LST Update

For those of you who are not into reading the mail, I've decided to attach my latest LST update to this blog. (You can click on them to see them up close. If you still can't see well, go up to "View" in the toolbar, "Text size" and pick largest. Page 2 is below.) Chances are it already arrived at your house, or it is on it's way. But I want to take a moment to let you know how much it means to me when you read the latest and greatest work going on at Let's Start Talking. This is a fantastic ministry that God chose for me to be involved in and I've been blessed in more ways than I can write.

One of things I do full time for LST is fundraise. Everyone here on staff does. In order to keep things rolling, it is absolutely necessary. I believe with all my heart that God gave me a large network of people to aid LST in gaining all the necessary resources. It's definitely not my favorite part of the job but it is quite possibly the most crucial. I do not fundraise because anything extra helps. I fundraise because we literally need every penny to get the job done.
I am in the bookeeping/funds tracking department so of all people, I KNOW exactly what LST's needs are every day. You can be confident that your contribution will never be among "the excess" because there simply isn't any. We need your money---it's as simple and ill sounding as that. Thank you for being generous and reading all of this. I hope this latest update will inspire you to look at what God is doing around the world and help Him do more through this ministry.

Hooray!

For those of you who are keeping tabs on my sister's chemo, this post is for you.
I have really been wondering about God's purpose for Kim going through chemo. I don't believe he intentially made it happen of course, but He's allowing it to happen and so I seek to know His purpose behind it. I have been praying that the side effects will be minimal and she will not feel near as bad as she could. Of course, that's the human side of all of us---we don't want to feel any pain and want whatever the trial is, to end as soon as possible. But is that what God wants? So even though that is what I've been praying for, and would pray that for anyone I know going through chemo, I'm constantly wondering if that is the best prayer I could be praying. Well, anyway, God answered loud and clear. Kim had her first chemo treatment Monday morning and they told her that later that afternoon she'd start feeling bad: fever, chills, nausea, etc. But lo and behold I called her Monday night at 9:15pm and she answered the phone herself with a cheerful voice. I was overjoyed to find out that she felt fine so far and hardly had experienced any side effects. She is taking Tylenol/Advil every two hours alternating so that was keeping her fever down. But other than that, she felt good. I was so incredibly excited. And she was too. It was ten times better than what she expected. And as of last night, Tuesday, she was still feeling good! She gets her chemo every day for a month. Then she'll get it three times a week for 11 months.
This will be a long journey, but it's so encouraging even at first to know that things aren't always what they seem. So I will continually ask God to show me what His will is for this whole trial. And yes, I will keep praying for minimal side effects, and complete healing....because I am human, and never want to see my sister suffer, or anyone else for that matter. I'll keep you "posted" ha ha on her progress. Praise God for wonderful surprises every day!