Into The Mind of Josh

Pastor Josh’s Cancer Journey Blog

Throughout the course of this journey Anna or Pastor Josh will post about what is happening. We want to showcase what the Lord is doing during this time in our life. Be sure to subscribe in the bottom right hand corner so you can be updated when we post.

  • The Death of Bruno

    Thank you to all who have so faithfully kept our family in their prayers, who have selflessly given of their time, resources, and love toward us.

    My father-in-love, Craig, has been the amazing Uber driver for us these past two days. He picked us up at 530 am yesterday morning to bring us to the hospital for Josh’s surgery. A few blocks from our home, on the way to the freeway, a car passed us on the left through a double yellow line, hit an embankment, swerved in front of us, and then sped off to our right past us. By the grace of God, the two cars behind us and our vehicle were not hit.

    Once we checked in at the hospital, Josh entered pre-op. We met his entire surgical team at various points, the nurses took his vitals, put in his IV’s, and he got changed and sanitized.

    The goal going into the surgery was to remove Bruno and to perform it all robotically. The anesthesiologist asked Josh if he would be interested in a spinal tap, which would help his pain level for about 24 hours. Josh talked to a friend who is an anesthesiologist the previous night, and he recommended the spinal tap. He agreed to the spinal tap. I found out post-surgery that they attempted the spinal tap unsuccessfully.

    He was asked several times to see if he was anxious. He said, “I’m not anxious for the surgery; I just want to make sure that they get all of this cancer out me.”

    So, after needle pokes, prayer, and final kisses, they wheeled Josh back into surgery.

    We waited in the waiting room. I occasionally received a text message with an update. Some dear family members and an amazing friend came and waited with Papa and me at different times. Sweet ladies from church had packed a cooler full of food to enjoy the next few days and a backpack of all things cozy. The surgery was at least five hours, closer to 6. As the surgery ended, I received a call from the surgeon, and he expressed incredible news.

    “The surgery was successful, and we were able to accomplish what we set out to do. I was able to remove the tumor, and there was no sign that the cancer had spread. We were also able to perform the surgery robotically, which was our original goal. Josh is doing well and will be in recovery for about two hours. “

    Happy tears! Of course, I expressed my heartfelt thanks to Dr. Ahmad and said, “God bless you.”

    We are overjoyed with this news and incredibly thankful to the Lord for his mercy and faithfulness. Josh and I have often reflected on the fact that the army that has surrounded us for this journey has appeared to be hand-picked. Incredible doctors, nurses, dear family, supportive and endearing friends…everyone has been intentional and compassionate. We continue to place Josh’s complete healing into the Lord’s hands. The road ahead will be unique and a tad long, but this is the biggest weight off our shoulders with an encouraging outcome.

    As Josh was waking up last night, he was very concerned to talk to our kiddos and share the good news, too. Addy and Josiah have been troopers in this journey. Two nights before surgery, Josh sat down with them and carefully walked them through what would take place with his surgery. He described the loop ileostomy and the procedure that would rework the sphincter and where the bag would be placed. We giggled over his half-shaven tummy and placement dots by his wound care nurse earlier that day. I’m so proud of my husband for always taking the time to carefully explain these hard-to-understand concepts to our kids and others who have had questions.

    I’m writing this almost 24 hours post-surgery, sitting in Josh’s hospital room with his Dad. When I walked in this morning, he was working with two nurses to get up from bed, stand, and walk across the room, and then sit up in his chair. The wound is tender, and that is absolutely to be expected. His vitals have been good, and his pain has been between a four and a five. The ileostomy bag isn’t filling up just yet, and wound care should be here sometime today. A nutritionalist was in and explained important tips with regard to food moving forward, especially for the next seven weeks. Low fiber, no seeds, nuts, raw fruits or veggies, or skins.

    Isn’t that smile amazing?!

    Special thank you to Mema, Uncle Joey and the aunties for caring for our kiddos so well. And to Papa for being the best Uber driver, keeping me safe in downtown Portland!

    Josh had a time of worship in his hospital bed last night, and I did too when I returned home last night. We’re incredibly grateful for the outcome of this surgery and feel hopeful for the next steps. And, as I wrote to a few friends last night, the brevity of life is not lost on us. Within about a week, we lost a friend to cancer, and another who had battled cancer passed suddenly from a stroke.

    We truly never know how the Lord will use our time here on this earth. For now, we are grateful that He continues to write this story of ours and simply want it to be all for his glory.

    Bless you, dear friends and family, for upholding us so well during this time. Your prayers and intentionality have sustained us. We literally have faithful prayer warriors praying all over the nation, and some even oversee’s. Talk about the body of Christ in action!

    Bruno is dead!!!

  • What Is Next?

    Hello, family and friends. It has been a little bit since we updated the blog. Since we last talked, there have been some developments, and we can now share more about them.

    Chemo ended, and we had received news that, according to the MRI, there was little to no signs of the tumor left. We celebrated and rejoiced and, by all accounts, things were looking good. I heard from my oncologist team that things on their end were hopeful. But, I still needed to have a scope done by my surgeon to confirm those results. A scope would be able to take a closer look at the location of the tumor more than the MRI could show. So, we were thrilled with the current news, but didn’t feel like we could fully take the weight of all of this off our shoulders just yet.

    My parents got a bell for me to ring in front of the church and a sign was put up on my office that I had kicked cancer’s butt. What can I say, we were hopeful and celebrating where we could.

    We were hopeful that ‘Bruno’ had shrunk and surgery would be avoided. Since chemo ended, I have been feeling so good that I did not want to take the next step, if there was any. I was ignoring phone calls from the doctor’s office for about a month and a half, and finally, they called me from a number I did not recognize and I answered it. They got me, I was stuck talking with them now!

    This call was to schedule with the surgeon and to verify the good news that ‘Bruno’ was dead by having a scope done.

    The day had arrived, and I did the lovely prep that was required for that visit. Anna and I got into the surgeon’s office and waited for him to come into the room. All the while praying that he would see NOTHING and get the all clear.

    He came in without much talking and began the examination. It was much more in-depth (and I mean that literally as well) than the last time I saw him. After a good examination, he explained to Anna and me what he saw and the necessary next steps.

    He proceeded to tell us that I had a good response to the chemo but not a complete response. The tumor had shrunk, but a little bit is left and would require surgery to remove it fully. We asked a lot of questions and were devastated to say the least. It felt like I was punched in the stomach, and we just sat and cried in the office at the end.

    I have been devastated to take next steps with surgery. Anna and I looked into other options, and all roads keep coming back to the location of the tumor being a deciding factor. Bruno’s location makes it difficult for other forms of treatment to kill the cancer cells. Radiation isn’t recommended because of my age and long term affects on my young-ish body. More natural approaches to treatment seem to be quite expensive and would require me to go out of state for several months. My naturopath doctor is also convinced that surgery is probably my best option at this point.

    The surgery is now scheduled for January 8th and will be quite extensive. My surgeon has said that I will be in the hospital for at least three days after. I will be resting and then working from home, probably for a few months, while I heal and get used to a new normal for my body. Remarkably, the surgery will be done robotically, with just a small incision. About 3/4 of my rectum will need to be removed, and I will have an ileostomy bag for at least 3-6 months, unable to travel long distances for about a year. After a few months, I’ll be scheduled to go in for another surgery where a reversal will be done. We are hopeful about the process and feel confident in this surgeon and the work he can do.

    The surgery is called: Robotic assisted low anterior resection with diverting loop ileostomy (Click to go to Google search if you want)

    Of course, it isn’t easy to think of my body going through this and the changes it will have on my lifestyle and abilities. The Lord is working out the details of our insurance (which we thought would have to change before surgery in the new year), and he is continuing to meet our needs. We are so grateful for our church body, who is once again being patient with this unplanned process and they have been huge prayer warriors for our family.

    I’m very grateful for a band of pastors, some even retired, who have offered to help feed the sheep at Park Place in my absence. These men have been dear to me throughout this process and I know our church will be in good hands with them at the pulpit. Anna and I had the thought of having these pastors preach through a series we are calling, “The -ologies” where they will teach on the different core doctrines of the Christian faith. We have realized that many, even some who have been in the church for a long time, need to be better equipped with these core tenets of the faith, and we are excited for this season of growth and spiritual development for the flock in our care.

    Thank you for continuing to pray for me, my family, and our church body. Thank you for the continued outpouring of sweet cards and support. We are truly grateful for all of the gestures, big and small, and we definitely feel so supported in all of this.

    This song by Phil is still my anthem during this time

    Psalm 23:1-6 has also been a comfort to me during this time.

    “The LORD is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name. Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings. Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the LORD forever.”

    https://www.bible.com/bible/116/PSA.23.1-6.NLT

  • Hard Fought Hallelujah’s

    Anna here…

    This morning, Josh had his scan to give us a closer view of Bruno (the tumor). We dropped our kiddos off at a wonderful homeschool family event that our Superintendent and his wife put together. They had a great time hanging out with friends, and it was probably a great distraction than waiting on news about dad.

    I think we both walked in with peace, but a little anxiety until we officially heard words that would solidify the results that the MRI showed. The surgeon was again very kind and empathetic. He too was very happy to see the results of the MRI, but was quick to say, he’d rather start with the scope right away, before he spoke too much.

    Poor Josh had to endure another one of these not-so-fabulous scopes. I’m so proud of him, and I honestly think he has more courage than I do. Such a humbling, crazy experience.

    When the surgeon was finished, he said, the tumor had significantly shrunk, and the chemo really did a great job with that. But then he said the words we didn’t want to hear. “The tumor isn’t fully gone; it’s still there a little bit.” He spent a great amount of time talking about some options, and at this point, we have two options on the table before us. No treatment is said to be 100 percent guaranteed in absolutely getting rid of the cancer (I’ll add, except if the Lord has 100 percent healing in his will for him).

    The two options before us at this point are surgery or radiation/chemo.

    With the surgery, the procedure is quite significant, including a massive cut to his rectum and colon, and a large reconstruction. The aftermath would include a colostomy bag for at least three months and a crazy road to recovery. Radiation and chemo would be a rigorous course, blending the two together to try to continue to shrink and get rid of the tumor. Neither option is what we want or desire. Neither is 100 percent guaranteed; however, the surgeon believed the surgery would give the greatest opportunity to rid Josh’s body of the cancer because of what he could accomplish once he got in there. Both would affect his lifestyle.

    So, the news is disappointing, to say the least. We were so encouraged by the news of the MRI, but have continued to pray for this scope, knowing it would give a glimpse that the MRI simply couldn’t fully.

    We continue to surround Josh with so much support and love, and we know all of you are as well. To be honest, we absolutely hate cancer and all that it has destroyed in so many people’s lives. It’s an injustice I’ll never be able to wrap my head around fully.

    I know Josh and I have a lot of choices to make moving forward, and we would greatly appreciate your continued prayers for wisdom. Practically, if these are the only options moving forward, life is gonna look pretty different for our family as we support Josh. I know he worries about our church and ministry and being a shepherd through all of this. And we worry about our kids and what this can mean for them, too. Not doing anything isn’t an option. We want this cancer gone and not given an opportunity to grow.

    We’re still over here trusting the Lord and reminding our hearts and minds of what is true. We’re still clinging to him. We still believe we’re in the best of hands! And in our humanness, we royally wanna punch cancer to hell.

    This is the song I’ve had in my head lately:

  • MRI-August 2025

    Sorry it has been a few weeks since our last post. A lot has happened since the last post, let me explain.

    Since the last chemo cycle my body has been healing. What a joy it is to not have to be on the chemo roller coaster any more. I am still so thankful to the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute for their amazing care during the chemo sessions.

    As I mentioned, my body is healing from the chemo. Chemo takes a huge toll on your body. Every part of your body is affected by the chemo. One thing I have enjoyed for years is physical activity, which can be running or walking. Before chemotherapy, I was walking a lot, averaging about 4 miles a day. My heart rate would be in a decent range, and I felt good.

    During chemo, I would barely get up from the couch on some days. Low energy made me not want to move much. However, I knew that I needed to move, so I would force myself to move. While on the pump, I did not walk outside much, but would if Anna would go with me, which we did a few times.

    While the pump was disconnected, I would make it a priority to get out and walk. On my walks, during off-chemo weeks, I would average maybe 2.5 miles. My heart rate would be high during the walks, and my lungs would hurt. I did not like the feeling, but knew I needed to keep going as it would only benefit me and bring healing to my beat up body.

    Since being off chemo my average daily walking has increased to about 5 miles a day. My best one was a few days ago when I walked 6.75 miles and my heart rate went down to the range it was before chemo, if not better. MY BODY IS HEALING!!

    Ok, so back to what you came here for-the MRI results from August 20th.

    As you might remember, my appointment was for MT Hood Medical in Gresham at 9:30am. Anna and I left early and arrived early, in fact, we were about 45 mins early! I got checked in, and to our surprise, they took me back about 30 minutes early. In fact, the technician said, “Every patient this morning has been early.” He was very pleased with that.

    The tech was not in a hurry and took his time, which actually calmed me down as well. I was anxious and wanted to know what Bruno looked like after 6 rounds of chemo. The tech inserted an IV as the MRI would have at one point some dye or something like that injected.

    I have to say the MT Hood Medical MRI room was nicer than my last MRI room. The machine looked newer, and it actually had some natural light, which was a nice touch.

    They got me on the table and slid me into the machine. I even got to listen to music this time…not very good sounding, as the music had to be sent through a plastic tube, so the music sounded dull.

    Like last time, I used the 45-minute MRI to pray. I prayed for many of you reading this blog, people of Park Place Church, people of the Pacific Conference of Evangelical Church, members of my family, and for the results that would be coming from this MRI.

    When the test was complete the technician said, “I can’t offically give you results but from what I can see, things look amazing.” I took that as some great news but didn’t want to get my hopes up with that news.

    After the MRI, Anna and I went on a little date. Anna did say that we need to stop making our dates around my medical appointments, I do agree with her. But these appointments have been the most time we have spent just the two of us in a while! We found a nice little coffee shop in Gresham and enjoyed a Japanese Cold Brew and some breakfast. It was a lovely time, and we talked about this whole crazy adventure and also Addy’s upcoming 13th birthday on Saturday.

    All day Thursday, I received messages asking if I had results yet, and I had to regretably say, “No, nothing yet.”

    Friday morning, I had messages asking the same thing, and I said no.

    Then Friday early afternoon came, and I got the MyChart message…

    I opened it and started to read. It was sounding promising but I am not a doctor. I wish MyChart messages would not hit the patient portal until your doctor calls you. Anyway, I have a doctor in the church and sent the results to her. She interpreted it for me, but obviously said, “Wait for your oncologist to give you the final results to make sure I am reading it correctly.”

    I then sent MyChart messages to my medical team asking for answers. About 2 hours later, I got the call from the clinic.

    On the call, the nurse told me, “The tumor has responded very well to the treatment and is no longer detected on the MRI scans. Where the tumor was, there is now a dark area, which is a scar leftover from the tumor. So, from what we can tell, you had a complete response to the chemo. The surgeon, on September 19, will be the final say if the tumor is gone. Congratulations, Mr. Shelton!”

    So there you have it, by all current indications, Bruno is no longer alive! Praise the Lord!

    As they mentioned I am not completely out of the woods yet. The image below is how I feel, I can see the clearing but I am still walking in the woods. I wont be completely out of the woods until the surgeon appointment on September 19. The surgeon will use a scope and be able to get up close to where Bruno was.

    Photo by Mantas Sinkevičius from Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/photo/brown-dirt-road-lined-with-trees-2271835/

    So in summary, the tumor is GONE and waiting for September 19 to get a final answer.

    My family is SO thankful for your prayers and support the past few months. Your texts, messages, and financial support have been amazing!

    The Lord healed me and yes, used the chemo to help treat my cancer. We will call this a miracle and a grace from the Lord. According to the doctors, when we started this process and along the journey, they only gave me a 20-30% chance of the tumor responding with chemotherapy alone. Surgery was the next phase, but from what we can tell with the MRI, the Lord healed me and used the chemo to destroy the cancer cells! Thank you, Jesus!

    Here is me telling Park Place Church the news on August 24, 2025.

    I am still collecting Port Pillows. That is a ministry I want to continue. So if you have any made please bring them by the church!

    Love you all very much! Thank you for your prayers! Keep praying for September 19!

    -Josh

    Anna here! We are grateful for this amazing news and will be the first to say, we continue to want the Lord to write this story for his glory. There are so many questions throughout this process, and almost all of them begin with “why.” While some of those questions may see answers this side of eternity, others will not until we see Jesus. And this is the tension that all of us live between.

    One truth we are continually learning and teaching our hearts and minds is, “God is still good, even when our circumstances are not.” Here is where we are choosing to rest. There’s a temptation to believe that my circumstances are this way because God must be angry with me and then on the other pendulum, we are tempted to believe, if God is God, why can’t he take this away. Some of these temptations remind of of when Satan was tempting Jesus.

    But what if these trials are meant to point us even closer to the heart of God? What if cancer, yes, even cancer, could be used for his glory and our good? Again, not all of these ponderings will be given firm answers right now. But we know enough of the heart of God that he is using all of this and nothing is wasted on him.

  • CD6S1-4

    Before I start this blog, I want to take a moment to thank Anna for all she has done in the past 2 months. She has been an incredible help and making sure I was getting all the meds on time, and preparing meals that helped my body. She also carried more loads around the house since I was down, and she would not let me help! Could not have done this without her love, support and care for me and our family. The Lord provided me an amazing helpmate and I am incredibly blessed by her. Thank you babe for all the extra work you did and are still doing.

    Wednesday

    Going into my last chemo treatment, I was excited and anxious. I was also feeling really healthy, praise the Lord. I was seriously looking and feeling amazing.

    Checked in. Did the weigh-in. Moved to an exam room. Took vitals. Accessed port. Took blood. Met with the doctor. Got in the infusion chair. That is basically the rundown when we come in for treatment.

    Found a chair in the corner; corner chairs are bit nicer as you only have one neighbor instead of two and they feel a bit larger; but not really.

    Premeds were started, and everything was going great. After about 30 ish minutes, pre meds ended and then I waited 30 minutes for the meds to get into the body. Once that 30 minutes is up, I started the big boy meds, the chemo.

    Chemo was loaded, and we were going. Anna and I were playing our favorite card game, Phase 10. Anna was winning by one phase. About 5ish minutes into my chemo treatment, I was having weird tummy problems and not feeling great; I thought I needed to go to the restroom. I got up, took my IV cart with me to the bathroom.

    When I got in there, I could not go but started to sweat a lot. I left the bathroom and went right to the nurse’s station and told them I was not feeling well. They took me back to my seat and immediately called my nurse over, and my doctor was there in like moments as well. They took my vitals, and everything was looking great. They could not get a temp on me as I was sweating too much. My eyes were closed, but I could hear them talking. They ended up giving me some Pepcid, and within a couple minutes, my tummy was not on fire anymore.

    The team waited a few moments before they started me half the speed of the chemo. About 30 minutes later, they came back and said they needed to up the speed because if we didn’t, I would be locked in the clinic overnight. So they increased it to .75 speed, and, when they saw I was handling that okay, they increased to full speed after about 20 mins.

    During this time, I heard a few nurses come over and check on Anna as well, to make sure she was okay. This team of oncology nurses are amazing and truly care for the patient and their families. Meant a lot to hear these nurses check on me, but also with Anna. Compassion means a lot when you are going through hardship and unknowns.

    Made it through that ordeal without any more issues and then got connected to the pump for the last time.

    This little machine pumps other chemo meds into me for the next 45 hours. Every so often, it makes a noise that sounds like our cat. Have to carry it with me everywhere I go. The last few cycles, it has gone off early, meaning the pump says there is an error in the system. I have learned that if it is less than 10mL, the patient received all their chemo. Not just my pump, but other pumps in the clinic have been having issues.

    FRIDAY

    My pump went off early and said I had 5mL left. I called the clinic and they graciously allowed me to come in early for a disconnect!! It is like Christmas when you can get in early.

    The nurse I had on Friday for my last disconnect was the nurse who was the first to access my port and saw me in a raw moment on that first treatment. It was fun for both of us to have that full circle, which she said is not common.

    On Friday my vitals were great and the disconnect went great with no issues.

    After talking to the nurse about next steps, I learned I will probably have the port for about a year and need to come into the clinic about every three months to get the port flushed; if you don’t, blood can clog the lines, I learned.

    WHAT NOW

    So chemo is done. Lord willing, I will not have to have that again. So what are the next steps?

    On August 20 I have a MRI scan so the doctors can see what the chemo did to the tumor. Please join us in praying that the tumor is COMPLETELY gone. I am trying to not get my hopes too high but really praying that the tumor is gone and nothing else is needed.

    IF the tumor is not gone then most likely surgery will take place.

    No matter what I know and trust that the Lord is guiding us through this process. Clinging to His promises from his amazing Word.

    THANK YOU

    My family is so thankful for all our friends and family that have been so supportive during this time. We are not done yet. We are so grateful for your prayers, your texts, call, meals, donations,etc. All of your love has made this journey a little easier.

    Much Love,

    Josh, Anna, Addy, Josiah

    This picture was taken after disconnect on Friday!!

    A note from Anna:

    I am extremely grateful for the Lord knowing exactly what we would need for this journey. He has and continues to provide the help and support, courage, and perspective in the midst of everything that has come. Josh has been a rockstar through this time. He has been steady in doing what he needs to do for his body to get well. I know this hasn’t been easy for him to not be as active, to learn the art of saying “no” and “not right now,” and even the further art of saying, “I need help.” For that matter, I’ve had to learn the same lessons!

    Dear friends even brought Christmas in July to us this year (a tradition I am known for carrying on each summer). Normally I’m the one whose silly crazy for Christmas in July where we stay in AC, watch Christmas movies, make Christmas sugar cookies, do Christmas crafts and light Christmas candles. I’m weird, I know, but hey…you gotta have some fun in life! Well of course, my Christmas in July spirit was a bit Scrooge-like this year and I plumb forgot about our tradition. Until our friends surprised us with Christmas presents and Christmas cheer! I mean really…

    And then there was the incident of our van being in the shop for about a week, our dryer being out of commission for about two weeks (and is still out), and my mom being hospitalized (she just came home about a grueling 10 days). People have stepped up in so many ways to help in all of these ways! Sweet neighbors who dried and folded our towels, precious friends from back home caring for my folks when I couldn’t get down there to help and countless prayers.

    The cool thing has been also watching dear ones from church step up and help in multiple roles while Josh and I have been out. We have been edified by them using their gifts and williness to serve the body of Christ.

    One last word of thanks is to our amazing kiddos. They have been troopers through all of these changes in our family rhythm and time. They have learned how to pray in new ways and have also been extreme COMIC RELIEF!! I have affectionately taken to calling them our “Dodo Birds,” and before you think I’m being mean, let me explain! Their comic relief truly reminds me of Dodo birds! They bawk and walk like Dodo birds, and their mannerisms reflect those of the Dodo. While I was helping my folks yesterday, they even wrote me a detailed report about their kind…the Dodo birds! And, they have taken to calling their kind, the Dodo Bird Nation. I know none of this probably makes sense to the average reader of our blog, but trust me when I say, the Dodo’s are the most humorous part of life these days and are keeping things quite fresh and real.

    Lastly, we are anticipating the Lord’s good and perfect will being on full display as we continue this journey. We know that nothing is a surprise to him, and our lives are a reflection of his goodness and faithfulness. We are praying for Josh’s complete and full healing and that the upcoming scans will reflect that. And we are praying for whatever is next, that the Lord will continue to use this story for him to write more of his faithfulness all over it. We are in the best of hands.

  • C5D1

    Another one bites the dust! Chemo round 5 is in the books (with disconnect day tomorrow). We are grateful to be this far and are hoping and praying that the tumor is not only shrinking but is going to be absolutely gone when scans are done after the last round in a few weeks.

    Josh’s neuropathy pain began once again while he was still in the chair yesterday (pretty normal), hence the stellar-looking black gloves he’s sportin’. And he’s back playing the mental game after having about 3 or 4 pretty good days of reprieve prior to this round beginning. This is the new (hopefully temporary) norm.

    I’m so grateful that Josh was up for preaching on Sunday. His last sermon was on Father’s Day. We’re so grateful the Lord has been healing him from the cold/cough he had for a few weeks.

    His white blood cell count was once again pretty low yesterday, as was expected since he didn’t have the shot for that last round. So, when he gets disconnected tomorrow, he will once again need the long-term shot to help raise his levels.

    Six rounds of chemo is what was determined at the beginning, so after this next round, he will receive two scans to determine next steps. Please pray with us for the miracle of this tumor being completely gone and next steps won’t even be needed! Josh has been sharing the Lord and how he is working throughout this process and we believe that whatever the outcome, God is still working in the midst of this story.

    I don’t think we have shared on the blog yet, but our kids decided several weeks ago to name the tumor. This is a way they are processing all of this and (if you know our family) even providing a little comic relief. I had purchased some shoes for Josh on Amazon for him to try on. The brand name of the shoes was “Bruno Marc” (not to be confused with the singer, Bruno Mars). I ended up needing to return the shoes because they didn’t fit. So, because the shoes weren’t wanted and didn’t work, the kids decided to name the tumor Bruno Marc because the they don’t want the tumor and have given it an eviction notice.

    Josiah decided to make Josh a Lego scene for Father’s Day. The idea was that the tumor (Bruno Marc) was being attacked by these fierce-some looking Lego men with fire and weapons. His card included sentiments like “Kick Cancer’s Butt” and “Kill Bruno Marc.” For weeks, we’ve been telling the nurses at Josh’s clinic all about Bruno and the Lego’s. Josh was able to take a picture of the scene, and we got it printed out to bring to the nurses and doctors. I’ve included the pictures below. The nurses and doctors were blown away by what Josiah created. Yesterday, it hit me like it was something out of play therapy, and the nurses agreed. They were amazed at how both of our kids have been processing their Dad’s cancer. The pictures are now hung in the nurses’ station as a little image of hope and even a little humor.

    Thank you all for your continued prayers. We have heard from a few friends who are also going through very difficult health trials or have family members who are. God has been working beautifully through all of these stories. Some are experiencing healing, reprieve, and good results, and this has been so awesome to hear. We’re encouraged by this news.

    A dear friend sent us some song lyrics the other day, reminiscent of our time at Multnomah Bible College. I want to leave you with some of those lyrics to encourage your hearts.

    “My faith has found a resting place, not in device or creed;

    I trust the ever living One,

    His wounds for me shall plead.

    I need no other argument,

    I need no other plea,

    It is enough that Jesus saves and that he died for me.

    Enough for me that Jesus saves,

    This ends my fear and doubt;

    A sinful soul I come to Him,

    He’ll never cast me out.

    My heart is leaning on the Word,

    The living Word of God,

    Salvation by my Savior’s Name,

    Salvation through His blood.

    My great Physician heals the sick,

    The lost He came to save;

    For me His precious blood He shed,

    For me His life He gave.”

  • C4D1

    Leading up to Josh’s fourth cycle of chemo was eventful! We had some sickness in the family this week. It began with the kiddos and passed on to me. We did our best to keep things wiped down and clean at home so as not to expose Josh. At the end of the week, Josh seemed to start not feeling great, and we were worried it might affect his ability to have his next treatment, especially since his white blood cell count was low. He had horrible sinus pain for 4 days; worried of a sinus infection. He woke up on Tuesday with zero pain, like nothing had been the problem the days before; this was an absolute miracle to have no pain as he did the days before! We are so thankful to report that Josh’s numbers were beautiful yesterday, and he could have his treatment! Thanks be to God!

    Josh acknowledged to his doctor and nurses yesterday his gratitude to the Lord through all of this. Yes, the Lord provided this shot to improve his white blood cells, and yes, the Lord continued to work within his body. Josh also said we have an incredible support system. Our church body and leadership have told Josh that if he just can’t make a Sunday he is supposed to preach, they have coverage for him. They want him to focus on getting better. He continues to work mostly from home, making occasional trips to the office. Our wonderful church admin, Rachael has been phenomenal holding things down there and we are so thankful for her.

    This is not something we take lightly; we know that many receive their treatments and need to head back to work. This whole process has made us so grateful and also aware of what a journey like cancer can be, the toll it can take on personal mental health, family life, jobs, and commitments. We don’t ever want to become shallow in our understanding of this. It has taken so many people coming around us to make this burden and season a little less heavy. I’m sure we all know someone or multiple people going through a trying health crisis in their lives. How we choose to show up during these times can truly make all the difference. And what about those who don’t have a deadline for their trial, but they still endure? How can we support those dear ones in our lives?

    Josh’s neuropathy after treatment continues to be his biggest symptom. I found him some special gloves that are made for neuropathy, and he has been wearing those. He still has a large window after treatment where he can’t go into a fridge without the gloves on, and also drinks lukewarm water. Coldness does weird things to him. He’s described it as if your leg is asleep, that tingling feeling, but fairly constant.

    These charts will help you see how drastically low his numbers got and, as of yesterday, how high they had spiked! We were told the long-acting shot slowly releases over time.

    Because his numbers are good, his doctor will not be giving him the shot for boosting his white blood cell count tomorrow when we go in to disconnect. Most likely, he will need it the following round in two weeks.

    Thank you for the amazing support and prayers. What an awesome team the Lord has surrounded us with.

    The words of Josh:

    Thank you so much to everyone from all over the world (seriously he have people all over praying). Your prayers are working. Being halfway through this we are anticipating, Lord willing, some great news that the tumor is gone. We are praying that the chemo melts the tumor and it will be gone from my body and nothing else is needed.

    Also, want to acknowledge as Anna pointed out that this journey has been difficult for someone like me who is very active and loves helping others. During this time I have needed others to help me do things I normally do and feel weird in asking for help. But what I seen is that people are wanting to help and that brings joy knowing people can use their gifts to bless the family. From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU TO YOU ALL FOR YOUR CARE, SHOWING UP, HELPING AND YOUR REACHING OUT!!


    By the way, thank you to those who are committed to making those port pillows! I am loving mine and looking forward to delivering the pillows to the clinic soon! If you have some made please bring to the church! I would be blessed to take whatever we can but honestly I would love to see 500 port pillows delivered to the clinic! Can we do that?? I think we can! If you want to do a port pillows sewing project at the church we can arrange that-reach out to Rachael in the office to schedule that and to publicize that!

    Love you all so much!

    Pastor Josh

  • C3D1

    June is National Cancer Survivors Month. Our clinic was amazing, and at Josh’s last chemo, they had us enter a raffle for a few different themed baskets. We didn’t have to pay anything for our raffle ticket, but got to put a ticket in for which basket we liked. I wouldn’t say we’re typically people who win these sorts of things, so we were quite tickled when we found out we won a coffee and tea-themed basket! And what a basket it is! Hand-picked selections of local coffees, unique tea, honey stirrers, mugs, iced tea pitcher, boba tea, kitchen towels, etc. We were floored to receive this, and it honestly felt like a smile from God.

    This morning, Josh began his third chemo cycle. He has described the past few rounds as a mental game where he starts to feel stronger a few days before his next round begins, and then has to start the next cycle. We are praying that this cycle goes smoothly. This morning on our drive to the clinic, we listened to the Worship Initiative Devo that we referenced previously. Today’s song was “Be Thou My Vision,” and the timing couldn’t have been better.

    Josh’s Neutrophil levels were once again low this morning; however, they were still able to give him his chemo treatment today. He will also receive the long-term growth hormone shot on Friday, when his pump gets disconnected. This will help his white blood cell count rise again.

    Thank you so much, dear friends, for your continued support, meals, prayers, and care. Josh has his man-purse back with the good stuff for a few days and was able to use a seat belt pillow that our friend Hailey made for him to protect his port. We are learning a new language through this process, and Josh is getting stylish in the process!

    Josh and I brought what has become our favorite game to play together to chemo today, Phase 10. Before Josh got sleepy, we played through most rounds!

    From the pen of Josh: I have a goal for my sewing friends. I would love to give 100-200 port pillows to the clinic for other patients. If you are a sewing person and want to help out here are the instructions: https://frommycarolinahome.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/portsofties-for-chemo-patients.pdf

    The pillows can be dropped off at Park Place Church (13933 Gain St)
    Thank you so much for loving on my fellow cancer patients!

  • Injections, Diet and Worship

    Thank you all for your prayers today that our insurance would approve a needed injection to help boost Josh’s white blood cell count. The Lord has answered those prayers and moved within the doctor’s communication to the insurance. Josh’s count was even lower today, as expected, so we are very grateful that he was able to get the shot. Today was long with two trips to his clinic, and he will need to return tomorrow, Wednesday, and Thursday to get additional shots. Please continue to pray for his stamina and perseverance.

    Josh’s injections help to lower the risk of infection in people who are receiving chemotherapy and will help to produce more white blood cells.

    We’re also trying to focus on good, clean eating, too. Lots of lean proteins, greens, some berries, and citrus for their benefits, cutting out sugar, etc. Not totally different from how we typically try to eat, but also watching carbs. Years ago, we cut out toxic seed oils and only use olive oil, avocado oil, or coconut oil. I probably bum my kids out because I don’t like to buy processed foods and have them in our home. I don’t even like to buy Goldfish (sorry, kids). We’re not perfect, but I know we see a big difference when we don’t eat the junk. Of course, there is balance and moderation in all these things; these are just choices we make for what is in our own home.

    We would like to leave you with something that has been encouraging our family in this season. We’ve been fans of Shane and Shane and Worship Initiative, and their worship albums for a long time. They released a DEVO app that has been fun to listen to Monday- Friday. They sing one of their worship songs acoustically and encourage those who listen in the Word of God with some corresponding thoughts and Scripture related to the song. We’ve been encouraged and edified the past two weeks with this and wanted to share it with all of you. If you’re interested in doing these DEVO’s with us, go to your app store and search “Daily Devo” (Worship Initiative). They will text you Monday to Friday with the Devo of the day. We hope you’ll be encouraged by this sweet time with the Lord and other believers.

    Here’s a link to join:

    https://app.theworshipinitiative.com/devotional-app

  • White Blood Cell Count

    When Josh received his second treatment of chemo Wednesday, his doctor let us know that his white blood cell count was a little low. She wasn’t overly concerned and said he’s been a little on the low end, but that in order to receive chemo, his number would need to be a little higher. We proceeded with chemo that day, and she scheduled him to receive a shot today when he went in to have his pump disconnected. The shot would help boost his white blood cell count before his next treatment.

    Today, Josh went in to have his pump disconnected and to temporarily say goodbye to his man-purse. His doctor let him know that they had been fighting with our insurance over the necessary shot he was to receive today. Our insurance wouldn’t approve it unless his number was even lower. Talk about a catch-22. We don’t want his number to be too low to prevent him from receiving chemo, but our insurance needs his number to be lower so they can approve the necessary shot! Make it make sense!

    So, now Josh will need to go in for another blood draw on Monday morning. His doctor believes his number will be lower, and they will again try to have the shot approved by our insurance.

    Prayer warriors, please pray that our insurance will approve this shot without any further delay!

    A very special thank you to our dear Idaho friends, the Hawes’, who came and spent special time with our kids yesterday and helped transport Josh to his appointment today while I got Addy ready for her dance dress rehearsal. Addy’s friend “B” even got to help with Addy’s makeup! And a big thank you to Uncle Joey and family for loving our Josiah extra today!