" And in every situation He has proved His love to me. When I lack the understanding, He gives more grace to me…..My Redeemer is faithful and true."
That's part of the lyrics of the song "My Redeemer is Faithful and True" by Steven Curtis Chapman, which Monty and Esther sang more than twenty seven years ago on their wedding day. And that is what we have experienced in our everyday lives; He is indeed faithful and true.
Last April, our oncologist told us that Esther's cancer had metastasized to her liver, and this required another round of chemo treatments. Based on our experience, this means another difficult struggle with fatigue, tiredness, loss of appetite, hair loss, chronic pain, frustration, and tears. We asked God earnestly: could You, our heavenly Father, provide us with another way to treat this cancer?
Our oncologists looked into so many alternatives---they tried to get her immunotherapy and clinical trials at the Princess Margaret Hospital, the largest and the best hospital for cancer in Canada. But unfortunately, none of these treatments were suitable for her, so she had no other choice but to start chemo treatment this past September. This treatment cycle will be done by January 2019, followed by another CT scan review. We don't know what the results and the next treatment will be, but we know that our Redeemer is faithful and true. If God still gives her life, Esther would like to continue use it to be blessings for others.
By the grace of God, Monty had the opportunity to change his employment to a part-time position. He still works for the Women's College Hospital, but in a different department. He only needs to come into the office once a week and works the rest of the weekdays from home. This has been such a blessing as it has given him the chance to spend more time with Esther. This is the second year for Kimberly to work in the Office of Auditor General of Ontario, and she learned a lot of different types of audit, as well as enjoyed a normal office time of nine to five. Near the end of November, she had the opportunity to raise funds for the unfortunate victims of the tsunami and earthquake in Palu, Indonesia, through selling a variety of cookies and tiramisu. More than one thousand dollars was raised, and sent through to a relief agency. Jennifer got promoted to a senior associate position in her workplace, which has given her more flexibility, but also more work and responsibility. In her spare time, she is still serving at church, spending time with her boyfriend, and even travels to New York with Kimberly!
Before Esther's chemo treatment, God gave our family another precious time to travel together as family in July. This time we chose the French Riviera area and Switzerland as our destination. We had only 4 days to plan and book our itinerary as we only received approval from Esther's doctors quite late into the summer--we were instructed not to travel too far. It turned out to be one of the best trips we have ever had as a family. We not only enjoyed the time spent together, but also the beautiful scenery that God had created. It was Monty's first time to drive in Europe, and it was a great experience driving through the wonderful terrain and valleys in and among the Swiss Alps. Kim also enjoyed her first time driving through the mountains from Zermatt to Lake Como. We still enjoy reminiscing about the trip and often bring it up during our family conversations--how good the simple breakfasts were at our lodge in Zermatt, with the background of mount Matterhorn. It was truly an unforgettable trip.
Another travel highlight this year is the trip to Israel and Jordan in March. Monty and Esther finally made the trip to the Holy Land, after having had to cancel the trip multiple times. Monty re-booked the trip as soon as Esther's oncologist gave the "ok" to go, but Esther was still very reluctant--waiting up until about three days before we departed to begin packing--due to her weak condition and knowing that the journey would need a lot of walking. We prayed that God would give her the opportunity to see the places that were mentioned in the Bible, and our gracious Lord granted our request as well as the strength to visit all of the many places in the itinerary. It was a dream come through for both Monty and Esther, such a life-changing experience to have the opportunity to walk through the steps that Jesus himself walked. A quick visit to Los Angeles in September was also so special for Esther as she was able to meet with few people that she really wanted to see.
As we celebrate Christmas this year, may we always remember the goodness and providence of our Lord Jesus Christ; and know that our Redeemer is faithful and true, in any and all situations. From our family to yours, we pray that you and yours have a Merry Christmas 2018 and a Happy New Year 2019!
