Standing in Faith

 

Standing in Faith

In times of challenge and uncertainty, our faith in Christ is the cornerstone that sustains us. Louie and Marianne are continuing to walk through a season that calls for our prayers, support, and encouragement. Let's stand in faith together, believing that God is still in control and knowing that He cares deeply for Marianne and Louie and this battle they are facing. 

Update

Hi everyone! I know it has been awhile since we have had an official blog update! A lot has happened in the last two weeks and Marianne has been doing a great job of posting updates on her Facebook page to keep us all up to date. I wanted to share an update that Marianne shared with me today so that we can join them in prayer and support them as they continue walking this out.

Yesterday was a mixed bag for Louie and Marianne. They celebrated a victory, the removal of the wound vacuum and Louie being able to take small sips of water, by taking a drive to the store together and rejoicing over Louie’s progress. Later in the day they received some heavy news and struggled to process all of it. 

During a consultation with Dr. L, they learned that Louie has extra nodule extension on the left side of his neck and salivary gland. This means the cancer has spread to the surrounding tissue. As Dr. L explained the process and potential side effects of further treatment—including radiation, chemotherapy, and the recommendation for a port to be installed—Louie became overwhelmed. The potential side effects such as kidney problems, ringing in the ears, and hearing loss left him feeling disheartened. He retreated to one of the guest rooms to process everything, staying there for hours. It seems to be a constant "one step forward, three steps back," and this has to be so hard to take in day after day. Pray that Louie and Marianne would have perseverance and remain focused on God and His goodness and grace, regardless of what each day brings.

In Marianne’s feelings of helplessness, she sought support from her sister in love, Jerry the cat, and myself. Together, they cried, prayed, and fervently lifted Louie up in prayer. Marianne’s faith reminds her that God will turn their situation, sorrows, and fears into joy and their greatest testimony. She believes that God has set them apart to declare His wonderful deeds and His miraculous love for all of us. We are standing in agreement!

This morning, Louie was still discouraged, but Marianne read a devotional to him and shared her heart. Louie expressed some of his concerns, and today he plans to pray and seek God’s wisdom on how to move forward. Marianne is asking for continued prayers for Louie as he processes and seeks clarity from God.

Louie and Marianne’s steadfast faith in Jesus has been their strength. They’ve faced hurdles that would shake anyone, yet they’ve chosen to lean into His promises, trusting in His provision and peace. Their journey is a testimony of perseverance and the hope we find in Christ.

How You Can Help

1. Pray Without Ceasing Prayer is powerful, and it is the most impactful way we can support Louie and Marianne right now. Pray for strength, wisdom, and provision as they navigate this season. Pray for peace in their hearts and clarity in their decisions. And most importantly, pray for God’s will to be done and His name to be glorified through it all.

2. Share Their Story Sharing Louie and Marianne’s journey with others extends the circle of prayer and support. By sharing with your friends, family, and church members, you can invite others to stand in the gap for them and pray big prayers!

3. Financial Support Beyond prayer, Louie and Marianne are in need of continued financial support. If God places it on your heart, consider giving to help meet their needs. Every contribution, no matter the size, makes a difference and is a tangible way to show your love and care. Donations can be a lifeline, enabling them to focus on what truly matters without the burden of financial stress. Thank you for all of those who have already donated, it has been a huge blessing and will allow Marianne and Louie to continue to travel back and forth for treatments and for Louie to take all of the time necessary off of work!

Standing Together

The beauty of the body of Christ is that we are stronger together. Louie and Marianne’s faith journey is a reminder of the importance of community, love, and unwavering trust in Jesus. Let’s come together to be the hands and feet of Christ, supporting them in every way we can.

If you feel led to donate or want to know how you else you can help, please reach out. Your generosity and prayers are a blessing that will not only uplift Louie and Marianne but also glorify God through your faithful stewardship and compassion.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/louies-fight-united-in-faith

Sara

Happy Anniversary & Update

Happy Monday,

Today is Marianne and Louie's anniversary, so please join us in wishing them a very happy anniversary! They are so grateful for each other, and their love continues to be a strong source of comfort and strength through all of this. Despite the struggles, they remain hopeful and grounded in their faith. Today, they celebrate each other and the perseverance they share.

                                                                    Then... 

                                                                    and Now! 

We hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving surrounded by those you love, giving God the glory for your many blessing! Marianne and Louie are really looking forward to being able to share a meal with family and friends as soon as they can. They ended up spending their Thanksgiving in the hospital, but had a beautiful surprise. Mom (Nita) came up for a surprise visit after she "got lost on the way to the grocery store!" It was so wonderful for Marianne and Louie to see her and get a warm mom hug!

They had hoped to be home by now, but unfortunately, that hasn’t happened yet, and it’s been a tough few days. Louie’s been going through a lot—getting antibiotics, dressing changes, and dealing with some IV difficulties. Last night was especially challenging, and after almost two hours and four different nurses, they finally got the IV in. It was a bit of an emotional rollercoaster, but Marianne and Louie found comfort in praying, playing worship music, and leaning on each other.

The emotional toll has been heavy for both of them. They’re naturally positive people, so it’s hard for them to process all of these hard and negative emotions. They’ve realized that sometimes the waves of emotions can be overwhelming. But they’ve also found that pouring their hearts out to God really helps them stay grounded. Marianne has been diving into the book of Psalms and drawing strength from David’s honesty about his own highs and lows. It’s been a great reminder that they’re not alone in this.

Psalm 62:8 has been a source of comfort for them: “Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge.” They’ve found that taking their emotions to God, no matter how messy or overwhelming, is the best way to process them. There’s nothing too big or too small for Him to handle.

Throughout this journey so far there have been so many victories, miracles, and encouraging progress. There have also been setbacks, tears, and silent moments, but they are pushing through. Marianne has shared how helpless she feels sometimes, as there’s not much she can do to ease Louie’s pain. But even in these difficult times, their faith remains strong. They’re leaning on each other and trusting in God.

Dr. H told them at the beginning that this would be a hard journey, and that has absolutely turned out to be true. This situation is a lot more complex than it was eleven years ago when Louie first fought cancer, and it’s been pretty draining.

Louie has lost some weight despite getting 4-5 gravity feedings a day, and he’s a bit dehydrated. They’re adding some extra water to his feedings to help with that. He still can’t have anything by mouth until his neck heals, which has been hard since he was able to swallow small amounts of clear liquids before. On a positive note, he’s now able to fully close his mouth, and the swelling in his tongue and the flap is slowly improving! Let's remember to praise God for every small victory and continue to ask Him for every need, great and small on Louie and Marianne's behalf. 

On another bright note, yesterday was a nice break— they watched church online, caught part of the 49ers game, and took a walk around the floor. They even asked for permission to go outside, so they’re waiting to hear back from Dr. H on that. He stopped by this morning for a quick check-in and said that Louie’s neck is looking good. They’re moving forward with the wound vac to help Louie's leak heal. The vac was supposed to arrive today, but unfortunately it didn’t. It looks like they will be staying at least a few more days as they get this worked out, please pray for patience as this hospital stay has turned out to be much longer than anticipated.

While Marianne and Louie are so grateful for the progress that has been made, they’re still trying to get more information from Dr. H. They have a list of questions they plan to go over with him. Pray for lots of answers and for wisdom for Louie's medical team.

Marianne and Louie are so thankful for everyone’s continued prayers, love, and support. Please keep lifting them up as they move forward in this journey!

Much love,

Sara