Asa Goes to Camp!
In support of
The Temple Family
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The Temple Family
Last weekend we were blessed with the opportunity to participate in Asa's first "cancer event". An organization called Camp Sunshine hosts camp and other activities throughout the year for kids with cancer and their families to allow families to get away from the worries of the real world and get to meet other cancer families. Their motto is "this is the best group you never wanted to be a part of." Last weekend was family camp and we were 1 of 30 families who were able to attend. The kids participated in activities like horseback riding, sports, mini golf, paddle boating, cooking, and archery!
Our family stayed in a cabin together and went to all meals and activities together. We were able to meet many other families who have been in our shoes, most of them years ahead of our journey. The volunteers and staff worked hard to make sure our every need was met and overall it was a great trip, even providing wagons or golf cart rides around the camp when Asa's legs got tired.
If you've ever been a part of the camp world, you know the energy is high and everyone is smiling and happy. I've been a camp counselor before, but at a Christian camp. This is not a Christian camp and Austin and I both felt the emptiness of the hope and happiness they promoted. It was glaringly obvious to me this weekend how much of a difference Christ makes in your life during hard times.
When Christ is your firm foundation:
Our family stayed in a cabin together and went to all meals and activities together. We were able to meet many other families who have been in our shoes, most of them years ahead of our journey. The volunteers and staff worked hard to make sure our every need was met and overall it was a great trip, even providing wagons or golf cart rides around the camp when Asa's legs got tired.
If you've ever been a part of the camp world, you know the energy is high and everyone is smiling and happy. I've been a camp counselor before, but at a Christian camp. This is not a Christian camp and Austin and I both felt the emptiness of the hope and happiness they promoted. It was glaringly obvious to me this weekend how much of a difference Christ makes in your life during hard times.
When Christ is your firm foundation:
- your joy is not circumstantial
- your hope is not is the next good moment, but on eternity
- your anxiety melts away
- you live with a calmness and at peace with yourself and others
- you can smile and laugh because you know who holds tomorrow!
Today Asa and I drove up to the hospital for another appointment. It was pretty uneventful. They drew blood and determined his neutrophils (good white blood cells) were too low to receive an LP or chemo today so we were sent home to wait another week. Tomorrow Austin is taking Asa to his follow-up ophthalmology appointment to try to figure out what's going on with his eyes.
Praises:
- A great weekend at Camp Sunshine's Family Camp
- Minimal leg pain this week
- His follow-up neurology appointment was rescheduled for next week (we missed his appointment last week due to an infusion)
Prayer:
- Asa's blood counts to be the right levels to continue treatment next week
- The ophthalmology appointment to go well tomorrow and for answers to what's going on with Asa's eyes
- That we can be a light for Christ in the childhood cancer community
- Asa still struggles with his meds. He gagged and threw up a few times this weekend while taking them. Pray he would be brave taking meds.
Comments
Ian Chappell
Lisa Martin