Dear Ones,                                      July 19, 2017

        The event we looked ahead to for over half a year is now in the history books…at least our family history. We have wished that Del could have had this surgery many months ago, but the tumor board at the U of Michigan Hospital had to be convinced that there was sufficient reduction in the size of the affected lymph nodes in Del’s abdomen before they would sign off on surgery. On the basis of Del’s last CT scan, the board was in agreement to schedule the surgery for July 17—the day before yesterday.

        We had to be at the U of M Hospital at 5:45 am, and surgery was scheduled for 7:30. Since we had to get up at 2:00 am, I slept about one hour because I didn’t want to sleep through the clock and be late getting to the hospital. This particular hospital is a complex of enormous buildings, quite a lot bigger than any other hospital we’ve been in. I actually couldn’t find my car in one of the parking garages at one point yesterday, but I won’t go into that. By 10:30 am the surgery was over, and while Del recovered in “Post-Op” the surgeon came and talked with our daughter Terry and I.

        The hysterectomy was done laparoscopically (5 small holes in the abdomen) and all of her female organs were removed. There were two other small spots that remained, and one of them was treated with argon gas (cryosurgery) and the other was excised (cut out). The removed tissues have been sent to the Pathology Dept. and the doctor will call us on July 27 with the results. We asked if Del will need to receive any more chemo once she recovers from the surgery, and the doctor said that they will come up with a plan of action once they get the pathology report back. It’s possible that they will recommend a few more chemo treatments to take care of any floating cancer cells and/or radiation.

        Del’s recovery from surgery has been nothing short of amazing. Yesterday afternoon, just hours after the surgery, Del was talking and interacting with the nurses. She shared the Lord with several of the nurses and discovered that at least two of them are believers. Even when the doctor came on her rounds with 5 student doctors, Del was able to share that besides the excellent work of the medical team, we are thankful to the Lord Jesus for how well everything went. We asked the surgeon if we could pray for her and for Del before the operation and she agreed—I’m sure it shocked her.

        Well, we are home now and it’s hard to believe the surgery was just the day before yesterday. We are totally convinced that the Lord Jesus is the One who has been in total control of our situation and He deserves great praise for His loving care. Thank you for your prayers as this too honors our dear Father and Savior. Our three kids and their spouses have been such a great support team and we are so thankful for them all.

Affectionately,

             Bryan Coupland, for Del too

Hi dear folks,

        One thing that Del and I have learned, having both gone through cancer and chemo, is that we don’t know a real lot about the whole area of “suffering.” The Lord does give us a few insights on the subject in His Holy Word the Bible, but beyond that, it appears to be an enormous subject that only an all-knowing God could fully understand. Here are a very few thoughts that Del and I have discussed on the subject over this past nine year journey:

·        The Lord Jesus suffered excruciating pain on Calvary’s cross in the process of paying for our sin, and His comments, while he was nailed to the cross, primarily pertained to the needs of other people.

·        When a Christian suffers, they actually “share the sufferings of Christ” [1 Peter 4:13].

·        Jesus urges us to rejoice during these times. That obviously doesn’t mean that we should somehow try and drum up a laughing giddiness in the midst of serious illness. Since truejoy comes from abiding in Christ, we should rely on Him for our attitude [4:19].

·        We are probably never so dependent on God as when we are struggling with a difficult medical condition. Our human nature tends to cause us to be independent and self-sufficient when everything is comfortable.

·        The Lord does extra-ordinary things in our lives when we are in deep physical need…what Del and I call “His touches.” It helps us to recognize different aspects of Jesus’ personality. [“That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings…” Phil. 3:10].

·        So many people are worse off than we are; physically, emotionally, and especially spiritually.

·        Other members of the Christian family become a part of the process of our suffering and become our “prayer companions.” As they praise God with us for the victories, great praise goes up to God from many sources. So, Jesus Christ is exalted and glorified…which as believers in Him is our ultimate goal.

Del had her last chemo on June 27 and the side-effects seem to intensify after each infusion. Over the July 4^thweekend, we had our annual Coupland-Duston-Calderwood family reunion at Lily Lake in central Michigan. The weather was perfect and it was great fun. Even our great-granddaughter, Alaina, was there. This coming week will be a lot more restful for Del as she prepares for her total hysterectomy surgery at Univ. of Michigan Hospital on Monday, July 17. We would be very grateful for your prayers that our heavenly Father would guide the surgical team led by Dr Karen McLean, and give them His discernment and wisdom. Thank you so much!

              Affectionately,

                   Bryan, for Del too

Family Reunion Time

If you ask any of the 11 grandkids, (several of them adults now), what one of their favorite things we do each year is, you would probably hear, Lily Lake. Mom's sister & husband have been gracious enough to let us take over their cottage for a week each summer around the 4th of July. This is where most of our kids caught their 1st fish and years of wonderful memories are connected with this place.

It's become tradition to take a picture on this swing with all of the grandkids,

now with spouses and 1st great grand baby Alaina.

3 are missing this year Noah, Nathan & Sarah.

Mom & Dad pulled out these flashy shirts for July 4th

Kelley & Todd Duston with most of their kids and 1st grandchild

Terry & Paul Calderwood and daughters + dog Lucy

Dan & Kari Coupland and kids

Next generation of our family, Alaina with her grandpa Todd 

Busy spring & summer

Spring & summer have kept us very busy. Many exciting things have happened in our family so it's time for an update.

June 3, 2017 
Summer began with a wonderful family celebration as Kelley & Todd Duston's daughter Anna married Tyson Estelle on a beautiful sunny day.

  

                                                                                                       Kelley & Todd - Mom & Dad of the bride

There was more than one lovely lady in attendance!

Because of that fact, we had much to celebrate. Mom had reached a milestone that

we didn't think was possible a few months ago. She was able to see her 1st granddaughter get married

and she looked beautiful!

There were more than a few teary eyes as Mom danced with her 2 favorite guys for the couples dance and then the mother/son dance.

The granddaughters couldn't resist getting grandma on the dance floor for 1 more dance

Next family wedding set for early 2018. Congratulations to Nathan & Sarah ! Nathan is Kelley & Todd's oldest son. 

We Praise God from whom all blessings flow