Ohlson Herald

2008-10-07T12:27:00.000-07:00

Dear Praying Family & Friends,

It's been awhile since we last updated this blog site. Some of you who read this may have picked up from other sources some of what we will share here. The biggest and ongoing concern for us and the entire family is our daughter Barbara who continues to fight cancer. In the last posting you saw a picture of her with her "halo" that was used to hold her head still for the MRI and Gamma-Knife surgery on the small lesion that had showed up in her brain. She has had minimal side effects from that surgery. Immediately after the surgery she had a couple of mild seizures and a couple more seizures as they weaned her off the steroids but nothing since. She is still on 2 anti-seizure medicines.
Here is a recent picture of Barb and her family. Poor Robbie had just woken up from a nap in the car.

She started back to teaching for the LA school District as a Special Ed teacher for severely handicapped kids right at the beginning of the school year and has been able to manage that well. She has great staff who assist her in the class room and she has a very understanding principle as well.

This past Friday she went back on chemo as her oncologist wanted to treat the two small remaining lesions in the liver and one in her lungs with a round of chemo to either eliminate them or reduce them in size so that other methods of treatment might be employed. For unknown reasons she had a rather violent reaction to the chemo drugs that they gave her which are the same one that she took for a number of months before going off of them this past April. She was pretty wiped out over the weekend and took yesterday off work in order to give her body more time to recover from the reaction on Friday. Her older sister Ruth was with her over the weekend assisting her and helping to care for the 5 children. Barbara is back in the class room today. On Thursday she turns 40 and her good friend Barbara Cox from Faith Academy days is coming to spend a few days with her. She is off work on Thursday because it is Yom Kippur a Jewish Holiday which is celebrated in Los Angeles.

Prayer requests for Barbara would be 1) That she will regain total strength from the bad chemo reaction quickly. 2) That the reaction will have not caused any serious damage to organs and tissues and that the chemo will actually start to eliminate the three remaining lesions that she has. 3) That she will experience no reaction when she has her next scheduled chemo infusion which will be on the 24th of this month. 4) That she will experience a deep sense of God's peace and protection over her during these 3 months of treatment. 5) Pray for Barbara's husband Erik as he has a lot of extra responsibilities on his shoulders due to Barbara's illness. Pray also for the five children Kiayah, Clare, Elise, Robert and Vivianne. The 4 oldest are all in school but Vivianne is only two and still at home.

The beautiful Routh kids.

Joan and I had opportunity to visit her 94 year old mother both on our drive to California and on the way back. She lives in Vancouver, Washington with Joan's sister and brother-in-law. She had not been doing well physically for several weeks now. The doctors can't seem to isolate the exact cause of the problem so treatment has been minimal. Please pray for her and for Joan's sister Judy who is the primary care giver.

In another three weeks our son Tim and his wife Naomi are expecting their son to make his appearance in the world. Naomi's Mom who works in missions in Mongolia will be coming soon to spend 5 weeks with them to assist Naomi with the baby and to help care for 2 year old Renatah. We are all excited about the arrival of this new little guy. He will make grand child # 12 for Joan and I.

Our daughter Amy, husband Jon and their 4 children who reside in an Asian country are doing well. They just had a two week visit by Jon's parents Jim and Jan Holsclaw who are also in Wycliffe. It was a great visit and everyone had a wonderful time. It's always fun for the children to have grand parents visit. We spent a week with them the end of April and 3 additional days in May on our way back to Canada. Pray for Jan who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer a couple of months ahead of Barbara back in 2006. She was cancer free for a time but in recent months her cancer counts have started back up and her doctor fears that the cancer has returned. He will likely put her back on chemo once she and Jim return to Orlando, Florida from this trip they are on to visit all their kids and grand kids.

Our oldest daughter Ruth is settling into her new teaching job at La Mirada High School in Souther California. She is a part of the Art Department with the primary responsibility to teach ceramics and pottery to seniors. She has always had an artistic bent but she started her teaching career by teaching PE at Faith Academy in Manila. Since returning to the US she has been teaching science and math for a number of years at the Junior High level. She is pretty excited about getting to teach something she really loves to do and as she said "On top of that I get paid to do it." :)

Joan and I have been back in Calgary here at the Wycliffe Canada headquarters for 2 1/2 weeks now. It's been a time to get caught up with those things that got set aside while we were in LA although I was able to carry on a lot of my responsibilities by phone, tele-conferences, skype, faxes and the like. Modern communications and technology are wonderful. During our time in LA we were able to put our Idyllwild, California house into escrow which is a bit of a miracle given the current financial crisis in the US housing market. Pray that it will clear escrow on time.

We are so grateful for all of your prayers on behalf of our family and the work that we are engaged in with Wycliffe as we serve the Lord in the Bible Translation Movement. We long for the day when all the world's people groups will have access to God's precious Word in their heart language. Thanks for standing with us in prayer and support. You are a great blessing to us and even a greater blessing to the Lord.

In Christ

Dave & Joan

2008-08-31T12:08:00.001-07:00

Dear Praying Family,

It's Sunday morning at 11:45 and we all back home after attending early morning service. Barb did well Friday afternoon and night. She also did well yesterday (Saturday) but she did have two slight seizures 2 minutes in duration. We were expecting those as the brain surgeon who did the gamma-knife surgery said it would cause some slight swelling and that is what causes the seizures. She has not had any additional seizures for the last 20 hours. Please continue to pray that the gamma-knife surgery did it's job and that it will result in the total elimination of the brain lesion. Thank you for standing with us on this journey of faith.

In Christ

Dave & Joan

It's 11:50 in the morning here on Friday and Barb is back home after the gamma-knife brain surgery. Joan and I took her in at 6:30 and she was the first patient. They placed a halo on her head which they attached with four pins that go down into the skull bone a little bit so as to prevent any movement. She then went in for a 15 minute MRI which they looked at right away and then plotted out how to pinpoint the gamma-knife. She waited for about an hour before going in for the surgery that lasted around 30 minutes.

The doctors and entire staff were really good to explain everything prior to and after the procedures. They said the tumour/lesion had actually shrank some due to the steroids. They did detect one other very small "spot" which they said was not necessarily a beginning lesion but they went ahead and treated it as well. Their post-procedure comments were "It was a piece of cake" which we took to mean that it did not present any difficulties that might have made the procedure more difficult or more risky. Now we have to wait 3 months before the next MRI on the brain which the Dr. indicated could actually show an increase in the size of the lesion which is normal as the cancer cells begin to die and are absorbed and disposed of by the surrounding cells/tissue. He said it could take up to year before the lesion entirely disappears. Our prayer is that nothing else manifests itself over the next three months.

In a few days to a week she will go in to see her primary oncologist to schedule a colonoscopy as they want to check to make sure nothing is happening. Her previous CT-MRI indicated a little thickening of the wall and while they don't necessarily suspect anything they want to make sure as it could effect the chemo treatment which we are guessing will start in another 2 weeks. Barb is certainly not anywhere near being "out of the woods" We simply continue to pray that the upcoming treatments will be effective and that God will intervene and bring complete and total healing. It definitely has to be a "God thing" because her doctors tell her it's currently treatable but not curable. But we all know who has the ultimate power to heal.

We are not going to send a general update out until Sunday just to give time to make sure she does not suffer any adverse side effects from the procedures she just went through and the meds she is on. If she is feeling well enough she is talking about going back to teaching on Tuesday. Her principle is supportive and will allow her all the time off she needs to keep on an even keel. Her doctors are also supportive as they want their patients to live as normal a life as possible for as long as God gives them life. Teaching is wonderful therapy for Barb and her staff is so caring and helpful. It also keeps her health care benefits active which is important when you are getting treatment at one of the most expensive hospitals in the world.

Lots of love

Dad & for Mom and Barb

2008-08-27T12:03:00.000-07:00

2008-08-27T12:00:00.000-07:00

Subject
Update on Daughter Barbara

Dear Praying Family,

We are coming up on a week since we left Calgary to be with our daughter Barbara and family as Barb continues her battle with cancer. The latest development being the appearance of a small tumour/lesion in the posterior frontal lobe of her brain which had begin to manifest itself in the form of seizures. She was in the hospital last week starting on Monday and being released on Wednesday evening. During that time she was placed on steroids to reduce the swelling around the lesion as well as being put on anti-seizure medication. She had one seizure last Thursday after coming home but none since, which indicates the steroids and anti-seizure medications are working.

Joan and I and Barb met with her oncologist at Cedar-Sinai Hospital here in Los Angeles on Monday. He is still in a definite treatment mode and has her scheduled for radiation treatment on the brain lesion on Friday, two days from now. This is a one hour "gamma-knife" treatment where the radiation is directly aimed at the lesion without doing any damage to surrounding tissue, although it will for a time cause some additional swelling. This procedure is done in conjunction with an MRI which gives the doctors a visual look at the direction of the radiation making sure it is pin-pointed precisely on the lesion. Please pray for Barb's physical and emotional preparation for this procedure and that it will be done carefully and with better than expected results. The effectiveness will not be known for three months when they do another MRI. This is a very new technology and procedure and not offered in many hospitals around the world. We are grateful that Cedar-Sinai has the equipment and the staff who are skilled in preforming the procedure. While modern medicine is wonderful it still has its risks. Barb and the whole extended family knows that ultimately all healing comes from God who declared in Psalms 103:2-3 " Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits - who forgives all of your sins and heals all your diseases." This is why your prayers are of the utmost importance because the Scriptures also declare in James 5:15-16 "And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man (person) is powerful and effective." Thanks for standing with us during these challenging days.

Once the radiation treatment is finished Barb is scheduled for a follow up colonoscopy, where the cancer originated, and will also be put back on chemo for three months for treatment of some small lesions in the liver and lungs that were showing some activity in her most recent CT-PET-MRI tests. While her blood cancer markers have continued to be in the normal range it is obvious that not all the cancer cells in her body have been eradicated so the cancer continues to show itself in various places in her body. Pray that the Lord will do a miracle in Barb's body allowing her immune system to take over and eliminate all cancer from her body.

Right now we are all living one day at a time and your prayers are a big part of God's sustaining grace in all of our lives. We will keep you updated on a regular basis.

Love & Prayers

Dave & Joan and for Barb and the whole family

2008-08-19T14:16:00.000-07:00

2008-08-19T13:48:00.000-07:00

Dear Praying Family,

This is a difficult posting for us because it deals with set backs in our daughter Barbara's battle with cancer. The last few days have been especially difficult and unexpected. Your ongoing prayers are critical and vital at this time.

Barb, through her husband Erik, posted the following on her caring bridge site this afternoon.

"The cross that Jesus has asked me to bear has gotten heavier. Sunday after Church I experienced a seizure and Erik called 911. Paramedics incorrectly concluded I had a panic attack. I tried to carry on as normal but Monday I had another seizure. Erik took me to my primary care doctor who then sent me to the ER. I was admitted to the hospital and I am still here. I had a CT scan & an MRI which revealed a new lesion in the posterior portion of my brain's frontal lobe. We are waiting for the consultation with the neuro-surgeon to ascertain the next move medically. I have lost some function on the right side of my body, especially my right arm and hand. Thankfully I am left handed. I am presently on anti-seizure meds, but had another seizure about an hour ago. Please keep us & the doctors in your prayers. Love Barb (typed by Erik)

Thank you for standing with Barb and the whole family at this difficult time. While this is not an easy time we continue to rely on God who has told us in Mark 10:27 "Jesus looked at them and said 'With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.'"

Love & prayers

Dave & Joan

2008-08-13T16:44:00.000-07:00

Dear Praying Family,

Some of you may have heard by now that Barb's post operation CT/PET scans revealed ongoing cancer activity in her liver and lungs. Here is what she wrote on her blog. "Dearest ones, Thanks to all of you who prayed as I saw the Dr. today (Tuesday). He was upbeat despite the bad scan results. He wants to start me back on the heavy doses of chemo I was originally on. He said they worked amazingly well the first time and he expects them to do the same again. He acknowledged that real miracles and cures come from God's hands. He says after three months of treatment and another CT/PET scan he will advise lung surgery and possibly radiated beads to the liver. He says I am in a "brave new frontier" as there is nothing to compare my case with. I have the evidence of God's mercies to look back on and I can SEE the tender way HE has cared for me. So I know with confidence HE will see me through this round.It is through YOU, HE has ministered to me and I am forever grateful! Thanks for the amazing encouragement you give through this blog, e-mails, phone calls, visits, etc. I could not do this alone and thanks to the family of God I do not have to. You are all angels! A verse sent today by a person I never met yet she is praying for me: Psalm 96:16 "With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation". Praise with us for the hope we have and pray as I begin chemo that God will use the treatment to kill all cancer in my body. Praise for the fabulous summer I have experienced and all the wonderful times with the kids and pray that they will continue to see God's mercy even though their mom will be 'sick again'. I am not sure when chemo will start as the Dr. wants me to have a colonoscopy first as that was the original site of the cancer. I will keep you posted so you can pray specifically. All my gratitude, Barbara "

Barb will once again not only need the ongoing prayer support but she will need practical assistance especially during the week after the administration of the strong chemo drugs. Joan will once again make the necessary trips to California to help with the five grandkids and to be a source of support and encouragement to Barb and Erik. Thanks so much for your prayers for her and for the entire family.

I don't believe that we have mentioned here on the blog what wonderful times we had with our friends David and Muriel Standing from the UK who were here with us for a month, mid-June to mid-July. Life has been really busy since they left, getting caught up with a back log of work here in the Calgary office.

We go to Orlando. FL next week to attend a North American Forum of Bible Agencies. During that time we will also visit Jim and Jan Holsclaw, our son-in-law Jon's parents. Jan also has been battling cancer for almost 2 years now and just recently got out of the hospital for treatment of some serious infections. Her cancer counts have been elevated recently but she has not been on chemo as her CT/PET scans have not shown any activity to this point in time so the Dr. does not want to put her chemo until he is sure of what it is he is treating. Please be praying for Jan and Jim as they walk this similar road. We will also be visiting a supporting church in Starke, FL on this trip as well. Pray for safety as we travel and as we have opportunity to show the love of Christ to others.

Love & Prayers

Dave & Joan

2008-06-30T14:24:00.000-07:00

Dear Praying Family,

We wanted to update you on our latest activities since our last posting three weeks ago. At that time I (Dave) returned from LA after 6 days with Barb and family. Joan had been there for more than a week at that time including Barb's surgery date on May 28th. Joan returned to Calgary on June 13th but I was gone out to the Eastern Provinces of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick where we dedicated our new Wycliffe Eastern Canada Center.

I returned to Calgary on June 17th after an unexpected overnight in Ottawa. Our friends David & Muriel Standing (pictured with Joan) actually arrived on the afternoon of June 15th so for the last two weeks we have been playing the part of tourists taking in local sites as well as the incredibly beautiful Rocky Mountains. David & Muriel will be with us until July 14th.

Over the past week or so Barb has seen both her surgeon and her oncologist. We praise God for continued good news. The surgeon removed the bandages and said that she had healed beautifully and cleared her to resume normal activities including driving. Her oncologist said that her cancer count was still in the normal range even though she has had no chemo for 10 weeks now, prior to and following the surgery on the 28th of May so he said he was going to keep her on a "chemo holiday" Please pray with us that she will never again need chemo of any sort. They plan to do another CT/PET scan soon to serve as a new base line. Because she took the last two weeks of the school year off for her surgery she needed to get clearance to return in the fall to the LA School District where she is a Special Education Teacher for severely handicapped children. The doctor approved her return so that is a praise as well. This past week she helped some with a VBS at their church. The kids are out of school for the summer and their baseball teams have also finished their schedule for the year. They are planning a 2 week camping vacation with Tim and Naomi later this summer.

This past week Tim and family have been at Barb and Erik's as Tim needed to be down in the LA area for additional training with Noritsu the Japanese photo-chemical company that he works for so Naomi and Renatah went along to have time with Barb and her kids. A fun time was had by all. Prior to going to LA they were involved in an accident where a drunk driver side swiped them while they were in Seattle attending a Noritsu regional meeting. No one was hurt but the car sustained considerable damage. This was Tim's new work car which is supplied by Noritsu so he is currently using a rental until it's repaired.

Ruth finished up her school year where she teaches math, ESL and ceramics to 7th graders. She has also been working on some additional classes to upgrade her math credential.

Amy and Jon and family who minister in a large Asian country have been on vacation for the last couple of weeks and really enjoying the time off as their work can be very stressful at times. The kids are all out of school for the summer as well.

That's about it for this time. If you want more info on Barb go to her site at www.caringbridge.org go to visit and type in 4barbararouth

Pray that I Dave can keep a good balance between work and having time with David & Muriel during these next two weeks. There is seldom ever a dull moment here in Calgary with lots happening in the Wycliffe Canada context.

You are all a great blessing in our lives and we feel so privileged to have you as partners in the Gospel and the ministry of Bible Translation for the Bibleless peoples of the world.

In Christ

Dave & Joan

2008-06-08T20:45:00.001-07:00

2008-06-08T20:11:00.000-07:00

Dear Praying Family,

I wanted to get off a brief update on our daughter Barbara in light of her surgery on May 28th. On the night of the 27th the surgeon actually called and said he wasn't sure he wanted to do the surgery but after further consultation with Barb's oncologist they decided to go ahead with the surgery but not with the previous intention that the surgeon was thinking which was to remove a major portion of Barb's liver in order to remove the remaining six lesions.

The surgeon began by first inserting a camera and looking in order to try and determine the best way forward. He then decided to make a large incision in order to get a really good look at her liver. What he discovered was that the lesions were actually much smaller than they appeared on the CT/PET scans and did not appear to be active. So using a technique where a heat probe is inserted directly into the lesions he was able to literally obliterate them without having to actually cut into the liver. He was also very pleased with how healthy Barb's liver looked. Barb was in the hospital for 5 days and came home on Sunday June 1st and has been making good progress each day in her recovery from the surgery. Joan has been with her since the 26th of May and will return to Calgary on June 13th. I was able to be down in LA with Barb and the family from May 29 to June 3rd. I leave for Toronto and Halifax tomorrow morning and will return to Calgary on the 16th.

We are all very pleased with with the ongoing healing that is continuing in Barb's body. Both her oncologist and surgeon keep saying that they are dealing in uncharted waters. That is their way of saying that they are not sure what to do with Barb because according to their charts Barb is defying all of the normal expectations. We of course know who the Great Physician is and He works by a whole different set of charts called grace, mercy and answered prayer. Thank you so much for your standing with Barb and all of us on this journey of faith. Your prayers have made and continue to make a huge difference.

Love & Prayers

Dave & Joan

2008-05-25T17:55:00.000-07:00

2008-05-25T17:49:00.000-07:00

2008-05-25T17:44:00.000-07:00

Mothers

2008-05-25T17:34:00.000-07:00

Grandpa and Grandma with Jeremiah

2008-05-25T17:27:00.000-07:00

2008-05-25T16:32:00.000-07:00

Dear Praying Family,

It's hard to believe that we have not posted anything since February :( First we want to ask you to pray for our daughter Barbara who has been fighting cancer for a year and a half now. About six weeks ago her doctor was thinking of taking her off of chemo as she has in his words been in remission for nearly 9 months. Before he did that he ran a in-depth CAT/PET scan and one small lesion was "glowing" meaning there was some kind of activity. He had been wanting to refer her to a surgeon for several months so after this report he sent her to the surgeon who said that 14 of the 20 previous lesions had completely disappeared and of the six remaining, including the one glowing, were located in one section of the liver and he was recommending surgery to totally remove those lesions. Her oncologist agreed. She is scheduled for this surgery at Ceder Sinai in Hollywood this coming Wednesday May 28th. Joan leaves Calgary tomorrow to be with Barb for nearly three weeks. I (Dave) go down on the 29th for six days. In her pre-op check up for the surgery she asked her primary care Dr. to go ahead and run her normal blood cancer count test, which they did, and the good news is that even though she has been off all chemo for over five weeks the test came back that she was in the normal range. Do pray for her during this operation which is scheduled to take 4 hours and has a recovery time of 4+ weeks. Also pray for Erik Barb's husband and for their five kids, Kiayah, Clare, Elise, Robert and Vivianne who is 1 1/2 years old.You can learn more by going on Barb's personal site www.caringbridge.org go to visit and type in 4barbararouth.

Joan & I were gone from April 13-May 12 to Asia where we spent 10 days with our daughter and family who are in a large Asian country with an agency that teaches English as a second language. 8 days were on our way to 2 1/2 weeks of meetings in another Asian country for our Wycliffe triennial Convention and 2+days on our way back through Jon and Amy's country of service. It was wonderful being with them and getting to see our 4 grand kids Jeremiah, Alenna, Sydney and Maddie who just turned 1 on March 25th. Joan was delighted that she got to spend Mother's Day with Amy in Asia.

We were back in the office here in Calgary on the 14th just in time to do final preparation for the Wycliffe Canada Board Meetings. Those meetings ended yesterday May 23rd. They were good meetings and we got to share with the Board lots of good things that are happening in Wycliffe Canada and around the world as reported on during the International Convention.

Tim and his wife Naomi who live in Portland, OR are expecting their third child in October and we are all excited about that. This little one will make grand child # 12. Their two girls Shalom and Renatah are excited about being joined by another new brother or sister. Tim travels a lot with Noritsu a Japanese photo-chemical company that he works for. He has made several trips to Alaska over the last few months as well as to several states in the Pacific Northwest.

Daughter Ruth is teaching Jr. High math, ESL and ceramics in Norwalk, CA. She has just completed a calculus course and has one more math course to finish which will complete her needed courses and update/upgrade her teaching credential for math.

After my return to Calgary on the 3rd of June I will hold director's meetings on the 4th and then on the 9th of June I'll fly to Toronto for 2 1/2 days of meetings and then on to Nova Scotia for the official dedication of our Atlantic Canada Training Center. This property of 62 acres and training facility was donated to us a number of months ago. Joan returns to Calgary on June 13th and I return on the 16th. On the 15 th of June our dear friends David & Muriel Standing who we shared an apartment with for three years in Manila will come from England for a month long visit and we are really looking forward to time with them.

Well I think that covers most of the major events in our lives over the past two months and on into the future for 6 weeks. We are grateful for all of your prayers, especially for Barb. God is good and has done good things for us as a family and for Wycliffe Canada and the whole of Wycliffe around the world. Your prayers are a vital part of our lives and ministry and we thank God for each of you.

2008-02-13T14:43:00.000-08:00

Dear Praying Friends,

Wanted to do a brief update specifically on our daughter Barbara. She continues under treatment and continues to do well as she battles colon cancer. The Dr. says she is in remission and always reminds her she is a miracle, not normal terminology for a Dr. especially one like him who is so convinced that the only treatment for illness is chemicals. He does not seem to have any kind of definite plan for Barb other than to keep treating her with the two chemos that she is currently taking and possibly further surgery at some point in time. You can check Barb's blog at www.caringbridge.org
Just type in 4barbararouth in the space indicating whose site you want to visit.

She and Erik need lots of wisdom from the Lord as they seek His perfect will in the days ahead as they personally manage Barb's ongoing treatment that includes more than just chemicals, such as diet, faith and all of your prayers.

I am attaching some pictures from Christmas

12 1/2 month Renatah at Christmas 07

Ruth enjoying her complete set of Calvin and Hobbes Kaiyah, Claire and Elise looking pretty in matching outfits!

Barb and her Mom enjoying a wonderful Christmas morning!

Barb and the kids enjoying another Christmas!

Love & Prayers

Dave & Joan

Fishing is good in Canada

2008-02-02T16:48:00.000-08:00

February 2008 post

2008-02-02T14:40:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,

It's hard to believe how long it has been since we have put a posting on this blog :(

The past few months have been extremely busy with work, travel and just keeping up with life.

First we want to give an update on Barbara who has and continues to battle cancer. The news is good. In December the Dr. took her off the strongest of the three chemo drugs that she was on. This has allowed her to recover nearly all the feeling in her hands because of the nerve damage this particular drug does. Her blood cancer counts continue to be in the normal range. A couple of weeks ago the Dr. ordered a more intensive CAT-PET scan. He was gone to Hawaii on vacation for a time and he called this last Tuesday and when Barbara asked him how is vacation was he replied: "It was terrific and so was you scan." He will give her more details when she sees him on Tuesday February 5th. She is still on the other two drugs, one is oral and the other by infusion but this infusion only takes about 30 minutes whereas the other stronger chemo infusion took up to five hours.

She has been working full time since the end of August and has had ample energy to handle a classroom of severely handicapped kids which she teaches as part of the LA Unified School District. She and Erik and 5 kids are enjoying living in Erik's family house where he grew up. Erik's dad, Bob, died in early December so that has been an adjustment for them as a family. Erik is in charge of handling his dad's will so that is a big added responsibility. He decided to take a semester off of school in order to do this, continue working, helping at the church and also helping Barbara more.

Barbara continues on a rigid alkaline diet which we believe is at least partially responsible for how well she is doing. Most of all we believe that the prayers of hundreds of folks like yourself have had and will continue to have a powerful effect in Barbara's life, physically, emotionally and spiritually. We are all deeply grateful to the Lord for what He has done. It really is miraculous.

Joan stopped making regular trips to LA to be with Barbara when she had her chemo treatments after the Dr. took her off the strongest drug. She is able to cope quite well with the two lesser drugs. Her older sister Ruth has been coming over most times for a day to help with the kids on Saturdays after Barbara gets home from the infusion treatment on Friday nights.

We spent Christmas in both Portland/Vancouver and LA. We drove from Calgary which is an 1800 mile trip each way. We stopped in Portland/Vancouver on the way down and on the way back. We were together in LA for Christmas with Ruth, Barb & family and Tim and family. We sure missed Amy, Jon and kids who remained in Asia ministering with their mission agency. We hope to visit them sometime in April as we will be in that part of the world.

Work in Wycliffe Canada is going well with lots of exciting things happening but we are never without challenges in today's complex world. We have two more years here and will then need to return to the US in December because of visa restrictions.

We are grateful for each of you and for the part you play in our lives and ministry.

September Update

2007-09-07T21:51:00.001-07:00

Dear Praying and Supporting Family,

We have been pretty poor bloggers as of late. To much travel and to long of hours when we are here in the Calgary Office. It's hard to believe that our last update was the middle of July :(

First of all a recent update on Barbara.

Her latest blood work indicated a cancer count of 1.1 (one point one) which is considered in the normal range. Also her most recent CT-PET scan showed no visualization of any cancer sites anywhere in her body. She returned to work as a special-ed/severely handicapped teacher for the LA School District on August 29th. We continue to praise God for the miracle of healing that He has and continues to do in Barb's body. Your prayers have been a vital part of that process. She is still on the aggressive chemo-therapy requiem but the doctor will not give her many more of these kinds of treatments, perhaps only one more but possibly as many as three. When this is finished he will likely prescribe some kind of more mild maintenance chemo just to make sure, at least in his mind, that the cancer will not return. Barb also continues with her strict alkaline diet which we believe is also aiding in her healing. Thank you for praying and please do continue to pray because while huge progress has been made things are still far from "normal"
after a grueling 10 months of battling for her life. God is good and we all give Him praise for all that He has done. While we were were at Barb and Erik's on vacation
in late July we held a family praise time in which we sang, read Scripture, gave testimony and all placed rocks in a fountain as a visible reminder to Barb and to all of us that Jesus is our rock and our fortress and the one who freely gives us living water welling up to eternal life. Pray for Erik as he is now back in school for his final year of study leading to a degree in speech pathology

While in S. California it was wonderful seeing Jon, Amy and family as they were home for the summer touching bases with their partners.

They returned to Asia two days ago. Please pray for them as they settle back into life there and especially for Jeremiah as he starts starts school at an International school in another part of town. Alenna will return to her previous school and of course Sydney Grace and little Madelene will be at home. Amy will be taking one more semester of full time language study so she would appreciate you remembering her for that. Jon will once again take up his teaching responsibilities at the language school.

We visited with Tim, Naomi and kids, both on our way down to California and on our way back.

It was great being with them as well as with Joan's sister Judy and brother in law Jim and Joan's Mom. Tim has gone back to work for Noritsu, the Japanese company that he work for previously for a number of years. He started back with them just a few days ago.

We also saw Ruth while in S. California.

She spent a good part of her summer studying as she is working on a Master's Degree in math. She is now back to teaching Jr. High math as well as taking some courses for her MA degree. She teaches for the Norwalk/La Mirada School District.

We loved seeing our grandchildren and even had a chance to see 9 of the elven all together.

We especially enjoyed spending time with our youngest grandchild Madeleine.

Along with our responsibilities here in Wycliffe Canada we both have been traveling especially Joan as she has been doing down to LA to be with Barb the first few days after taking chemo-therapy. We both were also in Nebraska at the North American Forum of Bible Agencies in late August.

Please pray about the sale of our house in Idyllwild, California. We have officially put it on the market but residential house sales are slow in the US at this time so we need just the right buyer to come along.

Barb's Mot Recent Update

2007-07-13T15:42:00.000-07:00

Dear Family & Friends,

It;s been awhile since we updated the blog but we have been waiting for the results of Barb's most recent CT/PET scan. On Monday of this week she saw her oncologist and received more good news. These most recent scans when compared to the ones in April showed marked improvement. Actually they were negative for any active cancer which verifies what her blood cancer count of 2.3 also indicated. Does this mean she is cancer free? No, but it does mean that the cancer is not active. In fact the scans indicated no visualization of previously seen lesions on both the lungs and liver. The cancer cells are either dead or dormant and no new ones are appearing. We praise the Lord for this incredible good news and can only attribute it to your prayers and the prayers of others in the Body of Christ around the world. Her unsaved doctor even attributed it to both the chemo and to prayer. :) He has been absolutely amazed because in December he only gave her six months to live.

Regardless of this good report the doctor wanted her to continue to take her last two treatments of agressive chemo. She had # 8 yesterday. Joan and I are on two weeks vacation and arrived here in LA on Wednesday evening having driven straight through from Vancouver, WA. We were 4 days in the Vancouver/Portland area visiting Joan's Mom, Sister Judy and Brother-in-law Jim and our son Tim and his family who are now living in one side of the duplex that we bought in Portland. We also got to see Naomi's parents, Larry and Barbara Podmore, who were visiting from Manila. They work for Far East Broadcasting Corporation, a Christian broadcasting network sharing the Good News of Christ throughout Asia.

What is next for Barb? She will have her 9th and last seheduled agressive chemo on August 1st and then the doctor will evaluate if she needs additional lower levels of some kind of maintainance chemo. Barb and Erik need wisdom as to what they want to pursue after the last agressive chemo. In addition to the chemo Barb has been maintaining a very strict diet which includes taking Goji juice from Nepal, Mangosteen juice from the Philippines, a special kind of tea from Africa and also regular amounts of fresh wheat grass. All of these juices are extremely high in alkaline as are all the other foods that she is eating. Recent studies from John Hopkins clearly indicate that cancer cells do not live in an alkaline environment. At least one of the clinics that we looked into early on indicated that this is their primary mode of treatment. They simply alkaline the body and starve the cancer. So right now we are attributing Barb's incredible progress, first of all to prayer and God's power to heal and secondarily to Barb's diet and the chemo. The combination is working and we continue to covet your prayers until the day when Barb is declared totally cancer free. It has been and continues to be a journey in which God has taught Barb and all of us new things concerning His marvelous grace. There are so many things in life that we take for granted, including good health, and it is only through these kinds of experiences that the Lord takes us to new depths of understanding concerning His love, grace and mercy.

Our daughter Amy, husband Jon and four kids, Jeremiah, Alenna, Sydney Grace & Madeleine are home for a short break from Asia. They are in Idyllwild, CA so next week we will go up to Idyllwild and spend some time with them. We will also look into working with a real estate agent to sell our Idyllwild house. Please pray about this as we definitely need to sell it in the next few months in order to pay off the Portland duplex.

On Thursday of next week we are planning to have a family time of praise to the Lord for all that He has and continues to do for all of us. We are hoping that Tim and Naomi can join us by skype for this time of celebration.

Next Friday we will drive back to Portland and then on Saturday back to Calgary and back to work on Monday morning. Our daughter Ruth will accompany us to Portland and we are looking forward to that time with her. She will spend time visiting her brother and family, grandmother, and Aunt & Uncle in the Portland area.

Immediate prayer requests would include 1) Barb as she gets beyond these first few days of chemo, especially the nerve pain in her hands and feet which is one of the side effects of one of the chemo drugs. 2) Our visit with Jon, Amy and kids. 3) Our long drive back to Calgary over a two day period and 4) Giving attention to some of the pressing needs of Wycliffe Canada upon our return. We love you all and praise God for each one of you.

Love & Prayeers

Dave & Joan

2007-06-19T12:21:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,

You are probably thinking that we forgot how to post on our blog seeing how it has been so long.

We have been so busy with ministry here in the Wycliffe office and with Joan traveling back and forth to LA to be with Barb that we have hardly had time to sit down at the computer after work hours. Also we have been waiting for the doctors to actually run some additional tests on Barb so that we had something more definite to report on her ongoing cancer treatment. As you may recall she had a very encouraging report after her 4th round of chemo.

She has now completed her sixth treatment and visited the doctor yesterday in preparation for the seventh treatment on Thursday of this week (June 21) After this last treatment the doctor did run a blood cancer count test and told Barb the results yesterday. We have more GREAT NEWS to report. When she started treatment the cancer count was nearly 700. After her first treatment it dropped to 90 and after her third treatment it had dropped to 59 and now after this sixth treatment it has dropped to 2.3 (not 23 but 2 point 3) which is in the normal range for all people because we all have some cancer cells running around in our bodies. Does that mean Barb is now considered cancer free? No, as more definitive tests are needed and the doctor plans to do another CAT/PET scan soon which will indicate more fully the effectiveness of the treatment. What this most recent test does show is that Barb has come a very long ways in her treatment and continues to show great improvement. Her doctor who is a non-believer even said to her yesterday "It really makes me happy when miracles happen." He has continually been amazed at the progress Barb has made as he was not optimistic at all when treatment was initiated. For Barb and all of us this is a testimony of God's healing power and the power of the prayers of the Body of Christ. You have been and continue to be a critical part of what God is doing in Barb's body, mind and spirit. She is scheduled to have an additional three treatments the last one being given on August 1st. Things to continue to pray about are.
1. Barb's ability to continue to handle these last three treatments
a. She is needing to get shots to build up her white blood count before each treatment.
There are some side effects from these shots. We thank the Lord for her medical
coverage which pays for the shots which are extremely expensive.
b. Her most serious side effect to date has been the neuropathy (extreme nerve pain) in
her hands and feet. It has been lasting longer after each treatment. Pray it will not
not cause any permanent damage to the nerves.
c. Pray that all other side effects will continue to be minimal as they have been
throughout all the treatments to date.
d. That Barb will be able to find the balance needed between a busy life with five
children and needed time for rest and refreshment. Summer vacation is now here
so the schedule is a bit more relaxed.
2. Pray for the whole family as they have now moved into Erik's childhood home and are
in the process of living in a house that is undergoing some major renovations.
3. Pray for Barb as she stays focused and disciplined in terms of her diet and other
things she is doing which we believe are aiding in the healing process.
4. Pray for all those who have been such a big help to Barb and family. The school where
the girls attend continues to bring the evening meal. They have been doing this for five
months now. For the LA school district that continues to show support and have Barb
scheduled to return to the classroom in the fall. For Joan as she goes down to be with
Barb and family for the first week after the chemo is administered.

Pray for our summer schedule as we plan to spend time with Tim and family and Joan's Mom and sister and brother-in-law in the Portland OR/Vancouver WA area. After that we will go to a be with Barb for that first week after the seventh treatment. Jon and Amy and family will also be home from Asia at that time and will be in S. California so we will be able to see them as well as daughter Ruth who lives in Santa Ana , CA. Our time is fairly short so we will drive long days and work in as many activities as possible

Pray also for the sale of our Idyllwild, CA house. We are anxious to get it sold.

Thank you for your love, prayers and encouragement to Joan and I and the entire family as we have and continue to walk this journey of faith. We love and appreciate each of you so very much.

Dave & Joan

Great report on Barb

2007-05-05T05:54:00.000-07:00

We are thrilled to update you on Barb's recent doctor visit and want to share this with you so that you too can praise our loving Lord for his healing in her body. This calls us to even more prayer for her and thanksgiving to our merciful God that has and will continue to answer all our prayers for Barb and family.

A personel note from Barbara Routh written yesterday, May 3/07

Hi My Dear Prayer Warriors,
I have great news to report! I had a PET/CT scan on Monday and today I visited my dr. for my regular pre-chemo checkup.
He had the results from Monday's scan. He said 'you couldn't ask for better news' and proceeded to read me the summary findings. Basically all the lesions have been reduced in size and number, many disappeared, and all have shrunk in size and density. I attribute this incredible reduction to your constant prayers!! We have shed tears of joy today, realizing how God is healing me.
Here are some quotes from the report. '...markedly improved in size and metabolic activity...non visualization of the previously seen multiple focal areas...marked reduction in the size and number of metastases. Previously there were too many to count with lesions measuring up to 2cm in the lungs. At present there are fewer than 20 lesions, less than 6mm diameter. ...marked interval improvement with tremendous dimiution in number and size of pulmonary and hepatic (liver) metastases...' My Dr. said he'd never seen the word tremendous in a report :)
So today I feel tremendous and in awe of God's grace. The Psalm for morning prayer today was Psalm 91 and that gave me much courage to go to the dr. appointment. To GOD be the glory!! Keep those prayers going please. They are the answer.
All my love and appreciation,
Barbara Routh

Update from Afar

2007-04-17T23:20:00.000-07:00

Dear Praying Family and Friends,

It's been awhile since I have updated this blog but life has been a bit on the wild side the last three weeks. Joan and I had wonderful days with Jon and Amy and family in Asia, especially getting to know the new grand daughter God brought into all of our lives. She is a real sweetheart and a very good baby. Jon, Amy and family are doing well and continue to grow and improve in their fluency of the language. I left them on the 9th of April and went to Singapore for Asia-Pacific Area Meetings of Wycliffe and SIL. It was wonderful to be back with old friends from throughout the region. Exciting things are happening and I am delighted that Wycliffe Canada gets to be a part both by sending personnel and through funding of projects. We are also deeply connected through our worldwide prayer ministry.

I am currently in the Philippines spending time with The Translators of the Philippines that we had the privilege of helping to establish back in the early 80's. I'll also spend time with the Area Office and the Philippine Branch of The Summer Institute of Linguistics which we were a part of for the 31 years we were in Asia. I am also getting to touch bases with some dear Filipino friends while here including former Philippine Ambassador to the United Nations, Sedfrey Ordonez.

Joan left Jon & Amy yesterday morning and flew directly to Los Angeles to be with Barb as she starts her 4th round of chemo today (LA time). Thank you so much for your many prayers on her behalf in regards to her white cell blood count. It did come up enough to where the doctors felt comfortable enough for to take this 4th round as scheduled. Barb and Erik are now also working more closely with a medical doctor nutritionist who wants to help Barb improve her current diet even more. This weekend Ruth and Barb and Ros are planning to attend a Women's Spiritual Retreat sponsored by the church denomination that they are all a part of. Pray that Barb will have recovered sufficiently well enough from the first few days of this round of chemo to be able to attend. Feeding the spirit and soul is even more important in the healing process than even chemo and diet. All things working together, a big part of which are your prayers, we are trusting the Lord to bring complete and total healing to Barb, body, mind and spirit. Thank you for standing with us through this journey.

Our daughter-in-law Naomi was able to spend two weeks with Erik and Barb and the kids. She was a great help and we are so very grateful that she was able to be there. This is the first time that Renatah was able to see her cousins.

James 5:16 states "Pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man, (or woman) is powerful and effective." While the context is not specifically speaking to physical healing I believe the principle applies to physical, emotional and spiritual healing and as God's people unite in prayer the Lord hears and answers because He does delight in the prayers of His people. We are so grateful to be a part of God's worldwide body, the Church. God's grace is sufficient for our every need.

God Bless

Dave & Joan on behalf of Barb and the entire Ohlson Family

Greetings From Asia

2007-03-27T09:23:00.000-07:00

Dear Praying Family & Friends,

We arrived here at Amy & Jon's on Friday evening March 23rd and after a good nights rest we spent Saturday just kicking back and enjoying some relaxed time with Jon, Amy and the kids. In the late afternoon we all took a good walk, including Amy who was able to take the brace off of her mending broken leg a few days ago. After a good meal at a nearby restaurant we settled in for the night. At midnight that Sunday evening Amy started having contractions and by 3:00 AM she felt it was time to go to the hospital so she, Jon and Joan left for the 30 minute drive. I stayed at home to watch the older kids. Upon arriving the examining nurse told Amy she was 5 cm dilated, so she was thinking that she was in for a few more hours of labour. However, things progressed very rapidly and after about 5 really hard contractions little Madeleine Leigh was born at 4:00 AM March 25th Asia time. She weighed in at 2925 grams and is 48.5 cm long. She is beautiful with lots of light brown hair. Both she and Mom are doing great, they came home from the hospital at noon today March 27th. She is adored and loved by all especially Jeremiah, Alenna and Sydney.

Barb started her 3rd round of chemo Monday March 26th. The doctor is a bit concerned that her white blood cell count is down some, so she is going to need to be extra careful to avoid being around anyone with an infection as her immune system is not as well equipped to fight off any potential infection and it would take her longer to recover should she catch something. Thanks for praying that she will be free of infection and that her white blood cell count will build back up. We are very grateful that Naomi and Renatah will be able to go and be with Barb for two weeks starting on March 28. Renatah looks forward to meeting her cousins for the first time as well.

Several days ago she got the results of the blood work back after her first round of chemo. We are praising the Lord that after that first treatment the cancer count dropped from nearly 700 to just 90. The doctor and all of us are so grateful for the effectiveness of the chemo that first round and for the part that her strict diet is having on fighting the cancer in her body. Above all we believe strongly that this is a direct answer to all the prayers of God's people who have been asking the Lord to bring healing to Barb's body. Thank you for being such a great part of the faithful who are remembering Barb before the throne of grace on a daily basis.

We are enjoying being with Jon, Amy and kids and getting a first hand look at their lives and work here. Their use of the language is impressive after nearly two years of full time study. This language is one of the more difficult languages to learn. The weather has been great since arriving with beautiful warm sunny spring days. Once Amy has fully recovered from the birthing process we will likely do some tourist kinds of things. I will leave April 9th for Singapore to attend the Asia-Pacific Area Meetings of Wycliffe International and then go on to the Philippines for a visit. Joan will remain here to help with the new baby along with Jon, Amy and family. You know how grandmas love to be with the grand kids :) especially a brand new one.

Thanks so much for your ongoing prayers for the whole family and most especially for Barb's healing. God is good and we give him all the glory for what He is doing in all of our lives.

March 14, 2007 Update

2007-03-14T17:20:00.000-07:00

Dear Praying Family & Friends,

It hardly seems possible that it's been over a week since we last updated the blog. Thanks for your ongoing prayers for Barb. She is 10 days into her second round of chemo. Side effects this time around were a more severe rash which was very uncomfortable for a few days and the nerve sensation associated with anything cold. Both have improved over the last few days. Her energy level has been higher than expected and she has had virtually no nausea which is a direct answer to all of your prayers. This enables her to eat and drink well thus helping her to maintain her present level of strength. As of this posting we don't yet know the results of the blood work that will give some indication of the effectiveness of the first round of chemo. Hopefully we will have an update on that the next time we post. We are absolutely confident that your prayers are what sustains all of us during this trial and will be a major factor in Barb's long term healing. Joan and I were so encouraged during our week in Orlando when so many friends and colleagues came up to us and shared that they,their families,their home groups, their churches and friends were all praying. The Body of Christ is such an incredible blessing and source of encouragement during this time.

Amy is doing better each day in regards to her broken leg. In a recent e-mail she said she felt the baby has dropped and at a recent OB check the doctor feels the baby is doing fine and could potentially come at any time. We are hoping that the baby waits to make its appearance until after grandma and grandpa arrive on the 23rd but as you know babies come when they want to :)

We had a really good week in Orlando but the days were especially busy with meetings and fellowshiping with old friends and colleagues. We had a wonderful day on Saturday with Jon's parents Jim and Jan Holsclaw. Jan has finished her six of six scheduled rounds of chemo for ovarian cancer. They are anxiously awaiting the results of the most recent CT scan that will help the doctors to determine if any further treatment is required. We know they would appreciate you prayers during this time of waiting.

Strategic Planning Meetings have taken up most of our time since returning here to Calgary. Over the next few days I need to get the results of these meetings into a coherent strategic plan to present to the Board in May. Pray for clarity of mind as I and others distill our thoughts into a comprehensive and understandable plan that meets with Board approval.

We are adding a picture this time of our oldest daughter Ruth who is a school teacher in Norwalk, CA. She recently was chosen as the teacher of the year for her school. Way to go Ruth :) We are so proud of you.

March 4, 2007 update

2007-03-04T11:55:00.000-08:00

Dear Praying Family and Friends,

Joan and I leave for the airport at 4:30 AM tomorrow to fly down to Orlando, FL. We will be there for the week attending meetings of the four largest Wycliffe organizations in our family of 50 entities around the world. The big four are USA, Canada, England, and Australia.
This is something that we do annually. This particular set of meetings will be especially important because of the changes going on in Wycliffe International, so you prayers are much appreciated. We will also be meeting with folks from New Tribes Mission with whom we hope to forge a partnership regarding the translation projects that they are doing around the world. In addition we will have some time with Jim and Jan Holsclaw, Jon's parents. As most of you are aware Jan has been undergoing chemo treatment for the last few months for ovarian cancer. She is finishing up her last of six treatments at the present time. It will be wonderful to see them. We return to Calgary on the 11th and will be here for 9 days before heading to various parts of Asia. We are really looking forward to time with Jon and Amy and being there to welcome a new grand child into the world.

Thank you so much for your ongoing prayers for Barb. She finished her first round of chemo a week ago and has had a good week without any drugs. She starts round two tomorrow. Pray that she will be able to tolerate this second round as well, if not better than the first. Pray especially for Erik as he and the many friends and colleagues who have offered to help will be able to come up with a schedule that will enable Barb to best cope with the treatment and its side effects, especially during the first few days. Ruth is planning on giving some help tomorrow after Barb gets back from the cancer center. Barb met with her oncologist recently and he said that the blood work done before the start of the first treatment showed a cancer count of 700. This is high and expected in stage four cancer but not as high as some which is often over 1000. We will have some indication of the effectiveness of the first round of chemo and the other things that Barb is doing once the lab reports are in. Your prayers in regards to the effectiveness of treatment is critical as we know that while medicine and diet are critical they can only do so much because it is only the Lord who enables the body to heal.

We are grateful that Amy's broken leg is healing and the doctor feels that she can now take the brace off at night to sleep. She saw her OB doctor and he said the baby is doing fine and has not been effected by the trauma to Amy's body. Do pray for a safe delivery coming up in the next three + weeks. Also continue to remember Jon as he keeps on with language studies and also picks up a lot of other duties that Amy normally does but is not able to do being on crutches.

I don't think that we have told you in the midst of all of the above the Lord impressed upon us that it was time to sell our house in Idyllwild, CA and reinvest in Portland, OR. We are actually in the process of purchasing a duplex. Tim and Naomi and family will live in one side and once we finish up our assignment here in Canada we will occupy the other side. Pray for the sale of the Idyllwild house, the rental of the one side until we are ready to return to the Northwest and for Tim and Naomi as they get settled into their side.

Joan's Mom, Margaret, continues to make good progress in healing from her fall after the New Year. She now has her cast off and the wrist has healed well and she has 90% mobiity. In a few days, March 16th she will celebrate her 93rd birthday.

Joan's broken wrist is also healing but because she had the cast on for so long it's taking time to regain complete mobility and use.

Update on Barb & Amy

2007-02-25T16:25:00.000-08:00

Dear Praying Family & Friends

It's been several days since I have added a new posting to the blog so thought I should do that before I leave early in the morning for two days in Langley, BC. Joan and I both return to Calgary late Tuesday night, Joan from LA and me from BC. Thought you might enjoy a picture of "the old folks" here in the wilds of Canada.

Barb continues to tolerate this first round of chemo well. It has been two weeks since she started. She is taking a 3 chemo "cocktail" two of which are taken intraveinously at the hospital and the other orally starting the night before and then morning and night for the next two weeks. She will have a week of no chemo until the next treatment starts on March 5th. Your prayers have made a tremendous difference in her ability to deal with the side effects, when compared with some patients, hers have been minimal. She is of course tired and requires more rest but she is up and about doing many of the normal things a mom needs to do. We are so grateful for all the ongoing prayers and for the really encouraging support that she is getting from church, school(s) friends and family. She really enjoyed having her friend of 22 years from Faith Academy, Barb Cox, spend 4 days with her, her sister Ruth has been over several times and for the last two day her brother Tim as been with her and the family. Tim works for Kodak and was in LA for training. And as you know Joan has been there the last two weeks. Do pray that Barb will regain stamina over this next week in preparation for the next round of Chemo and that she will be able to tolerate the second round as well as she has on this first round. Above all continue to pray that the chemo in combination with the diet she is on will result in the eradication of all cancer cell from her body.

Amy is adjusting to a 24 hour a day brace on her leg and getting around on crutches. Not an easy task when you are 8 months pregnant and have a very active 2 year old (Sydney Grace) to chase after as well as the two older children Jeremiah and Alenna. We had a three way Skype call on Friday evening with Barb's family and Amy's family and me here in Calgary. Modern technology makes staying connected a lot easier these days. Not like the old days when we relied on "snail mail" that took 3 weeks or more. And with video cameras connected with Skype you can even see the the others you are talking to. Now that is a plus, especially for grand parents :) Do continue to pray for Amy as she shared on the Skype call that her leg is still swollen and sore. Pray for Jon as well as he picks up extra duties around the house, keeps up with language studies and carry on with work.
Pray for Joan and I over the next couple of weeks in regards to travel. We both return to Calgary Tuesday night, late. We are here for a few days and then on March 5th we travel to Orlando for meetings. We return to Calgary on March 11th and go directly into another set of meetings here with senior leadership staff. During our time in Orlando we will be seeing Jim and Jan Holsclaw, Jon's parents. We are so grateful for all your prayers for Jan who is just now finishing up her 6th round of chemo for the treatment of ovarian cancer. Treatment results have been very encouraging. It will be wonderful to see them.

We are so blessed by you our brothers and sisters in Christ who have made this difficult journey to date easier than we would have imagined it could be.

Love & Prayers

Dave & Joan and for the whole family

2007-02-19T08:33:00.000-08:00

Dear Praying Friends, February 19, 2007

I will be posting a new update on Barb in a couple of days but wanted to put one on for one of our other daughters. Barb's younger sister Amy and her husband (Jon Holsclaw) and three children are with another agency serving in Asia.

Over the weekend they went with friends to usher in the New Year. The festivities were complete with fireworks. One of the rockets that was designed to go straight up went side ways and struck Amy in the leg and broke the tibia. She is nearly eight months pregnant so the next few weeks will be challenging ones for her and the family as Amy will be on crutches for around eight weeks.

As you know the last few months have been a season of challenge for us. The most serious of course being Barb's cancer battle. In addition we have been dealing with Joan's broken wrist. The cast is now off but it is taking time to get it fully functional again after nine weeks of being imobilized. We have also been concerned for Joan's 92 year old Mom who fell and also broke her wrist. I may have also mentioned in our December prayer letter that I was experiencing a medical problem with my kidneys and the doctor was asking me to get more tests. With all that has been going on I have not yet gone in for those tests. :( Pray that I'll be able to get in soon for the tests and that the results will be of a positive nature.

In all of this we are asking the Lord to give us a good balance between the fact that we are quite possibly under attack by the enemy of our souls and what the Book of James says in chapter one verses 2-4. "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance and perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." We certainly do not want to miss anything that God has for us during this time. Your prayers have been a great sustaining factor in our lives and we are so grateful for your ongoing commitment to continue to bring all of us and most especially Barb before the throne of grace. Because of all that Jesus has done on our behalf and because of your many prayers we feel confident in claiming the promises of Hebrews 4:16 "Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." God's grace truly is wonderful especially during times like these.

Dave for the whole family

Update on Barb February 16th

2007-02-16T16:53:00.000-08:00

Dear Praying Friends,

Here is the latest on Barb. It's five days now since she started her first chemo. Overall she seems to be tolerating the chemo meds pretty well. The nerve sensations and reaction to cold seem to be decreasing some each day. She has had virtually no nausea which is a real blessing. This allows her to eat and drink and keep hydrated. She has experienced some mild headaches but they are manageable. She is of course fatigued but is still taking walks and trying to exercise and keep her body toned and in shape as much as possible. She is sticking to her alkaline diet of natural organic foods including the Goji juice from Nepal and the mangosteen juice from the Philippines. Last night she started experiencing pain in the liver/lung regions and called the doctor, as this is one of the things she needs to report on, any new pain. He said this is somewhat normal as the chemo begins to work on the lesions in those areas. Things to pray about would include: 1) The chemo meds will be effective. 2) The pain in the areas of affected lesions will be manageable 3) That she will be able to manage the dizziness/lightheadness that she sometimes has. 4) That she will be wise and not try and do more than she should, and listen to her mother :) 5) Pray that in the midst of all of this she can actually gain a bit of weight. 6)Pray for Erik and the children as they adjust to a wife and Mom who is not able to do all that she did in the past. 7) Continue to pray for Barb and all of us that we will continue to stay close to the Lord and in tune with all that He has for each one of us as we journey this road together. Your prayers are our greatest resource. Thanks for standing with us, James 5:13-15. We know your prayers are offered in faith.

2007-02-13T18:10:00.000-08:00

Update on Barb

2007-02-13T17:50:00.000-08:00

Dear Prayer Warriors,

Here is the latest update on Barb. Yesterday, Monday, was her first chemo. Her husband Erik and sister Ruth were with her throughout the long day of treatment. She did well and had a good night of sleep. She has done well today and has been up a good part of the day as the doctors do not want her just staying in bed, only resting when she needs to. She and Erik took a good walk together today. She has not had any nausea for which we are thankful. Her major side effects to this point have been a little difficulty in inital swallowing but once she has taken a few bites that goes away. She also is experiencing nerve sensations particularly in her hands and is wearing gloves to avoid touching anything cold. The same is true for drinking and eating, things must be warm or hot.

Joan flew down today and will be with Barb and family for the next two weeks. I get to talk with and see them all on Skype so that is helpful in keeping me connected. We do continue to rejoice over the one positive thing that we have heard from the doctors and that is that the CT scan done in December and the one done last week showed no further spreading of the cancer nor any detectable growth in the affected areas. We feel this as a real answer to prayer. We continue to be amazed, humbled and so grateful for the worldwide Body of Christ who are praying for Barb and for the whole family.

Trip to California

2007-02-10T09:59:00.000-08:00

On January 16th Joan flew from Calgary to LA to be with Barb who had surgery for colon cancer on the 17th. The surgery went well and Barb has made a good recovery. Dave flew down for a week starting on the 26th and the two of us flew back to Calgary on February 3rd. While in LA we celebrated grand daughters Claire's (9) and Elise's (7) birthdays. We also helped with the care of all the kids and Barb over the flus and colds that had hit S.California including their household.
As we have shared earlier Barb's cancer has metastasized to her liver and lungs. The good news is that a PET scan that she had Monday February 5th showed that there was no change in the growth or spread of the cancer from the initial CT scan done before Christmas. We attribute this to the prayers of all of you who are bringing Barb and the whole family before the throne of grace. Thank you so much and please continue to pray.

2006-12-30T12:05:00.000-08:00

What a blessing to be with Tim, Naomi, Shalom and Renatah for Christmas. We enjoyed lots of Christmas fun, times of eating and laughing together. Then being able to share

special moments with my mom on Christmas day holding precious Renatah Joan Margaret, our name sake. Mom and I are so very honored that Tim and Naomi named the baby after us.

My mom is 92 and we are so blessed to
enjoy another Christmas with her.

The Ohlson's Are Blogging

2006-12-30T11:54:00.000-08:00

Yes thats right. Our wondeful, lovely, fantastic, awesome, great, cool ,imaginative, son has got us blogging. He also wrote our very first post. =) Hopefully we can keep up with this neat way to communicate what is going on with us.

We are enjoying time with our granddaughter. Renatah Jaon Margaret In this picture she was three days old.