-mail me or the contact person at your location and we will sign your name.   

 

You can also e-mail me (Mandy) with any questions at twochapmans@gmail.com   

 

Feel free to copy and paste this post into e-mail form to send on to people who may have missed it on the blog.  

 

Thanks everyone,

Sean and Mandy Chapman

Brian and Amybeth Skinner

CT results

Jon had his CT scan and we got results from Dr. Einhorn today.   I will tell you everything we know.  There are 3 remaining spots.  One is larger on the right side.  The other 2 are very small on the left side.  The plan is to do surgery to remove the larger one in 4 weeks.  The next steps will depend on the pathology report.  If it shows scar tissue, they will assume the small spots are scar tissue and leave them alone.  If it shows live cancer, they will go back in and remove the small spots.  We do not have a surgery date yet but looks like it will be right before Thanksgiving.  Obviously this is not the news we wanted to hear.  But at the same time, we knew this was a possibility.

The surgery will be done up here at IU Hospital.  We had a couple of people comment that this thoracic surgeon is "the best."  People come from all over to use him and him and Dr. Einhorn have worked together for a while.  Another confirmation that Jon made the right decision when choosing to come to IU Cancer Center and be treated by Dr. Einhorn!

GOOD NEWS:

Jon has been completely discharged from the BMT Unit.  They say he is doing wonderful!  We are GOING HOME!  My sister is flying in Wednesday night.  We are packing up Thursday and leaving out Friday morning.  We will drive half way Friday and the rest on Saturday.  Jon will fly home on Saturday and we will all get home at the same time!  We are SOO super excited.  All of us except Luke can hardly wait.  Luke is conflicted.  He LOVES the adventures we have had in Indianapolis and doesn't want to leave. But at the same time he says he can't wait to get back to play in his playroom!  Ryan just wants to get back to go swimming (when we left it was still HOT).  And Emma Kate wants to get back to ride her ATV.  I just want to get back and prop my feet up on our new couch and enjoy DVR again.  And Jon just wants to go to the beach.  It's the simple things!

Ryan has had croup and he also ran a pretty high fever for a couple of days/nights so that was stressful and I got no sleep!   Luke started wheezing a week and a half ago so we have been doing lots of breathing treatments to keep him from having an asthma attack.  Emma Kate has been the least sick but has had a pretty bad cough.  This was all going on when Jon's counts were literally almost non-existent.    God totally protected him and he literally started getting a cold the day after his counts started coming back up!  And so far he has been able to fight it pretty well and has only a mild cold.


Prayer request:

1.  Pray the surgeon will be able to get the remaining mass with a scope.  It will be much less invasive than actual surgery to open the chest.

2.  Pray that all they will find is scar tissue.

3.  Safe travels home.

4.  Jon's body will continue to recover.  Although BMT Unit (Bone Marrow Transplant) thinks he is doing great, if Jon had blood work done it would be alarming for a "normal" person.  It is a new normal but his numbers compared to that of a healthy person are still not good at all.

5.  Jon is weary, tired, and completely drained.  This is very hard news for him to handle emotionally.  Pray he will get recharged at home before his surgery.

Jon asked me today if we would make it through this, and I said YES!!  Because we are...

GODSTRONG!!

Weary

We are all weary of this journey.  Jon is weary from enduring 2 months of his body completely being depleted of every good thing (AND BAD thing).  He is weary from fighting nausea for basically 2 months, he is weary from the mental battle.  I am weary of coming to the clinic everyday, rushing home to see my kids, going back and forth between apartments to take care of everything and everyone.  Emily is weary from MY KIDS!  LOL.  She is weary from hearing them cry and scream, "I WANT MY MOMMY." Weary from getting up every morning early and not stopping until night time. She is weary from being pulled in lots of different directions, being asked to do this and that.  This is a 7 day a week thing.  None of us stop for "breaks" during the week, or whatever.  It is constant and we need prayer for strength to make it through to the finish line.  We are longing to be back at home in our own beds, on our own furniture, in our spacious house God has provided for us, and with our friends and family.

I do have a really cool story.  So back when Jon first started this process I told you he was going to write a letter to Lance Armstrong.  Well, he did (way back when) and I NEVER mailed it until last week!!  I asked all of you to pray and we also prayed that Mr. Armstrong would actually see the letter and not his publicist or whoever runs his LIVESTRONG foundation, etc.  Well, prayers were answered!!  Mr. Armstrong hand wrote a letter back to Jon.  It was short and basically thanked Jon for writing and to keep fighting.  I just think it is way cool that this letter is in the hands of Lance Armstrong and hopefully he did not just toss it into the trash but pray that God would use the words Jon wrote to penetrate through his heart.  Here is an excerpt of the end of the letter that Jon wrote that we need to pray Mr. Armstrong's heart will be softened by:

Mr. Armstrong, I am writing to you on the eve of my first of two rounds of high dose chemo with stem cell transplant.  My family and I have moved from South Carolina to Indianapolis for the next 2-3 months.  I have to be honest with you that I very nervous about the outcome, as well as how the treatment is going to affect me over the course of the treatment protocol.  Reading your book, certainly painted a very real picture of what potentially is to come.  

I have to tell you that there is one difference between you and I, and it is our belief system.  Throughout this process, I have never asked, “ why me? “.  I have always said  “ Why not me? “  I firmly believe that what my family and I are going through is God’s will for our lives.  I  believe that God has led us to Indiana to be treated by the best doctor in the world.  I believe that God is going to work through Dr. Einhorn and his staff, the nurses, the technicians, and the medicine.  It is through these people, their knowledge, and wisdom that God will perform a miracle.  I am a firm believer in God the Father, who sent His Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sins.  Only to have him be raised from the dead three days later and defeat death.  Please understand that Jesus died on the cross for me, for you, and for all of mankind.  

I don’t know where you stand, faith wise, but I want you to know that as a current cancer patient, I am praying that God either continues to reveal Himself to you in a very real way, or that He introduces Himself to you.  I am praying that if you don’t know the God that I believe in that your heart will be softened to His leading.  Mr. Armstrong, I believe that whether God heals me or not, that His will is being accomplished even now as I write you.  You are truly an inspiration to all current cancer patients.  Your strength and determination are to be admired.  I plan to fight this cancer with same amount of courage and perseverance that are described in your book.  I know that the Lord my God will provide me with the mindset and strength necessary for my family to get through this process.  Thank you for taking the time to read this letter.  I greatly appreciate it!  I hope to someday have the opportunity to meet you face to face.  We can share our stories of survival!

God is good and we do not need to be Lance Armstrong's judge.  We need to pray for him!  He needs Jesus just like all of us do!  Thanks for joining in.  God has given Jon some awesome opportunities to share with people and it is so fun to see Jon using every one of them!

I need to share some great news before I sign off.  Jon has gotten his blood work back for the day and his white counts are coming up!!  They are hoping to discharge him next week.  Like TOTALLY discharge him from the BMT (Bone Marrow Transplant) Unit.  The docs and NP say he is doing fantastic and we should be able to come home!!!   HALLELUJAH!  Great news for all of us.  I did not know this news when I wrote the first paragraph of this blog.  I think we can make it to the finish line but this last week will be very busy packing and saying our good bye's.  Pray for strength and energy!

We will do it because we are...

GODSTRONG!

Courage in disCOURAGEment

I was listening to a Beth Moore CD that someone gave me during this time.  God warned the Israelites not to fall for these 2 obstacles in light of the fulfillment of His personal promises.

FEAR
DISCOURAGEMENT

Joshua 1:9
"Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and courageous.  Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."

This is such a great verse and great reminder!  Beth reminds us that the word COURAGE is inside disCOURAGEment and when we encourage one another we are INFUSING courage into each other!

That is what you all have done for us!  Thanks from the bottom of our hearts!


Funny stories:

My mom and Emily took the kids to the zoo yesterday.  It is Fall Break here for 2 weeks so I think it was kinda crazy and crowded.  I feel sure they still had a good time but usually when we go, there is no one there.  So later in the day I was spending some one on one time with my sweet girl Emma Kate.  One on one time just means I go and do some errand or task and I pick one child to go with me.   So, Emma Kate and I were in the business office at the apartments.  I was trying to print something and she was dancing around talking.  And this is what came out of her mouth, "Going to the zoo was like a bad dream."  I don't know why it cracked me up so much, but it did.  She doesn't even know what a bad dream is, heck I don't even know if she has ever had a dream.  She is hilarious because she does NOT stop talking, remind you of anyone? HA

Since chemo starting in January, I have always kept up with Jon's meds.  He has NO clue what he takes and when he takes it.  I always write down what and when.  Now, understand I am not an exact person like my husband so if Jon takes something at 2:41, I write 2:30.  If he takes something at 2:51, I write 3.  You get the point.  So, Jon of course always writes 3:57, 4:12, etc.  The past couple of days he has completely been in charge of taking his own meds.  So I will be in the apartment and as SOON as the clock changes to 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, etc he gets up and heads to his anti-nausea meds bottle. If I were in charge of when to give it, it may or may not happen within a one hour time frame.  We were just laughing about it today because he is extremely OCD and I am NOT!  I have no idea if anyone finds humor in this story, but just thought I would lighten the mood.

Jon is getting platelets today again.  He also got them yesterday.  Otherwise all his blood work looks great (for his situation).  It would not look so great if he were not on chemo.  Doctors are still very pleased with how his body is responding to this round.  He is a champ and has stayed outpatient so far which is a blessing.

The Strebe's are...

GODSTRONG!

The JOY of being in Christian Fellowship

I have loved seeing people from everywhere join in our journey.  This is what it is all about.  I have seen how God has used each of your abilities and talents in such great and mighty ways to minister to our family!

Romans 12:3-5

English Standard Version (ESV)

Gifts of Grace

³ For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment,each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. ⁴ For as in one body we have many members,^[a] and the members do not all have the same function, ⁵ so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individuallymembers one of another.

I titled the blog this way because I want you to remember and pray for JOY.  She is a fellow co-worker of Jon's at Riverview.   She also is battling cancer.  Her and Jon literally went through chemo back in the winter/spring at the very same time.  She has 2 very young children.  She has recently spent time out at MD Anderson.  Every time I see this picture it touches me.  She has texted us, called and encouraged Jon on his journey instead of just sitting in sorrow about her own situation.  She has reached out and we appreciate it!  Please pray that God will give her strength.  That God will give her a peace that passes all understanding.    That God will continue to draw her into Himself during this very difficult time.

Another very cool story.  Mandy, another co-worker at Jon's school wrote to tell this story.  Her and her family were spending fall break in Asheville, NC.  They were at a fall festival with pumpkins, mazes, etc.  They saw a girl there that had a GODSTRONG shirt.  Her kids wanted to inquire to see if she was wearing the shirt for Coach Strebe.  So they went and asked and of course she said YES!

That is amazing!  My sister had also told me that her friend was over in Alpharetta about an hour from where they live and saw a GODSTRONG shirt.  It is just so cool to see how many people all over are standing GODSTRONG!

The Strebe's stand...

GODSTRONG!

PTL--The doctor said Jon is doing GREAT this round.

First, I will give you an update on Jon.  So far, he has stayed out of the hospital.  He is Day +5.  Last round he was admitted to the hospital on Day +5.  So this is great news!  The doctor came in to check him today and said that he is doing so great this round.  We are very encouraged.  Basically last round his counts starting coming up on Thursday.  So he has a few more days of misery.  Don't get me wrong with saying he is doing great, he is in MISERY.  All he does is go to the clinic everyday and come home and lay in bed the rest of the night and fight off major nausea.  We are giving him more anti-nausea meds this time but we don't even know if they are working.  But in the very least he is not throwing up, he is able to drink, and eat a little.  Please pray for his upcoming scan!  We are very anxious about the results.  And pray that his white blood cells will mature and begin producing soon so that his body can recover!  If you have not taken time to listen to what Jon shared in church, please do!  It will be worth the 22 minutes!

Here is the link:

http://youtu.be/OjAFCcdBXNM

Here is our shopping trip to Kroger.  We are preparing a birthday party for Emily tomorrow (Monday)!  So here are the kids with their cake mix, icing, candles, ice cream, and of course I bribed them with chips!  Here are the kids coming out of the grocery store each with their own cart, but there is a story the pictures just do not tell!  We get out to the car and the car won't crank (7:30PM--Luke's bedtime).  Our battery had died!  This is how incredibly fantastic my husband is.  I call him (we left him at home in MISERY to go to the apple orchard and a hayride).  I tell him the battery is dead--we are 30 minutes away--and his quick response is, "I'll be there in a few minutes."  Please understand that when he drives to and from the hospital each day he feels very nauseated--it's 1 mile!  Of course I tell him NO, you are NOT coming!  He then remembers that he put jumper cables in the van in case something like this happened to us on this trip!  WOW, what an amazing man!  He is more than I could ever ask for!  Luckily for us, Emily and my mom find a woman that is willing to jump us off and Emily, thank goodness, knows how to do this!  Lucky for us, because my mom or I don't have a clue.  So Emily jumps us off and we are on our way back home.  Fun adventures in the city!

Apple orchard and pumpkin patch with Nanny!  

Hayride.  This was Ryan's favorite!  He LOVES tractors!

Here is sweet Emma Kate showing off her apple she picked!

One of our favorite activities is the zoo!  

Here are the kids enjoying the dolphins.

The next few weekends the zoo is hosting ZOO BOO!  The kids can dress up and get candy.  Here is Princess Rapunzel and Jake!  Ryan decided he did not want to dress up.  He was supposed to be Woody.  O well, not worth the fight.

Here are some of our favorite animals at the zoo!

 Here are the kids on the canal.  Another favorite is feeding the ducks!  All the ducks LOVE when the kids come down because they know they are going to get lots of bread!

I'll close with a few cute Luke stories.

I have been very concerned about Luke the past few days.  He was wheezing on Friday.  He also started with a cough which normally goes straight to his chest and ends up in wheezing and asthma.  So, Saturday night I was feeling like I needed to sleep with Jon and Luke.  So I brought Luke to our apartment and slept him on a little couch on the floor in Jon's room and I could literally keep my eyes and ears on BOTH!  So when Luke woke up in the morning, he evidently tried tapping my arm but I would not wake up.  So, he told me later that when he couldn't wake me up, he got back in his bed, folded his hands and prayed 2 prayers for daddy, one was short and one was long!  Yep!  I cried when he told me!  

Also, just Luke and I went over to the zoo the other day while the babies took a nap.  We were looking at the ugly warthog when a little 3 year old boy started talking to Luke.  He commented that Luke had 2 bracelets on.  Luke responded, "O yea, these are my GODSTRONG bracelets.  My daddy is sick, but he is going to get well soon!  He has boo boo's."  The little 3 year old was so mature and sweet.  He kept talking to Luke and repeating back what he said, asking questions like where are his boo boo's.  You know, a typical conversation between a 3 and 4 year old.  Luke told him all about Ryan and Emma Kate.  It was so cute, and of course I was crying again!  I'm sure the 3-yr old's parents were probably thinking this lady is a basket case, we gotta get out of here.  But it was just precious to hear Luke tell Jon's GODSTRONG story!  We all need to keep telling it!  You never know who needs to hear it!

We have opened up the shirts again for one week.  Just click on the link to the right if you still haven't gotten a chance to buy one.

Also, one last thing, our friends Sean and Mandy Chapman have put together a video of people in their shirts.  It is great and I love to see how God uses our abilities and talents to bless others.  Thanks guys, you have blessed Jon and I.  He watched it tonight and LOVED it!  Here is the link below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7LjPZlPbfw

There is NO address change.

The one posted on the blog is the correct one.  We are just moving the kids to their new apartment and I do not give out their address on line.  Only Jon's apartment number is published:o)  So everything you send will get to us via apt. #282.  THANKS!