I threw in an old pic of her first spica full cast....vs this modified version! Thank you JESUS for this cast! What a Blessing!

WE SERVE A POWERFUL, LIVING GOD! This week started with an "emergency" trip to the dentist, because our oncologist believed that Natalia needed to be checked for loose permanent teeth. She had 3 wiggly teeth and because of her low calcium and history of Osteoporosis, he wanted to double check. Since her treatment and her low ANC/immunity, she had not seen a dentist in quite a long time....we definitely did not know what to expect! Amazing enough, she does NOT have ONE cavity! And she is loosing 3 baby teeth!! Thank you, Lord!! Today, Dr. Cheong gave us the pathology report from the surgery, and it confirmed what the oncologist said of Natalia Sofia! It appears that she is on remission!! This brings tears to my eyes....to hear those words from the doctors.....even though it's not a year...YET....it is awesome to know that she is still on the road to recovery, 9 months after coming off such an intense, horrific treatment. Even though we did not get the MRI of the leg for her 9month scans, a NEGATIVE biopsy is proof enough! The surgeon will see her in 3 more weeks, and (hopefully) he will remove the cast!! She will be NON-weight bearing for a while after that, while her bone HEALS & GROWS. PRAYING for The Lord to create a new bone, at the cellular level......like ONLY HE CAN. JESUS you are the creator, and you fearfully and wonderfully knit Natalia Sofia....you took your time and made her to be who she is.......purposely made for SUCH A TIME AS THIS. You created her for such a time, with such a circumstance...and equipped us for it! You knew it BEFORE you created her! Thank you Lord, because you are EVERYWHERE I look....reminding me WHO is in charge! I LOVE YOU, JESUS!!! Psalm 139:13-14, 16 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Your eyes saw my unformed body; ALL the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. Job 10:12 You gave Natalia Sofia life and showed her kindness, and in your providence watched over her spirit. Jeremiah 1:5 Natalia, Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.

2 weeks have passed and we had to start all over getting used to a new "normal" and all of the challenges this surgery brings. It's a roller coaster of emotions as Natalia battles new and old challenges DAILY, coming to the feet of JESUS...DAILY presenting our requests to our Lord. JESUS is our true lifeline!! Taking it one.day.at.a.time. Having the confidence to know that the GOD we serve WILL supply all our needs, daily and is faithful to complete the work He started in Natalia and our family. In this recovery period, God has placed a strong support system of believers to uphold our arms in prayers and deeds.....such a humbling experience...we are in awe. From surprise parties, get-togethers, dinners, gifts for Natalia, messages, and the list goes on and on....THANK YOU! Our three month follow up to the Oncologist's office was today, and it was great to hear that all her labs and urine sample were normal! Her chest X-ray is NORMAL...No Evidence of Disease...NED!!! We are still waiting on biopsy reports next week when we visit the surgeon's office for the post-op follow up. It was amazing to hear the doctor rave about how great she looks!! Praise JESUS! Next time we visit the Oncologist, in three short months, it will be a year since she's been off treatment! WOW....time is flying by! Thank you, JESUS....it is so evident that you have carried us though this journey! Philippians 1:6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Ezra 8:23 So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and he answered our prayer. Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Psalm 119:170 May my supplication come before you; deliver me according to your promise.

Life with a modified spica cast I can't believe it's already been a whole week since her surgery! Life with a spica cast..........AGAIN. :( Although the cast is half the size it was the last time, the fact that Natalia has to get into yet another cast, and be limited with her activities, and learn to walk a-gain is devastating to a 9 year old young lady, who wants to be a "normal" kid with a "normal" life. I mean, I know that our Lord, JESUS has a perfect plan, will, and purpose for Natalia, but this is extremely hard to watch. From the clothes she wears, to her everyday activities, it has been an extremely difficult transition. She feels helpless, hopeless, and discouraged. Simple things that she could independently accomplish are very complicated or impossible to do in her "temporary" condition. We all thought the spica, chemo, and radiation were in the past....never to be revisited. Those days were over, and she worked so hard to perfect her walk without the crutches and the wheelchair! She was determined and had moved on....and was not going to take any steps backwards. I now see a saddened soul who is trying real hard to make sense of all this. Praying for our Lord, JESUS, to fill her with his peace in this season of stillness. Jesus, wrap your arms around her and give her the strength that she needs to get through this desert. Lord, there are days that she gets tired, physically and emotionally......tired of fighting this battle....help her keep her eyes fixed on you FIRST to give her what she needs. She was chosen by you, for such a time as this....I speak LIFE into her circumstance...I speak blessing into her young life with a God-given calling, open her spiritual eyes to see what is hidden from her. Put a hedge of protection around her and cover her with the LIVING and STILL warm blood of our Almighty God, JESUS CHRIST who is her refuge and strong tower, a help in times of distress, HE is her healer, ALL POWERFUL Jehovah Rappha, her redeemer, her prince of peace, her encouragement, her protector, her Heavenly Father, her shepherd, her HOPE. JESUS, renew her mind and heart and give her the strength to soar above her circumstance, like the eagle. That she may not grow weary or grow faint, for she knows in whom she believes in. We thank you Lord for the Love, Grace and Mercy you have shown towards Natalia Sofia and our family! Thank you, JESUS that she is cancer free and her spica is smaller...we are truly grateful for the remnants of people that have rallied around us throughout this journey.....it is truly humbling..we recognize your MIGHTY hand in all of this...without it...we would have perished. We need you, JESUS. Without you, we are nothing. Isaiah 40:28-29, 31 Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. BUT Natalia trusts in the Lord and will find new strength. Natalia will soar high on wings like eagles. Natalia will run and not grow weary. Natalia will walk and not faint. I DECLARE THIS IN JESUS NAME....AMEN. END OF STORY.

WOW! Thank you ALL for your AMAZING prayers, love and support! Our family is grateful for each and everyone of you! Thank you sooo very much! May our Lord, JESUS Bless each of you tremendously!!! Our family's prayer for you: Colossians 1:9-14 So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better. We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy, always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light. For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins. Natalia is home, resting and doing A-mazing! NOT needing her pain meds at all, and using the walker and wheelchair as she was taught! If her therapist and Dr. Cheong could see her now! It is truly a BLESSING to witness the Lord's hand upon her!

Home at last....PRAISE JESUS!! DEAR FEAR: BE GONE. NATALIA CAN DO IT, THROUGH CHRIST, WHO GIVES HER THE STRENGTH TO DO IT! Last night, Natalia slept through the night without her nighttime dose of meds! In the morning, we spoke to the pain management team and decided to keep her meds on an "as needed" basis versus around the clock. Physical therapy came by and we were hopeful that this was it...she was ready to conquer the hurdle, and go home! We prayed A LOT, and talked things through with scriptures. Jesus gives us the scriptures to speak to us through our present situation. Natalia started out her therapy session great, she was cheerful, and willing.....but when she got to the edge of the bed....fear showed up. She kept saying that she "can't do it" and she ended up (after 1hr) NOT doing it. The therapist was ready to call it quits, she called the parents out of the room...I stayed with the child life specialist, and looked at her in the eyes and said, "Natalia, if you keep telling yourself you can't, then your brain will take the message and act on that....and you won't. Tell yourself, I CAN do ALL things through Christ Jesus, who gives me the strength to do it...because you CAN. I know you can do this...." She looked up at me and said..."I'm ready." I quickly opened the door and called the therapist back in, and before we knew it, she was standing in front of her bed...saying out loud: I CAN, I CAN, I CAN, I CAN....she used the walker to take baby steps with the non-surgical leg to the wheelchair....and then sat on the wheelchair!!! She did this a few times!! She conquered fear. She jumped over the hurdle. Everyone in the room was silent, with their jaws wide open!! Lol! I'm sooo proud of her! Afterwards, her brother took her for a stroll around the floor! She was ecstatic to be out of her room!! What.A.Victory! She spoke LIFE into her circumstance...she BELIEVED the word of our Lord, Jesus Christ! HER FAITH WAS IN THE POWER OF JESUS CHRIST! The word of our Lord accomplished the purpose of which HE sent it! We got our ticket to go home!! We are home at last.....thank you, Jesus, for giving us your word, which is ALIVE and ACTIVE...it sets out to do what it says it will do! It is the sword of the spirit to use in our daily battles.....what an awesome God we serve!! 1 Corinthians 2:5 that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the POWER of God. Isaiah 55:10-11 As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but WILL accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. Psalm 115:11 You who fear him, TRUST in the Lord—he is their help and shield. Psalm 46:2 Therefore we will NOT fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea.. Psalm 34:4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he DELIVERED me from ALL my fears. Psalm 27:3 Though an army besiege me, my heart will NOT fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident. Psalm 27:1 The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 23:4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. Ephesians 6:10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty POWER. Psalm 66:3 Say to God,“How awesome are Your works! Through the greatness of Your POWER, your enemies shall submit themselves to You.

Disheartening news.... Natalia is now completely off the Iv's and getting up to use the commode. She is still very tired and wears herself out. She is on oral meds around the clock, and her pain is overall well managed. Today was a tough day for her, she didn't move to the wheelchair as efficient as she should, and is extremely discouraged. We were scheduled to leave today, but because Natalia doesn't move with the level of confidence that they like to see, we have to wait....hopefully until tomorrow. Yesterday, the look in her eyes as described by one nurse was petrified because of fear.....the level of anxiety was through the roof. As we tackle the hurdle of fear, it is smaller than yesterday, but still very much present. Today, she worked hard and accomplished a lot.....but not enough to make the cut....:( To watch her work hard to make it to the edge of the bed and come thisclose to getting to her destination, then allowing fear to take over and shut her down is devastating......but GOD...HE IS BIGGER than this...there is ALWAYS tomorrow! The Lord JESUS is in control.... Please continue to pray for her bone to heal and grow, for Natalia to gain her strength, and her confidence. For her fears to be conquered in the name of Jesus! FOR GOD HAS NOT GIVEN NATALIA A SPIRIT OF FEAR...BUT OF LOVE, POWER, AND A SOUND MIND....IN JESUS NAME! Hebrews 13:6, 8 So we say with confidence,“The Lord is Natalia's helper; she will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to her?” Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. Psalm 118:1, 5-7, 14 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. When hard pressed, I cried to the Lord; he brought me into a spacious place. The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me? The Lord is with me; he is my helper. I look in triumph on my enemies. The Lord is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation. Psalm 3:3-6 But you, Lord, are a shield around Natalia, her glory, the One who lifts her head high. She call out to the Lord, and he answers her from his holy mountain. She lies down and sleeps; She wake again, because the Lord sustains her. She will not fear though tens of thousands assail her on every side.