July 30, 2004
Update # 40
Good Morning,
We hope this finds all of you having as cool a summer as we are having. I think we have had a total of only a week's worth of hot days. We have had the windows open numerous times in July -- most unusual for us.
Jeff came home late on Monday the 19th for 5 full days. He and I went to StL on the 22nd for his testing. The appointment with his Radiation Oncologist was cancelled due to the fact his doctor is opening a private practice and SLU is in the process of getting the new doctor to come in September. They do have doctors working with patients currently in treatment but since Jeff is showing no symptoms, it was decided to skip this six-month check-up. Dr. Chu ordered an x-ray and blood work for Jeff. He called yesterday with the results. The x-ray showed no change (which it looked like that day) and the blood work also showed things were fine. Dr. Chu was happy (as were we) and commented he might do a CT Scan on the next six-month visit. We are very thankful that you continue your prayers for Jeff. We know your prayers have helped Jeff get to this point in his life.
I reread the update from March and should let you know the path God has now led Jeff. Jeff had discussed several times in the past about transferring from Wartburg to a technical school, Brown College, in Mendota Heights, MN. It's a suburb of St. Paul and only 5 minutes from the Mall of America. Jeff went there over spring break to take a quick look and briefly talk to an admissions counselor. The college is on the quarter system and Jeff decided to wait till January 2005 to begin so he could help out KWWL Channel 7 with summer vacations. Jeff found a tiny apartment (one with the quirks of a first apartment that you all remember) on the southern edge of Waterloo and moved into it in May when his semester ended at Wartburg. Our summer vacation has been a monthly trip to Waterloo. On July 8th, the three of us had plans to travel to Brown College for Ken and I to have a look. The Saturday before, on the 3rd, Jeff's boss emailed him about an opening for a news cast director and he felt Jeff would be a good candidate for the position. During Jeff's eight months of part-time work at Channel 7, he has learned many aspects and jobs of the station and he had already told us that someday he would like to be a director. So our drive to Brown was spent reading the catalog descriptions of each of the technical classes. Jeff then told us what he knew in each class that he had learned at Wartburg TV or at Channel 7. There was one machine that he not yet encountered. We toured the facility and discussed with the admissions counselor about the type of position that Jeff would get after graduation. He commented that it would be a production assistant job (Jeff has been doing that at Channel 7 since last November). This counselor also said that it would take several years of experience to get a producer or director job in a tv station. We had heard more than once, in these last eight months from colleagues at Channel 7, how Jeff was learning more things and different jobs than any other production assistant had ever cared about learning. So after much discussion before we left town, we gave Jeff our blessing to forego Brown College and pursue the news cast director position. Monday, the 26th, Jeff was officially informed he got the job! It was 3 years ago also on the 26th that Jeff was diagnosed with Hodgkin's. Ken and I discussed at lunch that day (Ken's birthday) how God has led Jeff from one journey through another and given him the job of his dreams. Jeff will work Saturday through Wednesday from 2:00 PM to 11:00 PM. He'll direct the two news casts on Saturday night, the two news casts on Sunday night, plus a sport show on Sunday night. He'll shadow a couple of weeks before doing it on his own but he is considered a full time director as of this last week. Our August visit (the week of the 8th) will now entail new apartment hunting. His current apartment is fine for short term but now that he's staying in Waterloo he needs an apartment that is more of a home.
We thank you all for your prayers which have helped to make Jeff's dreams come true. His journey continues to amaze us! Ken and I have sat sometimes during these last three years asking God "Ok, now which way are you taking Jeff?" I still can hear in my ears the comment Dr. Chu made when I first met him, "I think this is Hodgkin's. This is good". I thought how can you put cancer and good together but God has proven, yes, this is good. Jeff is truly blessed by your prayers and love and this is good!
Jeff will come to Hillsboro (home is now Waterloo) in January for his next check-ups in StL. So we pray for all of you God's blessings in the months ahead. Your love, prayers and support are indescribable.
Love,
Marcia