More Thoughts

 These last couple of months have been a whirlwind of doctors, treatments and the sometimes overwhelmess of God's love. He has taken care of us in so many ways and I often feel like I don't deserve His blessings. I guess in a way none of us do. He gave us His Son to die on the cross for our sin. We certainly don't deserve His love but because He loves us Christ died.

We have been  blessed in more ways than I can list here. Someone's been leaving groceries, personal care items, craft supplies, etc on on front step and we have no idea who it is or how many people are involved. I wish I knew who it is because I want to thank her or him or maybe them. I hope one day we will be able to bless a family the way we have been blessed.
Our fridge is dying and we are getting a new one through the Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation. We are so grateful for the Lord for taking care of us.

There are a couple of people at the Cancer Center whom we see everyday. One is a lady named Janet who is about 80 years old who is getting radiation on her head. There is also a guy named Ralph who is probably about 60 whose grandson Geo comes with his mom. Geo is two but his vocabulary is like a four year old!
Anyway he is getting radiation on his neck. I have no idea what type of cancer these two people have but I pray for them.

I'm feeling rather down today. I started this post early last week and today is Memorial Day. I'm listening to a CD called  "Home" by the Eshes. If you are familiar with them you know that nine members of this sweet family died in a traffic accident on March 26, 2010. I'm not sure why the Lord allowed this to happen. They had suffered so much already.  This CD was put together in their memory and has excerpts from their funeral sermons.

I'm not sure what else I want to write so I will end this post now.

A Variety of Topics

NOTE *I actually started this post several weeks ago but I just couldn't finish it. There are just too many emotions associated with this post.

Some of you may be wondering just who was "Papa" Richard Mummau? He was a wonderful Christian man. My husband and I met him in back in 2006 when he came to CA to visit some friends. He happened to be visiting the same people that we were going to meet for the first time. It was our first visit to a Conservative Mennonite church.

 Anyway, Papa Richard loved the Lord and he had a heart for the lost. He also was a wonderful encouragement to other Christians. His advice came right from scripture. When someone would say something contrary to what the Bible says, he would ask the person to show him in the Bible where it says whatever the person had said. This was not to be rude but to challenge the person to read the scripture to find out what it really says.
He enjoyed sending out free sermons on CD,free hanging veils etc and not once did he ever ask for any money in return.  I have several  of the CDs and hanging veils he sent. Tim and I will miss his wisdom and his family letters very much.

My daughter Kaitlyn has about two and a half weeks left of radiation for her cancer. It's been tough emotionally because she is getting tired of going everyday. She has dealing with the skin being red and peeling. She especially hates the idea of the doctors and nurses poking and prodding the area. I don't much blame her as I wouldn't like it either.

Going to the Cancer Center has be a challenge  because you see the people there and you know why they are there. You wonder what kind of cancer they have, what's their prognosis and how long they have to go for treatment.

Many have loved ones who come with them for treatments, husbands, wives, adult children who will sometimes bring their children along to support grandpa or grandma. We have not met any other parents with children who have cancer there so it's a lonely thing to go through even though we know the Lord is there with us.
It would be nice to connect with Christian parents who understand what we are going through.
I want to say that cancer really stinks! I can't believe the number of people who have died from cancer and I'm just shocked by the number of well known people who have died from cancer in the past several months.

And it doesn't matter the age of the person that has the cancer. It still stinks. I figure writing it stinks is less offensive than the other word I had in mind. I hate that my child is getting tired of this whole mess and there is nothing we can do but just get through the treatments praying that all the cancer is being destroyed.

In Memory of Papa Richard Mummau

Richard Eby Mummau


December 6, 1936 - April 5, 2012



Richard Eby Mummau, 75, of Mount Joy, died unexpectedly of natural causes and went home to be with his Lord on Thursday April 5, 2012 at Lancaster General Hospital. Born in Lancaster he was the son of the late Reist R. and Mary Ruth (Eby) Mummau. He was the husband of Darlene (Gerlitzki) Mummau, and they would have celebrated 54 years of marriage on Thursday. Richard was self-employed in a Christian tape ministry. He was a member of the Rheems Mennonite Church. In his spare time Richard enjoyed lawn work, and was very delighted in his extended family.



Surviving in addition to his wife are three brothers, Ernest E. (Faye Hershey) Mummau of Quarryville, Reist E. (Sherry) Mummau of Wynnewood, OK, Lee E. (Joyce Hess) Mummau of Thailand; two sisters Virginia M. (Raymond) Siegrist of Brownfield, ME, Carolyn E. (Landon) Beachy of Kalona, Iowa, and a sister in-law Glenice Hoogestraat Mummau of St. Charles, MO.



Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend his funeral service from the Blue Rock Mennonite Church, 3453 Blue Rock Road, Lancaster PA on Monday April 9, 2012 at 2:00 P.M. Interment in Rheems Mennonite Church Cemetery, Mount Joy Twp. will be immediately following the service. There will be a public viewing at the Blue Rock Mennonite Church on Sunday from 1:00 P.M.-4:00 P.M. and 6:00 – 8:00 P.M.



Please omit flowers. Contributions in Richard’s memory may be sent to Rheems Mennonite Church, c/o Leonard Hursh, 970 Colebrook Road, Mount Joy, PA 17552.



Facts

Born: December 6, 1936

Death: April 5, 2012



Services

Funeral Service

Monday April 9, 2012, 2:00 PM at Blue Rock Mennonite Church

Click for Map and Directions

Public Viewing

Sunday April 8, 2012, 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM at Blue Rock Mennonite Church

The Absurdity of It All

I was sitting here thinking and I jotted down on the journal we got from Kaitlyn's oncologist that it was so absurd that she has cancer. It just doesn't seem real. I know of parents on the CaringBridge website who have seriously ill children and it is so real to read their stories. But with my child it is just not real at all. It just seem so, well ... absurd!
The tests and doctor visits are so exhausting. I still get the "what ifs" thoughts. It's hard not to. I wish I knew where the Lord was going with this.

Wondering Why?

This post is going to be a ramble. My daughter Kaitlyn's tumor is malignant and I'm in total shock over this. She's just a little girl. I know there must be a reason the Lord is allowing this to happen. I can't even tell you what type of cancer she has because my mind blanked on that. All I remember from the phone call today was malignancy and pediatric oncologist.

My children are especially Kaitlyn are taking it well though she is not looking forward to more doctor visits and more surgery. She's an active child and she doesn't like being laid up.

Okay I started this post on Friday but I couldn't figure out what I wanted to say so here is Sunday. I'm still in a state of shock. I know that God has His hand on this situation.
I get Keepers at Home magazine a Christian ladies magazine and each issue has a letter from one of the publishers(Mary K Troyer) called  "Our House... to Yours".  The spring issue came yesterday and  what she shared was exactly what I need to hear. She says that trials will come our way and to not acknowledge them in defeat but to claim victory by abiding in faith and trusting in our almighty God.
So my faith is what getting me through this. I was listening to an old hymn on my MP3 player yesterday called  "I Need Thee Every Hour"

http://www.hymntime.com/tch/htm/i/n/e/ineedteh.htm

I need Thee every hour, most gracious Lord;


No tender voice like Thine can peace afford.



Refrain



I need Thee, O I need Thee;

Every hour I need Thee;

O bless me now, my Savior,

I come to Thee.



I need Thee every hour, stay Thou nearby;

Temptations lose their power when Thou art nigh.



Refrain



I need Thee every hour, in joy or pain;

Come quickly and abide, or life is in vain.



Refrain



I need Thee every hour; teach me Thy will;

And Thy rich promises in me fulfill.



Refrain



I need Thee every hour, most Holy One;

O make me Thine indeed, Thou blessèd Son.



Refrain

 
 
That song just really ministered to me. It was written by a young mom and you can read how it came to be clicking on the song's link above. So my faith is resting on Jesus. May we all do the same.

So The Waiting Begins

Waiting for the results of my child's biopsy has been very frustrating and everyone here is on edge. We find we have been snapping at each other and then asking each other forgiveness. Also asking the Lord for His forgiveness. Whatever God wants for us, Thy will be done.

Ponderings or I Couldn't Think of a Title for This Post

I have a lot on my mind these past few weeks. Whitney's Houston's passing affected from a mother's perspective. Cissy Houston has lost her precious baby and for me there is nothing like losing your child no matter how old they are. I lost two babies due to miscarriage and those babies were ever so preciuos to me and my husband.

Bobbie Kristine has lost her mama. I know that pain very well because I lost my mother February 10 2008 to breast cancer and there is not a day that goes by that I don't think about her. Right now I really wish my mama was here.  My youngest daughter who is 11 has a large tumor in her thigh which the doctors believe to be benign but she is having a surgical biopsy tomorrow just to make sure.
I don't know what scares me more, the biopsy or the results. She will be put under and I just dread the idea of them sticking IV's and such in my baby. She had an MRI and she had a hard time with them trying to put the contrast dye in her vein.
Even though I'm concerned I know the One who will be there in the operating room with my daughter and He is in control.  I know this is what my mother would say. I'm confident the tumor is benign but the C word does linger in the back of my mind.
So if you think of it please pray for my child. She doesn't like talking about it for some reason. Maybe she has more faith than us adults do.