I know God is good, even if I don't always understand......

We made the decision to come to the US with complete faith that God had everything under control, and we knew that we didn't want to look back 20 years from now and wonder if there was anything more we could have done for Kike. It has been confirmed from a health standpoint time and time again that this was the right decision. From a financial standpoint, many of the physicians have not charged for their services, the radiation and anesthesia medication appears to be no cost, and everyone has gone out of their way to be as efficient as possible and avoiding expenses that aren't very necessary. Many have also helped financially with fundraisers and donations. Thank you very much!! We also were notified last week that he will probably be eligible for insurance and that it will cover much of the expenses going forward. I can't believe this could be a possibility, and I keep waiting for the bad news that he is not, after all, insurable. Even if insurance doesn't work out for him, we have joy as there isn't space here to tell you all how incredibly blessed we have been to see God work in the life of this child!

Any of you who have met Kike know that he has a super power of changing the lives of those he meets. I know he is being used in a mighty way wherever he is. We have had the opportunity to visit with many about Casa de Fe and their work in Ecuador, and have also been able to visit about short term missions, and more than a few times we have been able to share the gospel and the miracles in Kike's life. People thank us for our sacrifice on behalf of Kike. I am simply thankful we were chosen to be part of his life and we are excited to see the future unfold as he is with us.

On Monday, Aug. 1 Kike had his second laser surgery at Children's Hospital. He has been having radiation 5 days a week, and has been put under general anesthesia each time. The day of his laser surgery he skipped radiation so that he wouldn't have to be put under twice in one day.

Below is a picture of Kike's eye after the first surgery in June. The surgery took about 2 1/2 hours because Dr. Oliver was being very thorough in his examination. There are two tumors, one that is long and cloudy looking and the other that is an opaque glob.

Above is the picture of his eye after the last surgery. Some of the "whispy" stuff is blood, but some is new tumor growth. Dr. Oliver said that the cloudy long tumor has been taken care of but the other one is very aggressive. He visited with the medical team and it was recommended that chemotherapy be started immediately. That sure wasn't the news we wanted to hear.

Kike the day after surgery. His eye is a little puffy but nothing can hold him down. That kid has a wonderful smile!

Kike at the cancer clinic. The first time we went there the gal at the front desk gave him a baseball cap. This time she let him choose a cape from many that had been made by volunteers. Pretty darned cute!

Kike sitting in the infusion room next to a backpack full of stuff. Each cancer patient is given one of these backpacks. It is jammed full of toys, games, puzzles, electronics and who knows what else! They are supplied by the Gabby Krause Foundation. Gabby is a little girl who was treated at Children's hospital. Please look at the website bagsoffun.org to find out more about this incredible organization!