Family Things

Hi everyone,
Here's an update on how things are going around here. Cindy's still undergoing treatment for what seems to be a "tb-like bacteria" She is having some pains in her chest and will be going to the doctor to follow up on that.

Well, the girls are still trying to do whatever they can to raise some funds for their trips: Leah has an upcoming mission trip to a "Creative Access Nation" and Kayla to our nation's capitol. Pray for my girls as they see the Lord work in their lives. If you can help them, please let us know at our email address: haas4cambodia@yahoo.com

I just got back from Louisville, Kentucky. The mission conference was cancelled due to damages inflicted by Tropical Depression Ike. It was great to hear Bro. Trivette preach in person. I've listened to many of his messages on tape throughout the years.

Cindy met Fox News anchorwoman E.D. Hill recently and that was cool. She had her photo taken with her also.

Leah and Kayla

Our daughters Leah and Kayla are enrolled in a local Christian school here. Because of Cindy's health and ongoing treatment, we are staying in the US longer. As a result, we've enrolled them in school here. God really blessed in all this in that He provided a scholarship for our girls that drastically reduced their tuition at the school.

Part of the curriculum involves our girls making trips to different places. Kayla's class will be going to Washington, D.C. and seeing the museums and different monuments. Leah will be going on a mission trip. Because of the delicate nature of the trip, we won't be disclosing the location until after she is back and the trip is over. She is going to be doing different and creative ways of raising funds for the trip. Some of this is school-sponsored fundraising and then she'll be trying to raise some on her own. We appreciate all who helped her last time and prayed for her last trip back in 2008. She'll make this next trip in 2009. Please pray for both Leah and Kayla as they work hard to prepare for these school trips. Pray that the Lord will open doors for them to get the sponsors they need. God bless you all!

School, Cindy, Cambodia

We are enrolling the girls in school here in Dallas. As many of you know already, our furlough is being extended for medical reasons. Cindy has more to be done before we can go back to Cambodia. In the meantime, I am making a trip back to Cambodia in about a week. I'll be staying for three weeks to a month, then returning to the U.S. We have some mission conferences scheduled for the upcoming autumn months.

My Youngest Brother's Wedding

This past Saturday, July 19th, my youngest brother Brian finally got married! He and Sheryl have known each other for about three years and "tied the knot" in a beautiful ceremony in Garland, Texas. I love you, brother! God bless you both!

Cindy's Bronchoscopy Tomorrow

Well, here's the new info. The PET scan works like this: you take in this glucose solution which is designed to act as "food" for cancer cells and any other "active" hungry cells. Basically, active cells are either cancerous or infectious. Two places in her lungs "lit up" as active. They are located in the left lung near the windpipe. So as of right now, they know that she either has cancer there or she has a very serious infection. The blood work has ruled out infection. Cindy was treated with strong antibiotics last month and so she doesn't think it's an infection. I hope she's wrong, but we'll see. Tomorrow at 1 PM she will have outpatient surgery. They are going to do a bronchoscopy. They will insert a tube through her nose and it will have a camera as well as the ability to take tissue samples for a biopsy. We will meet with the doctor again on Tuesday morning to discuss the results of the biopsy. That's where we stand as of now. We'll update you when we know more. Pray for us as the portion we pay is mounting. Insurance pays for 80% but these tests are $2,000 to $3,000 each. We've had three this month, plus the surgery is coming up tomorrow. I have no idea what that's going to cost.

Thank you for every prayer sent to the throne of grace. God bless ya'll!

More on Cindy's Health

Cindy went for a PET scan and an MRI yesterday. She was supposed to see her doctor next week for a follow-up to discuss the test results and discuss treatment. Cindy changed that appointment to Thursday. But this morning the doctor called and told Cindy that he'd prefer not to wait until Thursday, but wants her to come in tomorrow (Wednesday) at 8:30 CDT. So, we'll know some more tomorrow and will update the blog then. Thanks for all your prayers!

A Fun Night With My Mom

Cindy, Kayla, and I went out with my mom to play some mini-golf and watch Kayla drive the go-karts last night. We had a really good time. Here are some photos from our evening: