Our Story

In the early days of Jon’s diagnosis, everything felt uncertain. Scans raised questions that doctors couldn’t fully answer. Was it a cyst or abnormal tissue? Was it tumor growth or treatment effect? What do we do? What path should we take? We have faced decisions that carried weight and complexity - radiation and chemotherapy, clinical trials, surgery, and even treatment options across the world. At every turn, we found ourselves asking not just what makes sense medically, but what is God asking us to do?

Through each step, God has led us the way a lamp lights a path, just enough for the next step, rarely the whole road. We’ve learned to live in that space. To trust Him in the waiting. To trust Him in the unknown. To trust Him when answers didn’t come quickly, and even when they didn’t look the way we hoped.

There were hard moments -days of discouraging scans, physical setbacks, and the emotional weight of watching abilities change. After one particularly difficult stretch, Jon lost much of the function on his left side, and we found ourselves walking through one of the darkest valleys we’ve ever known. But even there, God met us. Not with immediate answers, but with His presence. And we discovered more deeply that He truly is the Comforter.

At the same time, we have witnessed overwhelming goodness. God has provided direction in ways we could never have orchestrated ourselves. He provided immediate direction on nutrition (a dramatic, specialized diet), connected us with numerous resources, opened doors to places like Duke University for a second option, aligned medical teams, and paved the way for us to pursue a personalized vaccine overseas, which was once impossible since his tumor was inoperable at the beginning.

Jon’s inoperable tumor became operable after radiation treatment, which created a pseudo-progression, leading to the need for surgery. Surgery became a turning point. What felt daunting became a gift. Removing the damaged tissue and tumor provided an opening for the next phase of treatment with a vaccine that God showed me the first week of Jon’s diagnosis. Only God!

Recovery has been steady, marked by small but meaningful victories: strength returning, endurance building, and even a path back to work. I truly believe Jon would not be where he is today if we hadn’t drastically changed his diet and followed his alternative therapies as directed by Dr. Pete. Because of this, his body has shown resilience and the ability to heal quickly.

Through it all, one of the clearest themes has been waiting. Waiting on scans. Waiting on results. Waiting on next steps. But even in the waiting, God has been at work. Refining our faith and trust, and teaching us about holistic care of our bodies. Reminding us that delay is not absence. It is often preparation.

And in the middle of everything, we’ve seen God’s abundance. Through thousands of prayers, meals, messages, cards, financial support, and many acts of service, we have felt carried by a community that reflects the heart of God. We have learned that His provision often comes through His people - “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, by how you love one another.” John 13:35

We don’t know the full outcome of this story. But we do know this: God has been faithful in every chapter so far. He has given us peace where there could be fear, joy where there could be despair, and hope that goes beyond what we can see. See Answered Prayers Blog.

This journey has changed us. It has deepened our faith, clarified our purpose, and strengthened our desire that, no matter what, this story would point to Jesus.

We (all of us) are not walking this road alone. And we are not walking it without HOPE.

Recently Jon was able to share his story and teach with Pastor Edrin through Peter’s story on how to walk a difficult road with trust and faith.