Sam Conway

Dear Friends,
 

I know it has been a while since you have heard from us . . . I was trying to let you-all get ‘settled in’ to this New Year and catch up on all the other e-mails you probably deal with on a daily basis!!!
 

Sam is doing quite well and we are praising God for his continued health.   He looks great, is still working every day, and has a good energy level.    He is still taking the treatments from the Burzynski Clinic of “medications” every-two-hours during the day, along with two other pharmaceutical drugs, various supplements, and continues to follow the ‘cancer diet’.   
 

God has truly heard your prayers and we are so grateful to you for remembering us!   Please continue to keep us in your prayers!!!    We will be flying to Dallas for new scans on February 20^th, and then on to Houston to meet with the doctors at the Burzynski Clinic.    We continue to trust God for an encouraging report with these new scans!!!    I usually do quite well until the ‘day of’ . . . then . . . the ‘trusting God’ part is just a bit harder!!    We KNOW He is faithful & trustworthy . . . . He has been so good to us on this cancer journey . . . yet . . . the ‘wife & mother’ stuff is still there and some days are just not all that easy!!    Knowing you are praying for us truly does give encouragement, comfort, peace and hope!!
 

We were able to go to Charlotte last week so that Sam could attend the NASCAR Media Tour and be there for Kevin’s big announcement, unveiling of his car, etc. etc.   Sam was one ‘proud Papa’ and I think this was the best medicine yet!!!  
 (If you are interested, here are a couple of articles)  www.catchfence.com/html/2007/mt020207.html       www.joegibbsracing.com/season_2007/news_busch/01_january/070124_zline.php 

  
Thank each one of you that helped make Sam’s birthday so special!!  He received over 100 cards, letters and emails!    What an encouragement they have been to Sam!   He sat and read the cards and letters over and over with tears streaming.   (He still picks up the “birthday book’ quite often & rereads them.)  He says it has been the most encouraging thing to ever be given to him.   Thank you so much!!
 

We are praying for each of you, and are thankful that you are in our lives!   We will send out an update on the scans when we return from TX.    We covet and appreciate your prayers for that trip.
 

Love in Jesus,
Ann  

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As we begin a new year, we want to say ‘THANK-YOU’ once again for your overwhelming outpouring of love and prayer support to us over the past seven months!  As we look back over it all, we realize more than ever, that it has been your prayers that have kept us going.   

 We will be heading to Dallas and Houston the second week of February for the next set of scans.   Will you pray with us as we go in faith, KNOWING that God is in control!!   We will be posting an update as soon as we get the reports!!

 
 Thank you for being such a faithful friend and prayer warrior on our behalf.  We are praying that this will be a special year for each of us in our spiritual journey with Christ . . . what an adventure!
 Love & Prayers,
Sam & Ann

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Dear Friends,
 
Merry Christmas!  I am up before anyone else, sitting here at the kitchen table thinking about each of you that God has brought into our lives at this time.   You have shown Ann & I so much love and support . . . it is overwhelming!
 
I was reading in Philippians this morning, and one thing that seemed to speak the loudest to me was where Paul talks about ‘rejoicing in all things’.   We do rejoice in all that God has brought us through, even though there have been, (and continues to be!) many things that we cannot understand.   However . . . we are thankful for friends like you that have rallied around us in our difficulties and struggles.   It has been so amazing to us and we appreciate you and THANK YOU for standing with us!
  
Thank you so much for your prayer support.  We will keep you updated.   I am feeling quite well over-all, and am thankful for the continued health and energy . . . a true answer to prayer, we realize that.    I will be returning to Houston for further scans and treatment the first of February.
 
Thank you once again for your friendship and continued prayers for us . . . we couldn’t do it without you!
 
Merry Christmas & a blessed New Year!
Sam
 

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Can you believe that Thanksgiving has already come & gone & Christmas is just around the corner? The past few months have been a ‘mixed bag’ of blessings, prayer, diverse emotions, prayer, new foods, various supplements, lots more prayer, medications every-two-hours, prayer, . . . well, you get the idea!!

We are so thankful and grateful for each one of you that have continually supported us with your prayers & friendship . . . a truly indescribable blessing.

We still need your prayers. In reviewing Sam’s last set of scans, they have found a small ‘spot’ on his spine. They do not know if it is cancerous . . .we are praying, trusting and hoping it is NOT! Sam will have to undergo further x-rays on this area to determine exactly what they are seeing. At this point, the general consensus is that it does not ‘look like’ cancer, and there are NO symptoms to indicate it has spread there. We are looking to Jesus!

Please just continue to pray!! Sam is working his “normal schedule”, walking through every open door for ministry opportunities, and is feeling good these days. He still experiences some fatigue in the evenings after working a full day, but then, I do too!!

Sometimes this time of year isn’t easy for me . . . I miss Christen and all the ‘fun stuff’ we used to do in preparation for the Christmas season . . . and then, there is the anniversary date of her home going here at Christmastime also! However, this year I am more focused than ever on being grateful for having our ‘family of three’ and for each of you who have touched our lives in such a special way this year.

Blessings to you as we celebrate our Saviors birth!!

In His Love,
Ann & Sam

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Dear Friends,
We just returned last night from an eight-day trip to Dallas and Houston for scans, exams and various appointments with doctors!    This was Sam’s first scan in over three months, and once again, the doctors are quite happy with the results.    There has been NO further growth or spreading of his tumor!    That is truly an amazing answer to prayer!!
We spent a lot of ‘one-on-one’ time with the doctors at the Burzynski Clinic in Houston.  They explained to us that Sam has one of the MOST aggressive and serious forms of cancer . . . . and it does NOT sit still for six months, as his has!   
Sam has been assigned to a new doctor who is an internal specialist and is from Nicaragua.   After studying the scans and giving Sam a physical exam, he looked at him and said:   “God must have something special for you to do here, as you are so healthy and your cancer is not spreading at all . . . He must have heard some prayers”.   We told him that many were praying on Sam’s behalf . . . .he just smiled & said that he thinks they “are working”!!  
Sam will no longer have to fly to Houston twice a month for the infusion treatment, (which was costing over $10,000 per month!).    He is now on a new cancer drug that is ‘only’ $7,000 per month, (that is in addition to his current ones, which are $7,800 per month).   God is able!
Once again, we say thank you from the bottom of our hearts!   Knowing that you are praying for us and standing with us in this trial is such an encouragement.    We truly do not know how to express what it means to have friends like you supporting us through this journey.   We want to be faithful to all that God has placed in our hands with this, and not waste one second of this cancer journey.   Knowing you are walking with us keeps us going!
Love & prayers,
Sam & Ann 

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Thank you so much for your continued prayers for us . . . . we are feeling them!!   Sam is doing very well, and we never take one day of his health for granted!    He still has some coughing, which causes occasional bleeding, and at times experiences shortness of breath when exerting himself . . . otherwise . . . he is truly doing great!  Sam has to wait at least one more month before his next scan, and until then, we walk by faith . . . knowing that God never misses a detail!    Sam is still up at the crack of dawn for his personal time with the Lord, then off to the office by 7:45 AM!! 
 

We just returned from speaking at a single’s retreat at the Northwood’s of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.   It was truly a wonderful weekend for us!!  The vibrant fall colors were at their peak and the drive was breathtaking!    We had our own little private cabin tucked away in the woods, and enjoyed a lot of R & R time.    We are increasingly thankful for these times of ministry together, as we ourselves, walk through these uncharted waters together.
 

Ann had an unexpected & awesome opportunity at the Northwood’s on Thursday afternoon, as she was invited to share with some ’special guests’ visiting for a couple days.  She was asked to share her life message and spend the afternoon with Mrs. Bill Bright, Mrs. Adrian Rodgers, Mrs. T.W. Wilson and Gary Smalley.   What a blessing to be heard by . . . and then ‘loved on’ and encouraged by such women, (and man), of faith!!    God continues to amaze us!
 

 We thank you once again for standing with us!!   Please continue to pray for Sam’s healing, and also, that we will be faithful to minister to those he places in our path!   We are praying for you-all as well.   We appreciate your love, care and concern . . . . but, most of all, your prayers . . . . as we know that we serve a prayer-answering God!   In God’s economy, nothing that ever happens to us is wasted!!    What a blessing to be able to ‘look back’ over many areas of our life and see where God was walking with us & working in us for HIS purposes!!   What a journey we’re all on!      :-)
 

Love,
Sam & Ann

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The months continue to click by and it is beginning to feel like Fall here in the Chicago area!

We thank the Lord for each day and truly we can say, ‘His mercies are new every morning’!

A lot has happened since our last update!   Sam was able to fly to Los Angeles to be with Kevin for a race there . . . .and, as usual, the two of them had a fantastic couple of days together!     

Then, the second week of August, Sam became quite ill with a fever and pain.  He ‘just happened’ to be scheduled in Texas for treatment the day it hit him!!   (God NEVER misses a detail!)   After running various tests, they found that he had an acute infection in his prostate.  While everything there appears to be cancer free, the pain was truly horrendous for him.    He was in Texas for 10 days of treatment, and they had to stop all cancer therapy for three weeks.

He has ‘bounced back’ with incredible strength and drive!   How we thank the Lord for the good health Sam has right now in spite of his cancer . . . . it has been amazing!!   He is still fatigued in the evenings, but continues with a ‘regular’ working schedule.    He is back on the ‘every-two-hour’ medications, along with all of the other protocol.   Our biggest concern right now, is that he is having some coughing with signs of bleeding.

We continue walking by faith and trusting God with our future.   God is using Sam in so many ways right now . . . he is counseling businessmen, Dad’s, and young men daily!  Many incredible testimonies have come about in the past months . . . what a privilege!!!

Thank you for continuing with us on this journey.   We have felt your prayers!!  What a blessing to know that ’someone is praying you through’!   Not only is that a great song . . . but, knowing we are on the receiving end of it is a humbling experience.   Thank you for your prayers . . . we appreciate you more than you could ever know!

We love & appreciate you!

Sam & Ann

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