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Dear Friends,
It was two years ago that we found out I had stage 4 Follicular Lymphoma. Needleless to say, the news changed a lot of things in our lives:
Almost immediately I began chemotherapy with good results. We were able to return to Colombia by November 2019
My first follow-up appointment showed that there was no active cancer, but by second one in September 2020, the cancer had returned…so the treatment resumed. Initially it was an oral chemotherapy, which was to be continued perhaps indefinitely.
However, last December I was offered the opportunity to undergo a stem cell transplant. This would address the underlying issue because lymphoma initiates in the bone marrow. If successful, I could be cancer free for as much as ten years!
These past nine weeks I have been on a very aggressive chemo called C.H.O.P. to remove all the active cancer. Then, if I qualify, I would undergo the transplant. My last C.H.O.P. was two weeks ago. Next Monday, March 8, I am to have a PET SCAN. The goal is that all of the cancer is gone. This is an essential requirement to proceed with the transplant!
URGENT PRAYER REQUEST: Whatever venues you have this coming weekend (March 6-7) in your churches; Men’s Prayer Breakfast, Main Service, Sunday school classes, Small Groups, Morning Worship time, Ladies’ Meeting, etc., please carve out a spot to make our request made known unto God: That the scan taken on Monday morning show there is no active cancer in Craig Lingo’s body.
This is Basic Missions 101: William Carey: “I will go down into the pit, if you will hold the rope”
“Carey knew that no matter what he attempted; he could not do it alone. Prior to the formation of the Baptist Missionary Society, encircled by a group of fellow association pastors, Carey shared his vision of taking the gospel to India, likening it to a rescue mission into a deep, dark well. His invitation to his fellow pastor was, ‘I will go down if you will hold the rope.’ The pastors agreed to become rope holders, forming the Baptist Missionary Society to send and support the missionary enterprise, and William Carey led a small team that traveled to India, where they spent the rest of their lives planting churches, translating the Bible and reaching thousands with the gospel.”
As soon as I have the results, I will send out another letter on all of our platforms:
Missionary Update
Facebook: Jose Lingo and Craig & Fran
WhatsApp
Team Colombia: teamcolombia.org
PLEASE KEEP HOLDING THE ROPE!
Craig and Fran