Adam Cnossen

Lots going on in our families little world today! Katie's brother Adam is 2 hours into a surgery to remove a tumor from his tongue. It is going to be a long day of waiting, praying, and trusting God, but I think Tom says it well in his journal this morning (caringbridge.com - adamcnossen):

Well, the big day has arrived. Our alarm went off way too early this morning (3 am) We arrived at the hospital by 5:30 and Adam was brought to a room where he had to shed his clothes and put on a gown and await further instructions. He was in good spirits this morning - not jovial, of course, but he had a good peace about him. He looked so healthy there - he got a good tan over the weekend - the nurse asked him if he was an athlete. They checked his vitals - yes, healthy as a horse - but he has this deadly little tumor on his tongue and it must come out - yes we prayed for a miracle - that he would get up this morning and it would be gone - but he said he checked in the mirror and it is still there. His OR nurse came in and checked him out and says that this is the best thing to do - get rid of the cancer. His doctor is one of the best - in North America - he is blessed - and this guy has done lots of these - a piece of cake???????? We still know Who is in charge of this one - don't we? Some trust in chariots and horsemen - but we trust in the Lord! They came in, right on time and wheeled Adam down those long , quiet hallways of the hospital - we were right there with him till we got to the OR doors - and we said goodbye for a while - we'll see ya on the other side - and we are hoping that will be sometime late this afternoon. So he is in there right now as I write this - at 7:50 - so he is already 1/2 hour into his surgery. We have no idea what they do first or last , we just know that when he is wheeled into ICU this afternoon or this evening that he will have lots of tubes and wires connected to him, that he will have a trachea tube and that he probably won't know what hit him - and neither will we. But we know one thing - he is in God's hands - those Everlasting Arms that hold his children in times like these. We are overwhelmed with the love and support of so many friends through all of this - we love you! I will update this post later tonight if I can. Tom & Donna

Brilliant?

Recently, while I was at a local school, I was taken aside by a staff member who wanted to show me one result of a school strategy session. Under each of the schools Mission/Beliefs were brainstorming ideas and concepts to further the goals of the schools. The first mission/belief deals with fostering a positive climate in the school. Included in the brainstorming were these words: "Jerel Peters - He is Brilliant." While brilliant is really out of the blue and obviously exaggerated, I find it an incredible compliment that I would be associated with helping the school to foster a positive climate. I am so grateful for the favor and blessing that God provides to make it possible for us to do ministry in the local schools! There are so many kids, with so many needs ... and there we are, right there in the middle of it all. It is a privilege and a honor.

Life Update ... April 2012

A lot has happened over the past couple of weeks, particularly a missions trip to LA with 44 youth. Check out our latest update and some pictures and hopefully there will be some consistency back to "Out of the Blue."

Making "Dirt & Worms" (Pudding, Oreo Crumbs, and Gummy Worms) to serve to families
staying at Union Rescue Mission in Los Angeles, California.