Update on Trish and Family...

January has been a challenge! Silas' face in this picture says it all! In addition to Trish beginning the treatment process for her thyroid cancer, Silas has been to the urgent care for stitches (January 1...hello new deductible!), Sara had tubes put in her ears (she's had double ear infections since early December and went through four rounds of antibiotics with no relief), and all of us, but Seth, have had the stomach flu. Sara's virus continued for 9 days. Indeed, God has been testing us.

However, we've also seen multiple signs of God's goodness in these challenging days. Trish, despite real weariness and some uncomfortable side effects of being off all thyroid medication, is holding up pretty well. Her spirits are high and she is pressing through her treatment period with real endurance. She has been overwhelmed by the kindness of our ClearView family, help from our biological family, multiple offers to help with kids, cards, Scriptures, and gifts that people have sent. Thanks!

Please keep praying for her... as each day gets progressively more difficult. Next week, she has tests at Riverside Hospital 4 different days, including two full body scans. These will affirm (we're praying- God willing!) that the cancer was confined to the thyroid region (and removed at surgery) and determine how strong her radio-iodine pill will be. She will take this next Friday and the strength of the pill will dictate how long she must be isolated (she will basically be emitting radiation and has to follow special instructions to not affect people around her). So, the next two weeks will be a real challenge for her and our family. We appreciate your prayers for physical strength, spiritual encouragement, and the challenges this creates for Trish and our family. Keep the cards coming... they are a great blessing...and will be, especially, when Trish can't be around people for about a week. See January 13 post for address.

Send Trish A Card!

I have a special request for you... As you think of Trish in the coming weeks, would you take the opportunity to send her a card of encouragement? I think it will perk up her spirit on a tough day to be flooded with cards from those that are praying and thinking of her. Maybe you want to send one a week for the next 4 weeks... So much of what we do anymore revolves around a keyboard and screen... but Trish won't have consistent access to technology...especially from 2/6-2/11 or so. So, I'd love to see her get a deluge of old-fashioned snail-mail.

You can send notes to:
Trish Wirt
c/0 ClearView Church
PO Box 629
New Albany, OH 43054

Thanks!

Treatment Begins...Please Keep Praying

Thanks for praying for Trish as she recovered from surgery on 12/15. She is doing pretty well and she has been touched by the care and concern and prayer of so many of you.

Tomorrow Trish begins a series of adjustments to her medication and diet that will culminate in some tests and procedures in early February that will determine the strength of nuclear medicine treatment she will undergo. As we understand it, the treatment sequence involves going off of all thyroid medication (beginning) tomorrow, beginning a no-iodine diet towards the end of January, and then undergoing a series of tests leading up to taking a radioactive pill on February 6th that will require Trish to be isolated for 4-8 days (depending on strength of treatment necessary to kill any remaining cancer or suspicious tissues). We're hoping that Trish can resume taking thyroid medication and enjoying a normal diet sometime the week of February 9. We covet your prayers in the following ways:

• Pray for complete healing. We're trusting God that full-body scans on February 5 and 6 will reveal no cancer anywhere else in her body and that any remaining tissues around the thyroid area can be treated with this treatment.
• Pray for physical and emotional strength for Trish. Research she has done indicates that she will be extremely tired and battle a range of emotions and other side effects as she is off all medication that would normally perform thyroid functions.
• Pray for wisdom about how to best approach the period of time that Trish can't be around people. We need to make plans to keep the kids away from mom, rearrange sleeping arrangements in our house, make special meals, and care for Trish as she won't feel well.
• Pray that I would be a good husband and dad first and not allow the pressure of this significant time in our ministry journey to dominate my thoughts. Pray I would find a balance and strength to love my family well and advance ministry projects at the same time.
• Pray God would use us as a strong testimony for Jesus as we interact with people in our community.

Thanks so much for standing with us on this leg of our journey.

Pray For Our Gathering Tomorrow!

Sorry to not have posted in so long. Where does time go!

If you're reading this today... please pray for our gathering tomorrow (Gahanna YMCA, 9:30a.). I'm praying our whole team and even some people we've been inviting for some time will show up. I'm planning to share a specific plan that I feel God has put in my heart to prepare our group to launch ClearView Church strong on April 12, 2009. The days are short, there is much to be done, and I know there will be challenges for my family and others along this journey. If we can work this plan God had given, I am confident we will be prepared for God to do something significant on Easter! Please pray that I would communicate clearly and that our team would respond with unity and excitement around God's direction.