our YARP for Jon and Laura

A dear friend from my Kingsport youth group, Jon Ross, was diagnosed with liver cancer earlier this year. In high school Jon had struggled with an auto-immune disease that attacked his liver. During that time, our Father revealed Jon's incredible artistic talents to everyone, and Jon began a path of using his painting skills to reveal the Father and JC to everyone. He now travels the country to different groups painting The Message. You can see his work here and here.

The amazing part of this story is that when Jon was diagnosed with cancer, he had been married for less than 6 months to a beautiful wife, Laura. This awesome young lady donated half of her own liver to her new husband in a transplant that took place earlier this month. Both Jon and Laura have been through surgery and painful recovery, but the news seems to be really positive that Jon is going to recover after such a long time of bad health. We are all waiting anxiously to hear that their time of pain has passed and that their days of healing and happiness have arrived. You can keep up with their story at their CaringBridge website here.

Anyway, Jon and Laura, we've been Lifting you Up over here in China. Every Sunday I attend the International Christian Fellowship--an approved worship service for all holders of non-Chinese passports. Wuhan is filled with brothers and sisters from India, all parts of Africa, some Europeans and some Americans. As strangers in this land we come together each week in a really lovely time of fellowship. We've been YARPing (spell the capitalized word backwards and you'll catch the meaning) for you during the height of the transplant news--the first part is a YARP right after the transplant--though I think the speaker misunderstood that we needed to YARP for the new liver and not the cancer...but our DAD understood anyway, I'm sure. The second YARP is our rejoicing that Laura's liver 'made it over the hump' and our continued YARP for healing for you both. We've all been inspired by Laura's selflessness and love and by Jon's patient strength. Anyway--in many tongues you have both been lifted to Him who can heal all things. We love you.