Okey Dokey

When I worked at Pepperdine a favorite part of my various tasks was occasionally assisting "Big" Don Williams with miscellaneous details. While we worked, he was always good for a story or two. I'll never forget the one about a community member who was notified of his wife giving birth to yet another child--they already had many children. The man looked up from his work and answered the announcement with a very calm, "okey dokey."

And that's how we're approaching today, "okey, dokey." It's been a wild ride these past few months. From the craziness of a furlough to the upside down schedule change of a cancer diagnosis. Woohoo! Hang on!

But, we're calm and trusting in our good God!   Yup, two words, God is good. Ok, so my math is not so good,but I decided to leave my typo in there to show you that though my physical tiredness may show in poor math skills, I am not experiencing a spiritual weariness at all! Let me list off for you the goodness of God as evident in these recent  months.

This is how we're counting our blessings.

1--we were in the states when the cancer was discovered. It was discovered via a method not available in Uganda.

2--all of the doctors treating us are kind, friendly, and flexible (literally--wish you could have seen some of the moves the ENT made on Tuesday when he performed an in-office biopsy)

3--we have NEVER lacked the finances for this journey. Many individuals and churches have generously given to us as the funds required have mounted.

4--not only are we in the states for the treatment necessary, but we are in an area of California with excellent medical practitioners who are on the cutting edge of their field of expertise

5--we found a house PERFECT for us and moved into it less than two weeks from the first time we saw it! That is a miracle in itself. The owners did not plan to rent to anyone for less than a one year lease, but we only wanted six months; they also did not want to rent it out until June. But, they wanted to help us out so they rented it a month early for only a six month lease! This house, ahhhhh, peaceful. God chose this place for us, I have no doubt about it. We loved it because it had two bathrooms and three bedrooms. But He also gave us a beautiful garage that will serve well as a homeschool classroom. The kitchen came with ALL appliances, a double oven, microwave, stove, dishwasher, refrigerator, coffe pot, and tea kettle. The master suite has a jacuzzi tub and French doors to a veranda overlooking numerous roses and, are you ready????? Fruit from the tropics! We have a guava tree, a passion fruit vine, a mango and a fig tree all around us.

6--we are surrounded by family and friends who are praying with us through this time and giving of their time, stuff, and money to help us thrive in this season.

7--the whirwind of recent events of the past week and a half from getting a PET scan to meeting the oncologist for the first time, to getting into two different docs at UCI and having their schedules coordinate for a dual surgery today-- only 4 days after they met us for the first time! The gastric surgeon said today that the ulcer was VERY large and the stomach wall VERY thin--he is not sure how much longer the stomach wall would have remained intact.
 I have given you only seven of the multitude of examples of God's goodness, I could go on and on. But, being that 7 is the number of perfection and being that our GOD is perfect, I'll leave you with that for today.

Geoff got out of surgery around noon and is now in a private room--still sleeping. I will spend the night and we'll go home tomorrow after he has an upper GI to check the surgical area.the throat where they biopsied is not troubling him at all, nor is his face swollen. He has four incisions on his abdomen, but they look very good. Thanks for your prayers!!!