Nanci and I have had a great and relaxing time in Maui the last two weeks, enjoying God and each other. Our first weekend, I spoke on giving at Hope Chapel Kihei’s three church services. (Watch the video of one of the services here.) Thank you to those who’ve been praying for this time away.

If you receive EPM’s prayer updates by email (sign up here) you know that earlier this year, Nanci was diagnosed with colon cancer. EPM has set up a Caring Bridge site where the latest updates will be posted (you’ll need to create a simple Caring Bridge account, or log in with Google or Facebook, to access the page). Caring Bridge is a much more effective way to communicate because all the information stays in one place, and people can access any prior updates they’ve missed.

There’s no new medical information except that doctor appointments begin again when we return, and five weeks of radiation treatments may start the end of March or first of April. 

We’re both in good spirits, talking often of God’s grace and sovereignty and that we can fully trust Him in whatever is ahead. We continue to pray for healing, and if He chooses not to heal immediately, we ask Him to use the common grace of medical treatments to restore Nanci to health. We deeply appreciate your prayers during this season. From here in Maui, this has been part of my worship:

School of yellow tangs, various reef fish, and a Christmas wrasse, drifting with me in the surge zone:

Contented turtle cruising the deep blue:

This giant sea turtle, over five feet long and probably over 300 pounds, turned toward me and kept coming closer. We bonded:

A beautiful but particularly elusive species, the peacock grouper. Very rare to get them on camera for more than a few seconds:

Finally, I handed my camera to Tony Cimmarrusti, EPM supporter and good friend who “happened” in God’s providence to be here when we were, and asked him to catch me swimming below a giant sea turtle near Makena beach:

I took this photo of Tony C. with a smaller turtle. We had a blast!

“Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it” (Psalm 96:11).

“But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this? In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind” (Job 12:7-12).