Hello beautiful blogger family,

SO much has happened since the last blog. Let me fill you in. I finished my radiation treatments!!! All 36 of them. I didn’t go to the radiation doctor that week like I was suppose to. I figured I’ll go when I get back. Back from where you ask. I am sitting in the hotel room in Jordan. Robert and I went to Israel! A church from Arizona (Ps Don Wilson) paid our way to visit the holy lands on a tour with him and 80 other people. We had asked my chemo doc about going and he said that I would be done with chemo and radiation by then, so we said yes to Ps Don. Well, it turns out that my doc calculated wrong. I still had 4 chemos to go. My doc told me I could do a chemo over in Israel. That was great news since our trip was all paid for and everything. Our flight out of Lima to Miami/Chicago was at 6 am Monday morning so I had to do a chemo Saturday (I usually do them on Monday). They did a special favor for me and asked one of the chemo nurses to come in just for me that day. I hadn’t been feeling really good that week because of some “over-doing” things and Robert was questioning whether we should go or not. Well, here I am, in Israel and our last day really. I did stay back today and didn’t go on the tour, trying to be wise and all that. Today was a big walking day in the heat and I just didn’t want to over-do it. But I am here!!! And I did really good!!! Even with the food! I actually gained some weight here. It has been wonderful. I have been overwhelmed by God’s mercy and great love, to have sent His son to earth and live as a human, just for us. Yes, you have to imagine a lot of how it “used to be”, but still, He came and lived and died AND rose again. Its worth seeing. It brings understanding to the Word of God, seeing and learning about the culture. I never thought in all my wildest dreams that I would ever go to Israel, so thank you Father God for this special treat. Its been wonderful!!!

Like I said, I finished radiation…yippee!!! I was SO happy to have finished, I did take donuts my last day. It was a great feeling to have finished something on this journey. My skin is recovering from the burns, but most of all, it was just time consuming. Everyday for a few hours at times. Plus it closes that chapter in my life. Now, 4 more chemo’s. I ended up NOT doing the chemo here in Israel. I had Jenna ask my doc if it could wait. I just didn’t want to be a bother to the group (plus I didn’t want to do it). There is still a few other types of chemo that I will have to have, but little by little we are attacking this and going through this battle with God’s great love and mercies. The numbness of my toes and finger tips will be slowly disappear. My hair will eventually grow back (bummer for my legs and other interesting places). My skin will recover and the funny spots on my face will go away. I’ll have no more excuse to not be able to go to the dentist. My taste buds will return (maybe). My nose will stop bleeding. My body won’t feel like I have the flu anymore. I won’t get tired so easily (YES). I’ll one day get to hold my grandbabies!!!!! And I’ll have some new boobs :) BUT those things seem so silly when I read them here on this page. I LOVE how the Message Bible puts it…”Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ’s love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture: They kill us in cold blood because they hate you. We’re sitting ducks; they pick us off one by one. None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I’m absolutely convinced that nothing — nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low,=2 0thinkable or unthinkable – absolutely NOTHING can get between us and God’s love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us”. Rom. 8:38,39. Robert always says to me “you can complain Karyn, its okay, its understandable all that your going through”. I’m so overwhelmed with how amazing God is, I hope I ALWAYS remember Him and His great love. I have never been afraid of “The Cancer”, my biggest fear was forgetting to see God in His greatness and biggness… THATS scary!!!

I want to always remember all that He is and has done for me. I want to keep my eyes on Him, to see HIM high and lifted up and to remember how HE sees me…wow, now thats worth remembering. Actually I don’t want to be a complainer. I want my mouth to be full of the truths of God’s amazing and overwhelming goodness. I want to be full of praises because I KNOW… “That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good”. Mgs Rom. 8:28

Big hugs and lots of love… karyn