UPDATE (TUESDAY 10/14/2008):

Yesterday was my last chemotherapy session! It's been a long 7 month process with surgery and 6 months of chemotherapy, but praise the Lord it has come to an end! I am currently considered "cancer free" by my doctors. The plan is to meet with my oncologist in about 3 weeks for a follow-up and then have blood tests every three months, and a MRI every 6 months for the next few years, just to make sure that the cancer has not returned.

It's been a tough road at times, but I am thankful to the Lord and for all of you who faithfully prayed for me along the way. Thank you so much! I am looking forward to regaining my strength and returning full time - both morning and evening - to the pulpit. Along the way I have developed a few complications, some neuropathy (numbness and tingling in my hands and feet), along with a hernia that needs to be repaired. These however are small things that I still need to deal with.

I am thankful to the Lord for His sustaining grace and for the love of my wife, family, and church. I want to again thank each of you for your help, support, encouragement and prayers over the past few months!

To God Be the Glory, Great Things He has Done!

Pastor Bill

UPDATE (SUNDAY 08/03/2008):

Dear Church Family and Friends,

I'm sorry for being so long between the updates, but there's not much new to report. I just finished 7 of the 12 major chemotherapy treatments that I am scheduled to go through. I am thankful that I am over half way, but honestly not looking forward to the next 5 treatments as they drain my energy level excessively. The side effects are still present, but for the most part are under control.

Please continue to pray that God might Glorify Himself through this trial. I remain confident in His Mercy and Love and Sovereign purposes in my life. Pray also that my energy level would not deteriorate any more, as I desire to remain in the pulpit on Sunday mornings throughout the treat regiment. The chemotherapy has an accumulating effect and the fatigue seems to be getting stronger and stronger.

Continue to pray for my family, as they continue to do well - adjusting to life with dad having cancer.

Also if you would pray, that the Lord would quickly allow my strength to return, as I am planning (Lord willing) on making a trip to Russia in January to be a part of a Christmas project that our church does in conjunction with The Slavic Gospel Association, and also I am scheduled to teach a class for one week to a group of Russian pastors in Tambov. My dear wife is schedule to accompany me, as she will be teaching a women's conference to the pastor's wives. Please pray that we would be able to make this trip as scheduled. I will have finished chemotherapy for about 2 1/2 months, and am praying that my strength will be sufficient for the trip.

Thank you all for your continued prayers and outpouring of love. I truly am humbled by your graciousness to me and my family.

In Christ's Love

Pastor Bill

UPDATE (THURSDAY 06/05/2008):

Dear Church Family and Friends-

I have felt the need for some time to update this post for those of you who are looking for updated information, but there?s not a tremendous amount of new information to pass on to you. I have just finished my first month of chemotherapy. There have been some ups and downs and a number of side effects that I was told to expect, which have for the most part, have all occurred.

However I would say that I?m doing well, as we are getting a handle on how to deal with the various side effects. With many of those somewhat under control, I felt like last week was the best I felt since even perhaps a before my surgery.

Please continue to pray for my family as they are doing well, but at times it?s still difficult for them, realizing that I?m still fighting colon cancer. Also continue to pray that I would, in the words of John Piper, ?not waste my cancer.? Pray that God would continue to give me opportunities to share the hope of Christ with those I come in contact with at the hospital. And pray that I would continue to grow closer and my relationship with Christ and be a living testimony of God?s goodness and His mercy as He sovereignly directs my path.

Thank you for all of your concern, for your support, for your many prayers and words of encouragement.

In Christ?s Love

Pastor Bill

UPDATE (WEDNESDAY 05/07/2008):

Dear Church Family and Friends

I am doing well after my first chemotherapy treatment on Monday. It took nearly 6 hours for the entire treatment! It should be less in the future. Overall I'm feeling pretty well, though I seem to get a bit tired towards the end of the day. Thank you for your continued prayers and concerns. As a family, Shari and the kids seem to be doing very well. Continue to pray that I might have opportunity to share the hope we have in Christ with those whom I come in contact with during my treatments. As always I am thankful that the Lord has given me the great privilege of pastoring Cornerstone Bible Church. What a tremendous mercy God has given to me to declare the glories of our wonder Savior! Pray that this opportunity might be extended to those who are also going through treatment for cancer that I come in contact with.

In Christ's Love

Pastor Bill

UPDATE (WEDNESDAY 04/30/2008):

Dear Cornerstone family and friends,

I just wanted to give you an update today on my situation. I just returned from the hospital where I had a port stuck into one of the veins in my chest that will make the chemo therapy treatment much easier to be given to me. No more sticking my veins every time I go to the doctor's office, as everything will go through this port that is hidden under the skin in my chest. Everything went very well today, and except for being a little sore, I'm doing very well.

I am scheduled to start chemotherapy next Monday on May 5, which will be administered every other week for 12 sessions, which will take me to the end of September before I'm done with the treatments. I also found out yesterday that I have been a selected for an experimental drug that has shown very favorable results in a cutting down the return rate of colon cancer for those with more advanced cancers than mine. Therefore, I will be a part of an investigational research study to determine how this drug works on lower level cancers like I have. This drug will be administered on the off week's between chemotherapy treatments. While I'm not a doctor, I think the idea behind this drug is that it stops the cancer cells from sending out recruiting cells that may lay dormant for a time and then it come to life -so to speak, somewhere down the road.

We are doing well, both Shari and I, but would ask you to continue to pray for our children as I think this situation with their daddy is a little more difficult on them than we had originally realized. As they see that there once strong and invincible father, is not so strong and not so invincible, I think some of their security is being threatened. But it's a wonderful time to remind them, as we all need to be reminded, that our strength and security does not come in people, not even in their father. But our strength and our security and our hope is found in our most wonderful God and our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Please continue to pray that we might have wisdom on how to direct and encourage them to put their trust in Christ.

This last Sunday I had the privilege of once again preaching from the pulpit of Cornerstone Bible Church in both morning and evening services. The messages are found on the website if you so desire to listen to them. In the morning I took a break from our study in the book of Romans and turned to the book of 1Peter to look at the major themes that Peter weaves through that book on how we as Christians should handle trials and struggles and sufferings, when they come into our lives from a biblical perspective. My hope is that it will be useful to you and to the members of our congregation as they encounter various trials and struggles in his life. And perhaps the material might be helpful to share with others we come in contact with ?as God providentially puts hurting people in our path..

Please continue to pray for Joe as I mentioned last time, as of now I have not been able to visit with him in person, and then only once by way of telephone. I will try to call him again tomorrow and set up a time to meet with him.

Again, thank you for your many acts of kindness and your continual concern and your prayers. Please continue to pray that God might give us opportunity to share Christ with those whom they come in contact with we do not know Him.

In Christ?s Love

-Pastor Bill

UPDATE (WEDNESDAY 04/23/2008):

Dear Cornerstone Family and Friends,

I just wanted you to know that I am doing very well. It?s hard to believe, but today marks the 3rd week anniversary of my surgery. I?m getting stronger everyday and overall feeling well. Thank you for your continued prayers.

Shari and I attended an informational training seminar yesterday to learn what to expect when I start on chemotherapy on May 5th . It was very helpful. In the process, the Lord directed me to an older gentleman named Joe, who also has colon cancer, but is having a very difficult time with the whole situation. The Lord provided me an opportunity to speak with him and try to encourage him. I would ask that you might pray for Joe, as I am planning on meeting with him in the next day or so, to encourage him and find out where he is with the Lord. I am praying that God may direct our paths together, and I might be able to help Joe walk through this process and encourage him in eternal matters.

Next week holds more tests and more doctor visits, and that has been my lot for the past month or so. On Wednesday of next week, I will undergo an outpatient surgical procedure to insert a ?port? into one of my veins in order to receive the chemotherapy.

I had the opportunity to be in the congregation on the Lord?s day last Sunday, and Lord willing am planning on returning to the pulpit this coming Lord?s day - a privilege that God has given to me, that I am extremely thankful for! As always, I am so thankful to the Lord for His many mercies that are indeed new every morning! Knowing that our God is sovereign over the affairs of men, makes these times much easier to walk through. Our lives are truly in His hands and He is a wonderful and merciful, Saving God!

In Christ?s Love

Pastor Bill

UPDATE (THURSDAY 04/17/2008): The following two letters have been received from Pastor Bill:

Dear Cornerstone Family,

Thank you so much for your prayers and many acts of kindness to me and my family. I'm recovering quite well and am feeling stronger every day.

God indeed is sovereign over the affairs of men, even in times of trials. For that I am most thankful. The prophet Jeremiah's says in Lamentations 3:37 ?Who is there who speaks and it comes to pass, Unless the Lord has commanded it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High That both good and ill go forth??

No Matter what comes our way, we can be thankful that our God is in control of every event! I am thankful that our God is Both sovereign and good. And everything that comes into our lives first passes through his loving hands.

Continue to pray that God will allow me to regain my strength and full so that I can return to be with you as soon as possible. I count it the greatest privilege of my life to preach the glories of Christ our Savior and to be your pastor!

Thanks again for your prayers and support. Please continue to pray that God may open up opportunities to glorify Christ through this trial.

Let me end with the words of Jeremiah in Lamentations 3: 21 so that we may all be encouraged by the hope that we have in our God: ?This I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope. The LORD's lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Thy faithfulness. "The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "Therefore I have hope in Him."

In Christ's love.

Pastor Bill

Dear church family,

As you know surgery went well. Recovery has been difficult at times but I am progressing quickly. The pathology report shows that I will need chemotherapy as 6 out of 32 lymph nodes tested are cancerous. While this is not what we had hoped for, it is nevertheless the path God has chosen for us. We continue to trust in God's sovereign purposes as we walk down this "bend in the road." We covet your prayers and are thankful for your many acts of kindness.

In Christ's love,

Pastor Bill and Shari.

UPDATE (WEDNESDAY 04/09/2008): Pastor Bill is progressing well and has been able to make several short walks around his yard: rejoicing at the beauty of God's creation and the beautiful warm weather we have had the past couple of days. We thank God for His faithfulness and continue to pray for Bill's strength to be restored.

UPDATE (WEDNESDAY 04/09/2008): Pastor Bill is progressing well and has been able to make several short walks around his yard: rejoicing at the beauty of God's creation and the beautiful warm weather we have had the past couple of days. We thank God for His faithfulness and continue to pray for Bill's strength to be restored.

UPDATE (TUESDAY 04/08/2008): We praise God that after a long week, Pastor Bill arrived home from hospital on Sunday evening. We trust in God's sovereign purposes for all that lies ahead and continue to covet your prayers.

UPDATE (WEDNESDAY 04/02/2008): After a delayed start and a much longer surgery than expected, we praise God that Pastor Bill made it safely through today's procedures. The surgeon was pleased that they were able to do the procedure laparoscopically which will reduce the recovery time. The doctors will know more information on Saturday when the pathology results are available.

Dear Friends,

During the week following Resurrection Sunday, after a series of tests, I was diagnosed with colon cancer. Although this is not what I had hoped for, my doctors seem confident that this is very curable. Having discussed different treatment options, I am scheduled to undergo surgery shortly. I count it a privilege to be a minister of the gospel and now God has afforded me the opportunity to live out what I preach. Our God is sovereign over all the affairs of man and never is a single molecule out of place. It is my prayer that through this I will grow closer to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and that His Name may be glorified.

I will keep you informed of any significant developments. It is a matter of great comfort to enjoy your friendship and to count on your prayers.

Humbly in Christ,

Bill