Countdown to Transplant Begins

As many of you know, I will soon be undergoing a stem-cell transplant in my continued fight with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Presently, I am scheduled for the transplant for December 20 if everything goes well, which so far it has. Tomorrow I go for pre-transplant assessment tests at Princess Margaret Hospital in downtown Toronto. I would ask for your prayers as I go though the various tests ranging from a dental exam to a bone marrow test and several in between. It will be a busy day.

I am happy to report that my brother Jin successfully underwent the stem cell collection today. I am grateful to Jim for his willingness to sacrifice time away from his family and computer business back in Alberta to provide this gift for me without any hesitation. I am really humbled and touched by his generosity and love.

I would specifically like to ask that you would pray for my eyes right now. For a number of weeks, I have been fighting with infections and dryness in both of my eyes. Besides the irritation, the constant blurriness makes it hard for me to read and to drive a car. I will likely need to get this under control before I start my intensive chemotherapy next week and so your prayers that this infection would clear up would be greatly appreciated. I do apologize for any spelling or typing errors that may creep into these weblogs; at times I find it almost impossible even see the computer screen.

Thank you to each of you who pray for me on a regular basis. I am always hesitant to post these, as this weblog is intended to focus on the persecuted church around the world. But many of you have urged me to keep you informed on how things are going in my life and this seems to be the best forum to do this. It is profoundly moving to me to be told by believers around the world, many in restricted nations how they pray for me daily. I know that I have done nothing to deserve such acts of grace and love. But it reminds how truly we are one church, upholding each others in arms of love. I am learning what it means to receive love and concern; not always an easy feat for someone who is accustomed to giving and motivating others to give of themselves to those in need because of their faith. It really touches me how, just as I have urged you for the past nine years to pray for the persecuted, Christians across Canada and around the world are now blessing me by praying for me during this time of need. What a concrete expression of what it means to be the family of God.