Jehovah Rapha | Part 2

“And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

(Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭19‬ )

God is good. He is gracious, He is merciful, He is kind. And He is my healer.

As I approach the final day of my first 21-day treatment, looking back, it’s been quite overwhelming to say the least. I have also been humbled by the show of love, support, prayer, encouragement, kindness, and generosity.

The Lord has used His church in so many ways to be His hands and feet and my family’s life during this time; it’s incredible. Countless people have stepped up to care for our children, business, hobby farm, and more, which allowed my bride to join me the first week of treatment.

Then, upon her return, they’ve continued to help in several ways while she manages a household and business without me by her side.

My three weeks in Tijuana, Mexico, were not what I had expected.

The facility and the medical staff are top-notch. I received daily therapies, ranging from whole body and localized hyperthermia, to high frequency ultrasound to break up cancer tissue, short wave therapy, Dietrich stem cell therapy, hyperbaric oxygen chamber, IV infusions to boost immunity, and many more.

I completed the first five-day regimen of BEP low-dose chemotherapy (10%) strength. The doctors want to do 3 more 5-day rounds, but at 21-day intervals from the first date of treatment. They utilize DMSO in conjunction with chemo to better target cancer cells and minimize the impact on healthy cells during treatment.

They also focus on detoxing my body and flushing my kidneys to minimize the side effects of the chemotherapy, which to date, have primarily been fatigue, nausea, and food tasting weird.

We're praying over each step of the way, but most likely I’ll be returning in two weeks to start a second round of low-dose chemo and detoxing. Depending on the tumor markers and CT scan results in another month, they may advise more. As of right now, my numbers have been trending down and in the right direction, and for that I am very grateful. The cancer is retreating!

One of the most encouraging aspects is the chance to meet several people who have had fantastic success stories.

One sweet Christian woman had stage 4 terminal breast cancer that spread throughout her bones. I had the privilege of being in the therapy room when she shared that her scans were clear, and she had no more cancer! I witnessed the sweet praise of her Savior, an instinctive response to her Father who had healed her. It was truly a beautiful sight to behold, and I’ll always treasure the gift she gave me, both in hip and adoration of what He is able to do.

I have been encouraged to have met another man who loves Jesus and has the same cancer type as me, but had far higher tumor marker numbers (HGC 85,000 and AFP 61,000). Mine were (HCG 6,300 and AFP 19.7) by comparison. The hospital helped get his numbers down to (HCG 400 and AFP 1000), and he is still continuing treatment.

My doctor shared another case of a man with the same cancer type who was treated this last August (name and PHI removed), who has been declared cancer-free.

I’ve also been privileged to have made some lifelong friends during this visit, one of whom is a godly Man from Houston, TX, who has been battling prostate cancer on his own for the last 14 years. This was his first time here at the clinic as well. We became fast friends and have been able to lean on and encourage each other through this process. We have had many prayer times, times of laughter, and tears. There is no question, we will be friends for the rest of our lives.

I’ve been blessed by meeting several believers, and the fellowship has been sweet.

I’ve said it many times, but I’m amazed at the common ground we have at the foot of the cross. A common ground because of what Jesus has done in my life, what he’s done in their lives, and what he’s going to continue to do. There is absolutely nothing like this koinonia.

God has given opportunities to share Christ and encourage many in several aspects of life. And, He has used many here, including staff, to encourage and pray for me.

Indeed, this has been a very heavy and tiresome time for my family and me.

I wish I had one sentence to say, “Ah, this is what God wanted to do!”… but I don’t yet have that. And that’s okay.

What I do know is that His grace is sufficient. He is good. He is in control. He is sovereign. And He is healing. And although I wasn't there to witness it in person, I know He healed Noah in a miraculous way. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

This may be a long journey, or maybe it won't be. Either way, I’m buckled up, and I’m confidently grateful He’s holding me in and through the storm.

I can’t thank you enough for your continued prayers, support, encouragement, and for so many others who have met practical needs during my absence.

I love you all, Mike