Photo: David and Elena (post "Shear a Shepherd")

Elena and I, after a swim at the local pool. This is the "new look" me, after the Shear A Shepherd event last Sunday.

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Praise Report - Initial Weight Gain

On January 1, I posted a Prayer Request (see "Prayer Request - Weight Gain), and I just want to give a preliminary praise report.

Over the last week, I've gained 2 kg (about 4.4 lbs) and sustained it. This is quite a dramatic reversal of a consistent trend of losing weight over the last 18 months.

Thank you, Lord!

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Prayer Event - Meeting at the Collins Home

This morning, the pastoral team, overseers and other members of Evangelical Community Church got together at my home, together with Linda Lee and her family, and my parents, to pray. Elena had to go to work this morning, but she too was joining us in prayer at this time.

Linda Lee has also been diagnosed with cancer, and so we've been praying together, and encouraging one another in our faith toward the Lord.

What a great time of worship, prayer and sharing this time was! I was greatly encouraged by the words that so many brought. It is a wonderful thing to have such a great support of prayer and faith behind me and the family.

As we were praying, someone shared from 2 Corinthians 1:20:

"For no matter how many promises God has made, they are 'Yes' in Christ. And so through him the 'Amen' is spoken by us to the glory of God."

And so we began quoting the various promises the Lord has given, each followed by a corporate "amen". I'll share more on this in another post soon (see the post "Yes and Amen").

Praise the Lord! God is in charge and he is at work in our lives! 

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Prayer Request - Weight Gain

I've been steadily losing weight for the past year and a half, reducing from my peak weight of 98 kg (216 lbs) to my current weight of 72 kg (158 lbs). For those without a calculator handy, that's a weight loss of 26 kg (58 lbs), or about one quarter (one fourth) of my total body weight.

What I'm believing for is a reversal of this trend. For example, because I had to fast 5 hours, twice over two days, in order to undergo tests (a CT scan on Thursday and a gastroscopy on Friday), I've lost another kilogram (2 lbs) in the last three days alone.

Weight loss or gain is one of the most immediately observable results that I can measure at this point. Would you join me in prayer that I can gain 3 kgs (6.6 lbs) over the next few weeks, and sustain that weight for a least a week (we can then believe for more weight gain from there).

This reversal of my weight loss is extremely important, because weight loss and physical strength correlate directly. In other words, by gaining weight at this time, my body will have greater physical strength to fight the cancer.

Thank you so much for joining me in prayer for this.

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