mina passed away yesterday at about 2pm, surrounded by her family and loved ones.  all of us had a chance to say some final words to her, and then her ventilator was removed.  within minutes, she passed away peacefully in her sleep.  right there in the hospital room immediately after, tony and i prayed together, praising God and asking for healing for the family to begin, both spiritually and emotionally.  thankful that the Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit (psalm 34:18).

life is short -- but the time on this earth is only a tiny fraction of eternity.  cherish every moment with the people you love and live each day as though it could be your last.  God loved you sooo much that he gave his only son Jesus to die for your sins, that if you believe in him, you will not perish but have everlasting life.  we'd love to talk to you more about the hope that we have in Christ! 

thank you for your outpouring of love and support.  God is still good.


"Naked I came from my mother's womb,
       and naked I will depart. 
       The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away;
       may the name of the LORD be praised."
-Job 1:21

the last time we sent out an update, the doctors said mina's cancer was in remission.  that was good news; however the bad news was that most of her major organs were failing as a result of the chemo treatments.  the past couple months, mina hasn't left the pediatric ICU, trying to buy time for her body to recover.  it has been a rollercoaster of ups and downs -- sometimes we thought it was surely the end of the road, but then she would seem better the next day.  she has been intubated the entire time she's been in the PICU, so she basically can't talk, can't move, and her abdomen is an open wound for easier access to her organs for procedures.  i can't imagine what she has been thinking inside her head, unable to put her thoughts into words or tell anyone how she's feeling.  when we visit her, we try to talk to her, tell her about what was going on in the world, sing songs, pray, read, or just sit with her.  she usually just stares blankly and drifts in and out of consciousness.  the last time we visited her, however, when we said we were leaving, she seemed agitated.  tony asked "do you want us to stay with you?" and she furrowed her brows and nodded vigorously.  lately, she has seemed a little more apprehensive, and we suspect that she's getting increasingly frustrated and weary of being in the hospital.

this week, the doctors discovered holes in her small intestines.  for a normal healthy adult, they would just cut away the bad parts and reconnect the intestines, but given mina's weak condition, they have decided not to risk the procedure.  this means that she could have a few days or a few months left.  our hearts break with this news, and it's hard to see where God is in all of this.  but we know that in all things, God works for the GOOD of those who love him, and His plan is perfect.  still, our God is a God of miracles, and we ask that you would pray with us for a miracle, for God to have mercy and heal mina!  but even if He does not, pray that we would all trust in his goodness and sovereignty.  pray especially for mina's parents and siblings, that they would somehow find healing and peace through Jesus Christ.

thank you so much for all your prayers and concern for mina. 

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.  -Romans 8:28