happy to say goodbye to June

The best way to sum up the month of June was Sarah's comment to me the other day. She was having a hard day and wanted me to lay down with her so she could take a nap. We were talking and she said, "Daddy, I am tired of being a special girl; I want to be normal again."

June has been a very difficult month for all of us. Sarah has endured many different types of chemo, we have two more days of shots and a week of pills to go in July before starting maintenance, we've had multiple hospital/emergency room visits, a major surgery (over 2 hours), constant nausea and other horrible symptoms. To add to all of this, the entire family is having to say goodbye to our home in Hong Kong.

Anne and I made the decision to not renew our lease in Hong Kong which meant we had to move everything out by June 30th. First I want to thank all the wonderful friends (more like family to us) who endured so much stress and patience with us to move everything out. Many nights Anne was up late on skype trying to see what we wanted to store, sell or throw away. This entire ordeal was so difficult as we were already emotionally emptied by taking care of Sarah and then adding having to let go of most of our possessions and our home in Hong Kong.

In the midst of all of this, Anne's aunt passed away and that gave us more grief as Sarah had developed a connection with her because they were going through chemo together.

So we start July very tired, but with hope. Hope that God will continue to be faithful in our lives by providing new mercies each morning new that we may endure until the end. As we go through this, we continue to ask- "What more do you want us to give up Father?" We are battling feeling like Jonah and complaining to God as He has covered us with a huge leaf to protect us from the sun. Although we have lost our home in Hong Kong, we have gained a wonderful place in Dallas. His hand has provided all that we have needed and in the end, He has only created in us a greater longing to see the glory of Christ. We desire that in all He allows or directs in our lives, we will proclaim like Paul in
2 Corinthians 4:16 "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

Thanks again for your prayers. Sarah has so far not developed a fever from these shots, which is the major side effect, so we praise God for His blessings each day. The power of the Holy Spirit is continually amazing me with the spiritual growth and maturity of Sarah. Yesterday we took Rebekah for her first haircut and Hannah also had her's cut. We did not know how Sarah would respond since she is completely bald (she also has lost most of her eyebrows and eyelashes). It was amazing to see her smile and watch as she stood next to both her sisters laughing and enjoying the moment. How I hope to portray that type of goodness and gentleness in my life. That is truly only by God's grace.