French, Robert & Koleen
Lisa, Debbie and Junia
Quezon City
Phone: 011.63.2.284.4987
E-mail: frenches5@aol.com
World Team
Fax:
** Serving with World Team
** House church planting
** Training Filipino church planters
** Publishing study guides in English and Tagalog
On February 4, I (Bob) approached the MRI lab a bit nervously. My January medical tests contained conflicting data. Was the problem in my hip due to osteoporosis and a running injury? Or did the “insignificant” cancer count mean that cancer had spread to my hip, as suggested by another test?
The MRI confirmed that my prostate cancer has metastasized to my left hip joint. My doctor said, "You are in Stage 4 [advanced cancer]." The cancer is currently confined to one treatable lesion. The next morning I started treatments to stop the cancer’s growth. On Tuesday (Feb. 8) I begin a treatment for osteoporosis that also resists the spread of bone cancer. My doctors are discussing other possible treatments. Thankfully the MRI revealed that all my other organs are fine.
Attached below is one website's information on a typical prognosis for my situation (see underlining). I have the highly aggressive "Gleason 8" type cancer. According to the article, most patients being treated will live 2-4 years and 1/3rd of patients will live 5 years or more. We are asking God for five or more years. I would like to see Junia (8th grade) graduate from high school.
On Saturday we told our three girls, Koleen's sister, and my sister -- with lots of tears on SKYPE and the phone. Today we are writing you because you have prayed for us, loved us from afar, and supported our work and family in many practical and profound ways.
It is my desire to live and die serving, thanking, praising and worshiping the Lord. We are enjoying a new motivation to sing hymns and songs of praise and worship together as a family. Our Sunday house church continues and we hope to start a new seekers' Bible discovery group soon. We want to continue trusting and honoring the Lord as we walk through this time.
My doctor told me to de-stress my life. After reflection and discussion, Koleen and I realized we would experience far less stress by remaining here serving the Lord instead of moving back to the USA. We love working among Filipinos and our co-workers. Life here is for us a privilege. We love to watch people get excited as they discover the Gospel and God’s truths in our discovery Bible studies. We want to continue to do that here, to train others to do the same, to help train people to multiply churches, and to write training materials as long as possible.
Thank you so much for your prayers, understanding, encouragement, support and loving concern.
Please Pray:
* That we will all continue to serve the Lord well and bring honor to Him while we can, even in the midst of treatments and difficulties.
* For continued expansion of church multiplication in 2011, especially in the Bicol Region where less than 2% are evangelical believers.
* For financial and legal paperwork we need to address soon.
Yours with love in Christ,
Bob for Koleen, Lisa, Debbie and Junia.
