January 9, 2009

Jim Munroe diagnosed with leukemia

Dear MAZE community:

On December 18, 2008, I was diagnosed with ALL (Acute Lympho-cytic Leukemia). As you can imagine, the shock of all this has been monumental. My whole life, in a bit of news, has completely changed. As horrible as that news has been, I have been overwhelmed by everything that I am learning through this process. I am also more confident than ever before, that I will be healed from this disease.

After receiving my diagnosis, I checked into the greatest cancer treatment center in the world, MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX. I quickly began my first round of chemotherapy, and I have been assigned to the leading professional doctor in the world on my particular kind of leukemia, Dr. Debbie Thomas. (She really is the leading world professional on this stuff.) My treatment is going really well. In 15 days, the cancer in my blood has dropped from the 84 percentile to the 2nd percentile. As stated before, I am confident of a full recovery.

The MAZE tour will obviously be placed on hold until I recover. But with that, I am more than confident that the MAZE message will be all the stronger as a result of the trial that I am fortunate enough to get walk through with the Lord.

Please pray for my family and my health as we battle through this season of our lives. I cannot thank you enough for all of your support.

Also, if you’d like a bit of a more detailed look at my story and future updates through these next months, please check out our family blog at www.themunroefamily.com.

Much love.

Jim Munroe

1 Hermann Museum Circle Drive
#1102
Houston, TX 77004

The Christmas party at Beautiful Feet might be summed up differently
depending on your perspective...

Little Feet...SSS'ers
Exciting...boring
Lots of treats...hungry
Loads of fun...chaotic
Time passed quickly...time didn't
Just fine with the potty...hold it
Sometimes we have the opportunity to truly serve and it is flat not
about me...the challenge is to shed self and put others first.

Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
Colossians 3:12

No Metro in December!
See you the last Sunday in January!
But in the meantime...Mike threw down a challenge.
Psalm 119.
176 verses.
Pick a section to memorize.
Or perhaps you might just meditate on Psalm 119...

8LBS of Precious...
...Sophie Newman
Cutest thing from head to toe you have seen in a long time!

From Your CHHS Service Project Coordinator...
Having the opportunity to work at Beautiful Feet was such a blessing. Being able to see God in people's lives that really have nothing else is amazing. We met and spoke with several wonderful people. The man that stands out most clearly in my mind was an African American gentleman in probably his mid 40's or so. He had just gotten off a bus from Arkansas that week with nothing, he literally was now living on the streets. Talking to him though, you would never know he had anything negative going on in his life. He stood around with a group of us talking about how wonderful God's love and grace is, and he even prayed with us. Before he left almost all of us got a hug, and I think he must have said God bless you all about a hundred times. As he was leaving, I remember him turning to me and saying, "I love this place. I'm gonna have to stick around just so I can keep coming. Everybody here is just so happy!" I smiled and agreed with him, and I thanked God that He has provided such a safe, welcoming, cheerful place for some of His children who need it the most.

Sunday Morning at Beautiful Feet
Shirt? Shoes? Pants? Underwear? Blanket? Backpack?
Can you imagine having nothing but the clothes on your back
and standing in line to ask for replacements?

Sausage, green beans, corn, roll, cupcake...
All running into each other on your overloaded plate...
But receiving it joyfully because it might be the only meal for the day?
Can you imagine?

Adding a bit of fall color to each dining hall table...

And then making someone BEAM as she
takes home, for the first time, her very own pumpkin.
Thanks to Hall's Pumpkin Farm for providing SSS
with the pumpkins!

Sunday morning 6 parents and about 30 kids met
bright and early, well early, to head to Fort Worth.
While there SSS was able to serve in many capacities.
Our students worked with the children, shared the Gospel,
provided a listening ear, and at other times had to patiently wait
for the next task to present itself. At times it can be tough to be there.
Sometimes there are things hard to see or hard to hear.
You represent SSS well and we look forward to the next opportunity.

Our GHS and CHHS Service Project Coordinators
were both asked to share their impressions.

From GHS...
I was shocked about how happy and nice people were,
even though they were living crude lives compared to ours...
After that I looked in my room and I have so much stuff.
I am thankful to God and my parents that I can live such
a great life. Seeing that helped me realize how privileged I am.
If you did not go you need to.
Then you will know what I am talking about.

SSSers- what are your thoughts? What will you share?
We look forward to hearing from you via comments.

Buy a t-shirt for $20 and send a
boy in Rwanda to camp for a week!
Contact Mike or Mrs. Mattson