*Urgent Prayer Request*

Steve and Tamara have been here in my city for about three years now, and prior to that they were on staff at Duke. Tamara's dad (who is 56) was diagnosed with cancer about a year ago, but was told that he was in remission and that there was no sign of the cancer this past January. In March, his doctors discovered two new tumors, one very close to an artery in his neck. He began chemo therapy, as the doctors could not operate unless the tumor shrank due to its proximity to the artery.

In late April, the tumor was not shrinking at all from the chemo, and Tamara decided that she needed to return to the US to be with her dad this summer. She and their two little girls left last Friday night. Steve planned to stay here until mid June to handle some pressing ministry needs.

Tamara called on Sunday to say that her dad had been taken to the hospital because of bleeding related to the tumor (doctors were at first afraid that it had reached the artery, but found that it had ruptured a blood vessel, causing the bleeding). On further examination, they also discovered that the tumor is now completely surrounding the artery.

Steve began to think about going back to the US earlier last night, and I spent the night over at his apartment trying to help him think through some things that would need to be taken care of here in his absence. After I left this morning, Tamara called again saying that her dad had been taken to the hospital with bleeding again and that it was much worse this time. At one point, he stopped breathing, but was revived by EMTs. He remains in ICU.

Steve decided that he probably needed to return to the US as soon as possible, and so I helped him get ready this afternoon. Leaving an overseas assignment is no easy task to do in a week, but a few hours is EXTREMELY stressful. He was finally able to purchase a plane ticket for an 8:25PM flight at 6PM and the travel agent's messenger met us at the airport with the ticket.

I know those are a lot of details, but I would like for you to take just a minute or a few minutes to lift up this precious family in prayer. They have meant a lot to me this year and the Lord continues to use them here in great ways for His glory.

Would you pray specifically that:

*Steve would have a safe trip back to the US, and have peace and be able to rest on the flight

*Tamara and her family would be at peace with all the overwhelming things going on around them right now, and that they would draw close to the Lord during this really difficult time

*For people to surround them with the love of Christ

*For their two little girls (Kameryn, 3 and Madison, 18 mo.) not to be scared about everything that is happening around them (Just being back in the US is pretty strange for them as they have spent almost all of their lives here).