Starting Again, the Three Cs

This is another restart of this blog.  For the last 18 months plus, the three Cs, cancer, covid, and church have hindered both my desire and ability to write here.  Adding to the frustration, my website was taken down by the company that was hosting it in the process breaking all the links to documents that were referenced in the over 2,000 posts here.  I will sloooooowly fix this as I figure out where to store the docs that will persist.

My last chemo treatment was December 15, 2021.  Since then, I receive Intravenous Immunoglobulin G (IVIG) every 3 weeks until August 23, 2022, when we switched to every six weeks.  The IVIG boosts my immune system which is compromised by the cancer and the chemo.  The IVIG for the most part keeps me from getting infections.  It now takes about a week to get over.  One of the premeds is a steroid which keeps me awake most of the night of the infusion, and then takes me through a steroid crash 2 or 3 days later.

Covid also played a part in challenging my persistence in writing here.  Because of the cancer, which compromised my immune system, I was essentially in house arrest most of 20 and 21 (note those dates – more on that later).  I got five of the covid shots, and covid twice during that 20-21 period.

Lastly, church.  In October of 2022 the Integrating Pastor (what your church probably calls the executive pastor), Jay Rhodes, who is a Chaplain, Lt Col in the US Army reserve, told me he was likely to be deployed in the early part of 2022, and asked me to take his place while he was on deployment.  I shadowed him from then to March 1, 2022, at which time I stepped into his job.  That entailed supervision of all the staff other than the senior pastor and his assistant.  Additionally, I was added to the speaking rotation I’ve spoken 5 times in the last 18 months (you can listen to my messages here if you want).  Jay came back yesterday so that responsibility has ended.

Though I have been silent here, the last three years have been packed, especially the last 18 months.  I was hired to work 25 hours a week but was averaging about 63 until I was called by Jay from Kuwait in August last year and told to keep it to 4 hours a day.  I have met with the pastor in Morocco each week during that time, have had three other Bible studies on Zoom, on Tuesdays I have been praying with the man I worked with in Cameroon for his ministry, and Jenny and I have been in a small group at the church.

A year ago, I was cleared to travel overseas again.  It dawned on me a few months ago that all that has happened with cancer treatment happened when the world was shut down because of covid.  The reality was I couldn’t travel overseas in 20 and most of 21 if I wanted to.  It wasn’t until around May of this year that the travel restrictions and the tests and quarantines were lifted.

The Lord treated my cancer while the world was shut down.

I am scheduled to go back to Morocco in December.  I am working with my friend in Cameroon to go there after that trip.  I need to get back to Togo.  I have an opportunity to serve in a seminary somewhere in eastern Africa and have a possibility to work with pastors in Mongolia.

Our Lord is good.