Identical Twins!!!

I just got an email with a picture of one of my new adorable second cousins. You all will remember praying for my cousin Valerie, her husband Matt, and their daughter Madi as Madi was being treated for multiple recurrances of a brain tumor. I'm sure you will rejoice in knowing that Valerie just gave birth to identical twin boys - Cooper and Parker. It should be really fun for Silas when we are home on furlough to play with cousins his age.

In addition, the recent MRI results for Madi are very good. There appears to be a diminishing in what is believed to be scar tissue from the tumor. Madi is in kindergarten and she is learning well.

I'm sure your continued prayer would be appreciated as Matt and Valerie adjust to life with twins and 5 children under the age of 6. And also for Madi as she continues to recover.

An Update on Madi

At the end of September I received an update about Madi saying her latest MRI came back with good results, praise the Lord! It was exciting for me to hear a couple days ago from, Valerie, my cousin, that Madi has started school and is doing very well. She is even memorizing Bible verses. When she began her radiation treatments they were told that she could be left with minor or major brain damage. At this point it appears that God spared her from any of those side effects.

Valerie is expecting twin boys who are both doing well, she has 16 weeks left of her pregnancy and I'm sure she would appreciate your prayers.

An update on Madi

Thank you all for praying for Madi and her family. God was good to give them an extra measure of grace and peace in the midst of this recent trial. And He was also good to give them some wonderful news.

¨Praise God, we have good news! The MRI taken today showed no change from the pictures taken five weeks ago. The doctor believes this indicates that what we are seeing is not cancer, since Madi's tumor growth has previously been fast and aggressive. He is quick to say there are no guarantees. An MRI is scheduled in three months.¨

Pray for Madi

This is my 5 year old, 2nd cousin, Madi. Many of you know she has been battling brain cancer for a year and a half. To everyone's joy she was sent home in November, cancer free.

I just received a heartbreaking email that the cancer has returned once again. She has had three brain surgeries, radiation, chemo, and stem cell transplants from her family. This cancer is so incredibly aggressive. The doctors have said there is nothing more they can do.

Perhaps that is true, but God is still the great physician. He is the Healer and if He wills He can heal Madi completely! Will you pray along with our family that God, if He wills, would heal Madi?

Please be in prayer for her parents, Matt and Val.

They found out just before the latest MRI results that Make a Wish foundation is sending the entire family to Disney World. This should be a special time for them.

This is a Scrapbook page that I made, last spring, in honor of Madi (on the left). She and Adeline got along so well when we visited our home town, Hemet, CA two years ago.

Madi is home!

In all of the rush of things just before, and after, we left for the field, this entry was never posted. Sorry, Matt and Val, I really wanted our prayer warriors to rejoice with you. They had a lovely Christmas together and we praise God for allowing Madi to make it through.

This entry is actually an email sent to me by Madi's Grandma. For those who don't know Madi has spent the last year and a half battling brain cancer. I'm sure everyone who has been praying for her for these past months will enjoy reading this post.

**********

When their car turned the corner and headed down the street to home today Madi's unsolicited response was: "Thank you God for bringing me home safely."

We are a very happy family this evening. Madi is finally home and healthy. She was greeted today by a special friend, as you can see in the picture, a multitude of balloons, and many many welcome home cards. Just watching her today it seemed I was watching the little girl from a year and a half ago. She was laughing while watching a movie, smiling for no apparent reason, and even walking with the special swing of her right arm that she used to do. She very seldom expressed what she was feeling these past months but the visible change I noted today made me wonder what went on in her little head all this time.

Thank you all for your kindness and prayers, Rosalie