April 19 2013

Apr 19, 2013

Dear Friends,

Thank you for all your prayers and words of encouragement that carry me through this time. I am so loved!!

It was a long wait for the results of the biopsy report. In the meantime a lot of people have prayed for me (our staff fellowship, our Macau BSF prayer group, our church, and even friends in China!).  The Lord has given me peace to receive the report – indeed there is malignancy.  I am scheduled for an operation on April 30 and may the Lord take out whatever can be removed through the hands of the surgeon.  Then there may be some type of follow-up chemotherapy. The good news is – right now it does not look like it is metastatic. So there are treatment options. 

During this wait, I pray for healing (and certainly desire miraculous healing) but slowly I begin to pray more and more to surrender to God’s sovereign will and to accept His plan for me with humble heart. For the past year I have been reading a little book Trustful Surrender to Divine Providence. I am only beginning to learn…it is not easy. Some of you know I like to plan, organize and execute (basically I like to be in control!) I pray that I would serve God only in the way He wants, even in sickness and in death – to serve by fully submitting to His perfect will. It is tough but by His grace, He will help me.

I was invited to share on Mother’s Day at a church in Macau – half of this church is a group of youngsters from an orphanage/group home. I was also about to lead a retreat on May 17 for a fellowship group for widows & divorced mothers. I pray so hard to keep these commitments. In contrast, it is quite easy to let go of some academic leadership opportunities at work. God uses this to show me where my heart really belongs. Three years ago when I was first diagnosed with breast cancer, I was just about to start a bible study group for mainland students. I promised myself I would return after treatment. Today I witness our staff, local church and missionaries involved in this campus ministry. So I trust that I would witness God’s work even more this time! I want to ask you to pray for a Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) pilot class in Macau. I also pray hard for this one because I am supposed to get training in U.S. with another person in September in order to start this ministry. The Lord has led me to apply for sabbatical or no pay leave in order to start this ministry! Initially I resisted and just when I was finally ready to send in the application for training, the PET/CT scan deterred me. If you have had chemotherapy before you would know it knocks you out – I don’t see how I can possibly go. So I pray that the Lord would either move another person to go or spare me. But if He would send me, now I know it is a great blessing and privilege. May God make a way for us to have a BSF ministry in Macau!

Again my theme verse is (Philippians 1:18-20).  “Yes and I will continue to rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and God’s provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.” 

In His love,

Doris