The Gathering Place Where Family Matters

An Update on Karen and Yes, it Does Involve Aisle 9!

June 23, 2015

Karen continues to do great. She is getting her strength back after the latest round of chemotherapy. Her doctor was so wise in giving her another week to get her strength back and her numbers up. She has completed four really major rounds of very heavy chemotherapies. I am so proud of her. I can see that she is a testimony of the many prayers of our family and friends. The Lord is helping her so much.

Now let me share a little laugh about Aisle 9. When I asked Karen to allow me to share her story, she was reluctant because she really is a private person. She also made me promise that I wouldn’t write only about cancer. I promised her that I would not only share our prayer requests; but I would also keep it light at times. Weeks ago I went to the grocery store and bought some sweet rolls. I fooled about the sweet rolls flying into my cart at the doing of the Monster in Aisle 9. Little did I dream how this little joke would catch on and grow! We are able to laugh with folks all across the United States. Well today I stopped at the store and bought a small bunch of bananas. At the very front of the store was a stack of sweet rolls. I managed to walk on by and smiled at the thought that I walked past Aisle 9! I got to the car and shared with Karen how well behaved I was today! No sweet rolls. It was kind of sad indeed.

Without telling anyone about this, later this afternoon our doorbell rang. It was a dear friend from church, a man named Gary. He had been in Amish Country today and bought us some sweet rolls. Must be the Aisle monster rode in his red Ford Truck today. So much for being strong. They are wonderful.

Karen is feeling stronger. The sweet rolls are delicious. Our grandson is staying overnight with us. It’s been a good day. Thanks for praying dear friends. We surely appreciate you.

Lots to Tell You About

Bushels of Blessings!

The Prayer Letter of

Michael and Karen Peck

Serving with Baptist Church Planters

June 2015
Dear Faithful Supporters,

When the Apostle Paul wrote his second letter to the church at Thessalonica, he made an interesting statement which tells us how special they were to him. He said, “We are bound to thank God always for you” (2 Thessalonians 1:3). That’s just how Karen and I want to begin this prayer letter! We are bound to thank the Lord for you dear partners.

On a personal note I want to thank you for the many letters, cards, and emails assuring us of your prayers for Karen and me as we travel through this cancer experience. I can tell you honestly that we are absolutely taking this very seriously. However I also want you to know that cancer is not ruling our lives. It is not capturing every moment of our thinking and it is not the controlling factor of our lives. While the four heavy duty “big guns” chemotherapy has been very difficult for Karen, she has handled them as a good trooper! As for me, I have embraced Psalm 56:3, “What times I am afraid, I will trust in Thee.” There are two significant things that are upcoming for which we would ask you to pray.

June 16th at 10:00 Karen will have her next CAT scan to measure the mass. I will update you on when we learn what the mass is doing. I may not know for several days, but will let folks know via our website as soon as we know.
June 19th at 8:00 the Lord will superintend the computerization at the University Hospital Seidman Cancer Center and will place Karen into one of three groups. She will either receive the effective maintenance chemotherapy A, the effective maintenance chemotherapy B, or the trial of combining maintenance chemotherapies A and B. Karen is part of a nationwide study to see which is the most effective. We’re praying that the maintenance chemo will be very effective.
On a ministry note I can tell you that this time of our lives is absoluely incredible. Never have we had the opportunities of reaching more people than we are reaching right now. Referring to the Apostle Paul again, I know he wasn’t enjoying the hardships through which he was traveling. However in Philippians 1:12 he explained that his difficult trial actually gave him expanded opportunities to share the gospel and impact lives. Here are just a few of the many things that we are actively doing in the ministry to which the Lord has called us and you make possible.

The website has become a resource center around the world. As of this morning it is nearing 37,000 visits. I have written over 900 posts, articles, Bible studies, and E-BOOKS through this resource center. Have you visited www.michaelpeck.org lately?
The Dr. Mike’s Daily Prescriptions are being sent on a new service that is working well. Every day I have the opportunity of coming into 300 homes and offices. Many of the 300 open and read the DP everyday. What an opportunity to share the Word of God throughout the USA and around the world.
The marriage, familiy, parenting, and local church resources are being used by missionaries, counselors and pastors on a regular basis.
The “Let’s Talk” video counseling series is being produced and will be available soon.
The latest book is nearing the final edit and proof reading. It is entitled “Pardon The Dust! Our Marriage is Under Construction.” An interested major publisher will be looking at the manuscript about the time that you receive this letter. Thanks for praying.
I have a couple of new resources that are in the preliminary stages. I will tell you about them in the days ahead.
I have thought a lot about the statement I am going to share with you. Before I share it let me say that I had such a tremendous privilege to serve as the vice president of Baptist Church Planters. What a blessing to be invited to so many local churches, camps, colleges, and state fellowships. I have met outstanding pastors in wonderful churches over these many years. I have stayed in the homes of precious families from coast to coast. However, here is the statement I want to share. In the sixteen months that I have been the author and family counselor of Baptist Church Planters, I believe that we are fulfilling our commissioning in the greatest impact reaching more people and serving more ministries than ever before. Over the years I’ve teased saying, “I can’t be in two places at once.” Today that statement isn’t true!

You dear supporting friends make our ministry possible. Thank you for being on our team. In the next few years I pledge to you to make the best use of my time, energy, writing, preaching, and ministry. Yes, Karen and I are “Bound to give thanks for you!”

Michael and Karen Peck

Commissioned by the Central Baptist Church, Binghamton New York. Contact us at PastorMJP@aol.com or mpeck@bcpusa.org. Resources available at www.michaelpeck.org

“We Have Been Randomized!”

Friday Update June 19th, 2015

What a strange sounding title as I write about being randomized. But that is what has happened to us. This morning we received a phone call from our clinical trial nurse that we needed to run in to the Cancer Center for one last blood test. As soon as that was completed we had the privilege of actually watching her put all of Karen’s documentation into the computer. She then said, “All right, here we go.” Within thirty seconds the answer came back.

We are part of Group B. This actually is very good news. Karen has already been receiving the medicine that would be used in Group A as part of her big guns chemotherapy. That medicine tended to dry her nasal membranes and elevate her blood pressure. She has not used the medicine of Group B yet so we are pleased to have a new medication to fight this miserable, but smaller by 27% mass. For our medical friends the medication is called Alimta or the generic is called Pemetrexed. We know that there are side effects, but they are much smaller than when we were on the big guns.

As the study continues, if the research demonstrates that any of the participants from Group A, B, or C seem to do better, our doctor will put Karen into that regimen immediately. Thank you for praying. We have absolute confidence that we are in the Group that the Lord wants us to be in. We love having you on the journey with us.

“Call unto Me and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not” (Jeremiah 33:3).

“The Latest Scan Results and a Wait for Us”

Thursday Afternoon Update

Thank you friends for the way that hundreds are following along on the journey the Lord has planned for us. First let me say we went into lab work fully expecting that tomorrow we would begin the maintenance chemotherapy. Well let’s say that the Lord has a “pull over and stop for a few days” for us. After reading the results of Karen’s blood work, some of her numbers aren’t quite as good as usual and the oncologist wants to give her another week in her recovery from chemo round #4. It was a bit of a surprise to us as her numbers always are off the charts and qualify her for the maximum dosage. We weren’t expecting this. However, we know that the Lord is in full control and we will, Lord willing, start maintenance chemo next week.

We will hear later tonight or early tomorrow morning which group we will be part of. For those who are reading in the afternoon, did you catch my update that I posted earlier this morning? It has the full explanation of what the randomization is all about. Go to my website www.michaelpeck.org and in the upper right, click About Me. Then Click prayer requests. You find this morning’s post entitled, “Today is the Day. Please Pray.

The good news is that the mass is continuing to decrease. After two more rounds of the really awful big guns of chemo, the mass has decreased by another 12%. Since treatments began the mass has decreased by 27%. We are so thrilled and want to thank the Lord. We have a long road to travel. Our oncologist told us that we would be on the maintenance chemo every twenty-one days for a very, very long time. This of course is as long as the mass doesn’t start growing again. Then we will have to go back on the big guns again.

How precious it is to know that the Lord is carrying us and that you have chosen to come with us. We are so glad that we are not traveling alone.

“Today is the Day. Please Pray”

Update June 18th, 2015

You will remember that the Lord has allowed Karen the privilege of being part of a national research study. Throughout the United States 1,500 patients with this kind of lung cancer are participating in a study in the maintenance chemotherapy. Two very effective maintenance regimens are the typical protocol. But what happens if these two are combined? Will this be more effective? So there are three groups of patients. Group A patients will use one of the effective maintenance chemotherapies. Group B patients will use the other effective maintenance chemotherapies. Group C patients will use the combination chemo of Group A and B. The study closed when the 1,500 patient number was reached. Karen was number 1,499!

Today is the day! Early this morning Karen will have lab work and all her numbers will be tested throughout the day. Following her blood draw she will see her oncologist for a checkup. At some point later in the day after all the numbers are compiled our clinical research nurse will enter the data into the national study and “hit the button.” This is referred to as the randomization. The computer randomly selects which Group the patient is assigned. We don’t look at it as randomization. We believe that the Lord has a specific plan for Karen.

So here’s what we would like to ask you to do. As we come to your minds today would you please pray that the Lord will superintend the decision as to which Group will be the most effective for Karen and ultimately brings the most glory to Himself? We are so privileged to have so many on the journey with us. Thank you so very much.

We don’t have the results from CAT scan yet and we may not find out until tomorrow when Karen begins her maintenance chemotherapy. However as soon as we hear results we will pass them along to you. We love having you on the journey with us.