"Blessed be God, even the
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all
comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to
comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we
ourselves are comforted of God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in
us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. And whether we be
afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in
the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be
comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. And our hope of you
is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall
ye be also of the consolation." (2 Corinthians 1:3-7)
As the Walk Across America vision and mission
ended, I truly believed that we had reached the pinnacle of our life in
the Lord. Surely, there would be nothing to equal this challenge of a
lifetime. Surely, there would be nothing looming on the horizon that would
top that ordeal. My friends, I was wrong, seriously wrong.
The day after my return to my lovely wife and
wonderful children, my wife was struck with a mysterious affliction. Her
exact words were, "It felt like a rock hit my chest and then settled into
my stomach." We went to our good friend and doctor, Floyd Jernigan, and he
prescribed some medicine. Liz was treated and our family went on with the
business of being reacquainted with one another after being separated for
over six months in service to our Lord.
A few months passed and Liz’s condition did not
improve. She would experience major pain and discomfort in her stomach.
She came to the point where she could not keep food nor drink down. She
was in a constant state of nausea. Not once, however, did she complain,
but did her best to remain a faithful helpmate, nurturing mother, and
servant in the Lord’s ministry through our family.
To those of you who keep track of our exploits,
the culmination of my wife’s struggle came during our "God Is Going Back
To School" campaign and the subsequent performance of "Sammy." Liz was
very ill and yet she performed bravely. No one could tell of her
sufferings as she poured herself out in service to her Lord and to those
who were lost in sin. God blessed those efforts and much kingdom fruit
came forth as a result. (To those interested in reading about it, you can
go to our website and read last month’s newsletter).
Right after Sammy we attempted to celebrate our
nineteenth wedding anniversary which was December 7th. Instead of having a
romantic evening together, we found ourselves back in our doctor’s office
very much concerned about Liz’s deteriorating condition. Our doctor
immediately hooked up Liz to an IV to pump much needed fluids into her
dehydrated system. The next day he scheduled Liz for an ultra-sound. The
initial report was horrendous. Our doctor informed us that Liz had
pancreatic cancer, which is one of the worst to treat. Needless to say our
lives were shattered at that moment. It was difficult to grasp and embrace
what was being stated.
Afterwards, I drove Liz to Providence Hosptial in
Waco to begin a three week roller coaster ride that is just now starting
to slow down a bit. On the way to the hospital, I called our dear friend,
Flip Benham, Director of Operation Rescue/Operation Save America and asked
him to put out a prayer alert for Liz and our grieving family. Flip was on
it like white on rice. The following is the first alert from Flip and then
a subsequent article that another good friend, Doug Phillips, from Vision
Forum posted on his Blog.
Wednesday, December 8-
We just found this afternoon that Liz Thomas, wife
of Rusty Thomas, has been hospitalized. They have found a mass on her
pancreas that the doctors suspect is cancerous. This mass has blocked off
the function of Liz's kidney, liver, and bladder by blocking the ducts to
these organs. She has become jaundice and is not even able to keep fluids
down. We will find out more tomorrow. Please pray for her healing and pray
for Rusty and their ten children ranging in age from 17 years to 8 months.
Rusty has prayed many times for those that were sick. Many have been
healed because of his fervent faith. The prayers of a righteous man
availeth much. It is now our time to lift Rusty and Liz up to the One who
is our Healer.
A Family of Baby Defenders in Need of Great
Prayer
Rusty Thomas must be one of the most passionate
defenders of the unborn in America. Rusty serves as the Assistant Director
of Operation Save America and the founder of Elijah Ministries. Elijah
Ministries is dedicated to imparting a Biblical worldview to the Church of
Jesus Christ that will provide the theological impetus to fulfill the
Great Commission. Rusty is a self-sacrificing servant and prophet of the
Lord. He is sold out to the gospel of Jesus Christ, a true champion for
the unborn, and a voice crying in the wilderness for those who cannot
speak for themselves.
Rusty and his wife Liz have 10 wonderful children
who stand undivided with them in the ministry. They are home schooled
through the Thomas family's own (aptly named) "University of
Righteousness." The children stand faithfully with their parents on the
streets as they defend the cause of the fatherless. They serve in the home
and minister along side their father and mother in the various ministry
opportunities that the Lord brings their way. Simply put, The Thomas
family is a Christian army girded one to another in the bonds of love and
the armor of invincible principle.
Last night I spent the wee hours of the night
praying and weeping with my dear friend Rusty Thomas.
In one day, the Thomas family has had their world
turned upside-down with the revelation that Liz is suffering from a life
threatening ailment that is robbing her body of the ability to cleanse
herself. Doctors have found a mass on her pancreas that the doctors
suspect is cancerous. This mass has blocked off the function of Liz's
kidney, liver, and bladder by blocking the ducts to these organs. She has
become jaundiced and is not even able to keep fluids down.
Rusty and Liz have prayed many times for those
that were sick. The prayers of a righteous man availeth much. It is now
our time to lift up Rusty and Liz before the Lord.
Please pray for Liz's healing and for God's
provision to take care of their medical needs. Pray for Rusty and their
ten children ranging in age from Shekinah (17 yrs.), Cassia, Destiny,
Charity, Elijah, Micah, Josiah, Valiant Christian, Jeremiah, and baby
Torah Grace (8 months).
As a result of these and many other updates,
e-mails, phone calls, and letters, the Body of Christ’s response has been
overwhelming. There has been a deluge of blessing that is reminiscent of
"It’s A Wonderful Life." It would take volumes to thank all the concerned
and compassionate friends, family, and strangers that reached out to us
during this difficult time. God knows each and everyone of you and we do
pray His richest blessings upon you all. To chronicle the rest of this
trial of fire and to give some insight into our roller coaster ride, the
following is all the updates we sent out concerning Liz and her condition.
Friday, December 9-
We have just recieved word from Rusty that Liz
is being taken into surgery. He was pulled off the phone quickly, but
here is what we know. The doctors attempted to use a scope through Liz's
throat to clear the blockage to her liver, bladder, and kidneys. The
blockage was too severe. They are now attempting to clear her through
surgery. Her body cannot function due to the blockage from the mass in
her pancreas. She is severely jaundiced. We are still waiting on tests
results to tell us what the root problem is. They have not ruled out
pancreatic cancer, but they are saying that it might be lymphoma (which
is more treatable) or pancreatis. Saturday PM, December 11-
Liz has come through the surgery to clear the
ducts from the pancreas. She is still jaundiced and very sick, but the
doctors think this should be clearing in the days ahead. During this
operation, they performed what they call "brushings" on the organs where
they were working. They could not find any cancerous cells from these
brushings. That is tremendous news! Rusty says to tell everyone, he
knows we are praying and can sense the Lord's strength because of it.
They have not been able to get to the mass as of yet. It has been
imperative that they get Liz out of the jaundiced condition she is in.
Please continue to pray for Liz that the Lord will heal her completely
and that if there is any cancer in her body, it be eradicated. Also,
pray for the family. The children are coming down with something. Gib is
there to help them.
Monday, December 13-
They moved Liz to another hospital yesterday
that is better equipped to deal with her condition. Her body is clearing
somewhat. She is not as yellow, but now she has a staph infection where
the IV was inserted. They will be doing the test on the mass in her
pancreas today at 3:00. The family is doing better. Cassia and Charity
are the only ones who did not get the virus that hit. It even hit Gib,
but they are all doing better. Please continue to pray. As a missionary
with a family of 12, we need to pray that God will provide financially
for all that is taking place and that Rusty will be full of God's
strength as he fights all the turmoil that must be going on inside.
Tuesday, December 14-
Dear Champion of the Lord and the Unborn,
The Lord richly bless you! I just returned home
last night to check in on our kiddos. Our baby Torah is the last to get
hit with the stomach virus. It appears the house will be finally
cleansed soon. Thank you Jesus!
As you know, Liz has been transferred to a new
hospital called Scott and White. She is in room 422. Liz underwent
another procedure yesterday. It is similar to the ERCP she experienced
the other day. The difference is they have an ultra-sound mechanism at
the end that is able to take more accurate pictures of her stomach. At
the same time they performed a biopsy. From what we have heard thus far
is Liz's Lymph Nodes are swollen and are restricting her small
intestines. This accounts for the nausea, the inability to keep food
down, and the jaundice. They are not 100 % sure, but the doctors suspect
Lymphoma is the cause. We will have conclusive evidence once the report
from the biopsy comes in. We are expecting that tomorrow.
Including in this report is a small explanation
of Lymphoma. Our prayers right now need to focus in on nutrition for
Liz. She hasn't had food stay in her for 13 days, plus no bowel
movements. The choices are difficult, but some how they have to hook up
a line either in her neck or side that pumps in the nutrition she needs
to help her body fight this thing. Secondly, if this is Lymphoma, they
will have to perform a bone marrow biopsy to determine what kind it is.
From what my doctor told me, it is a painful procedure. After
determining what type, they plan on scheduling chemo and/or radiation
procedures to shrink the Lymph Nodes.
The bottom line is our prayers need to be: God
shrink those Lymph Nodes. Obviously, it would be great if God performed
the miracle and thus save Liz the painful ordeal of treatment. Sometime
the cure can be worse than the disease.
Thanks to all of you who have stood with us
during this trial of fire. We pray Liz and our family will come forth as
gold. We love you all and wish you all a Merry Christmas!
IN KING JESUS' SERVICE,
Rusty
Wednesday December 15-
Many of you have been praying for Liz and we are
seeing the very tangible results of that. Thank God! It is such a
blessing to know that believers from all over the country are praying
and interceding on her behalf. I remember when Rusty first called me
with the news, he was shaken to his very core. His faith didn't waiver
one iota but, as he is just a man, he was shaken beyond that which words
can describe.
He is doing so much better now, and so are all
the kiddos who are on the mend in the Thomas household. They got hit
with a "roundhouse right" by life. It was totally unexpected. It had
them reeling, but their foundation was sure and true. "Jesus Christ, the
same yesterday, today, and forever!"
Many have offered advise on whether the
"wholistic" approach or chemo would be most advisable in Liz's case.
There are probably a lot of other approaches that could be included in
this. We don't even know what the diagnosis is yet. Believe me when I
say that Rusty does not have a clue as to what God would have him do in
regard to these approaches to treating cancer. He has never thought
about the various treatments for cancer. So please don't be upset if he
doesn't go your way.
I'm afraid that, in our good intentions to do
the very best for Rusty and Liz, we might be burdening them with guilt
over which approach to take. It is important for us to share with them
information that God has given us that might help, but we want to be
careful not to make them choose sides. They love you and need all of us
to pray with one mind and one heart for Liz's complete healing.
God bless you all and thank you for your
prayers,
In Christian love,
Flip
Thursday, December 16-
Dear Champion of the Lord and the Unborn,
The Lord richly bless you! We still have not
received a definitive report from the biopsy yet. The doctors, though,
seem convinced it is lymphoma. Liz, as I write, is undergoing two more
procedures. A "central line" is being placed in her upper chest area.
This should help with nutrition, drawing blood, and if need be, chemo
treatments.
The good news is Liz ate a little without
throwing up and she even had a bowel movement, which she hasn't had in a
couple of weeks. Something must be happening in order for this to be
going on. We praise our Lord.
This morning I read to Liz Matthew 8 and 9. As
we read of our Lord's healing, delivering, ministry, we prayed over each
word, thanking God that he sent His word to heal us and to deliver us
from destruction. Right after that a Christian radio station from St
Louis called to get an update on Liz. The radio show is known as the Tim
and Al show with KJSL. Our good friends Daniel and Angela Michaels have
a show on this station as well. Anyway, we did the interview and then
brother Tim prayed. He just happened to pray Matthew 8:1-17. The very
words I just read seconds prior to the phone call.
Afterwards a nurse came to our room and asked if
I would be a "witness" to a patient signing a document. After the
patient listened to the document and signed, I put my signature on the
document to bear witness that she signed it. As I was writing my name
under the witness section, the Lord reminded me that in spite of this
trial we are still His witnesses. Subsequently, I took the woman's hand
and asked her if she was spiritually ready for death? Had she made peace
with God through the merits of His Son, Jesus Christ? Was she ready to
step into eternity? She responded with some fairy tale about paradise
with a light over a lake.
I promptly told her what the Bible teaches about
Jesus being the light of the world and the lake of fire. I told her
there really was a heaven to gain, a hell to shun, and there really is a
Savior who came to earth to redeem the souls of men by His precious
blood. I pleaded with her to call upon the Lord, repent of her sins, and
receive the saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
With tears streaming down her face, she
beseeched God to save her soul and to write her name in the Lamb's Book
of Life. It was glorious to witness the love of God touch her life to
give her a future and a hope for eternity. Though the struggle is real
and it pains me deeply to see my wife suffer, time would fail me to
write how much God is moving and using this situation for His glory. It
is overwhelming to experience the outpour of God's love through His
people. Thank you all so very much for being there for us with your
prayers, love, and support. It means more than the feeble words I write
through this message. We love you all.
IN KING JESUS' SERVICE,
Rusty
From Flip - The doctors still cannot nail down
the root of this problem. Liz is beginning to do better. Her color is
better. Her organs are functioning better. The doctors are baffled, but
we are not! We serve the One who is our Healer!
Friday, December 17-
Liz is being taken into surgery this afternoon.
They are going to open her stomach, take out some lymph nodes (for
testing I assume) and attempt to reroute some of her digestive organs so
that she can get nourishment. Even though her coloring is better, she is
still not able to hold down food. Please keep Liz in your prayers today
as this is a fairly major surgery. Friday, December 17-Rejoice with the
Thomas family
Dear Champion of the Lord and the Unborn,
The Lord richly bless you! He who is mighty has
done a great thing! Every doctor that examined Liz was convinced she had
some form of cancer. They opened her up today in surgery and searched.
They found no trace. The euphoria of praise, thanksgiving, and worship
our family is experiencing is exhilarating. There is no God like our
God! He is Lord and there is no other! He is the God of miracles! (Yes,
He still performs miracles today.)
To all who stood in the gap and made up the
hedge, God heard our cries and was merciful. In fact, He answered our
prayers exactly to the minute details. For a month Liz had been saying
she wanted to trade in her torso and receive a new stomach (Who wouldn't
after having 10 children?). Our prayer today was, "God let this surgery
be it. No cancer, no need for treatments, and please no more procedures
for Liz." Well, it came to pass and we give our Lord all the praise,
glory, and honor. To top it off, it looks like Liz may have that new
stomach she was asking for. Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ is so
good!
Please pass this on, shout it from the roof
tops, and rejoice! This is the season and no doubt about it, Jesus is
the reason. Please tell Him how much you love Him and Merry Christmas
from a grateful and relieved family.
IN KING JESUS' SERVICE,
Rusty
Monday, December 20-
Dear Champion of the Lord and the Unborn, The
Lord richly bless you! It appears the worse is over. The doctor who
operated wants to be sure there is no cancer, so he sent out the several
biopsy reports to get a second opinion. I guess it is difficult to
include a supernatural element in the realm of hard science. Plus, I'm
sure he just wants to be thorough and make sure he didn't miss anything.
Today, they will do one more procedure. They
will sedate Liz and through her esophagus an instrument will place a
stint in her closed duct. This will help to alleviate one more tube that
she is connected to. She has had up to six. Prayerfully, this will be
the final procedure and Liz will completely recover and soon will be
home. Our hope is she will be home by Christmas. What a wonderful gift
that will be.
Whatever this turns out to be, there is no
question that Liz was on the threshold of death. God miraculously
intervened. Again, thank you for the many prayers, letters, and phone
calls that you sent to encourage the Thomas Nation. It girded us up
during a very difficult time. God's word declares, "Many are the
afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers us out if them all
Psalm 34:19)." His word remains true and faithful. Our response, "For
thou art great, and doest wondrous things: thou art God alone (Psalm
86:10)."
IN KING JESUS' SERVICE,
Rusty
Friday, December 24-
Dear Champion of the Lord and the Unborn,
The Lord richly bless you and Merry Christmas!
The mysterious saga continues. We are back on the roller coaster. The
doctors, bless their hearts, are doing the best they can. Their
prognosis changes from day to day, depending upon different tests,
procedures, and second opinions. With that dilemma comes conflicting
reports almost on a daily basis.
We have gone from the most serious of diagnosis
to reports of Liz being cancer free and everything in between. I can not
begin to tell you what this has done to our family emotionally,
spiritually, and practically. Through it all we have run to the mercy
seat of God and cried out to Him for help. Many of you have joined with
us and we are sincerely grateful.
Liz is recuperating from the operation. There is
some pain, infection, sleepless nights, but thankfully her bowels are
functioning once again. This is the good news. The bad news came to us
yesterday. Our doctor took several biopsies during Liz's operation.
Though he could not find any trace of cancer, he sent it out for a
second opinion. Yesterday, he told us the report is back and they found
Lymphoma cancer on Liz's pancreas. Our hearts sunk. It was difficult to
digest, especially after we were told she was cancer free.
We want you to know we never meant to mislead
anyone or give a false report. We simply have passed on what the doctors
have told us. Unfortunately it has changed from day to day. Quite
frankly, we are struggling with how much stock we should invest in this
latest report.
In some ways, this latest report, if true,
brings some relief and closure. We can't fight an enemy who is a
phantom. If this is Lymphoma on her pancreas, then a declaration of war
is warranted. God's Word and prayer will now be specifically applied to
the danger zone.
For those of you who are not wearied by the
different reports, we invite you to continue to stand in the gap and
make up the hedge for Liz and our family. if not, believe me, we
understand. We love you all in Jesus' wonderful and holy name!
IN KING JESUS' SERVICE,
Rusty Sunday, December 26-
Dear Champion of the Lord and the Unborn,
The Lord richly bless you! Liz continues to
progress, to the point, the doctor with a big smile stated Liz can come
home today. We are rejoicing. It will be so good to have what Psalm 128
declares, "Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord; that walketh in
his ways. For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy shalt thou
be, and it shall be well with thee. Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine
by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about
thy table. Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the
Lord. The Lord shall bless thee out of Zion: and thou shalt see the good
of Jerusalem all the days of thy life. Yea, thou shalt see thy
children's children, and peace upon Israel."
The doctor seems relieved and is very positive
about Liz's future. Our prayers and encouragement for Liz is now
exercise, nutrition, and get ready for future treatments for the
Lymphoma on her pancreas. One point of clarity. This is not pancreatic
cancer, but a Lymphoma on the pancreas. The latter is much more
treatable than the former. For this we give God all the praise, honor
and glory!
Thanks to all who have prayed, wept, and stood
with us. Your labor of love has not been in vain. May God return to you
all the blessings you have bestowed upon us in Jesus' Holy and Mighty
name. May you all have a prosperous New Year in God's Kingdom!
IN KING JESUS' SERVICE,
Rusty
Liz and I have served the Lord full-time for about
twenty years. Sickness, disease, and tragedies of this magnitude were
always the difficulties facing someone else’s loved one, family, or
friend. For the first time in our vain, fleeting life, it has come nigh
us. We have seen our Lord these many years through strength, health, and
blessing. We are now seeing Him through weakness, sickness, and suffering.
Our empathy for others has increased mani-fold.
With this illness, comes many changes for the
Thomas Nation and Elijah Ministries. Liz has always been the nurturer and
caregiver, our family must now be this for her. I’m a warrior by nature,
so please pray for us as we go through this transitional season in our
life and ministry. Again, thanks to all who called, e-mailed, sent cards,
offerings, and recommendations. Through it all, we have seen the Body of
Christ function magnificently. God’s people, despite our many flaws, sins,
and shortcomings are the best people in the world. May you all have a
prosperous New Year in God’s Kingdom.
IN KING JESUS' SERVICE,
