Here is a quick update here so you can be praising and praying with us…

Bones: Bill’s Knee

It took a couple months, but Bill was able to see a rheumatologist. A mere 4 hours (yes, FOUR HOURS) after the first dose of prednisone, the PAIN WAS GONE! The doctor has already almost completely weaned Bill off the prednisone and we’re hoping the pain will not return. Please pray about that.

Kids: Tomorrow’s Missionaries?

This morning we were able to share with several youth groups who were doing a work project in Tijuana Mexico with a ministry called Caravans. Bill talked about how God worked in his life to become a missionary. Please pray that God will continue to speak to those kids’ hearts and that they will respond to let him use their lives however he desires.

Skin: Bill’s Face

It’s not as dangerous as Donna’s recent melanoma, but Bill’s dermatologist found a basal cell carcinoma on his face. He’s had several of these in the past. Tomorrow he will be getting a MOHS procedure to remove this one. The last time Bill had a MOHS (on his forehead in 2019), his face swelled up for a few days like he’d been in the ring with a heavyweight boxer. Please pray that this time they will get all the cancer, but that Lord willing, the recovery won’t be so long or painful.

Stay Tuned

Our next update will move away from health issues and feature some good news… we’ll share how the Palawan church is thriving, young men are helping to lead the church, and how they are using the Palawano translation!

Praise God with us…

Donna’s lab results after her surgery showed that all the cancer cells were cut out. The doctor will not need to cut out a wider margin.

Thank you for your prayers!

Successful Surgery

Thank you all for praying! Donna’s surgery, under local anesthetic, was done quickly and without incident. She’s home now, resting while I pamper her.

Now we wait…

The doctor said it might be up to 11 business days before we get the biopsy results. Then we’ll know if they need to cut out a wider area or not.

Please pray that this first one was enough. We’ll keep you posted.

-Bill for us

Sometimes an apple a day isn’t enough, and this is one of those times. We would appreciate your prayers.

Skin and Bones…

No, we haven’t gotten skinny (too bad!) But we do have some health concerns involving skin and bones.

Donna…

A routine annual dermatology exam about three weeks ago found an unusual mole on Donna’s thigh, and this was confirmed by a biopsy to be melanoma. We’re thankful that it is only “Stage 0.” So the cancer is in situ, which means that it is still only on the surface of the skin.

Please pray with us as Donna undergoes an outpatient surgery on Thursday May 5. The doctors will cut out a larger area just to be sure that no stray cancer cells are left. Pray that all the cancer is removed and that the procedure and recovery won’t be too painful.

Bill…

Donna’s situation is our bigger concern, but Bill has had some issues lately, as well. Since the beginning of the year, he has had a severe arthritis flare-up, unlike anything in the past. The biggest issue has been his right knee. He has experienced swelling and a lot of pain, which has also affected his mobility.

It took a while to work through the protocols, but he’s now seeing a rheumatologist and getting some tests done to determine the cause, and explore possible solutions. Please pray for him and for the doctors to find a way to bring relief.

God is Good… All the Time!

We’re thankful for God’s loving care and that nothing takes him by surprise. And we know that “nothing is too hard for the Lord.” We’re also grateful for high-quality medical care.

And we are thankful for each of you. Thank you for your part in our ministry, and thank you especially for praying for us in these coming weeks. We’ll keep you posted.

We also want to report that things are going really well on the ministry front. We’re excited to share some of what God has been doing in another update soon. But we wanted to get these prayer requests to you today so you could be praying.