Day 0 - Delayed Intensification

Well, Sam and Debbie went to Vancouver today after school. Sam stayed after school for 1/2 hour of his volleyball practice. Just before he left for the airport, his team and his coach, Joel, gathered around him and prayed for him. He is in for a tough 8 weeks and it starts tomorrow. I watched through the window of the gym and started crying again to see his friends gathering around him in prayer as he heads out again for a most difficult journey. I haven't found myself emotional since the summer time when his treatment was so difficult. All the feelings of uncertainty and worry started coming back as I saw him dreading the trip to BCCH as it approached. We trust in Jesus and his love for our family and the grace he extends to us each day. Someone came into my office today and reminded me that 'his grace is sufficient...' On the way home from school he laid his head upon his sister's shoulder and quietly started crying.

Last week his blood counts weren't high enough for him to start the next phase of treatment but this week they were. Tomorrow he gets a spinal injection of Methotrexate, an IV drip of Vincristine and Doxorubicin. He starts a really hard 8 week cycle which will include Ara-C, the drug that really made him sick last summer. He also gets the three leg shots of Asparaginase next week which he finds quite unpleasant. Over the Christmas break he will have two spinal injections - one week apart. He said to me while I was tucking him into bed the other night, "Dad, I figured out my treatment and I get Ara C on Christmas eve and Christmas day... but I think maybe they will postpone it because I don't think they'll be working on those days..."

Debbie continues to be a rock of stability and a woman of deep faith for our family as she takes Sam back to Vancouver. She had all our meals made for us for while she's gone and all the Christmas decorations are up in our house. She is an amazing woman and mom. Lucy got a trim today and we all laughed at her short hair cut! She looks *so* different! Good thing she doesn't know what we're laughing about!

This week Kate and Karly went to Valemount and placed 2nd in the zone tournament (10 teams). They had one last chance to go to provincials by playing in a qualifying game at UNBC yesterday evening against a team from Smithers. They played their hardest but lost the match 3 games to 1. It was a difficult defeat and they found it difficult to be so close and yet miss the chance to go to provincials again. A weekend off from athletics and then Basketball starts up on Monday.

Tonight we had a wonderful AGM (annual general meeting) at our school. It was a pretty short meeting (62 minutes) and all the reports were professional, positive and encouraging about what God is doing in our school. There was a large group of staff who received recognition for their years of service at the school. Our enrolment has maxed out and all our programs in the school are running at capacity. Last summer we built another classroom (5 in the last 15 months), a new basketball court/ice rink, and a renovation/conversion in the computer lab. It is very exciting to work in a place with such a wonderful staff, school board and some truly exceptional students.

Thank you for your prayers and support for our family. We cannot express our thankfulness to God for sending us so many friends who help us in their prayers, encouraging words and practical expressions of love.

Ger