Have you ever felt like you’re a huge disappointment to everybody? Well…that’s me today. I guess I’m stuck in my own little pity part, of sorts, but as a friend reminded me so sweetly…”it’s okay to visit…just don’t stay for cake.” I love that! Anyway, here I am on the day that I pledged to begin my 40 consecutive days of blogging prior to leaving for my African mission trip, and I’m going to have to back down on that blogging commitment. Truthfully, I’m overloaded. I’m overloaded at work. I’m overloaded at home. I’m overloaded mentally, emotionally, and physically. So, rather than take on one more challenge (blog writing everyday for 40 days like I did at the end of last year), I’m going to step back and simply say that I can’t do it right now. I owe the sweet Liberian women that I’m soon to meet that much. You see…I’m preparing a message of Christ’s love for them, and I need to place my focus there. I need to be spending more time with my precious Savior to ensure that I serve Him in Africa the way that He intends for me to and that I share the message that He’s giving me for these women. So, I pray you’ll forgive me for backing out of this challenge. I still hope to blog here and there before I leave, but I just can’t commit to that much time right now.

I welcome your prayers immensely as I prepare for this amazing trip! My heart is fluttering with excitement over the days ahead. I don’t take the honor of being part of this trip lightly. To Him be ALL the Glory!

Friends…I have no words to express the heartfelt sadness I’m feeling over the recent news of little Susana. She is the 4-year-old daughter of Hatian missionary friends of our class at church. After surviving the earthquake and both parents contacting malaria, this family is now dealing with the terrible news that little Susana is covered in cancer. Please, please pray for her healing this side of heaven. Please, please spread the word via other prayer chains. You can read more about this on their blog at howcantheyhear.org, but I’m also including the words of their latest entry here. Thanks for the fervent prayers on behalf of Susana!

Susana Has Cancer…Those are the hardest words that I have ever heard in my life. The doctor just informed us that she has tumors everywhere. My heart aches like it has never ached before. Our tears won’t stop. Words cannot express what we are going through. They said that it is called Neuroblastoma and they said the news is not good. It is an aggressive cancer. They are getting ready to do a bone marrow test and a biopsy and that will determine what the course of action will be.

Our ONLY hope in all of this is Jesus. We cling to Him. We cry out to Him. We trust Him in everything. We cling to His Word and His promises that all things work together for good to those who love Him and are called by His purposes. We trust Him for the grace that we need each second. We trust in His plan, whatever that might be. We remember that His ways are not our ways.

But we still grieve. We still fear the worst. We are emotional wrecks. And we still wait.

Please continue to lift up Susana. God has all power and ability to heal if He so chooses to do so. Our prayer is that she would be healed on this side of heaven. Thank you to all of you who have been praying and offering support. We will continue to post updates as we are informed. – Cody and Maria