Update from Brother Kevin:

November 8, 2007 

Tumors Shown To Be Shrinking

I sat yesterday in the doctors office at  MD Anderson when I was told there was some significant changes in the tumors in my lungs and liver.  They were decreasing!  I guess the news still hasn't sunk in with me yet as to say it's one day at a time and I'm so thankful for our Lords gracious hand in this and your persistent prayers on our behalf.  I know that last month, when they told me there was about a thirty percent chance that this protocol would work I was concerned.  However, I know in scripture that seventy percent of those who are prayed for by another, their prayers are answered positively.  I like the thirty percent and the seventy percent with God and you.  Thank you so much.  I live everyday thanking God for you and for your faithfulness and look forward to many more days in His service and yours.

My father and I packed up this morning from Houston, and got home in time for me to get to my local oncologist here in Oklahoma City by noon.  I will start back with the same treatments here as last month tomorrow morning @9:45am.   There are side effects, but let me tell you how much easier it was to go today to get scheduled for two more rounds than it has been in the past.  I thank the Lord and you again for this undeserved gift of hope.

See you Sunday!

Prayerfully and  thankfully yours,

Kevin

October 9, 2007

Praise the Lord they let me come home for a while!  My doctor in Houston changed the protocol for my treatment which allowed me to come home and receive treatment here in Oklahoma City till November 5th.  At that time I will travel back to Houston and they will run more tests to determine the successfulness of my treatment thus far. 

I want to thank all of you who have been so faithful in praying for us during this time. 

So you can know better how to pray as you are praying...   I was allowed to come home because the treatment I'm receiving now consists of several outpatient chemo visits every two weeks plus some chemo that I take daily at home.  They found out this last time that the tumor had shrunk in my lungs, but the tumors in my liver seemed to have progressed.  So they put me on another type of treatment to specifically help the liver.  The other concern is that during the last treatment I acquired a blood clot in my pulmonary artery that needed to be dealt with and we are trying to do so through daily injections. 

So I'm home with my four girls and a great church enjoying the days the Lord has given me here.  I'm am preaching a series while I'm home on "What every Christian should know."  Really it's what we believe the Bible says about living the Christian life.  I'm excited about it and looking forward to it.

God bless and see you Sunday,

Kevin

August 24, 2007

Hello,

It's hard to believe how long it's been since I was able to post anything here on this sight.  However, I have kept in touch with you through all the prayers that are being lifted up for me on my behalf.

Any way let me say my doctor told me before he checked me in three weeks ago today now when I was trying to get some dates out of him for planning.  He looked up at me and said, Cancer is an inconvenience."  Everything about it is that too.  Any way after finally, getting checked in and checked out and then finally beginning my treatment about a week ago now and then trying to live through the aftermath it was nothing short of God being with me.  I have never gone through anything like this ever.  Nor do I want to again, but I guess I will, beginning a week from Monday on Labor Day.  However, it was only His sustaining grace and your prayers and love that have been my strength.  So I thank the Lord for a godly family like you and the wonderful biological family the Lord has graciously bestowed on me. 

I will write more later but I find that this is about all I can do now.  I just want to thank our Lord our gracious shepherd who keeps leading us along.  For a supreme Savior who made a way we could be saved.  For a faithful Father, who keeps providing even when we don't know how to ask for it or how to seek it.  Then for a sweet fellowship who keeps on keeping on serving the Lord and is allowing God to be your great guide during these days.  I believe these days can be our best days.  As we depend more on Him and less on us, and do what He ask us to do.  For some, our calling is to pray, others work, witness, worship,  for some of us it is just to hold tight to Him in His unchanging grace

His grace is sufficient,

Kevin

August 10, 2007 7:29 PM

Well, I was so thankful when I was able to turn on my laptop today for the first time in a long time, to see you all have been receiving some information on what is going on down here in Texas via Brother Nick, Sister Carolyn, Judy, and the girls.  Anyway I feel like my even being able to turn this pc on is a result of your prayers to our wonderful Savior.  For days it's been hard to just read a few lines of scripture let alone turn on a pc and write to you . 

There have been a few tough and dark days down here in Houston.  However,  yesterday (on Thursday about noon), after a rough surgery the evening before, the head of the Melanoma Clinic at MD Anderson came to visit us and laid out some plans that reassured us of that future and hope which we together as a church had prayed for and talked about in scripture almost a month ago now, Jer. 29:11.  That kind of future and hope you know only comes from Christ's merciful hand.   It's that kind of hope we all look for through the depths of darkness when our nights seems the blackest. 

Then to add to that, last night after the Doctor had left our Brother and Resident Paratrooper Captain Andy Ryan dropped in bringing me my girls and it almost seemed that I could hear the hoof beats of the Calvary that was coming.  Sorry, I've watched to many Western's lately.  Then it happened and our own CVBC Butler mysteriously showed up to the delight of everyone but to none more than me.  It was then that I knew it might not be God's Calvary coming to the rescue,  but Keith's heavy feet clunking down the hallway. Ha/ha  But believe me it was a special time.  And I do feel God's  presence now more than ever. 

I know that the days ahead are not going to be easy as I will be taking an assorted mixture of   chemotherapy plus some bio chemotherapy for about ten days and then will have to be watched for a few more days before being able to come home for a while.  Don't hold me to these days because things do change, but Judy and the girls will be returning soon and I will be returning as I mentioned above later. 

I am so thankful for your prayers and believe me getting to see someone of this caliber in the melanoma department or even getting to seen by anyone here was a gracious act of God at this early date.  You might not know it, but I believe it, and am thankful to our gracious Father for it.

Thanks again to the many of you who have prayed for my recovery, sent wonderful cards, and tokens of your love to us.  We love you and are deeply indebted to you for you prayers to our Heavenly Father on our behalf.

God's blessings,

Kevin

August 10, 2007 – 2:30 PM

 Hannah, Grace, and Sarah made it safely to Houston last night, praise be to God.

They are still waiting for a room in the melanoma ward of MD Anderson, however, they are going to proceed with treatment even before receiving the new room.

Today they inserted a PICC line, (Peripheral Intravenous Central Catheter),  this is how they will administer the medical based treatment. The last update we received was that they were performing an x-ray to ensure that its placement was correct. This is a standard procedure and shows MD Anderson’s precise care and determination to do things right. We are told that treatment could and should begin today.

Please continue to check back as we will continue to update this site as new information is received.

Grace and Love

Nick Cancemi

Update:

August 9, 2007 -- 5:30 PM

As many know the Pastor was scheduled for surgery on Wednesday. However, the surgery was put off and it was decided that they would treat the melanoma, which in turn would help the pneumonia. They decided to admit Brother Kevin to the melanoma ward of MD Anderson and begin a medical based treatment.

 Brother Kevin should be in his new room no later than Friday and that is also when treatment should begin. Please continue to pray for Kevin, Judy, and his parents. Also be in prayer for Hannah, Grace, and Sarah as they travel down on Thursday to Houston.

 Please continue to check back, we will update the site as often as we can. In the absence of news remember Romans chapter eight verses twenty-six through twenty-seven.

 26In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. 27And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.

 Even when unsure of what exactly to pray for, continue to pray. God knows, and the Holy Spirit will lead us.

 In God’s Grace and Love

Nick Cancemi, Minister to Youth

notes from The Pastor:

Greetings From Houston
August 3, 2007 9am

Beloved,

We arrived in Houston on Wednesday evening and woke up Thursday to go to MD Anderson for a couple of tests and will have some more today.  We will get to meet with a physician here after the tests have been done today as well at that time we will hopefully find out their course of action.  My heart was so encouraged when my daughters told me of the wonderful prayer service they had with you all Wednesday night.  I believe you all are the earthly manifestation of a heavenly reality as the writer of Hebrews wrote of in chapter 12 . Remember as he speaks of as we are "encompassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses."  Thank you again for all your thoughts and prayers you have offered up to our Lord on our behalf.  I will be sharing more when I find out later today.

Thank You  Church
July 12, 2007am

Dear Beloved,

I want to thank you for all the love you have shown to my family and I.  We are so blessed to serve our family at Canadian Valley.  As some of you know already,  I received word this morning that the reported tumors that I have are consistent with that of Melanoma.  We so appreciate your continued prayers in this matter to our wonderful Savior and Lord on our behalf.   I believe that God can heal either naturally through modern medicine. More importantly, I also believe that God can heal supernaturally.  Believe me, I am praying for healing and for leadership from the Holy Spirit on where to seek treatment at this time.  I will try and keep you updated here as I find out and as I can.  Right now Judy and I are taking the girls to some out of the way places to celebrate our twentieth wedding anniversary and then reporting to MD Anderson in Houston , Texas  on the first day of August.

Our hope is in Christ and Him alone and I a m eternally grateful to have a wonderful Savior to lead us through these days. Even more so I am thankful for the  precious wife and my three lovely girls I have to love.  And for You, our gracious family at Canadian Valley whom we have served with and stood together with over these wonderful years.  I thank the Lord for you.

In the meantime let us not be detoured by this bump in the road and be sidetracked from the calling He has given us as a church.  Let us be faithful in our service to Him.  Let us be steadfast in our commitment to the mission of the gospel of Jesus Christ our Lord through the various ministries of our church. 

Continue to pray for our youth especially thanking Him for the great week of decisions He gave us last week ,while at Falls Creek.  Furthermore, asking for His protection and provision as they travel this week to do their mission VBS at Westminster Road Baptist Church.

God loves you and I love you too.