Wonderful Biopsy Report!

Yesterday, Daniel and I went down to La Paz on the bus to meet with the doctor to discuss the biopsy results. The report could not have been better considering everything. There is no cancer; and Daniel's emflamed liver is not even caused by an infection. Basically, what happened is that Daniel's gallbladder went bad. There are some tubes that go from the gallbladder to the liver and because the swollen gallbladder was pushing against them, they plugged up. This backed all of the bile back up into the liver causing Daniel's liver to also swell and causing the severe jaundice.
The gallbladder (source of the problems) has been removed. Therefore, the doctor said for Daniel to take a month to rest, eat, drink a lot, and just give the liver some time to heal, and he should be as good as new! We just thanked and praised the Lord for the wonderful report! How gracious and wonderful He is to us!
Daniel's case was very complicated and the doctor still does not understand all of it. Someone with Daniel's condition should have been in severe pain, but Daniel never was. In fact, the scans and Daniel's symptom's pointed to cancer. This prompted the doctor to want to get inside him right away and check things out. The doctor told us yesterday that if Daniel hadn't gotten in when he did and let the problem continue for even another week, he would have been in very bad shape.
The Lord directed everything so clearly! I look forward to sharing in the next posts some of the many things He taught me through this trial. Right now, my job is to keep Daniel's glass full of water, cook him whatever he wants, keep the children "somewhat" quiet so Daddy can rest :), and just thank the Lord for answering prayer! He is so good!

Daniel talking on the phone with his brother giving him the good news while we waited for a taxi to take us back to the bus station.

Thursday's Update

After waking up during the night and "losing" the little supper he ate, Daniel was unsure how he'd feel today, but it was his best day yet. He told me to make sure to thank you all so much for your prayers. I assured him that I have been, and he said to tell you all again! :) He still can't eat very much, but so far, as of 9:00 pm our time, he has only felt queasy 1x this afternoon. He's very yellow, but so very handsome :)
He called again for the pathology report and was told it still wasn't there. Finally, they told us that we had not paid for it yet (we did not know this...this was the first time we'd been told). They said that when he comes down for his doctor's appt. tomorrow, that he can pay then and they will go over it with us.
So tomorrow, the plan is for Daniel and I to leave late morning to head back to La Paz. Mr. Diehl is here until Saturday, and he will take care of the boys. The girls will go with a lady from our church and we will take Eliseo. Daniel will get his stitches taken out and have another consultation with the doctor to go over the biopsy and based on the results, discuss his treatment and prognosis.
Today many of the church members came over to visit. Some arrived while Daniel was sleeping, and just visited with the children and I until he woke up. They brought him juices and teas and fruit. It was a blessing to visit with them and see how much they care.
The Lord has been so near this whole week. He truly gives strength, rest, and the grace we need. It's so different to set the table without Daddy's place, so we've eaten outside a lot this week. It's lonely in the evenings, for that is the time that Daniel would walk in the door from preaching/visiting and we'd spend the time visiting together and sipping coffee or tea. But those times are sweet as I open the precious Word and cast all my worries and cares on the One who cares so much.
Again, thank you for praying for us these past couple of weeks. We have truly felt them.

Still Recovering and waiting

This afternoon, we were suppose to find out the results of the biopsy, but when Daniel called, the doctor's secretary said that they had not received them yet and to call back tomorrow. Friday, Daniel goes back down to La Paz to see the doctor, and I'm sure we will find out by then.
Daniel continues to recover here at home. His nausea is getting better...he mainly battles with it in the evenings; he is trying to eat little amounts throughout the day and has been able to hold everything down. During the day, he rests sitting on the couch or sleeps in our room. I have continued to take the children with me each morning as we run the errands that need to be done. Tonight, we went to church and Brother Macario led some songs, had a testimony time, shared a devotional and we had a time of prayer. We just got home and Daniel was asleep, so since it is still a bit early for bed, the children are playing outside and I thought I'd take the time to update here :)
Thank you for continuing to pray for Daniel. I would also like to ask you to pray for a lady in our church, Maria. I posted about a month or so ago that she was pregnant and was having problems. Today, I went with the children to visit some of the church members. I went to her house and asked her how she was doing~ She told me that the baby had passed away inside and they gave her some pills to take and she delivered at the hospital on Friday. She was about 4 1/2 months along I think. I told her how very sorry I was, we prayed together, and I told her I'd be back soon to see her. I encouraged the ladies at church tonight to go over to visit her if they could and encourage and pray with her. I know she would appreciate your prayers as well.
Well, the boys just came home from the route. Oh, the Lord is so faithful each day.


I snapped a picture of Daniel yesterday when he came out to the dining room. He wasn't feeling very good, but wanted to see if the camera would pick up his yellow eyes. :)

Update on Yesterday (Monday)

After many days of little to no sleep, I got to bed around 11 pm last night, talked to Daniel for a little while, and little Eliseo didn't wake me up until 5 am! Even then, I just snuggled in bed with him for another hour...The Lord is so good to give us rest when we need it. Daniel slept good all night too. Eliseo woke him up this morning too, but I got him a cup of water, he took a few sips and went back to sleep :)

The doctor told us that we can call tomorrow after 5 pm and he'll give us the initial results of the liver biopsy. We are looking forward, as is the doctor, to hearing what is causing the trouble. Yesterday was a full day. Daniel just rested and was so glad to be able to eat a little bit and keep it down. Throughout the day, he would just try to eat a tiny bit here and there...a soda cracker, a few little pieces of watermelon, a little dry toast, and in the evening ate a little chicken broth. He is still battling with a lot of nausea, but he was so happy to not "lose his lunch" yesterday. I don't remember if I mentioned it or not, but one of Daniel's great friends from the states flew in to be with him. When Daniel is awake, it is great for him to have Jeff there to visit with.

After getting Daniel taken care of and the children fed, we (the children and I) got into the van to run errands. This was all so new to me as Daniel normally does all these things, but the Lord was so good and I was able to acomplish all we needed to. We had to go into the bigger town, go to the bank, pay some bills, go to the post office and then bought some groceries. The children were so very good and helpful. After we finished everything, we went back to our town and I took them out for a treat. Benjamin's birthday was a couple weeks ago, and every child gets to go out to icecream on his or her birthday with Daddy. Since Ben never got to go, we stopped at a icecream shop, started with a healthy lunch of nachos :), and then I got each of them an icecream cup...Ben got a 4 scooper since he was the birthday boy. I saw lots and lots of very messy faces and smiles! :)

We got back home, did some chores, and Jeff played games with the children while I did laundry and started supper. A couple hours later, the people who own the store at the end of our street stopped by with their children and asked if we wanted to go watch them pick up some pigs and a cow for butchering. So we all piled into the back of the pickup and went out to a couple of ranches. The older boys got to rope pigs and pull them into and out of the trailer. The little ones loved seeing all the animals. I was thanking the Lord for giving the children another special treat after having such a hard week. He is so good.

Today will be much the same. Lots of rest for Daniel and the children and I will leave this morning again to do more errands. One of Rebekah's parakeets died yesterday. Oh, the tears that fell...Beka is so sensitive and even more so through all that has happened, so what could I do other than promise her we'd try to find another friend for her remaining bird today. I need to pick up more pain medicine for Daniel and need to get some of the children caught up on their vaccinations. There are so many diseases here that we don't really have in the states. The Lord is so good to always care for us. The starter is going out on the van too; Daniel was telling me where I could take it to get it repaired. I may do that today or tomorrow too. There is a park one block from the mechanic shop, so I'm thinking I could pack some sandwhiches and take the children there while we are waiting.

Thank you all so, so much for your prayers. I look forward to sharing when I can of the many things the Lord has taught us and how He's worked in our hearts through this.

We're Home

We pulled in about 10 pm. I got Daniel to his room and went to take the babysitter home. When I got back a few minutes later, he was throwing up. He's hurting and still not really eating much at all. Praying he'll feel better in the morning. I've got to unpack, lock up the house, and feed Eliseo before bed, so I'll write more tomorrow. I just wanted to let everyone we know the Lord brought us home safely and thank you so much again for praying.

I'm sitting in a bus station in La Paz

And I'm sitting next to a very jaundiced but wonderful, handsome man!!! We're heading home in a few minutes. There are a whole bunch of little ones (11 to be exact) getting very, very excited to see their Daddy!!!! I'll update more tonight. Pray for safety as we travel back.

Update on Daniel- Doctor's findings

It is early Sunday Morning. Normally, at this time, I would be soon waking up my children so they could get dressed and ready to go help Brother Macario on the bus route or help Daddy set up for church. But today, there is no church service this morning. It's strange to wake up on the Lord's Day but have no church to go to.
It makes me realize that this is how it was before the Lord sent Daniel here to this town. There was no man preaching God's Word and the gospel message that Jesus Christ alone is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. God loves the people in this town here so much that not only did He send His Son to die for them, but he sent Daniel to let them know. How humbled we are to be His servants.
I talked to Brother Macario last night when he came by to check on Daniel's status. He drove to each and every household of those in our church and let them know he'd be coming by at 5 pm this afternoon to pick them up. They will be having a time of prayer, thanksgiving, singing, and read God's Word together.
There is one thing that Daniel has emphasized over and over and over again to the church here. He has told them, "Do not follow and set your eyes on me. One day, I will not be here. Follow the Lord Jesus Christ; set your focus completely on Him. If you do that, you will not fall, for He never falls. Follow Him alone, and you will grow to trust and love Him more and more as you read God's precious Word and simply trust and obey."
God's precious Word- when we got here, we only knew one man that had a Bible. A couple Saturday's ago, we gave a Bible to almost every household in the town. Oh, may the Lord continue to give the increase here. As so many have sacrificed their time and with burdened hearts, prayed for Daniel, how wonderful it would be if so many would begin praying for the salvation of the people here.

I talked with Daniel last night. He is getting great care in a very good hospital as he recovers from surgery. He says he feels like he just had a c-section (not that he would know :) ) or got hit by a truck. But he'd walked the halls about 3 times and his spirits were good. Pastor Humberto brought a group of about 7 from his church to visit and again, was a tremendous blessing to us as he worked extensively in working out many details with the hosptial office that day. Brother Juan, a Baptist pastor in La Paz, had stayed with Daniel all night to help him in any way he needed. And one of Daniel's closest friends from the USA flew in yesterday afternoon to be with him. So he is not alone and I know is enjoying all the fellowhip with plenty of time to just rest and recover. He was able to eat a little bit yesterday for the first time in almost a week. Continue to pray that he will be able to eat without complications to help him regain his strength.
The doctor did come in to see him yesterday afternoon. He told him that the problem did not stem from the gallbladder, but from the liver. Something is wrong with the liver which in turn caused his gallbladder to completely block up. So they removed the gallbladder and they took a piece from his liver to be biopsied and the results will be in Tuesday. He said that while he can't tell us anything for 100%, he is very confident that it is not cancer. He is an onocologist/surgeon and has much experience. He is not sure what the problem is in the liver, but will know much more when we get the results back from the biopsy Tuesday.
Friday night, after his surgery, I was surprised when the doctor came back into the room and said, "Would you like to see the gallbladder?" Then he held up a glass jar with some liquid in it along with the gallbladder. He asked me, "You can see why we needed to instantly remove it...doesn't it look bad?" I told him I have no idea what a good one looks like, but I trust him. When I told Daniel this he said, "Aww, I would have wanted to see it." I told him not to worry, I snapped plenty of pictures of it for him (because I knew he would say that :) ). And you all don't worry...I won't post them here :)

I enjoyed my day with our children yesterday. We had a "lazy" morning answering phone calls, reading books, playing some games and visiting with the neighbors who came over concerned. While I was feeding Eliseo, I kept yawning...Timothy said, "Mommy, you can lay down if you want and I can get everyone to help me make lunch. We have beans, tortillas, cheese, and all that good jello you made for Daddy that he couldn't eat. We don't want to waste it :)"
After lunch, the little ones rested and the older ones and I cleaned the house, washed the beds, got caught up on the laundry ect... The children played outdoors for the later afternoon while I caught up on more emails and then we had supper, baths, a special ice cream treat (left over from Ben's birthday) and ended with a time of singing and prayer. I loved watching their faces yesterday; they were so very happy.
Before he went into surgery, Timothy wrote Daddy a note and left it on his desk. I asked him if he would mind if I shared it here.
He wrote, "Dear Daddy, I have missed you so very much. I love you a lot. I am praying for you every day. Remember, nothing will happen to you or us without God allowing it to. You taught us that almost every day. Matthew 10:29 says, "Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? And one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father." And verse 31 says, "Fear not, therefore; ye our of more value than many sparrows". We are sad but I know we don't have to be afraid. I love you a lot and Jesus does too. Remember I am praying for you Daddy. love, Timothy" Thank you for praying for Daniel and I and thank you so much for praying for our children.
Oh, the Lord loves us so much and perfect love casts out all fear.

Daniel's Recovery- Update 1

I know so many are waiting for the specifics and story of yesterday. I'm going to post about it as soon as possible. I'm holding off for a couple of reasons.
1. Because Daniel was "out" yesterday after surgery, I was the one who talked to the doctor, took all the info ect... There were a few things I didn't understand...not sure if it was for lack of Spanish or if they would have confused me in English as well (as it is all medical terminology). The doctor should be in to see Daniel sometime today and I'm waiting to hear what he says to Daniel since Daniel speaks Spanish much better than I do. Daniel may also have some questions for the doctor that I didn't think of, so when we report, we can do so as accurately as possible. But the doctor was very, very clear to me that it was not cancer and to expect a full recovery.
2. I am eager to share the story of yesterday...again the Lord worked out so clearly each and every little detail...but right now I feel tugged at many ends. I yearn to be with Daniel for his recovery, I have dearly missed my children, and I am excited to share here with all of those who prayed and cried so much along with us. I prayed yesterday night that the Lord would make His will clear in whether I should be with Daniel or here at home. Again, he showed me, without a doubt, that I am to be home today. So I'm back to the loving, kissing, hugging, playing, training, cleaning, washing, cooking ect... that I love to do for my hubby, children and most importantly the Lord.

I was able to talk on the phone with Daniel a couple times this morning and he sounded good...kind of like how I sound after a c-section. :) He has already been walking and even got a hot shower. He was rejoicing and reveling in the goodness and mercy of the Lord.

Last night when he came back into his room after surgery, at first he was very out of it. Then he began talking to me but only in Spanish (he never talks to me in Spanish unless we are with other Spanish speaking people). He wouldn't switch to English. :) I had to tell him that it wasn't cancer about 15 times :) He gradually became more and more coherent and told me that he was now understanding everything fine. So I asked him, "What's the capitol of New York?" And he halfway opened one eye and looked at me and said, "Jaynee, do I even know that when I'm not drugged up?" :)

Looking forward to sharing soon! All we can say is thank you Lord!

This is how we prayed...

While we begged the Lord to heal him, we prayed

Lord, whatever brings more glory to your name...either by life or by death...Your will be done.

The Lord must have many great things in store for my sweet, wonderful man still in this life that will bring great glory to our Savior!

The doctor came in and jumped up and down...No Cancer!

I'll write more when I can.

Oh God is so good, so faithful, so loving, and so merciful.
All glory to His name!

This is the day that the Lord has made...

We will rejoice and be glad in it. Daniel just left a while ago...it's around 5:30 am here. Keep him in your prayers today. Pray especially that the surgery will bring him relief and that the doctor will be able to find the problem.
He was feeling really queasy this morning...I think because his body is still trying to rid itself and process all that juice solution from his test yesterday; that coupled with being overtired, not able to eat for several days and a bit nervous as you can imagine. I am praying he will be able to sleep while they travel.
I am getting things in order here at home. Getting some more laundry put away, cleaning up a bit while the children sleep ect... I am looking forward to having the morning with them. I may try if there is time to take them to the park this morning to play before we pick up Josefina.
I am looking forward to being with Daniel this afternoon. I am bringing the laptop with me; while he's waiting for surgery, I want to read him each and every email/comment we have received these past few days. I've read every one of them, but he hasn't been able to yet and I know they will so encourage and strengthen his heart knowing so many love and care so much. He's looking forward to hearing them all. He has said over and over through many tears how much he appreciates all those who are standing with us through this through prayer. Oh, God is so good.

Daniel 1.4- God has written a story

I'm going to start this post a little differently. I want to share something that has been on my heart for a long time. Have you ever had a time when the Lord has spoken to you? Put something on your heart and in your mind that you know is from Him.
He has written a story on my heart. It is not a story I would have ever written, but He is the Author and Finisher of our faith. His ways are perfect. I have prayed and prayed for a long time over this...shed tear after tear. And have heard Him clearly say that what I know in my heart is from Him and He will sustain us through all.
The past several days, the pages are beginning to turn. And as they do, I have been sharing them. There are still many pages left and as they unfold, I share more. As Daniel has been going through this trial, the Lord has so tenderly and graciously laid the same things on his heart. I can't begin to tell (although I am writing it all down in a notebook) the number of things we never talked about but have both known. From the tiniest details to the larger ones.
Oh, the Lord is so gracious, so loving, so merciful, so faithful, and as we stand on the Rock that never trembles, we are sheltered under His wings and have the peace that truly passes all understanding. Has this time shaken our faith? I can honestly from the bottom of my heart say not a bit. It is not us...it is Him. In fact, our faith is growing by leaps and bounds, our hearts are closer to Him and each other than we ever imagined possible, and we know His love and presence like never before.

The Lord's hand was again through every thing today. Brother Humberto arrived at our house early in the morning to take us to La Paz. As we traveled, my heart began to ache thinking of the day ahead; the tears began to flow; and I began to pray. I specifically asked the Lord to clearly direct every single little detail...to let us know what to do. Oh how He answered!

We assumed we'd get to the hospital, they'd admit Daniel, Brother Humberto would go back home, and later they'd do the surgery. When we got to the hospital, they told us that the other hospital had never called to make the arrangements and we'd have to return at a later date.

I have to say this...Brother Humberto is a pastor in the town where Daniel was first hospitalized. Year ago, he had cancer. La Paz is a big city and we don't know where anything is. Brother Humberto took the reigns so to speak and we just followed. He did all the talking (we didn't know what we were doing). We walked from this building to that. Finally, he got us an appointment at another hospital for the CT scan. After the scan, he tried to get Daniel an appt. to see the surgeon at the first hospital, but he couldn't. We had less than an hour to get to a bank to get some money and to get to the appt.

When we arrived at the other hospital and walked in, our hearts were calmed. This hospital was so clean, the staff and doctors were so understanding, professional and kind. They have Daniel 2 big cups of juice with dye he had to drink. He hasn't been able to eat or drink anything but small sips of water for days, and he was told if he threw up, he'd have to try again. The solution was sour. He asked me to pray...I was happy to bow my head and ask the Lord to help him be able to drink it as I was having a hard time seeing him trying. When I looked back up, he had almost finished and was able to keep everything down!

The CT doctor did the scan, said that there was something in the gallbladder, but he was sure it would be fine. He said it was this or that. Though we wanted to relax in that hope, we both knew he wasn't right. We went to the Oncologist...Dr. Napoleon Rodriguez. He went through all the studies and put up the scans. He was very concerned. He said the studies are not conclusive because the situation is complicated.

Yes, Daniel's gallbladder has a mass. But this should not cause him to be so very jaundiced. The CT scan also showed some spots on the liver. The doctor explained everything so patiently and well. He does not want to alarm, but did say tumors in the gallbladder are 98% of the time malignant and are very aggressive...we already knew the survival rate is less than 1%. But he said as Daniel is so very sick they need to opperate and 1) remove the gallbladder and even equally importantly 2) find out what is going on inside...it the liver involved and other areas.
The surgery will be about 3 hours depending on what they find when they get in there.

We have a great peace about this doctor. He will be doing the surgery tomorrow. We were blessed to be able to return home tonight around 7 pm, spend another evening with our children, and Daniel will be able to rest once more in our own bed.
Tomorrow, Brother Humberto will arrive here at 5 am in the morning. He will take Daniel back to the hospital for his blood work. They will admit him at 1 pm. In the meantime, Brother Humberto will take Daniel to Los Cabos (about 2 more hours south) to pick up Eliseo's passport which we may need soon. I will be here with the children for the morning and take the bus at 11 am to be with Daniel (should arrive around 2 pm). Josefina will be with the children and Hna. Meche, a dear older lady from our church, has been taking care of Eliseo. I will stay with Daniel and wait to hear the results from his surgery and then take the bus back home.
I will update once I get home.
The Lord has given so much peace...even as our hearts ache so much it hurts, we know our Lord and Savior suffered so much more for us. He knows, loves us, and will take care of us. Thank you for your prayers. I can't say it enough. We cry as we read the comments and emails. The Lord is so good.

Daniel 1.3 Quick update

It amazes me how much the Lord loves us. Through this week, he has worked out each little detail and directed each step so clearly.
The Lord has us in His hands, and I get to hold my hubby's hand. Rather than going to La Paz last evening, Daniel will be going this morning around 7 am. He is home sleeping right now. Oh how wonderful it was to sit down as a family tonight; Daddy talked to the children, let them ask questions, and then we all prayed and hugged Daddy a lot.
He really wanted me to be with him through the next day or two. As I shared, my heart yearned to be with him too, but of course thought of the children and really wanted to let the Lord lead. Daniel without me knowing had talked to the lady from our church that watched our children when I had Eliseo. She was more than willing to come over and stay for however long was needed. I still felt hesitant when all the children, to my surprise, urged me to go with Daddy. They "didn't want Daddy to be alone" and knew they could "take care of everything for you mommy just like we did when you had to stay in the hospital with Eliseo". Then the Lord gave us a plan and a peace. I will be going down with Daniel in the morning, stay till the late afternoon/early evening, and then take the bus back home so I can be with the children for the evening/night. And we'll wait to see how the Lord leads for the following day.
Just to clarify, this is what we know:
*He has a mass in his gallbladder (seen via ultrasound)
*His white blood cell count is very high
*He is very jaundiced...skin and eyes
*He can't eat at all...one bite gives him pain and nausea
*He was rehydrated at the hospital and felt much better and has been able to take little sips of water this evening without feeling too queasy
*He is the most handsome, wonderful man I know :)
*Next step is to get a CT scan in La Paz tomorrow...this will really let us know a lot more
*Most probably followed by surgery that day or the following

Since I will be down with him tomorrow, I probably won't be able to update until the evening...unless I can find a signal down there...possible since it is the capitol city.
Tomorrow we should know a lot more.

The children are doing well. The younger ones (5 yrs on down) don't really understand...just know that Daddy is sick and as Noah says "Daddy throws up a lot".
The older ones are sad and each dealing with it in their own way. Timothy is sensitive...has been crying at little things all day. I keep encouraging him to cry to Jesus and he knows just like Daddy has taught him so much, that God loves and will take care of everything. Elijah is quiet...doesn't want to talk about it...I know he hurts. He wants to be strong. Rebekah goes from "taking charge" by helping with everything, serving everyone, trying to do anything she can to help to suddenly crying. Benjamin is Mr. steady...he takes it all in stride, understands, and sat down to write Daddy a letter to help him feel better. Abigail is all girl...she wrote tons of love letters to Daddy to make his hospital room pretty. She wanted to hug him and rub his hands tonight. They love being with Josefina so tomorrow should be fun...they planned their menus and assigned out mommy's chores and planned activities too (playing church, making cards for Daddy, watching a Moody Science DVD, playing inside and outside).

I can't tell you how very humbled and encouraged we are to hear so many who love us and are praying. Oh, the Lord is hearing and answering. He's given grace for today and will for tomorrow. He is so loving and good.

Daniel- 1.2 Diagnosing

Thank you all so much for praying. It gives us so much comfort just to know so many care so much. And we are clinging on to Jesus who knows what tomorrow holds and who loves us so much. Through all that happens, pray that His precious, sweet name is glorfied. I know Daniel would say the same thing if he were here.
Instead of doing the surgery, they spent the day doing tests...they did all the tests they could do here and decided it is very serious and tonight he is being taken to La Paz...the capitol city which is about 3 hours from us. They will admit him tonight and most likely do a CT scan first thing in the morning. After they get the results from the scan, they will most likely do surgery. The CT scan will give them a much clearer picture of what all they are looking at.
Daniel was given an iv with liquids and vitamins and felt much better getting rehydrated.
I was able to get ahold of Brother Macario who Daniel has been training to be pastor here. He took our van and drove around the town letting all our church people know there will be no services tonight and asking them to pray. It is heartbreaking to tell them; the few people I've told have wept. They really love Pastor Daniel.
The hardest thing for me right now is just being here so far away from him. I know he wants me to be with him, but it does not seem possible right now. Though I have never liked being away from home and the children, my heart aches to be with him, to hold his hand, cry together, pray together, and just be there so he isn't alone. But if the Lord wants me at home...not my will but Thine be done.
I have seen His ever loving hand in so many little details and worries today already. Last Sunday, a little tiny bird fell from it's nest outside our church building right by Benjamin's feet. I told Ben that the Lord saw that tiny bird fall...how much more He sees and cares for us. I know, even though I don't know where, how, why, what ect... , that He does and will give us the wisdom and provide for everything. Oh He is so good and loves us so much.
Before we got to the mission field, life was "easy". Once we got here, our oldest son had a tumor in his spine and had to have surgery and radiation...the Lord healed him completely; we had times where we saw the Lord provide our food meal by meal; He took us through the accident when 2 of our children had 2nd and 3rd degree burns; He took me through Susannah's birth where I almost bled to death from a separated placenta; He took care of Nehemiah through his first few months of life where he struggled for every breath and we thought the Lord would take him; He took us from a 30 ft. travel trailer and gave us a house; and oh so much more...all in 4 years. I know He will bring us through this according to His will.
Each trial refines us, draws us closer to Him, builds our faith, and oh how we pray will glorify His name.
But oh it hurts.
Trusting Jesus Every Day,
Jaynee

Update: The Doctors are saying Cancer

My wonderful husband Daniel has been under the weather for a couple months...more tired, loss of appetite, not feeling great. We didn't think too much of it because that is common here with the different parasites.
The past week, he got a fever, had night sweats, and started feeling worse.
Then the past few days, he got worse and worse...he could no longer eat or drink anything, had pain in his stomach, felt a ball in there, and due to not eating and being dehydrated, was very, very sick and weak.
The doctors treated him for food poisoning at first, though he didn't really have those signs.
Today, he went to the hospital and they ran more tests and said that his gallbladder is completely plugged and they are basically 100 % sure it is cancer.
He has to have emergency surgery right now; we'll know more after they get inside him.
I'm at home with our 11 children by ourselves right now. The hospital is in the next town.
I know whatever it is, the Lord has allowed it and will use it for good and His glory. Sometimes I just know it in my head and at times he gives me the peace that passes all understanding.
Please pray.
Specific requests:
*The Lord will heal him
*The Lord will strengthen Daniel's weak body for this surgery
*Wisdom for the doctors as they do this surgery and diagnosis
*Wisdom for me in finding someone to watch the children so I can see Daniel (children aren't allowed in the hospitals here)
*Wisdom, grace and strength for us right now

I am so sad and scared, and although I don't know what the future holds, I know who the One who does. I am just wanting to crawl up in the Lord's lap right now and cry out to Him. Daniel is not here with us right now...but I know the Lord is.
I will update as I can and know more.
Thank you all so much for your comments and prayers and love. The Lord is so good and faithful. We hurt but praise Him.

Please pray

I'm sorry I haven't been able to update this week. I have gotten some comments and emails I need to respond to, plus a variety of things I want to tell you about here, and I will try to get to them soon.
Right now, the Lord has allowed us to be going through a trial that has been quite difficult this week and may possibly get harder. As we are yet unsure of the path the Lord is leading us through right now, I don't want to share any specifics at this time.
But as I sat down here to write tonight (I had some things in mind to write about...Ben's Birthday, some exciting changes in our church ect...) I just couldn't as my heart is so very burdened right now.
So I did want to update and ask you to please pray for us right now. We know that the Lord loves us so much and works all things for good and for His glory. We are having to trust and rely on Him and cry out to Him right now. We pray that the Lord would remove this trial, but if not, that He will give us the grace and strength and wisdom we need and that His name would be glorified in all.
Can I ask a favor? If you read this and will pray, would you leave us a comment? It doesn't have to be long...just say "I'm praying". I know it would encourage our hearts so much.
We have seen the Lord work so much in our lives through our prayers and those of our brothers and sisters in Christ on our behalf, so we ask that if the Lord brings us to your mind, that you will just pray for us. He is so faithful and good!

Giving An Entire Town God's Word!

We've had a very busy past couple of days with some unexpected but exciting changes taking place (I'll write about those next week). But today we had a church activity which everybody enjoyed. We have been given or purchased boxes of the following:
*The book of John and Romans
*New Testaments
*Bibles
*Tracts
Today, several of the people in our church took the day off work to meet together this morning with the goal of giving God's Word out to every house in our town. Daniel had a map of our town (population 7,000 / Houses- about 2,000) that showed each lot so we could mark it off. We formed teams, prayed, and then all piled into the blue van where we had stacked all the literature. Then we just started at the beginning of the map, drove to that spot, dropped off a couple of teams (one for each side of the street), and then continued to the next spot until everyone had been dropped off. Then Daniel would return to the opposite end and pick everyone up. The plan was to continue like this all day until either every house had been given a tract and God's Word or until we ran out of literature. Around 4:00 pm we had handed out every last John and Romans/NT/and Bible and just had some tracts remaining with just a small part of the town uncovered.
We returned to our home for a time of fellowship. The ladies rested and visited inside while the children and men played outdoors (knife throwing, the trampoline, swings, chess, soccer ect...). Then we all ate some sandwhiches and Daniel took everyone home.
Pray with us that the Lord would bless His Word that has been given to each home, that hearts would be covicted and opened to the glorious gospel, and He would give the increase!
Here are some photos of the day...and the post below will have some more :)

Here is Daniel giving instructions this morning before we left.

All of us piling into the van getting ready to go. We recently took out all of the seats in this van and put wooden benches seats around the walls so we could fit more people :)

Eliseo and Josiah were on my team. Josiah was shy at first, but soon wouldn't let me hand out anything because he wanted to do it. :) Eliseo helped me hold my tracts in his hat :)

Ivan (age 13) and Chuy (age 15) getting ready to walk the next street.

More Pictures from passing out Bibles

Here is Benjamin and Marisela getting ready to get dropped off at their corners

Since I had Eliseo, Rebekah offered to carry Nehemiah in the Ergo carrier. Abigail and Rebekah each went with one of the ladies to form 2 teams.

Little Noah was very excited to go with Timothy and his friend to help give the people Bibles. He filled up his overall front pocket with his tracts. :)

After a long day, everyone came back to our house to fellowship, eat, and play. Here is Brother Macario playing a game of chess with Timothy.

Our innovative chicken coup :)

The weather is getting warmer and either the chickens are growing or their cage is shrinking. We needed to get them a bigger home soon! So, we came up with this! We thought it was great because:
a)Gives them plenty of shade
b) Gives them plenty of room to roam
c) Does not take up any extra space in our back yard
and d) Uses materials we already had on hand!
:)

Curriculum Question

Katie asked: When you have time, can you post some more titles that have helped you with home management and organization?

Tulip asked- What curriculum are you using?

Answers: Apart from MOTH, I have not really read any other books that I can recall that specifically addressed home management/organization.
My mom is a very organized lady, and I'm sure I got my love of making lists and schedules from her :) As I began having more children and I would wonder about how to do this or that, I would simply ask...and I still do. I look for godly ladies who love the Lord, love their husbands and children...most of whom have already walked the path that I am walking and I "sit at their feet" so to speak and the Lord has used them to bless, encourage and teach me.

Our current Curriculum-
*Bible- Family Bible Time morning and evening, daily quiet time (individually), and daily Scripture memorization
*Math- Abeka
*Language- Abeka
*Writing- I teach them their letters myself and have them copy simple sentences and verses; then, once they can write, they write daily journal entries, write daily letters, copy Scripture verses they are working on, and sometimes write poems or stories.
*Phonics- Abeka (K-3rd grade)
*Reading- We have a variety of readers of all levels...Christian Light Publication, Rod and Staff, Pathway are our favorites. As the children get older, they simply pick things from our family library which covers a variety of subjects...science, history, biographies, ect...
*History/Science- I teach 2 groups right now...the older children in one and the younger ones in another. We use an Abeka Textbook as our base and then supplement it with lots of reading, timelines, experiments ect...
*Spelling- We have a variety of lists. I use Abeka's lists as the children are learning to read (as the lists follows the phonics we are studying). We have the book "Spelling Power" and I largely make up my own lists based on words I see them misspell in their own writings. :)
*Extra- We use "Type it" for typing (ages 10 up). This is a simple book that they put beside the computer and work from....no "video game" type programs...I just open notepad on our pc and they practice 20 minutes a day. Works great! :)
Daddy gives Spanish lessons from time to time; Music- I teach piano and Daniel teaches guitar right now to the older ones :)

Our breakfast this morning :)

We eat this for breakfast more than anything else...Oatmeal! It is ideal because it takes so little time to prepare...in fact it takes far longer to dish out than it does to make it :) And it costs very little, so the children can have full tummies without Daddy having an empty wallet. :)

Here is our basic recipe~ I don't measure anything...I just do it by sight. I fill up a large pot with water and bring it to a boil. (While it is boiling, I am free to do other things). Once the water boils, I add 2 bags of oatmeal, some vanilla, and sweeten the pot with sugar or honey (we prefer to use honey when it is available). I add the oatmeal slowly stirring with a wire wisk the whole time to prevent clumps (or as Josiah says, "Bumps"). I turn the heat down to low and let is simmer for a while. The children love it when I add a can of evaporated milk (they say it makes it creamier). Sometimes, we add other things we have on hand...raisins, cinnamon, chopped apples ect... Yum!

Food questions! :)

Susanna asked- If you ever have a chance, could you put up some of your favorite family recipes? Also, any tips to cut down on the grocery bills??

Tulip asked: Would love to know about any recipes you use with the beans, lentils, etc.

Answers: Most of what we eat is fairly simple and made from scratch. Our rule of thumb for most meals is that they are easy, economical, and can be made relatively quickly (since we have to make so much of what we make). Of course, we also have to factor in that we have to be able to get the ingredients needed here too! :)
I plan meals that are not complicated because I enjoy teaching my girls how to cook and the more they are able to do on their own, the happier they are (because they love to say, "Daddy, I made 'so and so' all by myself!") and the more time I have to attend to other things.
As our family has grown and the appetites of the chitlins have grown as well, finding meals that I can make in large quantities is important! Our children have grown up eating simply. They are not picky eaters...they usually come to the table quite hungry and eager to see if mommy's made enough for a second helping :)
With making so much food each day, we try to keep our meals to things that can be prepared in 30 min. or less. For example, eggs are inexpensive and readily available here. Though we all have different ways we like our eggs cooked, generally, we eat them scrambled because that is the fastest way to cook them. Elijah, for his birthday (we let each child plan the menu for his/her special day), requested cheese omlets for breakfast...it took a while to make that many omlets, but as it was a special occasion, we planned for the extra cooking time :)
As far as sharing favorite recipes, I thought maybe what I would do is just every so often write a recipe or two down (and maybe include a picture) of what we eat that day. I will label the posts "recipes" so they can easily be found. I'll probably start this tomorrow. :)

As far as tips for cutting down grocery bills, this is what I do here:
*Cook from scratch
*A little bit of meat goes a long way; I shred the meat very fine, add it to the other ingredients, and you don't have to use much at all and nobody notices :)
*Don't let your children be picky!! Start them from the beginning eating simply. If they don't eat what is served, don't let them eat until the following meal. Be careful about snacking in between meals. We teach our children that we need to eat whatever is served to us with asking God to bless the food and thanking Him for it. Living here, it is so very important that we never "turn up our noses" at somebody's hospitatlity and service...and we've been served some very interesting things. :) Have your children work hard...get their bodies moving!! This makes very hungry tummies! And give them as few choices as possible...I allow them to say if they would like to have spicy salsa or not on their food. And I am merciful to Elijah who gags and has his eyes water up when he eats a raw tomato (though we are working on him there :) ). But I just serve up the plates all the same and everyone sits down and enjoys! :)
*Buy in Bulk
*Limit desserts (this one isn't my favorite :) )
*Drink water (instead of something else)

History of the Daniel Lockwood Family Pictures :)

I thought this would be a fun post~ On our living room wall, we have LOTS of pictures. They go all away around two walls now. There are two rows of pictures~ The top row is our family picutures. Each year that the Lord has added another blessing to our family, we've had a picture taken to hang on our wall. :) Below each family picture is the youngest child's (in that picture) 1 year picture.

As I look at these pictures each day, I am so grateful for the grace of the Lord in our lives! He is so faithful and good!
I thought it would be fun to share them with you all :) I can only upload 4 pictures at a time to each post, so this will continue into the next 2 posts as well :)

Daniel and Jaynee Lockwood- July 22, 1995 (22 years young :) )



Christmas 1996~ Daniel and Jaynee Lockwood (23 years young) and Timothy (9 weeks old)

July 1998~ Daniel and Jaynee Lockwood (25 years young), Timothy (21 months), Elijah (4 months)

July 1999~ Daniel and Jaynee Lockwood (26 years young), Timothy (2 1/2), Elijah (1), Rebekah (3 months)

Family Pictures

October 2000 Daniel and Jaynee (27 years young), Timothy (4), Elijah (2), Rebekah (1), and Benjamin (4 m).

November 2001~ Daniel and Jaynee (28 years young), Timothy (5), Elijah (3), Rebekah (2), Benjamin (1), and Abigail (5 m).

March 2003~ Daniel and Jaynee (29 years young), Timothy (6), Elijah (5), Rebekah (3), Benjamin (2), Abigail (1) and Isaiah (9 m)

December 2003~ Daniel and Jaynee (30 years young), Timothy (7), Elijah (5), Rebekah (4), Benjamin (3), Abigail (2), Isaiah (1), and Josiah (5 m)

Family Pictures

December 2004
Daniel and Jaynee (31 years young), Timothy (8), Elijah (6), Rebekah (5), Benjamin (4), Abigail (3), Isaiah (2), Josiah (1), Noah (4 m.)

November 2005
Daniel and Jaynee (32 years young), Timothy (9), Elijah (7), Rebekah (6), Benjamin (5), Abigail (4), Isaiah (3), Josiah (2), Noah (1) and Susannah (2 m.)

Most recent family picture taken December 2007~ Daniel and Jaynee (34 years young), Timothy (11), Elijah (9), Rebekah (8), Benjamin (7), Abigail (6), Isaiah (5), Josiah (4), Noah (3), Susannah (2), and Nehemiah (1).

And now that little Eliseo is here, we're looking forward to another "picture day" as a family of 13 :)

What we do for fun :)

Knife and tomahawk throwing! It is really fun, cheap, and something the entire family enjoys. As soon as Daddy gets out the throwing knives, everyone is out back watching and eagerly awaiting their turn.
A few weeks ago, I opened the silverware drawer and noticed that one section of the silverware holder was empty....all the butter knives were gone. We hardly ever use them, and so I wasn't surprised that they weren't in the dish drainer. I asked, "Does anyone know where the butter knives are?" And little Susannah goes running outside toward the targets..."Here they are mommy! Noah and I are practicing throwing knives." :)
This afternoon after lunch, the children came running into the house shouting, "Mommy, come see what Daddy did! He stuck the tomahawk and then stuck the knife right into it's handle!"
Yep, Daddy's the hero! :)