Run (Isaiah 40:31) After the Chase

This past week

Thank you all for your heartfelt words of encouragement for Sasa & Mila and most importantly, for all your prayers. Last week was very challenging for Sasa and the family, as the chemo started ravaging his body and he was unable to be awake for much time at all. Towards the end of the week, Mila could only talk to him for 16 minutes and he was barely able to check messages on his cell phone. Mila had challenges of her own with increased pain due to a fall the week before (she scraped her knee, shoulders and arms), the added stress of Sasa's condition and Jacob getting an infection.

Here are some words we wanted to share with both of them:

"But this precious treasure- this light and power that now shine within us- is held in perishable containers, that is, in our weak bodies. So everyone can see that our glorious power is from God and is not our own.

We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed and broken We are perplexed, but we don't give up and quit. We are hunted down, but God never abandons us. We get knocked down, but we get up again and keep going. Through suffering, these bodies of ours constantly share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies."

2 Corinthians 4:7-10

Thank you for praying for Sasa, Mila, Laura & Jacob and his parents, who are now sharing the family apartment in Zagreb. They all need God's embrace, strength and courage to carry them through, one day at a time.

More encouragement coming to Sasa from around the world

• Thank you for advising us. We will be praying for God's will and that He may be glorified with regard to Sasha. Uncle Cliff and Aunt Ann (Canada)
• We have been uplifting Sasa and his family to the Great Heavenly Physician. We pray for healing of heart, mind and body - God knows every detail as He is the Master Designer - He knows the end from the beginning and knows what is best in every situation. Glory to God in all things. Ken & Gloria (USA)

• Thank you Jeremy, I will be praying for him and his family. Keep us all posted on his recovery. D York (US)

• We will pray for him and his family. Arnold & Angie (US)

• Consider it done! Chris (US)
• Will do Jeremy. Have faith brother leukemia has a good prognosis with rx. Alan (US)

• I will certainly join you in praying for God to work out His will in this situation for Sasha and for his family. Curtis (US)
• Very sorry to hear about their situation, and I am praying for the best. Anton (US)

• Prayers sent. David (US)
• From Daniel & Ivon Galante from Argentina:

El infarto fue casi fatal. El 25 de febrero de 1960, el corazón de Terri L Schiavo dejó de latir apenas por unos instantes, lo suficiente para que la sangre dejara de irrigar el cerebro. La consecuencia fue un terrible daño cerebral. En aquel entonces, Terri tenía solo 26 años. El día que escribí esta meditación falleció después de 15 años de sobrevivencia en estado vegetativo. Su caso dio la vuelta al mundo debido a una guerra judicial entre e! esposo y los padres de Terri.

Un instante. Fue apenas un instante que la sangre dejó de irrigar e! cerebro. Cuando la oxigenación de! cerebro se regularizó, ya era tarde. A partir de aquel instante, la vida de Terri cargó con consecuencias funestas. Era una vida "sin vida", que dio origen a una polémica sobre si valía o no valía la pena dejar que un ser humano "viviese" en ese estado.

Así como e! cerebro necesita oxígeno, e! ser humano necesita a Jesús. Por eso e! salmista exclama: "Tu presencia [gracia] supliqué de todo corazón".* Vivimos por la gracia. Existimos por la gracia y somos salvos únicamente por la gracia.

Si la vida es un don de Dios, como en verdad lo es, nada hicimos para merecerla. Un don es un regalo. Tú no pagas por un regalo. Solamente necesitas aceptado.

¿Cómo reaccionas ante un regalo? Generalmente, el valor de un regalo para ti va a depender de! sentimiento que tienes hacia la persona que te ofrece e! presente. ¿Cuál es e! tipo de relación que tienes con Dios? Eso es lo que va a determinar tu forma de administrar su regalo.

La vida es frágil. Hoyes, y mañana puede no ser más. Lo único que sostiene la vida es la gracia maravillosa de Dios. Separados de Dios ya no vivimos, apenas sobrevivimos, a veces en estado "vegetativo", esperando que llegue e! día en que el corazón deje de latir.

Haz de este día un día de comunión con el Señor de la Vida. No necesitas dejar de lado tus actividades cotidianas. Enfrenta los desafíos que se presentan hoy ante ti con la certeza de que no estás solo. Dios es tu constante fuerza. Él está a tu lado, a pesar de que las circunstancias adversas te hayan envuelto como densas sombras y no te dejen ver nada. Clama: "Tu presencia [gracia] supliqué de todo corazón; ten misericordia de mí según tu palabra".

Alejandro Bullón

24 Hour prayer team

There are people from around the world praying in half-hour slots 24 hours a day for Sasa. If you want to join, please use the comment section below to let us know what time slot you would like to join. Pray for God's will to be done! Pray that God's "peace that passes all understanding" will envelope Sasa and his whole family.

Click on the image to see it larger:

Sasa started chemotherapy today

Sasa is now in the best cancer hospital in Zagreb, Croatia. Today he started seven intense days of chemotherapy followed by the next week or so in an isolation room. The first line of attack is to "kill the cancer," and in doing so, many other good cells as well. We are earnestly asking you to pray for Sasa's next week, as the chemo treatment ravages his body, may it turn his thoughts to Christ, and may his mind find the strength to walk this journey hand in hand with his Maker.

We couldn't think of a better analogy of love between a father and a son, and how God can carry Sasa through this:

Family pictures - Summer 2010

Welcome to Sasa's blog!

Thank you all for the overwhelming support received just today on the eve of finding out Sasa has acute leukemia. We are so grateful to God for a community of believers that are rallying around the world to plead God for Sasa's soul and health.

We do not understand why these things happen. But we understand our merciful and compassionate God and we are interceding before him as of today for a miraculous healing.

Thank you for your prayers and encouragement and for sharing in this journey with us. Please feel free to post uplifting thoughts and stories of God's leading in your own life.

We love you in Christ,

Victor, Suzana, Lea, Mia & Nali