May 23, 2008 Graduation

May 23, 2008 Graduation

Like all high school seniors, Justin has been contemplating what his next steps should be.
With much prayer and watching God open up doors for him, Justin was accepted into a wonderful program at a small college in McPherson, Kansas. They are one of the only schools that offer a Bachelor of Science degree in an intensive Automotive Restoration Technology Program. They only take 40 students a year and Justin is lucky enough to be one of those students. There is no doubt that he will bring with him an enormous amount of passion. He was able to tour the school earlier this month and participate in the annual car show that the program puts on. You can check out their web site at www.mcpherson.edu

This is a wonderful opportunity for Justin and we are pleased with his choice. The school is located about 50 miles North of Wichita, tucked into a rural environment which is so Justin.

God has been good to our family. He has answered our prayers and allowed us to experience these moments with our first-born child. There are no words to say....just a sovereign silence and awe at how small we are in comparison to how mighty God is.

Blessing to you all,

Barb

Tuesday, May 29, 2007 2:40 PM
So many of you have written, desperate for the news of what it was like to meet Ina… Well, here it is in a nutshell -- ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!!!! BEYOND OUR EXPECTATIONS!!

Here is an article from the AZ Republic that was printed on Saturday, May 21st.

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0519BoneMarrow0519.html

Ina and her mom, Christa, are lovely, gracious people. We enjoyed getting to know them and driving them around our beautiful state. We kept to our itinerary, as was outlined in our last update. Our connection could not have been any better than it was. Neither Ina nor her mom appeared to have any jet lag. They tired a little towards the evenings, but much of that was due mainly to how hard they were working mentally to speak English. They did so well communicating with us!! Ina was gracious in dealing with all the attention from the media, from our church, from our school, and from all of our friends. It truly gave a sense of closure to the community at large. Meeting her meant a lot to so many, and absolutely left me speechless. She was gracious when strangers hugged her to thank her, even though this is not really done in her culture. She received so much love from America -- at least from our state of Arizona. Mike is a traveling salesman in the state of Arizona, selling souvenirs to the tourist industry. Because of that connection, every place we took her, people knew of our story and thanked her; from the Grand Canyon in the northern part of the state, to Tombstone in the southern part. She even received hugs that were given to her over counters and cash registers!

What a great sport she was too!! Mike had her arrested at our Wild West town of Rawhide. Coincidentally, her arresting sheriff spoke German fluently. Go figure!! It was all in good fun. But this guy had her sing a German folk song to get out of jail. She did -- and well! She had the whole place clapping along and cheering her on.

We laughed a lot together and we also shed some tears together. Ina truly learned that she saved Justin's life. It is one thing to be told that, and quite another to see the pictures of him so ill and to spend time with his family. Somehow that made it more personal, and a place of connection. Carissa just loves her!! Well, I think it is true to say we all do!! Attached are some pictures that were taken at Valley Christian High School. Justin's Grandma and Grandpa and Aunt had come in from CA to join us for the celebration.

We will always be thankful to the staff at City of Hope for underwriting this incredible opportunity. We will also be thankful to Ina and Christa, who endured all the travel and the fear of coming, to make this happen.

Click images to enlarge.

Father,

Thank you for arranging this magnificent experience of meeting Ina and Christa. Wow!! It was just beautiful! Bless them, Lord as they settle back home into their routines in Augsburg. Our lives are changed forever because of this gift of life from Ina Sondershaus, and from our recent meeting. Allow both of our stories to increase donor awareness. Allow it to remove the fear of the actual donation and let others see the beauty of a restored life through Justin. We pray for second chances for many other lives...

In Jesus’ Name,

Barb

barbcude01@udrnet.com

Friday, April 20, 2007 12:10 PM
I have not updated in awhile because I have been letting the news of our donor settle in. This has been a moment in the history of our family that we will not soon forget. Not only do I have a picture and a name...but soon I will have a neck to hug too.

The City of Hope has surprised us!!! They are hosting Ina and her Mom Christa by flying them here to America to meet Justin and our family. She will be flying in a few days early and be introduced to us at a survivor celebration luncheon that will be held on May 18th. This news was incredible!! They are paying for all of her expenses and hosting her for six days. I want to thank City of Hope for doing this....you guys have not idea how much this opportunity means to our family. They had been working with Ina to get all of the specifics worked out before they told us. I want to also thank Ina's place of employment H & M, Hennes & Mauritz Co. and Ina's new boss, Andrea Peter-Huber, for granting her this time off. The hospital is working on some PR exposure to bring more public awareness to bone marrow donation. We are hopeful that the exposure will be in both countries simultaneously.

My very dear friend, Monica Boutin, is fluent in German and has also been granted days off from work to help with interpretation. A big thank you to her new boss, Kelly Rafferty, for allowing this. Your generosity will allow us to be better hosts and make our international guests feel comfortable communicating with us.

We have made some plans which include a day trip to the Grand Canyon. We will drive up through Sedona and Williams and show them the beauty of the Southwest. We will be introducing Ina to our home church on Sunday, May 20th. This will be a great opportunity to bring closure. I remember with great awe how hard they worked to find a donor. They hosted one of the largest bone marrow drives ever in our state and registered 600 people in one location. Though none of them were matches for Justin.....at least six that I know of have told me they were a match for another. The Bone Marrow Registry contacted them months later and they responded just like our precious donor Ina did. We have lots of other things we will do with them and places we will take them so that will go back to Augsburg transformed.......wearing cowboy hats and cowboy boots and whistling the theme of the Wild Wild West.

Justin is doing great!! All of his blood work is great!! He feels super and really happy..... maybe because there is a new girl in his life. Kelsi Sperry is her name and she is a delight. I have attached a picture of her below at our family Easter get together. Her parents are allowing her the time off of school to come to the celebration as well as themselves. We appreciate their support.

Justin had an English assignment back in March to write a poem about how he sees himself in 2007....his junior year in high school. I wanted to share it with full dedication to Ina Sondershaus for without her this poem could never have been written. Blessings to you Ina....we look forward to meeting you.

Father,

Thank you for working all of this out for Ina and Christa to come to America. I always wanted the opportunity to meet her but, never did I imagine it would be so soon. As we both sit with anticipation for this upcoming event, I ask that whatever is told of our story that it will have a great impact on registering others with the Bone Marrow Registry. Let there be a bell of hope ringing throughout both of our countries and let there be many other lives saved through this story of bone marrow transplantation.

In Jesus Name,

Barb

Thursday, February 22, 2007 6:41 PM
HERE IS THE UPDATE WE HAVE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR!!

Our donor agreed to reveal her name and identity to the Bone Marrow Registry and they forwarded it on to us......on Valentine's Day. I couldn't think of a better day to celebrate this knowledge than on the day we honor those we love. Even though I have never met her, I can honestly say, I love her!! How can you not love someone who gives life back to your baby.

With her permission, her name is Ina Sondershaus and she lives in Augsburg, Germany. I have been approached by several people offering their fluency in German to help us in communicating with her, but we have already exchanged several emails and I can tell you this....she writes English very well and communication is not an issue.

I have included two pictures of her. She is a real beauty!! She loves to travel and has already been to America. She traveled from New York to LA in 3 weeks several years ago. She also has done quite a bit of traveling around Europe, Spain and London.

We look forward to mailing her a box of our bone marrow awareness bracelets. I told her that she is the star of our show and we want everyone to know it so that others may become motivated to register with the Bone Marrow Registry and save lives.

There is a group of 3 women in their middle 30's who exercise at my gym. I was intrigued with their group because they speak German to each other. It turns out that they have recently transferred to the States with their husbands jobs and found each other through the internet. Last year, I told them about our story. Today one of them told me that our story has motivated her to sign up to become a donor. Wow!! How cool is that!!

Justin is doing amazingly!! I promised an update on the dinner he cooked for the girls. He and his friend Nate cooked a fabulous meal. The girls came over during the preparation portion to get the full effect. The menu consisted of spaghetti pie (like lasagne), salad, garlic bread and a fabulous mud pie for dessert. There was lots of laughter and little food left. They were actually quite impressed.

Father,

Thank you for Ina. Thank you for helping her to donate her cells two years ago. I noticed that she did that during her birthday which is Dec. 10th. Does this get anymore selfless......It sure brings a portion of our story to closure a bit. One day, I pray, that You would arrange for us to travel over to her homeland and meet her and her family. I ask for the privilege of hugging her neck and showing her my appreciation. Bless her Lord!! Bless her....let her see for herself Your Goodness in her life.

In Jesus Name,

Barb

Click the photos to view them

Thursday, February 08, 2007 5:23 PM
Justin has been doing quite well these last few weeks. Though he doesn't necessarily enjoy having the phlebotomies, they seem to be helping him immensely. For the last three weeks, all of his blood counts, including the liver enzymes, have been in the normal range. This is the first time in several years that everything inside of him is working in harmony.

It also appears that he is growing taller too. Again, we haven't seen any stature difference in Justin for over two years. These are all such positive changes. Maybe we all should go get a blood cleansing.

He was thrilled to be nominated for Jr. Winter Attendant but, the crown went to his friend Stephen Small.

He has been going in early most mornings for extra help on his Alegbra II math and it has paid off. On this last test, not only did he get 100%, but he was the only one in all of the Alegbra II classes that got a perfect score.

He really has been enjoying himself these last few weeks as well. He enjoys just hanging out with friends, riding his bike, and he even hosted a Super Bowl Party. Of course, he and another friend lost a bet to two girls because the Bears lost. Now, they are responsible for cooking these two lovely ladies dinner. So, Saturday night you will find them in my kitchen...more on that next update.

Father,

It is great to see Justin enjoying himself and finding renewed strength. Thank you for his lovely Algebra teacher, Mrs. Dyer, and for all of the inspiration she pours into him. Success looks good on him Lord and we are so thankful to be moving in all of these positive directions. I pray for this generation that Justin represents. I ask You to help these young people to intimately know You and the Power of Your Resurrection. Let them see Your Power working in their world and please help them believe that You are God and besides You there is no other. I pray that they would believe Your Word to be the absolute truth and that You are always available to give guidance and walk this life out with them. You are a God who picks up our slack and lends vision to each generation. Please let them see that You are the same, yesterday, today and forever. That there is no shadow of turning with you. You will not turn a deaf ear to the particular issues and cries their generation faces. We will believe You to do great exploits through their passions that will cause Your Name to be exalted upon the earth.

In Jesus Name,

Barb.

Saturday, January 13, 2007 10:02 PM
Welcome to the New Year of 2007!!!

Justin ended 2006 with a bellyache... a big one. It required a cat scan and a gastric biopsy to find out what was causing him pain and loss of appetite. Poor guy!! The doctors found 3 ulcers, a gall stone the size of a marble, an irritated esophagus, and more serious Graft vs Host hiding out in his intestines and an iron count in his blood 12x higher than what is healthy. They had to increase his medication immediately and begin a phlebotomy. A phlebotomy is a fancy word for extraction of blood. He has to have weekly extractions until the doctors can get his iron count down into the normal ranges. High iron count is a very serious complication that can actually cause damage to internal organs. The stomach problems were a result of this. We remain hopeful that long term damage has not occurred and that Justin will respond favorably to the phlebotomy. He is in need of our prayers.

Despite this setback, he did return to school for the 2nd semester of his junior year. He was even nominated for Junior Class Winter Formal attendant. We don't know if he actually won yet though. That will come on a later note.

Justin will turn 17 years old this week!! Yup!! On Jan. 18, 2007, he will be all of 17 yrs. This is amazing to us and we cherish the opportunity to celebrate with him.

Other than that, we still have not heard anything back from our donor. Hopefully, one day, we will!!! He was a guest of Red Bull to the Supercross show. He went with his dad and they had a wonderful time. Thank you Red Bull Co.!!!!!!

I will close our update as we always do, with our hearts turned upward to our Lord who gives us strength for each day.

Father,

Justin's stomach pain came without warning, as did all of the other complication that ensued. It has been hard to bear up under all the suffering he has been through, let alone watch him be in more pain. It gives us strength to know that You have gone before him and have carried every one of his heartaches and You provide a way of escape for him. Thank you for speaking to us through Pastor Kinnaman's message this week . You reminded us that Your promises in Isaiah 43 bring comfort for our pain. You told us in the beginning verses to not be afraid. I think You told us that, because You know that in our human frailty,fear would be our initial reaction. You reminded us, that first and foremost, You created Justin. You eloquently quoted in verses 1-3 that You have formed him, redeemed him, and not only that, but You have called him by his name and that he belongs to You. You made us a promise that when we would walk through any difficulty that You would be there with us. So we look for You in this circumstance. You said in verse 18-21 that You were about to do something new and "now" it would spring up. You told us to look for a river in the desert.....an analogy of provision right smack in the middle of our dry, barren circumstance. So, Lord we are looking to You for provision. We pray for this phlebotomy to have a positive impact on Justin's quality of life. I ask that his hemoglobin would respond to a normal iron count and that every organ in his body would be spared damage. You are the Lord, and You create provision in the midst of dry circumstances. I ask for Your Hand of blessing upon Dr. Schwartz, who led by Your wisdom and knowledge, identified this underlying problem in Justin's body. You saw this happening secretly inside of his body and connected us to this man to bring it out into the open. We are so thankful Lord. You said that You would leave us with a peace inside. The kind of peace that is undisturbed no matter what is happening and grants a posture of rest and a composure of faith. We believe that You are working all things out for our good......so we will rest and we will listen for Your still small voice.

In Jesus Name,

Barb

Thursday, December 07, 2006 1:00 PM
Justin is doing really well!! His last blood check indicated all normal ranges. The graft vs host in his mouth is responding to the medication and beginning a decline of it's intensity. Eating is getting better and not as painful for him. However, it is still present, so the doctor is going to keep the levels of his medication the same until after the holidays. Ultimately, the long term goal is to get Justin completely off of any and all medication, but we have to let his body determine if and when that is a possibility.

He has been sporting a cast on his left wrist these days. Yup....two weeks ago he took a tumble off of his bike actually flying over the handlebars. (I do better not knowing these details.) He has a fracture and wears it as a badge of honor. There are risks with motocross even for those who have not endured Justin's medical treatment. However, in Justin's case the risks are at a much greater stake as the medication he takes can interfere with bone density, etc. He passionately loves motocross and will endure the pain of broken bones to continue riding. This has to be one of the hardest things for my mother's heart...... to look the other way, knowing the risks, but, at the same time embrace my son's passion.

Dec. 16th is just around the corner.....9 days to be exact! Justin will celebrate his 2nd re-birthday with his new cells on that day and we can legally have the identity of our donor revealed. We've already filed the paperwork on our end.....so the rest is up to the Bone Marrow Registry and our donor. We'll just remain hopeful that the expression of our gratitude will fall upon her ears soon.

Carissa is doing great! She completed cheering for the football season and has moved on to basketball. She enjoys the game of basketball a bit more as she use to play it. The squad has their regional competition on Dec. 16th.....so that day will be pretty special at our house.
We are so proud of her. She is the sweetest......I am glad that God has blessed my mother's heart with entrusting me with my beautiful daughter Carissa.

We've updated the top of the site with our new Christmas picture. We are working on making some changes to the site and will be giving it a new look for the New Year. If there are any web site designers out there who want to help guide us through the process.....let us know

We wish each of you a blessed Christmas and a safe and happy holiday. We will plan on checking back in with you after the 1st of the year...barring any great news flash on the donor or an unexpected setback.

Until then, smile often, laugh a lot, and enjoy life!!

Father,

Thank you for this season of celebration. We are celebrating the powerful arrival of Your Birth...the glorious indication that You would come to rescue us. In that lowly manager You laid.... there You were.....God in the flesh......dwelling among us. As with any baby, You must have been beautiful. I can envision You looking around that stable with trusting doe-like eyes that must have melted the hearts of Mary and Joseph with an instant bond of love. Your arrival was finally upon them but, little did they know that You had a destiny that would rock not only their world, but every generation that would come after them. We embrace Your destiny..we celebrate it...and we are also humbled by it. I will never understand the extent of Your love for mankind that motivated You to leave Your heavenly abode. Knowing all along what You would have to shoulder during Your earthly journey. Father, without that sacrifice, our hearts would have had to endure this pain of Justin's health alone....Thank You for the gift of Your Holy Spirit that You gave us when You left....to comfort us and guide us and walk this journey with us. You are Emmanuel, "God With Us." and You are the "God in Us." There is no greater celebration than that.....Happy Birthday, Lord.

In Jesus Name,

Barb

Sunday, November 05, 2006 8:41 PM
Since our last update something very significant has occurred.....Justin has returned to the track and is back riding his bike. WOW!! He has waited so long for this to happen. He looks so happy being back out doing what he loves to do......ride!

He is still diligently working on gaining weight, but it's proving to be a work in progress. He is showing an increase upward be it ever so slowly.

The graft vs host he has been dealing with in his mouth is still there. Once it appears inside the moist area of the mouth, it takes awhile for it to calm back down. What happens, is the mouth cells erupt in ulcers on the tongue and on the inside of the mouth. His face even swelled up a couple of weeks ago with one of them. They look painful and can interfere with chewing, which of course makes eating more painful. We are happy to report his mouth is getting better. We are thankful for the wisdom of his doctor and the medication that they have to deal with this. What a balancing act this all becomes after awhile........

His report card was beautiful. We are so proud of him. So as you can see, Justin is doing well and enjoying health and strength.

The stores are being decorated for Christmas and the sounds of the holidays are beginning to be heard. This means that Christmas is right around the corner and so is our opportunity to thank our donor. We have 38 days before we can legally know her name. It may not happen exactly in 38 days because, she has to agree to reveal her identity. But once she does (if she does)......our world will expand and shrink all at the same time. We will keep you informed on any news we get. Hopefully, we will also get a picture of her we can post on the web site.

It is hard to believe that two years ago she endured the process of donating her cells to a complete stranger. She gave so selflessly never knowing if her sacrifice would ultimately heal her intended recipient. She only knew that a 14 yr old boy needed her help to even have a fighting chance to live. We all held on to HOPE and hope is what has brought us to this place. What a powerful emotion hope is.......

I have just finished reading "90 minutes in Heaven" by Don Piper. In summary, it is about a Baptist pastor who gets into a horrific car accident in Texas while returning from a pastoral leadership conference. For 90 minutes he is declared dead with a tarp covering his mangled body. What he describes in this book of those 90 minutes gives a supernatural understanding to those of us still on the earth....of what awaits us. It has renewed in me an eternal perspective of our time here. We can get so caught up in life and the issues of life that we forget what Jesus promised us, He has already gone before us and prepared a place for us in Heaven and in that place where He is, we will one day join HIM. Heaven is a real place....a perfect place.....a sinless place.....a place that gives us HOPE to live out the days of our lives here with our eyes on that reward. If you have not yet read the book, I would encourage you to do so.

Father,

Thank you for HOPE. You left each of us with hope to help us carry on through our days here on earth. Give each of us an eternal perspective of just how short our time on earth really is in contrast to spending eternity in Your Presence. Thank you for Don Piper and for his story. Thank you for the power of prayer that transformed his life and gave us a glimpse of the kind of eternity that awaits us all. You haven't left us here alone. We each have a part of Your Plan to complete before we actually touch Your nail-scarred hands. Help us to be about Your business....

In Jesus Name,

Barb

Tuesday, October 03, 2006 2:44 PM
Here it is the beginning of October and Fall is in the air....sort of. Here in Arizona we are experiencing a pleasant dip in temperature in the early mornings and late evenings, but what we are really looking forward to is the daily triple digits being replaced soon.

Justin continues to do well. He has handled the decline off his steroids with relative ease. Thank you for praying for that specific prayer request. As his body adjusts to all of the declining levels of medication, it is not unusual to experience a see-saw reaction. The graft vs host that has been in his mouth has increased in its intensity. Again, it is nothing alarming, but the doctor did make an incremental adjustment in his rejection drug until it calms down again.

He continues to patiently wait for Dr. Schriber's permission to ride his dirtbike again. In the interim, he is trying real hard to put on a few pounds. Some of the football players at school are giving him ideas of what they did to get ready for football. There is an art of what to eat and when to eat it. I don't know if this is genetic or if his medication races his metabolism, but the struggle for each pound is always present.

The lst quarter school report cards are due out in two weeks. More on that in the next update........For now, he is doing great! To date, he is pulling all A's and B's.

We continue to enjoy everyday we have been given and we try to count our blessings instead of keeping a number on our losses. Life is so fragile....we can be going through strong seasons where we feel good and nothing major is upsetting our routines and then there are other times when the faith we hold so dear is firmly tested and tried. My prayer today is that during those seasons of testing that we would remind ourselves that we are not as alone as we feel. The Lord promised that His Holy Spirit would guide us, cry with us, cheer us on, and never leave us 24 hours of everyday. We know Him as the "Healing Balm of Gilead," and "The Bright and Morning Star,". He prays for us and carries us when tears burn from our eyes and when sobs so deep choke us and take our breath away. Even then He is the Lord!!! He is ever present in times of trouble........just reach out and cry out to Him!!

Father,

We do reach out and cry out for You.....Take hold of our hands and never let us go. Thank you for going before us and preparing a place of eternal rest for our souls. Our destinies are providentially ordained by You. We can trust and rest knowing that You are working all things out for good. We pray for Justin as he is a wonder of Your miraculous power to behold. Your grace has been more than sufficient for him. Your strong right arm caught him when he was plummeting down and sentenced to die. We interecede for him that with each bite of food that the calories will be processed correctly by his digestive system and stored for healthy benefits. We ask You to help him to gain weight. We pray for this graft vs host in his mouth and ask that You would restore him. We humbly ask all these things but mostly that our prayers would be uttered from a heart that is conscious of Your Will. You are Lord and we are not. We are bowed down in reverence to Your Name.

In Jesus Name,

Barb

Saturday, September 02, 2006 2:32 PM
Both Justin and Carissa are 3 weeks into this new school year. I find my days are not as consumed with driving ether of them around, as Justin takes the lead in this area now.

Justin continued to handle the decline off of his anti-rejection drug successfully this past month. The doctor has been pleased with the numbers of his blood counts and chemistry holding stable. So pleased, that he feels confident enough to also begin another decline. Justin will be slowly taken off the steroids that he has been on for the past 2 years. This is another big step and brings him much closer to being free of any and all medication. This decline is significant because it will be the last one. This can have a profound effect on his joints. Since he has had to take the steroids for such a prolonged period, Justin's ability to make cortisol has been suppressed. Cortisol is a natural inflammatory agent that our bodies produce as a healing agent. So during this transition, Justin may experience discomfort to varying degrees of arthritis and fatigue until this change over occurs. We don't know how long it will take his body to respond, so we can direct our prayers towards his comfort in the interim. With each decline, his immune system is functioning more and more at a normal level.

We are thrilled to have reached this point in his recovery.

Father,

Thank you for enabling Justin's body to restore and rebuild itself. It is amazing how far medicine and technology have come to be able to bring a human being through such a torturous experience only to find that new life awaits them. In many regards, it is like being reborn. Being faithful to pray for him, we ask that this decline off of the steroids will be successful and that his body will have minimal reactions. We ask that cortisol will be manufactured deep inside of him and that You would protect his joints from inflamed arthritis. We ask that You would bless Justin and grant him the desires of his heart. We know that his one passion is to race his dirt bike again. Let that become a reality very soon. Offering up to You all of our love and adoration.......

In Jesus Name,

Barb

Wednesday, August 02, 2006 6:00 PM
Justin is doing well. His liver enzymes have stabilized to such a degree that the doctor is beginning to wean him COMPLETELY off of his anti-rejection drug. This is such a monumental step. We have to be watchful for any Graft vs Host disease that may try to sneak back up. If this reappears at any time, in any organ, he will have to go back on it. How thankful we are to have reached this place. It has been 1 yr 8 months since his transplant. Figuratively speaking, he has the consent form in his hand just waiting for the doctor's signature to permit him to ride his dirt bike again. What a day that will be!!!!

Justin will be starting his junior year on the 14th. Placing him back into this school environment is always a health concern, but it is the place for him to be now and the risks far outweigh the benefits. What a joy it has been to have him healthy for such a long stretch of time.....8 months now. Yes, for us, 8 months is a long period of time with no complications. We are very thankful for each healthy day Justin has enjoyed.

We anticipate being able to connect with our donor. The two year international date for revealing our identities to each other is coming up on Dec. 16, 2006. Won't it be great to have a face and a name and one day a neck to hug and thank? Wow!!

We will update again in early September unless anything should arise. Just know that "no news is good news" from the Cude's. Thank you again for checking in on our family.

Father,

When I think about the transitions that parent and child journey through together on their way to adulthood, I am thankful for all of what You have allowed my heart to experience. Though the transitions require a letting go ...I will rest knowing that Your plan for Justin life is a perfect one for him. It is a plan that You saw when You knit him together in my womb. It is a trustworthy plan. We will continue to petition You to guard his body against infection. Let his junior year be seasoned with Your favor and academic success. These high school years seem to slip through parental fingers at such a rapid pace....but, my heart remains silent before You for just the simple opportunity to see him make these steps. Thank You Lord. Thank You for tenderly caring for all of us. We love You!!

In Jesus Name,

Barb

Sunday, July 02, 2006 12:59 PM
It is hard to believe that it has been a month since we updated last. We are all doing well and enjoying sunny California.

We wanted to let you know that since being out here Justin's liver enzymes have been progressively moving down. They are not making huge decreases, but none the less they are stabilizing themselves and that is good news. He is not in any discomfort from the elevated liver enzymes. He looks and feels terrific.

Justin is working now!! He is making tee-shirts at a heat press machine, ironing on transfers for Mike. He is very organized and pays attention to detail and those skills are helpful in a job like this. It is too easy to put the transfer on upside down or backwards. He has already spent a portion of his newly earned income on a muffler for his truck. Now, the whole neighborhood can hear him coming a mile away. I've attached a picture of him and his friend, Rob Volden that was taken today. Rob is a friend from school who flew down to spend the week with him.

If you have not been following Clint and Jacob, here is an update on them. Clint is progressing nicely through his bone marrow transplant His new cells have engrafted and that is great news!! www.caringbridge.org/visit/clintsorenson1

Young Jacob passed away and is now cancer free and healthy in that wonderful place we call heaven. The reality of heaven has become very real to the Duckworth family and if you continue to check their website www.caringbridge.org/fl/jacob you will read of a faith that triumphs through any storm. Their big motto is to F.R.O.G. That means to Fully Rely on God no matter what uncertainites we face in this life. A heart that trusts and releases the results to the providence of our Heavenly Father and leans on His authority and Wisdom, is a heart that can find peace in the midst of any storm. That is the testimony of the Duckworth's. They are my heroes and I have come to love them simply by reading Heather's updates. I bet one day we will see Heather's book called, "Heaven's Most Amazing Angel" and hear her story about this journey she walked through with Jacob somewhere on Oprah or the 700 Club. God never allows his people to suffer needlessly. The end result always has our best interest at heart.

On Friday, we learned that another young girl, Kellie Miner, has relapsed with AML leukemia. She is 13 yrs old. . Justin and Kellie were patients together at Phoenix Children's Hospital. Now, the search is on to find a donor for Kellie. Please extend your prayers towards our friend. You can find her website at www.teamkellie.org She will be returning to Phoenix Childrens Hospital on July 12th for further treatment.

We recently heard of the battle of another young boy , 3 year old Connor Riordan. His grandfather Neil would love for all of us to rally behind his grandson. He is fighting brain cancer. You can find his story at www.caringbridge.org/visit/connorriordan

Thank you so much for checking in on our family. We still remain in awe for the privilege of enjoying these days with Justin. God is who He says he is.

Father,
No matter where these cancer journeys lead....You are still seated at the right -hand of the Father making intercession for each one of us. Father, we will pray for Clint, the Duckworth's, Kellie and her family, and now Connor and his family for success in their treatment and for you to guide the parents as they search for You with all of their hearts. . Even in their darkest days Your light can penetrate past the suffocating pain and uncertainties they face. It only makes the eternal warmth of heaven more real to those who suffer to such great extents. We are still bowed down in worship before You and acknowledge that You are Lord to the glory of God the Father,

In Jesus Name,

Barb

Friday, June 02, 2006 9:20 AM
Carissa's graduation was a wonderful evening of celebration! As promised here are a couple of pictures taken that night of Justin and Carissa. Justin took great care to be a conscientious escort to her. He even drove her to the event in Mike's Trans Am. She was definitely our princess for the night.

Justin is doing well. He survived finals week and is now looking forward to spending part of his summer at our home in Carlsbad, California. He is doing his first solo long-distance drive over there as I type this. He is following Mike. When Mike was 16 yrs old, he drove over to Arizona from California to pick up merchandise for his parents. That parental trust developed confidence in Mike and now it is our turn to install the same in Justin.

I have been following the journey of two boys. One is 16 yr old Clint Sorenson, from Arizona, who is undergoing a bone marrow transplant at Phoenix Children's Hospital. The other is an adorable 6 yr old named Jacob Duckworth from Florida. He is one of a set of triplets boys. Both families have put all of their trust and hope in the Lord's gracious healing touch for their boys. I wanted to show them our support in prayer. You can find their websites by first going to www.caringbridge.org then type: clintsorenson1 at the first box to find Clint. To find Jacob, go to the second box and type in his state first: fl and then jacob

I am amazed at the directive prayer that Jacob's mom is presenting before the Lord. Her name is Heather and she is offering up every ounce of faith to believe in her son's healing upon earth. If you sign her guestbook please include that you are one of Justin Cude's (www.justincude.com) prayer warriors.

Justin's liver enzymes still remain elevated. They have actually increased since we updated last and again we are watching it closely. The doctor is pretty sure that Justin has Graft vs Host in his liver and mouth. If he does, it is not bothering him. However, this is one of those balancing acts that must be watched carefully so that it does not get ahead of us. Alittle bit of graft vs host is good....that is what they keep telling us. So we continue to trust and to enjoy each day that we have been given.

Father,

Last night as I was praying for Clint and Jacob, I thought about the parallel of childhood cancer to the suffering the Israelites endured during all of those years of slavery. Day after day and night after night, they cried out to you for help, yet so many of them died in their despair. Though it seemed to them that You were indifferent, You had not turned a deaf ear to them. It took years for You to raise Moses up to be a deliverer of hope for them and to the generations that would follow. You displayed Your awesome power through the ten plagues, the parting of the Red Sea, the manna for them to eat, being a pillar for them to follow Your lead out into a new home and a new identity. You saved many of them from premature death. Father, hear our cry to You for help today. Children all over this world are suffering and dying painful deaths from cancer and aids and many other diseases. We need You to intervene. We need You to release the cure for cancer. It is my prayer for these two boys that You would shake heaven and earth and rescue them. I thank You for the incredible support they both already have. We come alongside that support as a group to offer our shoulders of faith and to watch what only YOU can do. You told Moses that should anyone ask who sent him to tell them "I AM" has sent him. We believe that today, You still are the "I AM". So, we send that powerful name along with our prayers to Clint and Jacob. You have not turned a deaf ear to the cries of these children and their families.....Come Lord Jesus Come....we are waiting for a display of Your awesome power.

In Jesus Name,

Barb

Friday, May 05, 2006 5:17 PM
Justin is doing super!  He is about to complete the last semester of his sophomore year in about 3 weeks.  He continues to work hard on his studies and thoroughly enjoys driving and the independence that gives him.  For the most part, he is just a typical teenager.  He enjoys going out and hanging with his friends.  There are days we only see him for a few minutes after school.  For all of that, we are thankful.   He is looking forward to seeing his sister, Carissa, graduate in a few weeks.  We all are!!!  We will update a picture of them at her graduation sometime in early June.  He promised her he would dress up for it and wear a matching tie to her dress.  We are planning on having their pictures taken together.  She will be coming over to his school as an incoming freshman.  They will even be taking some classes together.