Update

​Dear Prayer Partners,

 

Thank you so much for your prayers, your faithfulness, and your care.  We could not do this without your support and love,  GOD bless you.

 

Sorry this has been so long, I know some of you are wondering what is happening and How John is doing.

He is doing much better for the most part, he has been seeing a speech pathologist almost every week and there is some improvement in his memory, most of all he believes he is getting better and can see something is happening with his memory in that he is remembering more names.  The speech pathologist has given him homework which takes him a long time but he works so hard at it and doesn't give up.

In the next week or so he will be seeing a new speech pathologist, as the one he has been seeing is changing rolls.  He has really liked this one and she has been very understanding and gracious to him, even borrowed a Bible from the chaplain at the hospital so he would have something familiar to read and remember, we pray the next one will be as caring and interested in him and his needs as she has been.

We are walking about every other day, not just a walk around the park... we walk the steepest hills in Burnie so we really get our exercise and walk about an hour each time (most of the time we end up at McDonald's, John favorite eating place here!!!).

We are still in the apartment by the sea, not sure for how long but GOD has the plan and we trust HE knows what are needs are, please be praying for the right accommodation, John is to see the speech pathologist every week or every other week for a few months so having a semi-permanent accommodation would be a blessing.

I have applied for permanent residency here is Australia and have received a Bridging Visa which allows me to stay until they make a decision, please be praying that it all goes easily and without any problems.

Please forgive me for not sending out an email earlier, we haven't had internet and the computer in the same place and I didn't realize that my ipad doesn't always pick up all the email addresses, anyway I will try to update more often.

I have been reading a book and one of the things I read really struck me, it was that GOD is wanting to erase some of the old memories and ways of doing things and put in new ones, that seemed to be just where we are GOD has erased the way we did things and we are moving into new territory and we haven't been this way before (and it is not easy to find your way in a new place)  but we are keeping our eyes on JESUS for direction and for peace, HE is trustworthy!!

 

Agape,

Monette and John

 

Australia

Dear Prayer Partners,

 

Thank you so much for your prayers, cards and words of encouragement, we are so very blessed to have friends and family to encourage us and hold us up in prayer.

 

We have been in Australia almost 4 weeks.  Has been quite a busy time, as friends of ours took us on a cruise for 11 days.  Was very relaxed in some ways, no cooking, no cleaning up, no menus to decide, it seemed like the main thing was, don't gain 7 to 14 pounds (someone told us that was what the majority gained on a cruise) while you are cruising!!

The cruise was a great blessing to us and time to spend with our friends, Bill ahd Helen Driessen.

When we arrive back in Brisbane on Sunday morning, we went to church and while we were there the pastor asked us to stand with him as he prayed for some of people in his church.  While we were standing there the LORD gave John a word for the church, which he gave.  This is the first time he has given a word since his surgery and treatment, we were truly encouraged!

We arrived in Melbourne on Wednesday and will be here for the next month.  John had an appointment with the doctor in Melbourne on Thursday and he advised us the follow the same routine we were following in the states.   John has an MRI scheduled around the first of March and another appointment with the doctor.  Please be praying with us for a good report.  He has had one round of chemotherapy since we arrived and one day next week he will start another one.  Right now he is having 28 days off and then 5 days of chemotherapy.  Please continue to pray that he doesn't have any sickness from the chemotherapy.

John is still bothered by his memory loss, it is very frustrating to him when he is having a conversation and the thought just leaves his mind or he cannot get the right word or name he is wanting. 

Again thank you so much for your prayers and support, we are so thankful we are not alone, that the LORD is our rock, our fortress and our deliverer, the one who leads us and guides and never leaves us or forsakes and HE has blessed us with friends to uphold us. 

 

Also please be praying for John's son Aaron and his family as they seem to be under attack from the enemy, too.

Several of the them have had flu like symptoms and one of the children is having some unusal symptoms and the doctors have not determined what is causing them, please be praying for healing and an end to all of this sickness.

 

Agape,

John and Monette

 

 

 

Trip to Australia

Dear Prayer Partners,

 

We have our airline tickets and are preparing to fly to Australia on Saturday the 11th of January..  John is quite excited to be going.  Mostly to get out of the cold.

We will miss our family and friends here new and old.  Our church family and family here have taken really good care of us, I truly don't know what we would have done without their support and care.

My mom'    

Please be praying for John as he has not had this much traveling to do in a long time and the airports are hard to motivate sometimes in the best of circumstances. I tried to talk to him about maybe getting a wheelchair or ride in a cart just to get to the gates but he will not hear of that. He is a seasoned traveler and I am sure when we get there he will remember what it is like, at least some of it.

I talked with the receptionist at the doctors in Melbourne yesterday and they seem very eager to see him, please be praying for a smooth transition into the health network in Australia, I don't really have any idea what we are facing or how long it takes to get registered.  The Australian radiologist here in Atlanta has sent a referral but they did not get the paperwork, so he will start over tomorrow and hopefully it will be all taken care of by the time we get there.  The receptionist did say it should not be a problem they just needed the referral from John's doctor here.

Trusting GOD sometimes means getting out of your comfort zone, please be praying that we have that peace of GOD that passes all understanding through all of this.

The LORD has been so good to us through this time, not that HE hasn't always been, but there is such an assurance of HIS presence  and direction in every step we have taken.  The travel plans were totally HIM, the thing that I thought, to get tickets at the last minute, worked out without much of a problem at all.  HE truly moves mountains for us.

Please be praying for the journey, even though we have traveled this route before it is a totally new experience.

Please be praying for protection for us and for all things to go smoothly.

Thank all of you so much for your prayers and words of encouragement, we are so blessed to have people who care.

 

Agape,

John and Monette

MIRACLES STILL HAPPEN!!!

For those who haven't heard John's Birthday

Hi fellow brothers and sisters in Christ,

This is Rachel Stokes, John Jacks daughter writing on behalf of his family to put out a special request to those that know John.

There may be those that are unaware that back in October dad was diagnosed with a brain tumour that is malignant and not operable due to location. It is located in the speech area which seems to be more impactful to his memo...ry of words/speech than the actual ability to speak. So he is able to talk but grasping the correct words/terminology for what he would like to say is not easily accessible. Unfortunately names are also tied in here, so remembering people's names (including family) is not there just yet. He has had some treatment over the last 6 weeks including radiation and chemotherapy at the same time. At this point his ongoing treatment will be some chemo every now and then.

I think I can speak for our whole family when I say we are believing for a super-natural miraculous recovery for dad. Personally I'm believing and expecting not only complete restoration of his mind, but also a new and powerful voice from the Lord to speak into the nations and the people of God, in such a greater way than any of us have ever seen before. That not only will dad walk through the gates of hell and take back all that Satan has attempted to take from him, but he will demand that he repay sevenfold. That Satan will regret the day that he attempted to stifle the work of our Lord through John Jacks.

Amanda (Monette's daughter) came up with an idea for dad's birthday in mid-January.

The idea was for dad's friends to put together an email with a memory that you have of dad and yourself. If you could also attach a photo of yourself as you would be amazed at how much a photo has helped dad access that memory bank. This is really important, so if you are at all able to attach a photo that would be greatly appreciated.

Both Aaron (dad's son) and I think this would be good for dad in helping to make reconnections in his brain to his memories. Not only would this help dad in his recovery, but would also mean so much to him as I know he values each and every one of you in so many ways.

I have setup a special gmail account just for this purpose, so if you could forward these emails to the address listed below then we will be either printing them out and making a special bundle of 'letters' for him, or possibly putting together a memory book. It just depends on how everything unfolds.

The email address to forward your email/picture to is:

johnjacksmemories@gmail.com

Thank you in advance for your consideration and time in this, I know he would really appreciate it.

May you all have a wonderful new year and may 2014 be a year of the manifest power and presence of God in your lives.

Blessings,
Rachel Stokes (Jacks)

John's Progress

Dear Prayer Partners,

 

Thank you so much for your prayers, love, support, cards and pictures.  We really appreciate you and your thoughtfulness. 

John has finished the radiation treatments and the chemotherapy for now.  He will continue chemo 5 days a month.  The doctors are amazed at how well he has done with all the treatments, all the prayers have upheld him and me. 

Please continue to pray for complete healing.  John is ready to go to Australia he says, the doctor agrees, so our plan is to go around the first week or so in January.  He has one more doctor appointment here.  The doctor here is corresponding with doctors there so we do not have to decide who to see, he already knows so of them.

We truly are looking forward to seeing that miracle from the LORD and many more in the future, thank you for praying with us and believing with us!! 

 

My Mom is back here from the hospital and doing fair, she came home on oxygen.  While  she was hospitalized they discovered another heart problem so she has to be seen by a specialist this week, please be praying for a good report and for her lungs to clear so she can get off the oxygen and go back home to Memphis and Fred, he is beginning to miss her. Also be praying for their situation, Fred is 89 years old and Mom will be 88 in January, it would be really good if they could find an assisted living place to live where someone would check on them on a regular basis, and they would agree that they might need a little help.

 

Thank you so much for your prayers, we really a blessed to have friends and family who care, and take the time to pray for us.

 

GOD Bless and again thank you

Agape

Monette and John

Prayer needs

Dear Prayer Partners,

 

John is almost finished with radiation and chemotherapy and he has done very well

mostly.  Right now he is fighting a cold, so

please be praying for him that he would recover quickly from the cold and fever and from the radiation and chemotherapy.  He is really looking forward to getting finished and getting his strength back, he enjoys working in the yard so he wants get well so he can work in the yard and do all the other things he enjoys, get back to it he says!  Thank you for your prayers and the cards we have received and especially the pictures.  He has been so blessed by the pictures being able to connect names and the faces, the pictures have really helped him.

Also please be praying for my mom Tommie Golden, she has been here visiting us from Memphis, Tennessee  and gotten sick , she has the flu and double pneumonia and was hospitalized today, please be praying for a full recovery so she can get back to Memphis and Fred.

 

Thank you so much for your prayers

Agape,

Monette and John

Cards for John

Dear Prayer Partners,

 

Several of you have requested an address that you could send John cards, we have two:

 

in the US

 

P O Box 3550

Peachtree City, GA  30269

 

and in Australia

 

7 Leagh Court

Scoresby, VIC. 3179

 

If possible please include a picture of yourself, the radiation treatments are causing  John to have a problem associating names and faces and that would help him. 

 

Thank you

GOD Bless you

Agape,

Monette and John