"Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints." --Psalm 116:15

Mrs. Ann Schrader went into the presence of her Savior early in the morning on July 31. As Marcus, her son, said at the funeral, "She lost her battle with cancer, but not her battle with death."

Two funeral services were held, one in Springfield, MO on August 5, and the other on August 9, in Lexington, KY, where her body was buried. We would like to thank everyone for their presence at the funerals, as well as the many who were not able to come, but whose thoughts and prayers were with us during this time.

We will continue posting some updates to Mrs. Schrader's site. Please take a moment and sign her guestbook if you have not already.

I think much of our life could be characterized by saying, "Well, the original plan was..."

Over time, we have learned a certain flexibility; to live by the words of James 4, "if the Lord wills." A little over two months ago Ann Janel and the kids left for the States. The original plan was for her to spend some time with her mother, and help her in whatever way possible, then return to Brazil. Their return date was April 18. As that date approached, Ann Janel realized that she would have to leave without knowing the outcome of Mrs. Schrader's treatments in Tulsa, so we decided to postpone her return. At that time, things were looking good, and Mrs. Schrader seemed to be stabilizing, if not improving. We decided on May 18 as a return date.

All that changed in the first few days of May. Mrs. Schrader began experiencing breathing problems again, and her latest visits with a pulmonologist and oncologist have confirmed that her condition is deteriorating rapidly. I will let Ann Janel tell it in her own words, from an e-mail she recently sent out to family and friends:

I have received so many sweet notes of encouragement from so many of you letting me know you are thinking of and praying for us. I would love to write each of you individually but my time on the computer gets shorter and shorter as the days go by. Do know I received them and have been greatly encouraged. Thank you!

We did go to a local oncologist today. It's very obvious mom has Inflammatory Breast Cancer as it is spreading across her torso. I guess this type of cancer, unlike typical breast cancer, follows the blood stream/cells (don't quote me--it's hard to keep up with everything the doctor says)  and spreads throughout the body. It's scary to literally watch it grow daily. The doctor presented 2 options: a certain type of chemo pill that might keep the spread of the cancer down for a few months or hospice! Inflammatory Breast Cancer is a very aggressive cancer, and mom is already beating the odds having lived as long as she has. At this point she is choosing not to take the chemo.  So, we are just going to enjoy her and spend tons of time with her in the days ahead. The doctor's 'time frame' was weeks to months so who knows how long mom will stick around to keep us all in line.

I have to tell you what she wants to do in the days ahead--clean out closets! I'm not kidding. She's always liked things orderly and that hasn't changed a bit. She definitely has her mind on making sure Dad has everything in order. I am going to help her throw away old, holey t-shirts and junkie clothes that she is sure he will wear out in public without her around to stop him. :)

Lord willing, Patrick will arrive at 3:30 Tuesday! I'm very excited to say the least. The kids can't wait either. I think he is coming at the perfect time to help me. I know I will be more needed with mom in the days ahead and the kids need a loving parent around to guide them as we all walk with mom through the Valley of the Shadow of Death.

Thanks again for all your love and concerns!

God bless,

Ann Janel

As you might gather from the final paragraph of her e-mail, I will be returning to the States as well. Up to this point, Mrs. Schrader has remained relatively active (for someone with stage four cancer), but as her health declines, she will need more and more attention that Ann Janel cannot offer while handling three small children. That, and two months is long enough for the family to be apart. Our Brazilian pastors and friends are very understanding, and I have cleared my preaching schedule without any problems.

Please continue to pray for Mrs. Schrader and the Schrader family. We still would like to see God change the course of events, but we rely on His grace and His wisdom to face the days ahead, no matter what the outcome. 

It's amazing what can change in a week's time. Two weeks ago we were discussing whether or not Ann Janel should go be with her mom, and if so, when that should be. We had already experienced closed doors in July and August of last year, and weren't sure that ticket prices would be any better now. Her parents, however, didn't see a reason she should go (two weeks ago); they were still in Texas, and everything seemed to be going well.

Last week, however, tests showed that the cancer has spread to Mrs. Schrader's right lung, which has been causing it to fill with fluid. Ann Janel received an email from her father, suggesting that she should come home now. We had debated whether or not the children should go, and in the end decided that whether her path is to recovery or glory, they should be around their grandmother during this time.

God answered our prayers about tickets in a wonderful way: we were able to get all the tickets (Ann Janel and the three kids) for less than one ticket was going to cost us last July. The price was even lower than when we came to Brazil in 2006, and this with only a week's notice.  God had also worked in our lives so that now we are only two hours from the largest Brazilian airport. Ann Janel will not have four legs of travel, but two--São Paulo to Chicago, then to Springfield.

So today she left for the States. Her return ticket is set for April 18, but we will have to see what is in store. Pray for Ann Janel and the kids while they are in the States. Pray that God gives her strength while she helps her parents through the difficult decisions that surround a potentially terminal illness. Naturally, please pray for Mrs. Schrader, that God might reverse the spread of cancer, and allow her years ahead in His service. 

Perhaps the biggest deciding factor in our move from Brasília to Campinas was the possibility of Ann Janel continuing her language training at Interclass, a school that has taught Portuguese to foreigners since 1973. On February 11, Ann Janel began taking her classes with her new teacher, Vera, and in just a few classes we are already seeing a dramatic difference. Interclass places such a strong emphasis on conversational Portuguese, that already Ann Janel feels like things are "clicking." The time she had with her teacher in Brazil has served her well as a basis for this new step, and together are working to bring her closer and closer to the goal of being conversational in the language. Please continue to pray for her in this regard.