Wednesday, July 14th Update from Joni

Wednesday, July 14th Update from Joni:

Thank you so much for praying for me as Ken and I met with the medical oncologist late yesterday. Believe me, we felt the support of your intercessions in such a personal and tangible way! To put it in a nutshell, in two weeks I will begin an 18-week regimen of chemotherapy, involving a treatment every three weeks. Yes, there will be side effects and, yes, I will lose my hair (my sister Kathy and I are going wig shopping this afternoon :-), but I will be meeting with a nutritional/homeopathic specialist who, with supplements and diet, will help me manage those side effects.

The whole regimen is going to be a challenge on my quadriplegic body, but thankfully, I don’t own my body; God does. I’m simply His steward :-). That’s why I’m focusing on strengthening my physical frame as I approach chemotherapy. Philippians 1:20 is my motto: “I eagerly expect and hope that I will… have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body….” Ken and I are energized about exalting the Lord and sharing His love (with every nurse, specialist, and clinician we encounter).

In the meantime, I’m happily at work here at Joni and Friends preparing to speak tomorrow to 45 students who are here at the International Disability Center attending our week-long “Beyond Suffering” course of study. Ministry is happening, praise the Lord! Finally, thank you for joining us in praying that God will prepare me physically, emotionally and spiritually for chemotherapy in two weeks. I’m so grateful to God for His sovereign plan in all this. As I’ve said from the beginning, “God is up to something big” and I look forward to seeing His big plan and purpose unfold!

–Joni Eareckson Tada