Witness at 11: Metastatic Cancer and Hebrews 13:5

We don't really know when Karina made this series of pictures to encourage herself, but we found it when she was 11 years old and she was diagnosed with metastatic cancer at 10.

Karina was recalling all the scary times she had experienced - and these included a big spider, a bee on an orange juice bottle she was drinking, and then when she was bicycling in the park in back of our home and fell -with no one around.

...be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you..."

Brock and I had talked about what to tell Karina when we found out that her cancer was metastatic. We never told her any falsehoods - and while on one level, that made it easier for us all (she didn't have to question or mistrust what we said), at a very young age she had to grapple with the fact that her cancer could kill her.

The same month that she was found to have cancer, a youth pastor's son was diagnosed with neuroblastoma. We prayed for him at the same time we prayed for her, but sadly this 2 year old boy died before the start of the New Year.

Faith and sovereignty became very real for us and Karina had to grapple with what many children do not at that age. Of course we suddenly found ourselves closer to others who were well acquainted with this journey.