In the Box

Dear friends and family:

I have let Sheryl do most of the updating--frankly because she is a lot better at it--but we are not comparing. What a brave and valiant young lady this daughter -mother- sister- wife and friend she is. I have been in tears more this past couple of weeks than I have in my entire life. It is rare that I am so often on the surface with my emotions but the love I have felt (we have felt) melts our very heart strings. I am not crying over Sheryl when she has a tube the size of my little finger go into her leg 4". No anesthetic- nothing but courage and faith from Sheryl and all of our beloved friends and family. To see her going through chemo does not bring me to tears. To watch her head being shaved does not bring me to tears. The emails melt my heart--thank you all, for it is our lifeline to the world.

My whole married life I have told Sheryl that she is so beautiful that she would even being bald. (No joke she is!!!) But she is so vain that she had to prove it to me. I told her that I could be on a deserted island with just her and I would be completely happy and the luckiest guy out there. So- here we are in Chengdu (our deserted island) and once again I have never been happier. I am so grateful for this time in our lives to climb Mount Sinai. Sheryl will be in to box about 40 days. 10 days of chemo and another 30 days of recovery. November 22, 2007 will be Sheryl’s new birthday. That will be the day they will put the stem cells back into her body. The doctor came into my room last night at about midnight so excited. They had gathered more than 100% of the stem cells they were looking for. He said that our God must be looking after us because the process of collecting the stem cells sometimes takes 2 days but there best was 5 hours. Sheryl was done in 2 hours. He knew a miracle had taken place twice in one day. SO he woke me up like a little child would on Christmas morning.

Our lives will never be the same. Here our son Jason is very ill on his mission- in bed for at least 2 more weeks (down to 140lbs) at 6'1" tall. Brandon is going in for another surgery this next week on his foot. Weston with the flu- but unlike Job our friends and family are with us. Sheryl's and my 40 days in the wilderness (they don't let me leave my room either) has begun. Many of you, I know, also have trials. These are the times when all you can do is turn to a Father who never abandons you- a Brother that will never leave you unless you don't want Him around - They will lift you - direct you- and comfort you. I have felt His presences- Sheryl has had an Apostolic blessing from Elder Nelson- who keeps asking about her- President Hinckley prayed for her in the Temple and Sheryl has had many sacred experiences, that only one that is truly pure in heart can have. How can a disease that is so crippling and so life threatening be the greatest blessing of all to have the wonderful spiritual experiences that we are having here. I would not wish this on anyone- yet it is ours and ours alone to work through. It is a tuff way to get to know God- but one well worth the travel.

We could never be able to do it without all of your support. When you have done it unto one of the least of these - you have done it unto me. We will never be able to repay all of your love and service. Thank you from the depths of our soul for whatever you have done on behalf of our family.

God lives and knows His children. Whatever difficulty we may face if we turn to Him- He will lift us up as He has our family. I feel so blessed for all of my trials- our family’s trials and it is God who I put my faith and trust.

Thank you all so much for your prayers- your service and your wonderful examples of LOVE.

Shi Shi (Chinese for thank you)

All my love that I have, your faithful friend, brother, Uncle, Son, Father, Lon

P.S. I am teaching English to all the Doctors 30 minutes each morning. Today I taught them two words. Hurting and pain- so there are about 15 Docs in there and I went around the room having them experience those words. They now understand those words really well. I told them when Sheryl is hurting or in pain they can help her more quickly.