strong and courageous: Into the Water

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Into the Water

Not too long ago we joyfully celebrated Sienna's baptism. Isaiah cheered her on enviously, wishing he could tell everyone that he loves Jesus and wants to follow Him for the rest of his life. I remember him tugging at my skirt while I talked to Sienna about baptism and its meaning. "I'm ready mom. I'm not afraid. I know what it means," he whispered. I knew he was ready then and I know he is ready now to express his love for God through participation in the sacrament of baptism. We invite you to pray for him this week as we help him prepare for this sacred day in his life.

The baptism will be Sunday, June 8 at the American River Confluence, 1:00pm. If you live locally please feel welcome to come out and share in this part of his life. Check out www.emmauslife.org for a map or updates on the baptism.

7 comments:

Taria M. said...: I will be praying for Isaiah and his willing heart. :) What a blessing! And CONGRATULATIONS, Isaiah! :) I'm so happy for you.; June 4, 2008 at 7:43 AM
Anonymous said...: Teacher Penny said..
I'll be on the coast this weekend but I will be praying for you. I know this will be a special moment in time. I know the Lord will meet you in a special way!; June 4, 2008 at 4:06 PM
Jennifer said...: God is awesome.
This will be a truly blessed day!

We would love to be there but will be away for the weekend in Carmel.

We send our thoughts and love,
The Ferraras; June 5, 2008 at 8:34 AM
Anonymous said...: Congratulations Isaiah! This is wonderful news! Matt (my husband) was just baptized at Easter so I know what you and your family have in store this weekend!
Blessings to all of you!
Margaret :); June 6, 2008 at 3:24 PM
Anonymous said...: I always feel humbled by Isaiah , his knowing heart and his constant faith . Bless all of you on this joyous day. XXXAnne Dease; June 8, 2008 at 7:52 AM
Michelle Coder said...: I wish I could be there today to see your baptism. You are always in my prayers, Isaiah. Joy to you on this beautiful day!

Love Michelle; June 8, 2008 at 10:52 AM
Tarissa said...: Hey Buddy,

I prayed for your baptism today and wished I could have been there to witness it. I'm so proud of you and your strong and courageous spirit. I can't wait to see pictures!

I miss you and your family! Please give them all big hugs for me. I love all of you so much!

I'll talk to you soon,
Tarissa; June 8, 2008 at 7:35 PM

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update on isaiah's progress

We're received quite a few questions recently about Isaiah's treatment. Here's a quick update:

Is he in remission?

Yes. He's officially been in remission since the 17th day after diagnosis, early June 2007.

Is he still on chemo?

Yes.

Mercaptopurin (chemo) daily, orally, with a 3 hour fast.

Methotrexate (chemo) weekly, orally.

Bactrim (antibiotic) daily, orally.

Dexamethasone (steroid) every 8 weeks, orally.

Vincristine (chemo) every 2 weeks, intraveinously.

Methotrexate (chemo) every 12 weeks, in the spinal fluid with a "spinal tap".

Currently he is at the clinic at Sutter Memorial every two weeks for a blood check, etc.

When's he done with treatment?

The protocol for boys with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia is 36 months beginning after the initial 60 day treatment. We anticipate he'll be done with chemo at the end of July 2010.

Merry Christmas Friends!

Thank you to all of you who have sent us pictures and updates! It's great to see your faces once again. We've not been able to put something together this year (yet!), so here's a quick update for those who visit us here:

Carmen: doing a great job teaching our kids at home this year, running, hiked Half Dome, lovingly and consistently caring for all of us (and lots of others).

Sienna: super-creative and always nurturing, loves studying at home, played soccer, raised chickens and looking forward to horse-riding lessons in '09. See pictures of her 8th birthday here.

Isaiah: 08 highlights include playing t-ball, learning to swim, riding his bike, a trip to Disneyland, trip to Alabama, and lots of playing.

Nathan: ran a 25K trail run at Stinson Beach, loved our family vacation in San Diego, and is so grateful for our staff, church community, and the ongoing adventure of leading/serving Emmaus. Nate blogs very infrequently here; you can access his pod/vodcasts here.

2008!

There are many ways you can continue to pray for Isaiah. He has some exciting goals ahead in 2008!
Here is the list:

1)Get Strong! He does physical therapy at home 3-5 times per week and at the office 2 times per month.
2)Play Ball! He is working hard to get ready for T-Ball season. Pray he will play and that his compression fractures will heal.
3)Learn at Home! He is working on Kindergarten school work at home. Many factors make school work a challenge. Pray for a healthy brain and a desire to learn.

even more thank yous to...

the students of Amber Bobst's 2nd grade class from Eastside Christian School in Belleview, WA for the cards
all those who have contributed to our gas and groceries fund...you're keeping us going!
all the Emmaus families who have brought dinner to us in recent weeks
the Harrington family for the picnic package
Anne for the book and CD
The Hoke family for the birthday bird
Goebel, Linville, Nutti, and Ferrara families for the great gift certificate
Doris for the pint of ice cream
Emmaus for being the Church and supporting us in countless ways...for the gifts for Isaiah and Sienna...we're so thankful to be sharing life and discovering Jesus with you.
Betsy for the care package for the kids
Diane for the one-prize-a-day gift
Glenda for the beautiful superman quilt
Mrs. Liden for the SuperIsaiah cape and blanket
The Keaton Raphael Memorial Fund
everyone who is praying
friends and family for the financial support
Shirli and the Needle Arts Group for the blankets and hats
Susanna for the cleaning supplies
Susan, Laura, Sandie for nutritional help
Bob and Elaine for the motorhome
The Arena for the Batman blanket
Anne for the quilt
The Arena and The Ridge for supporting Carmen
Sunrise Church for the prayer quilt
Ms. Della Roca's 4th graders at St. Mary's for the beautiful cards
Josh and Lisa for the superman blanket