“Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in you my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by. I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills his purpose for me. He will send from heaven and save me.”

While David penned these words thousands of years ago when he was hiding in a cave from his enemy, we find them to be such an appropriate prayer for our family and for Markus today. As Markus’ suffering increases we plead more and more on God’s mercy. The Lord’s purpose for Markus appears to be nearly complete and we just pray that God would now send from heaven and save him from further pain and suffering.

Since arriving home from our weekend together on Vancouver Island Markus has continued to decline every day, sometimes a little, sometimes a lot. He made it upstairs to help celebrate his mom’s birthday last Wednesday, and he even joined us at the dinner table on Friday, but since then he has remained downstairs, either in the hospital bed or on the lounge chair. Markus was really hoping to make it to church yesterday but just didn't have the energy to do it. The oxygen tank is always nearby and even short trips to the bathroom are a struggle and require time to recover while supplementing his oxygen supply.

We praise God that many people continue to share in our trouble, both through practical means, as well as active and intentional prayer. Your support is much appreciated! If you are a praying person, please continue to pray specifically for:

• God to be merciful and help Markus remain peaceful, calm, and free from anxiety;
• God to be merciful and surround Markus with his guardian angels, protecting him from the devil who is still prowling around like a roaring lion;
• God to be merciful and bring Markus to glory without further pain and suffering;
• God to be merciful to Markus’ family and friends who are caring for him and walking this road of suffering alongside him;
• God to be merciful to Markus’ immediate family as we watch the earthly life of our son and brother come to completion.