#1-Mourning into Joy
August 2nd, 2024
One of the saddest parts of this illness for Eric is watching the mission teams he thought he would be leading this summer, leave to go serve overseas without him. I took this pic of Eric the day the Romania team left after Eric still felt well enough to go pray them off to the airport. Today the second leg of the Tanzania trip is starting. I know it has been heavy on his heart. It has been a rough past week physically and Eric isn’t saying much to conserve his energy…well, except when he’s sleeping! Last night and this morning he was just chatting away in his dreams apparently leading the team in all the things as if he was actually there on the mission. God can turn sadness into sweet dreams. Thank you for praying and sitting with us both in the sad and sweet parts!
I will turn their mourning into joy; I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow. Jeremiah 31:13
#2-Pray
August 5th, 2024
We are currently at Seton Hospital ER in Austin. Eric’s oxygen level dropped to 70, respirations were 60 per minute and his heart rate was 104. He did not feel he had the strength to be transported and did not want to go to the ER but family insisted. He is being admitted and lots of tests and scans in progress but we do not yet have a definitive plan. Trusting God’s plan and goodness in it all and whatever may come. Your prayers are abundantly heard and felt!
Psalm 23:6 – Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
#3-Held
August 6th, 2024
For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.” -Isaiah 41:13
Eric was admitted to the ICU at Seton Main Austin last night. He is fighting an infection that has gone into his lungs. He is severely immune compromised from the chemo and is currently on full support to try and fight this infection. Eric is a very feisty patient and is giving it his all to fight this. We are praising God for the wonderful team of doctors and nurses at this hospital who are also doing their best to give Eric the best chance possible. We need everyone to know that Eric’s chances of coming out of this have been deemed very low. We know that the battle is the Lord’s and Eric is His. Eric is peaceful and not in pain. If you would like to come see him and pray over Eric the next few days, please text Elisabeth to arrange a time. Thank you for holding hands with us in this and trusting our help comes from the Lord’s sovereign hand.
Above was written by Elisabeth – she sends me updates and I’m just managing this page. But, I just wanted to add a few things I had on my heart to share….
I’ve had the privilege to see and hear glimpses of their deep love and faith during the hardest of seasons. Having Eric ask me how he can pray for me on the same day he found out his cancer had returned, and seeing Elisabeth love her husband so incredibly well, and most of all witnessing their faith in the midst of the hardest of hard and in the scary unknown…. It’s true beauty in the middle of adversity-
I’m humbled and encouraged and just so thankful to count them as my dear friends.
And last, I wanted to say THANK YOU to everyone supporting them so well – praying, caring, and giving so generously – I am overwhelmed to see the love and support and notes of prayer and encouragement that are pouring in for Eric and his family, and I know they feel the same. So beautiful to see their friends from so many areas of their lives all pulling together to provide much needed support. -Stephanee Potts
#4- “Get Up and Walk…”
August 7th, 2024
Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” -John 5:8
Good morning! Praise God we have much better news this morning! Twenty four hours ago I was gently informed by one of the head doctors on Eric’s medical team that he and the others did not see a way for Eric to recover enough to be able to leave the hospital. When I asked what percentage of a chance he thought Eric had, he said, “0% chance. Maybe up to 5% since Eric is young and seems to be a fighter.”
That conversation has shifted today. When I called the elders from our church and invited others (several friends came) to come pray and be with us yesterday, Eric perked up. Since then, Eric is communicating well on his whiteboard, clearheaded, improving oxygen levels, color is back, asking for food and drink (which he hasn’t desired or been able to tolerate the past 18 days), asking for movement and setting goals! This morning, some of the first words I woke up to were, “pretty soon you may be able to get up and walk”!
Keep the prayers coming! Eric is defying all the odds! He’s enjoying all the extra attention and worshiping through it all! God’s got this! 🙌🏽
Continue in prayer that Eric will “get up and walk”!
#5-Rest
August 8th, 2024
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” -Matthew 11:28
The past two days have been a testimony to the power of prayer and faith that our God truly hears us, sees us, and is our ever-present help. Thank you to all our friends and family who have traveled in person to pray over Eric in the ICU. We truly believe Eric hearing and seeing the prayers of the saints on his behalf shifted the atmosphere on Tuesday and altered the story that he has been living out since. This morning, the two lead physicians who had not previously declared hope of discharge from this hospital, came in and said, “We just can’t believe it! You are like a whole new person than the guy we saw Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning!”
Thank you to all our friends and family praying from your homes and churches and far corners of the world. Eric is continuing to live in the miracle of life because of the One Who gives life and life abundant. Last night, Eric got to read and see many of your notes and videos telling and showing him how many are praying and how God is using this story to impact his Kingdom. He literally breathed in your words of encouragement and shortly after he was able to come off oxygen support completely for a few hours!
The heavy, healing labor of the past few days has left both Eric and I in great need of physical rest. Eric made significant progress in a positive direction last night, but that progress did not come with physical rest. So, we need to pause visitors coming today and trust God’s promise that He will give us this needed rest today. For today, please pray for rest, because we know with rest comes healing.
In His Rest,
Elisabeth
#6- “Aba”
August 10th, 2024
“For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you.
All your children shall be taught by the Lord, and great shall be the peace of your children.” -Isaiah 54:10,13
Many have asked, “How are the kids doing with all this?”
Our four kids are now all adults with their own busy lives. Last night when my brother Jon asked me this question, I asked him to think back to when we were ages 18-25 and how we probably would have responded if we were in this situation with one of our parents. We would be very concerned, maybe confused, anxious, hurting, visit as much as we could, help around the house and with pets as much as we could, and also continue with our normal schedules as much as possible. This is what our adult children are doing. Esmée and Evan live with us at home so are holding down the home front and taking care of pets. Elita and Ethan live close by. We are so thankful they are all near for such a time as this.
I asked the kids to come on Tuesday before Eric turned a positive corner and they all scrambled to adjust their schedules and get to the hospital. By the time they arrived, Eric was doing so much better. We had a sweet time as a family with Dad (Eric) joking around as usual and making them solve riddles on his whiteboard. After hours stuffed in one small ICU room, the “kids” were getting pretty hungry at 9pm. I had not yet left the 4th floor of the ICU and wasn’t ready for my kids to leave (as parents of adults kids can attest, it’s normally hard to get them all together on a good day), so I decided I should venture out with them to find dinner while Eric’s parents stayed behind with him. How badly, we wanted Eric to be able to go to dinner with us as a family!
About a year ago, I went with Eric for a follow up/therapy appointment in this Austin area where most of his doctors are. We tried to go on a date after the appointment and found a beautiful Mediterranean restaurant we really wanted to try. But alas, we did not have a reservation and the wait time was impossibly long.
When the kids and I got to the hospital parking lot, I asked Siri on my phone to “find food near me.” The same Mediterranean restaurant Eric and I had once tried to go to popped up on the short list. They were open till 10pm so I called and secured a reservation for five. We were not exactly outfitted for an upscale, bougie restaurant, but we didn’t care. I told the kids that many friends had blessed us with meal money the past few weeks and that I had not yet had a chance to use any of it, so this was our big chance and to order whatever they wanted! Eric had fist bumped Ethan on his way out saying, “Eat something good for me too!” So we did! We enjoyed our time together and felt Eric was with us as the name of the restaurant we chose is called, “Aba”—“Father” in Hebrew.
We know our kids earthy Aba is in the hands of our Heavenly Aba.
Eric’s aspiration pneumonia is healing well. But the closing of his airway due to the tumor is still a heavy conversation that comes with no solution, medically speaking. We have had many seemingly impossible conversations with Eric’s medical team and palliative care the past two days. They are truly doing everything in their power to care for us well and we are so thankful. We are inevitably stuck in the ICU as it is the only place capable of assisting Eric’s fluctuating high level oxygen needs. We are all well aware that Eric’s future is in the hands of the Great Physician. Whatever Gcd chooses to do is good. Whatever the future holds, we trust it is best. We may not understand God’s “best” for us or feel it is “good” sometimes, but we easily recall how He has always been faithful to us in steadfast love. He won’t stop now.
We will be okay and our children will be okay. Our dearest family and friends will be okay. There is great peace in knowing our Heavenly Aba loved us so much he sent the Prince of Peace (Jesus) to dwell among us and suffer for us and with us. Jesus prayer was, “Aba, may your will be done. I accept Your will,” while still asking if there was a way of lesser suffering that would enable him to not be separated from his Aba. This is our prayer too.
Our children know their Aba’s situation is very serious. But it’s still a very hard situation to comprehend. Please pray with us that God will allow their peace to be great during this extremely difficult time. Our hearts are greatly encouraged through each of your prayers and support. Eric and I are praying Our Aba Father will bring you great peace too.
We love you,
Elisabeth
#7-The Air I Breathe
August 16th, 2024
Several years ago, our family began to experience severe mental and physical attacks that went through each of our four children finally trying to take down our strong leader, Eric. The enemy of our souls knows our weaknesses and launches scheming attacks accordingly. After a few years of praying for the attacks to subside long enough to come up for air, I began to face each trial from a different survival perspective. I surrendered my “why us?” and defeating pleas to catch a break, and instead asked the Lord, “How do you want me to walk through this with You?” The answer was, “Allow me to be the air that you breathe.” I had been gasping for air in my own strength, even though God was still very near to me.
Our Creator breathed into humanity the breath of life (Genesis 2:7). We unconsciously say name of God “Yahweh” each time we inhale and exhale. Each breath is dependent on the kind sovereignty of the One Who created us. We are often given “more than we can handle” (not the other way around) because God’s grace is sufficient to handle whatever it is. His power is made perfect in my weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). Looking back, I see how God has so faithfully walked with me in all our battles strengthening my heart for whatever may come. There is no other explanation for the daily grace strength I have been receiving thus far. We are now on day twelve on the ICU.
When asked what God was currently teaching him through the current battle, Eric wrote on his whiteboard, “My pursuit of him not to wait until I leave here. It is/He is always my pursuit.”Wherever we are, whatever circumstances we bear, the pursuit, the solution, is the One Who is the air we breathe.
God is breathing life into Eric. He is getting stronger! For ten days, we were stuck in ICU on high flow oxygen that only the ICU can provide. The past two days, Eric was monitored closely on a much lower dose of oxygen with a regular nasal cannula. They had tried this before but he was not able to tolerate lower levels for more than a few hours. Yesterday, he passed the twenty-four hour point and graduated to an intermediate level of the ICU. When the doctors make their rounds each morning, they are continually amazed. What a privilege to be able to give all glory to our amazing God!
Even though Eric is recovering well from aspiration pneumonia and beginning to regain physical strength, the giant tumor blocking Eric’s airway is the still the elephant in the room during all medical/recovery/moving forward conversations. “It is only because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed.” We are choosing to thank God for His mercies that are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-24), trust His faithfulness and make His glory our only pursuit.
July 24th, the day Eric got the chemo that landed him in ICU, I was at a laryngologist specialist appointment for our youngest son Evan that had been scheduled since March. It was discovered at that appointment that Evan—who has a very rare mitochondria disease—is “having significant issues with his airway” due to muscle weakness caused by insufficient mitochondria (cellular energy) levels. The amount of times I had already heard the words “airway”, “trachea” and “aspiration” that week and since doubled. Evan has had two other difficult news doctor appointments and two sessions of therapy in the past two weeks while Eric has been in the ICU with airway issues for completely different reasons. It is easy to ask, “Why/How can this be happening right now?” But Evan didn’t. He is a fighter like his Dad and sees the goodness of God in everything. Thank you for praying victory over the “incurable” airway issues my sweet guys are battling. Please pray we will all keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, that our pursuit of Him will never dwindle, and always remember that this is the air we breathe.
This is the air I breathe
Your holy presence
Living in me
This is my daily bread
Your very word
Spoken to me
And I… I’m desparate for you
And I… I’m lost without you
This is air I breathe
-song by Joe Mettle
Taking deep breaths with Jesus,
Elisabeth
#8-Trust
August 25th, 2024
“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
And whose hope is the Lord.
For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters,
Which spreads out its roots by the river,
And will not fear when heat comes;
But its leaf will be green,
And will not be anxious in the year of drought,
Nor will cease from yielding fruit.”
-Jeremiah 17:7-8
Each day is another chance to trust and praise God! The Lord answered many prayers last week. Eric’s breathing was much more stable and as he continued to improve, he was transferred out of ICU to a tiny room on the oncology floor the nurses call the “force out.” I have been making calls and researching the best inpatient rehabilitation facilities all week as Eric was not yet strong enough to go home but was no longer receiving a level of care that would allow him to continue to improve in the hospital. I’m thankful to have found two good rehab facilities to choose from that are closer to home where Eric can go for two weeks to get stronger before coming home with home health supports. That was the former plan in motion for early this week but as of last night that plan is now on hold.
We are currently back on the 4th floor ICU. We are on yet another side which makes us feel like God is circling us around this particular zone for purposes we cannot fully see or understand. Coco, Eric’s previous ICU nurse from Japan, came to see him last night and explained his case to the others even though she wasn’t Eric’s assigned nurse. Our 7th floor Filipino nurse Majorie pushed hard for two days to get Eric the test/scans/doppler (the weekend doctors were hesitant to order as they would really like to close this case) to figure out why Eric seemed to be declining more than improving the past few days when all his labs came back normal. A chest x-ray found some more infection in Eric’s lungs so they started him on another round of IV antibiotics to try and clear that up. Doctors told us we could still leave the hospital on these antibiotics and the lower level of oxygen Eric had sustained for over a week. So we continued with plans to move to a rehab facility in the near future.
Getting enough nutrition/hydration to keep improving has been a major concern. Eric has wanted to keep trying to eat and drink orally but has not managed to overcome the weeks of malnourishment he experienced prior to coming to this hospital or since. Just forcing morsels when he needs twice as much as he normally would eat in a healthy state has been a battle. His malnourished state is one probable cause for Eric’s elevated resting heart rate that has been the main struggle and impediment to physical progress the past week. IV hydration was started back up on Friday and the feeding tube discussion was back on the table along with the need for a port. It has been terribly difficult for anyone to find a workable vein to draw blood or administer hydration and antibiotics. Friday afternoon, an ultrasound was used to try and do a PICC line (a peripherally inserted central catheter which is a long, thin, flexible tube that’s inserted into a vein in the upper arm and threaded into a larger vein above the right side of the heart) and a TPN (total parenteral nutrition is a method of delivering nutrition directly into a vein). However, too much “echogenic material” made this effort impossible. Eric was then sent for a chest CT with contrast and Doppler ultrasound. Multiple blood clots were discovered in Eric’s arms. We were informed late last night that Eric also has two pulmonary embolisms on his lung and this is probably what started his oxygen level decline more than the infection. We have been sure to follow all the protocols to prevent blood clots this entire hospitalization. They have just put Eric on higher doses now. It is the combination of all these things has landed us back in the ICU. Eric is currently back on high flow oxygen to give his body a break. He has been fighting so very hard and it’s nice to see him breathe a bit easier in order to rest with the extra help the high flow can provide. He doesn’t plan to stay on it though, so stay tuned as we continue to fight and praise God in this storm.
A praise and answered prayer is that I was able to go back to work last Monday-Friday and be present teaching the first week of school which always sets the tone for the rest of the year. God was/is so good to allow this grace to me. My students, co-teachers and I had a very blessed week! One of the sweetest things was our school wide chapel service on Wednesday morning. The entire staff and student body prayed over Eric and two others in our school family fighting extremely tough medical diagnoses. Eric and I are so joyfully overwhelmed by the outpouring of prayers for Eric’s healing and our family as we walk in trust.
Teaching Junior High is one of my local mission fields along with Haiti and Africa which I’m currently serving remotely while praying to be able to return in the future. I had prayed and prayed about whether or not I needed to step away from these ministry jobs last week but God permitted Eric to stay stable until I finished out the work week. I am so very thankful! Terry and Mona (Eric’s parents) and our kids Elita and Ethan took turns on night shifts this week. I will now need to stay at the hospital to advocate for Eric until we get over the current hurdle.
The head pulmonologist has agreed that the risk of not doing the procedure to put in a port and stomach feeding tube is greater than going through with it. The anesthesiologist is anxious about the risk of undergoing these surgical procedures under Eric’s current oxygen constraints. We are not yet sure when this will be scheduled but it needs to be very soon. Please pray for the timing of “soon” in this and the best team of doctors for Eric.
We will not fear nor be anxious. We will continue to trust in the Lord Who is our Hope! Thank you for faithfully trusting with us! Keep bearing fruit wherever you are!
We love you all dearly!
Elisabeth
#9-Marvel
September 5th, 2024
Today marks one month living at the hospital (August 5th-September 5th). Procedures to place a chest port and peg tube (stomach feeding tube) were successful last week and Eric was miraculously able to breathe on his own during the entire surgery. Not even plan A (of the meticulously discussed plans A, B and C) was needed! Recovery has felt slow but moving in the right direction. Eric will receive another CT scan today to determine some painful throat issues and we will hopefully be able to see what is happening with the tumor as well. His neck area where his previous tracheostomy site opened up with infection is now healed. Praise! Eric can talk again!
The biggest hurdle to getting out of the hospital has been navigating Eric’s abnormally high resting heart rate. Please pray for this to resolve. He started a new medicine this week to see if that helps. I have chosen an inpatient rehab facility where Eric can go for up to two weeks to get stronger in between the hospital and coming home. We are asking for prayers that he will be strong enough to transfer in the next few days! We are overwhelmed and lifted by your prayers and support the past month. There is not sufficient time for all the thank you’s my heart longs to share! -Elisabeth
The following was written by Eric on his one month hospital anniversary.
“And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled.” Mark 5:20
I continue to marvel at what Jesus does in the lives of people. The maniac from Gadera, chained, naked and possessed, but now clothed and sitting in his right mind gives opportunity for people to marvel at the work of Jesus. Jesus asks the now freed man to go and share his story with the surrounding cities. The Bible says he shares this incredible story of a life intersecting with Jesus and being forever changed. The Bible says people MARVELED!
We continue to marvel at the lives that are touched by God’s Word. Friends and family sending Bible verses to encourage us that we put on the hospital wall and God uses it to encourage even more. Thank you all for your prayers, letters, cards, generosity, visits – I MARVEL at the work God is doing in and through you. Let’s Marvel together at God’s work.
And continue to pray for an even lower resting heart rate, a stronger body, an eliminated tumor, an open door to transfer to physical therapy rehab, and more open doors for the gospel.
Everyone marveled,
Eric
#10-Marvel Part II
September 7th, 2024
Here I am – not in a hospital for the next hour-Let’s go to PT rehab!
First time with regular clothes for over a month.
Clothed ✅
In my right mind ❓Questionable? 🤪
Free to share the gospel at a new place? Definitely! 👍
Let’s keep marveling! -Eric
#11-Strength
September 16th, 2024
Isaiah 40:28-31
“Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”
Eric is daily gaining strength! He is working hard in Physical Therapy hours each day and is learning to manage administering his own medication and tube feeds. Due to swallow and aspiration issues, Eric has been put on a liquid diet and will need to continue with tube feedings once home for sufficient nutrition. We are thankful his oxygen levels, ability to have movement and communication have remained stable. His resting heart rate remains a prayer request as it still needs to drop at least twenty beats per minute. Eric has been in a significant amount of pain the past two weeks. We received discouraging news from a recent scan that the tumor is attempting to grow back into the space it had vacated. This may be the cause of the pain and also the swallow issues.
Eric is working toward the goal of coming home by the end of this week! I (with the help of dear friends and family) have been prepping the house to receive the medical equipment and Home Health services Eric will need once home. We are overwhelmed with thankfulness for the mercy and miracle that Eric is getting to come home! Our hope is in the LORD for renewed strength daily as we continue to fight this aggressive cancer with God’s help. There is still nothing earthly physicians can do to “fix” the tumor. The battle is the Lord’s. God is strengthening Eric to continue to be able to fight. We are honestly weary in the fight and trusting the One Who does not grow weary to renew our strength for the next steps. Thank you for praying over us and supporting us in this journey. Please don’t stop praying and holding up our arms in this battle! May our hearts always trust in the Lord’s strength in all our battles.
We love you,
Elisabeth
Blessed be the Lord! For he has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy. The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him. Psalm 28:6-7
#12-Counting the Miracles
September 21st, 2024
I’ve got miracles on miracles
A million little miracles
Miracles on miracles
Count your miracles
One, two, three, four, I can’t even count ’em all
You held me steady so I wouldn’t give up
You opened doors that nobody could shut
I hope I never get over what You’ve done
I wanna live with an open heart
I wanna live like I know who You are
I hope I never get over what You’ve done
It’s not coincidence and it’s not luck
I know it comes from above
I’ve got miracles on miracles
A million little miracles
Miracles on miracles
Count your miracles
Excerpt from the Song “Million Little Miracles” by Elevation Worship and Maverick City Music
It’s truly a miracle (and not a little one) that Eric is HOME!
“Let us rejoice today and be glad!” Psalm 128:24
I am still counting the miracles of so many answered prayers throughout Eric’s journey to his forever home–where there is no more sickness and suffering. He is now home with his beloved Savior. And because of this, our mourning is turned to joy even in our missing. May these “memorial stones” always serve as a reminder of God’s goodness to us in the journey.
-Elisabeth