An Update on Dad

Author: Abbey /


Hey, everyone! Mom and Dad are back from Houston with some pretty good news! When they went to the initial appointment on Friday, the doctor told them that my dad could participate in a study there in Houston. That was good news, but it would mean that my dad would have to travel to Houston every three weeks for treatment. My parents asked the doctor if she knew of anyone closer to us doing a similar study, just so he wouldn’t have to travel so far. She said she didn’t know of one, but she would do some research. Thankfully, tons of people (including many of you!) were praying for a good follow-up appointment Wednesday. Well, when they went back to the doctor Wednesday, she told them that, not only is the same study being conducted in Tennessee, but it’s even here in Memphis! This is such great news. It will be much easier and less expensive for Dad to get treated here.

The study is for patients 40-80 years of age with prostate cancer that has spread to the bone. We’re hoping that they still need patients to participate in the study and that Dad meets all the requirements. If he doesn’t, MD Anderson said they’d love to treat him. What can I say? My dad’s in high demand. ;)

As a participant in this study, my dad would receive the normal treatment that any doctor would prescribe for a patient in his condition. He would also receive an extra pill—either an experimental drug or a placebo. (We wouldn’t know for a while which pill he received.) So basically, he’ll get the standard treatment plus a 50/50 chance of receiving a drug that may be extra effective.

Dad has his first appointment at UT Memphis tomorrow. He won’t be starting treatments yet, but I guess they’ll see if he meets all the requirements and do a few preliminary tests. 

I can’t thank you enough for all your prayers. My whole family thanks you! We’ve had so many people encourage us by sending us cards or telling us they’re praying for us, and some people have even helped us meet some physical needs! I am so very thankful for each of you and the way the God of all comfort works through you to minister to us.

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Here and there and everywhere... except Macedonia

Author: Abbey /

I want to be in Macedonia right now. For sure. But still being here has given me some really great opportunities!

My church small group has sort of "adopted" a Somali refugee and her daughter living in Memphis. Her name is Abshiro, and I think she's 29. Her daughter, Ayyan, is almost three, and she has hydrocephalus. Ayyan is absolutely precious and so happy, but she isn't as developed as she should be. She doesn't speak or walk... in fact, she just started holding up her own head last week or so. Abshiro's first husband left her and took their daughter (now six years old), and Abshiro doesn't know where they are, though they are probably still in Africa. Her second husband was killed in an explosion in Africa. Since Abshiro speaks no English, the ladies in my small group have been visiting her once a week to begin teaching her English. Yesterday, I got to meet Abshiro for the first time. It was great! I got to do a little hour-long lesson with her. I've never been able to teach ESL to an absolute beginner. And what an awesome opportunity for our small group to form a relationship with someone by helping her with a real need so that she can see Jesus in us. Pretty cool.

I've also had plenty of opportunities to speak at churches in the area. Tonight, I was able to speak to the 1st-5th graders at a local church. They were really interested, and they asked a ton of great questions. One of them even asked if Macedonia is a closed country or an open country! And, of course, they said quite a few funny things. For example:

Woman introducing me: Have any of you ever heard of Macedonia?
Little boy: No, it's called Massachusetts!

Me: The Roma people are also called gypsies. What do you think of when you think of gypsies?
Other little boy: When I'm bad, my mom says she's gonna sell me to the gypsies.

My parents are on their way home from Houston right now. I don't know much yet, but I do know that the bone scan was about the same, but his PSA went up a lot. I'll post an update as soon as I know more. Thanks for your prayers!

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Hey, friends!

My parents are currently making the 10-hour drive to Houston for my dad's appointment at the MD Anderson cancer treatment/research center. My whole family would love your prayers over the next few days as we learn about possible treatment options.

And since I make lists for everything, and as I'll have plenty of alone time, I've made a list of things to do while they're gone.

  • Read. Sooo many good books to read!
  • Study Macedonian at least 30 minutes each day.
  • Double my running distance.
  • Watch Christmas movies. (One down!)
  • Play my clarinet. I haven't played since last December. :(
  • Skype. Lots of friends in lots of different countries to Skype with. :)
  • Get a backpack. Got any suggestions?
  • Spend a fun weekend with sister. :)
That's pretty much it. Hopefully, these things will keep me busy (and not lonely!) until my parents get back. 

Do you ever read something in the Bible that you don't remember reading before, even though it's in a book or chapter that you know you've read? That happened to me yesterday. I'll leave you with the verse that stood out to me.

"But each day the LORD pours His unfailing love upon me, and through each night I sing His songs, praying to the God of my life." Psalm 42:8

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The In-Between

Author: Abbey /

Hello, friends! I realized it's been a while since I updated all of you. You're probably wondering why I'm not in Macedonia yet, since I was supposed to leave yesterday! There's been a bit of a hold-up. I've been waiting to receive my visa for about a month and a half, but I found out last Tuesday that I had to reapply for it. Sad! I mailed off the application on Friday, so the consulate should receive it tomorrow. I'm hoping that, since this is my second time to apply, they'll push it through more quickly, but we'll see. It's my hope that this won't take more than a month. In the meantime, I'm enjoying spending pretty much every waking moment with my dad! :) You know how some people can only take so much of their parents before they get tired of them? I'm not one of those people! I genuinely adore both of my parents and love spending time with them. So Dad and I are spending our days running errands and getting things done around the house.

This past weekend was so fun! Both my brothers and my sister-in-law came in town (originally, they were planning on being here this weekend to see me off), and we had a great time! Saturday, we celebrated Thanksgiving. We had turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, corn, green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, rolls, homemade macaroni and cheese, chocolate bundt cake, and homemade cheesecake! Yum! Sunday, we all got to go to church together for the first time in a looooong time. And we went to my church, which meets in the building of the church we grew up attending. That was special. :)

Of course, I also have plenty of time to see my friends here around Memphis, and I've gotten more opportunities to speak at churches in the area. Just building my prayer network, you know. :) I've been so blessed by people I don't even know coming up to me and telling me they're praying for my family and me.

I'm really looking for ways to serve around here while I'm in this in-between phase. So if you're in the Memphis area and could use help with anything, let me know! I'd really be happy to help. While I'm here, I'd love your prayers for my visa application process to go quickly and smoothly this time. And please continue to pray for healing for my dad. He has an appointment at MD Anderson in Houston on October 22 for a second opinion and some additional treatment options. Thanks, everyone!

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The end is near!

Author: Abbey /

Tomorrow is commissioning, and then I’ll officially be finished with Field Personnel Orientation. I’m really going to miss it here.

I’ll miss Kelsey and our early morning runs (the ones where we leave and come back while the stars are still out), her impeccable sloth impression, her love of butterflies and  owls, and the huge lisp she has when she’s wearing her retainer. And sharing clothes. J

I’ll miss Grace’s surprisingly good rapping skills, and the way she always makes me feel like the funniest person in the world, and how we can hold hands for over 30 minutes (resulting in only minor injuries), and her impressive use of the word egads, and how we have the same taste in fictional literature, and our grammar conversations (sorry about the unparallel structure, Grace), and how she doesn’t mind my sleep talking.

I’ll miss Suzanne’s winks and the way she listens so well to the people around her. And how she throws her head back when she’s laughing really hard and sees God in every situation and points Him out to everyone else.

I’ll miss Michal and her Africa stories. I’ll miss how she loves Africa, and how when she tells me she’s praying for me, I know she really is.

I’ll miss Jennifer, and how she’s the most ridiculous, insane, hilarious person I’ve ever known, but there’s this other sensitive, empathetic, discerning side to her. I’ll miss her crazy, please-tell-me-you-made-that-up stories (many of them inappropriate), and her strange love for snakes. And her amazing back rubs.

I’ll miss Cameron and how he always calls me Abbey Kadabbey and teaches his kids to say things like, “See ya, sistah!”

I’ll miss my two-year-old Ben-Ben and his two-year-old fist bumps, and how he always crunches my toes while he stomps around in his “power boots”. And how he always ends up chewing on his little Bible during church.

I’ll miss four-year-old Micah and the way he loves to snuggle when he decides he loves me, and how he loves to swing with me. And how he’s surprisingly good at Nintendo DS!

I’ll miss Dayna and the way she cries at everything and lets me love her baby.

I’ll miss Skyler and how we like all the same YouTube videos. (“Jesus isn’t a rock. Hi, Andrew!”)

I’ll miss the way baby Annabelle’s face scrunches up when you tip her upside down, and how she screeches like a pterodactyl when she’s happy (which is pretty much always).

I’ll miss Jeremy calling me Abbstract, and me calling him Yukon Cornelius.

I’ll miss late-night puzzles and movies and preying mantis escapades (who knew they could fly?) and fifteen people pranking one poor, unsuspecting journeyman and talking about prayer cards like they’re trading cards and lying with friends on a blanket under the stars to see my first shooting star and sleeping in a bed with four girls when we each have our own rooms we can sleep in.

I can’t wait to get home. I’m so excited to see all my family and best friends, and I’m excited to get to Macedonia! I’m excited to get off this campus and back in the real world. It’s the saying goodbye part that I’m not looking forward to. At all. And tomorrow, the saying goodbye begins.

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Lately

Author: Abbey /

Hi, friends! It's been a while since I updated my blog, so let me catch you up on what's been happening in Abbey's world. :)


Last week was contingency training. It was definitely the most exciting week so far! They have an outside company come in to train us on what to do in case of kidnappings, interrogations, or hostage situations. I'm not supposed to share the details, but let's just say that the whole time I felt like I was in an episode of 24 (haha), and I feel much more prepared for those kinds of situations than I was before.


I got my ESL certification! I was actually an ESL major in college, but they didn't provide certification for us. It usually costs upwards of $1,000, but the awesome people here provide a two-day course for free. Pretty exciting.


We also got my dad's cancer test results. Unfortunately, it wasn't the news we wanted. He's had prostate cancer for a few years now with a lot of ups and downs. He's had severe back pain for a few weeks, and last week we found out that it's because the cancer has spread to his ribs. He also has "hot spots" (which are most likely cancer) in his shoulder blades, sternum, and skull. Since they are in the bone, there really aren't many treatment options available. Next week, they'll begin radiation and later chemotherapy to try to shrink the tumors to ease his pain a little and to give him more time. They've given him anywhere from a few months to 2-3 years to live. As you can imagine, this news has been really hard on my family. I'd be so grateful for prayers for his healing and for peace for my whole family as I prepare to leave. I have no question of God's ability to heal my dad. In fact, my mom had extremely aggressive breast cancer when I was six and was given two years to live, and she was completely healed. I'm praying that He does the same thing with my dad, but I'm especially praying for peace no matter the outcome. In all these things, God has reminded me of two things:
1. God can heal my dad. Again, he did it with my mom! Jer. 32:17: "... Nothing is too hard for You."
2. God always does what's best for His children. Rom. 8:28-29: "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son..." 
I had a quote written in the margin of my Bible next to that passage in Romans. It's by John Piper, and it simply says, "Life is hard. God is sovereign. God is good." I'd really appreciate your prayers for my dad and my family, that we'll have peace with all this going on as I'm preparing to leave.

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After skyping with my entire family--all seven of us--I have come to the following conclusions:

  1. My family is crazy. Kuh-razy.
  2. I'm going to miss them like crazy!
Happy birthday to my wonderful wonderful mom!

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