CZECH IT OUT

Rafting on the Vltava

2009-07-18T20:56:00.005+02:00

We had a great weekend in Cesky Krumlov with four other families from our school and Grandpa and Grandma Falk. Rafting was the flavor of the day. You can click on this link to see more photos of this great weekend get-away. Cesky Krumlov

Awww Cyprus!!

2009-07-18T20:21:00.003+02:00

Early this July we spent 8 fabulous days at a beautiful resort in Cyprus. Al's parents are with us for much of the summer and joined us for the holiday. We had a great time together and the timing (in many ways) was just perfect! We finished the school year on Friday the 26th of June and on Monday the 29th we were off to Cyprus. Click on the following links if you are interested in seeing some photos:

Cyprus 1
Cyprus 2
Cyprus 3

Highlights included: swimming in our private pool, a private tour at a mountain village winery, seadooing on the Mediterranean, snorkeling in the Blue Lagoon! A fun time had by all.

Nightmare of the holiday...the boat ride to the Blue Lagoon. If any of you know my parents well, you will know that they do not like water. Well the winds were very strong and the water was, well,...lets just say a little more than choppy ;) Mom and dad were not dressed to get wet...but boy did they get wet...we all did! The water was crashing over the bow of the boat, smacking us in the face and getting us all drenched! At some points it actually felt a little unsafe. This was not a nightmare for me or the kids (in fact Mark was loving it!), but for mom and dad it was torture! And Connie, having that gift (or curse) of empathy was struggling as she could feel the emotional pain and stress that my parents were experiencing. In fact we have laughed about this experience more than any other. It was definitely memorable (if not enjoyable) for all!

The calm after the storm. Our boat trip to snorkel in the Blue Lagoon.

Riverside's Jungle Book!

2009-05-23T20:26:00.001+02:00

Riverside Primary School's Spring Production of Jungle Book. Mark plays Baloo and Sara is a Monkey.

It is now available on YouTube. You can view it at:

Jungle Book
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8fi8wS4EoM

Enjoy!

SPRING 2009 ROAD TRIP

2009-04-18T13:58:00.007+02:00

We just got back from a fantastic 2 week road trip with Connie's parents (Jake and Jeannie Janzen). 20 minutes into the trip (and barely on the highway) I attempted to put up my window with no success. A brief pit stop...removing the door panel and discovering a short in the electrical...and we were back on the road (no use of my window after that moment and only 3000 Km's to go!). We went to Bad Wimpfen and Heidelberg in Germany, Diekirch and Vianden in Luxembourg, Brugge and Brussels in Belgium, various battle of the Somme sites (WWI) in Northern France, Normandy and La Manche in Western France and Paris. What an incredible experience!

Have a look at the photos by clicking on the following links:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=116714&id=698835364&l=206be9e9dd
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=116715&id=698835364&l=a5823b7866
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=116719&id=698835364&l=2f445772cc
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=116720&id=698835364&l=63261ba3b3
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=116726&id=698835364&l=919f12c833
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=116729&id=698835364&l=8cfc375943
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=116730&id=698835364&l=ae5f72a49d

Suprise!!!! An update.

2009-01-10T16:30:00.002+01:00

An update has been a long time coming. I have included excerpts from our Christmas Newsletter below and added some photo links.

Greetings from Prague.

How time flies! We have been in Prague for three and a half years now (arriving in August of 2005). This being our second stint in Prague means we have lived in Europe for 5½ years – half of Mark’s life time!

Our highlight this year was spending our summer holiday in Canada. We spent 5 1/2 fabulous weeks with family and friends. We made great memories in Whistler with Al’s family and hanging out at the farm with Grandpa and Grandma – the kittens and motorbike sure received a lot of attention! It was awesome to spend time with good friends from Abbotsford, Walnut Grove, Moose Jaw and South Dakota. Green Lake, Lac Des Roche, camping in Sechelt, fishing with the boys…life doesn’t get much better than that!
We also spent a couple memorable weeks in Kelowna with Connie’s family. We were grateful to be able to attend Connie’s niece’s wedding and hang out with Nana and Papa, Connie’s brother and her sister’s family.

Connie and Al are still working at Riverside School (in Prague) and our 3 kids attend there. It is quite a special environment to work in and we are grateful for the opportunity. Connie is teaching a Reception class (like Kindergarten) in the elementary – 3 days a week. She absolutely loves teaching. Connie has started an outreach bible study for moms at Riverside. It is so exciting to see how open the ladies are to hearing about how they can have a personal relationship with Jesus - some of them for the first time ever.

Al is the principal of the High School. It has been a busy few years as we have been through three accreditations and have recently been approved as an IB (International Baccalaureate) World School. The process of accreditation (by some of the top accreditation organizations in the world) is very rigorous and emotionally draining. The staff at Riverside have really come together – worked hard and shown their commitment to excellence in the classroom. We are very proud of Riverside, our staff team and students and we are looking forward to seeing what God has in store for us all. Feel free to check out our web site for more information about the school – www.riversideschool.cz

Andrea just turned 13 this December. Hard to believe we have a teenager in the house. We thank God each day for the miracles he has done in her life. In May – 7 months after her treatments – tests revealed that Andrea had no sign of thyroid tissue or thyroid cancer in her body. Andrea’s follow-up tests in November confirmed that she is cancer free! Praise God! Please continue to pray for Andrea. Her health will be monitored closely – 3-6 month check-ups for the next few years and once a year for the rest of her life. Thanks again to those of you who have continued to keep Andrea in your thoughts and prayers and have helped our family in practical ways.
Andrea continues to do well in school. She is incredibly organized and hard-working. We are very proud of her accomplishments. She is active in school life – taking part in various clubs – and swims three times per week. Andrea started to attend youth group this fall. She is really enjoying it. Andrea misses deeply several of her close friends who have moved away over the past two years.

Mark is living life to the max! He is doing well in school and is a great friend to many. He has the ability to mix with kids from all grades. He is active with mountain biking, soccer, swimming and rugby. He would desperately like to play organized basketball -unfortunately opportunities are few and far between. Mark is a talented musician and actor. He is taking guitar lessons and has had several significant roles in the school’s and church’s productions.

Sara has an incredible smile and loves to laugh and have fun! We are enjoying her sense of humor and zest for life. Sara has a keen interest in school and has enjoyed learning about the ancient Greeks and Egyptians. She loves to play imaginary games swim, sing and attend Prague Kids – a Christian kids club that takes place after school. The doctors are keeping a close watch on Sara’s thyroid. They discovered a small nodule on her thyroid in June. The nodule grew slightly, and in October she started to take thyroid medication. We are hopeful that the medication will prevent the nodule from growing and causing any further complications.

Well that’s a brief update on what’s happening with our family.

Blessings to all of you,
Al, Connie, Andrea (13), Mark(11) and Sara(8)

Here are two links to photos dating back to September.
Falk Happenings - Sept - Dec 2008
Christmas 08 / New Year 09

Summer 2008 - Oh Canada!!!

2008-09-27T09:18:00.003+02:00

We spent 5 1/2 fabulous weeks in Canada this summer. We had an incredible time with family and friends.

Highlights:
Spending time with great friends from Abbotsford, Walnut Grove, South Dakota, Kelowna
Hanging out at the farm with Grandpa and Grandma (kittens and motorbike!)
Whistler with the Falks
Green Lake
Lac Des Roche
Camping in Sechelt
Fishing with the boys
Tiera and Kenny's wedding
Hangin with the Janzen and Loewen families in Kelowna - of course the beach!

You can check out links to some of our summer photos:
http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=71849&l=3667a&id=698835364
http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=71988&l=2eeb8&id=698835364
http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=71991&l=25230&id=698835364

CANCER FREE!!!!

2008-05-23T17:53:00.001+02:00

Today is a day of celebrating as we are first-hand witnesses of the miraculous hand of God in the life of Andrea. We visited the doctor this morning to ask a few questions and to find out the details of the results. He told us that she has no sign of thyroid tissue or thyroid cancer in her body. This means that she will not have to go back for another 6 months at which time they will do an ultra-sound and blood-tests as an out-patient. If everything remains clear, she will only have to go back on a yearly basis (every 2 years with more involved testing, but still as an outpatient). Every 5 years she will have to have the small dose of radioactive iodine and stay for a few days in the hospital for the whole-body scan.

We felt so relieved after talking with the doctor today—to actually see the pictures from the scan and to have our questions answered. There are many cultural differences even in the way they communicate with patients, so it has taken a bit of bending on both sides to learn how to understand what we are trying to say to each other. We prayed that God would make things clear today and that our Dr. would have time for us. These prayers have been answered and we are so grateful.

We are going to enjoy our weekend with 4 other families as we head to a place a few hours from Prague (Cesky Krumlov) where we will spend Saturday rafting (drifting). Not B.C. rafting, but it will do.

Thanks again to those of you who have continued to keep Andrea in your thoughts and prayers and have helped our family in practical ways.

Our love to you all.

Al, Connie, Andy, Mark and Sara

GOOD NEWS!!

2008-05-20T21:41:00.005+02:00

It has been an incredibly long few days as we have been anxiously waiting for the news of Andrea's CT and Whole Body Scan. Initially we were expecting the results this past Thursday, when we picked her up from the hospital, but the only result shared with us at that time was the thyroglobulin levels - encouraging news, but inconclusive. At that time we were told that the complete results would be available on Monday morning. We finally got a hold of the doctor on Monday afternoon but he did not have the reports prepared yet. So we waited again - now more anxious than ever! We were expecting a call at 11.00am today......... finally at 3.00pm we received Andrea's results from the CT and Whole-Body Scan. GOOD NEWS!! The Dr indicated (over the phone) that all was normal - that the levels of remaining thyroid tissue are "normal" and that there is no metastasis (spreading of the cancer) to the lungs or lymph nodes. All looks good. Praise God!

We will meet with the Dr on Friday to see pictures of the scan, discuss the report, and ask more questions about the plan for future monitoring. We will write an update after this weekend.

Once again we thank you for your prayers and support. We continue to trust in God's faithfulness and take comfort in his sovereignty.

Thursday, 15 May 2008

2008-05-15T20:56:00.000+02:00

We went to the hospital this morning to get the results of Andrea’s tests and to bring her home. Unfortunately the doctor did not have the results of the whole body scan (scintigraphy) prepared. We were very disappointed as it is not fun to wait for results!! We are told that these results will be available to us on Monday.

We were however, encouraged by the results of a blood test that determines the level of thyroglobulin in her system. Thyroglobulin is a protein produced by normal thyroid tissue. Thyroid cancer cells may continue to produce thyroglobulin and levels may be markedly elevated in patients with active thyroid cancer. Theoretically, a patient who has undergone thyroid surgery and effective treatment with radioactive iodine should not have any remaining thyroid cancer cells or normal thyroid tissue present. Andrea’s thyroglobulin levels have fallen to a very low level since her treatment with radioactive iodine in October and we are told that this could be a good indication that any remaining thyroid cancer cells have been destroyed. This is good news! Of course the results of the whole body scan will be essential to determine what, if any, further treatment is needed.

Thank you for praying.

Wednesday Update

2008-05-14T22:25:00.004+02:00

Good morning!

It is 10am on Wednesday morning and I just finished talking with Andrea on the phone. She has been a very brave little lady and we are so proud of her.

Yesterday at 7am we brought her into the hospital where we checked her in to the Nuclear Medicine Dept. and then had to leave her there at about 9am. She was full of hugs as we said goodbye, but she just followed the nurse to her room (we are not allowed to go into the area where the rooms are- but have a little spot in the entryway where we can sit and visit with her) and held her head up as she went—we were amazed at the strength God is giving her to get through this. Her day was filled with tests (blood tests, EKG, etc) and then she did some reading, watching movies and smiling at her two ‘only Czech speaking’ roomies. Not even the nurses speak any English this time, so she is in a challenging situation where she has to try to guess what they are telling her to do—lots of sign language and gestures.

Mark and Sara spent the morning with good friends, the Wilsons, and had a great time playing with their kids. Then around 5:00 Jen Nolan came and watched Mark and Sara while Al and I went to see Andy. We had such a wonderful time in our little entryway cubby-hole. We brought her dinner and then played Mexican Poker for 2 hours—there was lots of laughing and good spirits, so we are so thankful that God is protecting Andrea from feeling sad and gloomy.

Andrea had a bit of a long night—hit with a cold and one of her roomies is a bit of a snorer. The nurses came and woke them up at 5am—she hasn’t quite figured out why, but …oh well. Around 9:30 she had an injection to put in the radioactive mat (the radioactive material would attach itself to any thyroid/cancer cells if there are any remaining in her body and would show up on the scanner when they took the picture)—it was put into the top of her foot which surprised her a bit. Then she had to spend 30 minutes in a full body scanner. She wasn’t allowed to move at all and she said her head hurt because it was in an awkward position and she kept feeling itches all over. I get itchy just thinking about it.

We will have a meeting with the doctor on Thursday morning where he will give us the results of the scan. This will tell us if she needs more treatment or not. Then they said Andrea would be free to go home, so we are thrilled about that. She has been off of her thyroid pills for a couple weeks now, so she is pretty tired these days and will take the next couple days off school to regain her energy (if she feels she needs to) .

We ran into her surgeon in the hospital yesterday, (Prof Betka) who is a different doctor than the one who is administering her treatment, and he asked if we would bring Andrea to see him on Thursday.

We praise God for miracles and that He cares enough to have His hand in each of our lives.

Thank you for all your support and prayers. We are hopeful for good news tomorrow.

Back to Motol

2008-05-12T21:54:00.004+02:00

Andrea - in Barcelona (Last week)

On Tuesday morning Andrea will be admitted into the hospital for an anticipated 3-5 day stay. We continue to pray that the tests reveal the miracle we have been praying for! Thank you for your prayers and support.

Doesn't she look great! Home from Barcelona - enjoying the same kind of weather...fantastic.

Spring Break 2008 - England

2008-05-03T11:05:00.006+02:00

For our Spring Break in March went to England for the first time. We flew to Luton airport and rented a car. Okay...that was a nightmare! I nearly killed my family at the first round-about we came to. I never imagined it would be so difficult to drive on the left side of the road! I could handle the right-hand drive without too much difficulty, but driving on the left was crazy! Anyway we drove to the World Heritage City of Bath and stayed in the beautiful home of friends of ours that we got to know in Prague.
We then drove to the SW corner of Cornwall to a small village called Sennen. We stayed in a fabulous beach house there! It was awesome to be by the sea - spectacular views!
We then drove to London where Mr T (the kids swimming coach, who is now living in London) showed us the sites. 10 days and 1000 miles...We had a great time.
Feel free to check out the photos on facebook. Click on the following links to access:
Bath
Cornwall
London

Update on Andrea

Andy is currently in Barcelona with a group of students from Riverside. She is feeling very well right now and has had an excellent few months. She returns from Barcelona on the 7th of May. She will be admitted in to the hospital on the 13th of May. She will be taking a small (diagnostic) dose of Radioactive Iodine, be isolated for 3-5 days, and have several tests - including a full body scan. The scan will determine how successful her treatment in October was and/or if the cancer has been eliminated. We continue to pray for complete healing. Please join us in prayer! We will update our blog once we know the results of her tests.

Enjoying Life

2008-02-14T18:02:00.006+01:00

Andrea’s January Check-up

Andrea had an ultra-sound and blood work done in January. We are encouraged by the results. Two lymph nodes that the doctors said were “suspicious” have gone back to a normal size. The residual thyroid tissue that remained after surgery has shrunk – indicating that the radioactive iodine is doing what it is supposed to. Andrea’s next check-up will be in April, when they will be able to give us a clearer picture of how the radioactive iodine has been working in her body. She will take a small diagnostic dose of radioactive iodine and have a full body scan. She will need to be in isolation in the hospital for 3-5 days for this test. We continue to pray that the cancer does not resurface and trust God for complete healing!

Half-Term Break

This past week we took two days and went skiing at a hill just across the German boarder. We had a fantastic time! The weather was incredible and the conditions just right for us. Mark was on a snowboard and did amazingly well. Sara tried her hand at skiing – her second time - and although cautious, did very well. What a joy it was to watch Andrea ski down the slopes. She was very courageous and had loads of energy.

I have posted some pictures of what we have been up to this winter. Click here to view.

Summer Plans

Boy are we excited!! After 3 years in Europe we are going to Canada for 5 weeks this summer! We are looking forward to spending time with our families and friends, visiting with many of you who have prayed so faithfully for Andrea, attending Tiera (Connie’s niece) and Kenny’s wedding in Kelowna, and camping in beautiful BC.

December Update

2007-12-28T23:02:00.001+01:00

We have been wanting to update our blog to let you know how our family, and specifically Andrea, are doing.

Andrea has been doing very well these past couple months. She has fully integrated back into school life and is loving every minute of it. Her studies are going well, she is involved in some extra-curricular activities (Photography Club, Year Book Club, Art Club and Swimming) and is able to be involved in Physical Education as well. Her energy level is very good and she is in good spirits. She has been up and down with her emotions when she feels under pressure, but we are thankful that she is able to talk with us about how she is feeling. She has a daily routine of taking her thyroid hormone replacement medication and she continues to massage her neck where her incision is (not her favourite thing to do!)

Andrea will have to be closely monitored as the type of cancer she was treated for is aggressive and may reoccur. We will visit the doctor in January to have bloodwork done and an ultrasound to see if there is anything unusual in her neck and to test if her thyroid medication is the right dosage. Then in May she will have to go back in the hospital for 3-5 days when she will have to take a small dose of the radioactive iodine for diagnostic purposes. They will do a full body scan to see if the treatment this past October was successful and to see if the cancer has reoccurred (the radioactive iodine from her October treatment is supposed to continue to work in her system for up to 6 months). She will most likely have to have similar tests every 6 months to a year in her future.

We are grateful for how she has recovered from surgery and her treatment and we continue to pray for complete healing. These past couple months since Andrea’s treatment have been difficult for Al and I (Connie), as we have had to face times of fear and struggled with why this has happened to Andrea. Yet we are amazed at how God is carrying us through this journey of ours and we are so thankful to many of you who are praying for us and walking through it with us. We know that we can only face this with prayer and spending time in God’s Word.

We have had a great Christmas as we spent a week with Connie’s parents and sister’s family in the South of Spain. The weather was unusually cool, but we had a fun time together nonetheless. We flew to my sister’s in Germany where we spent a few days together and are now back in Prague. If you want to see our pictures from our Christmas, you can click on the following links:

Birthdays and Things

December in Spain - 1

December in Spain - 2

Christmas 07

Out and About

2007-11-04T09:57:00.001+01:00

We are so thrilled to have Andrea home. She has been very tired and needing lots of rest. The doctors say it will take at least a month before she can begin her swim training and other rigorous exercise. We have been able to get out and about - going for short walks, out for lunch and to the zoo on Saturday.

We asked Andrea if anything has been hard and she said: "It is very hard not to be close to Mark and Sara and my friends." We will follow the doctors instructions and Andrea will be able to return to school on Monday, 12 November.

SHE'S HOME!!!!!

2007-10-29T10:08:00.000+01:00

Nana and Papa were excited to greet Andrea!

We are thrilled to have Andrea back at home with us. What a joy it was to give her a HUG!! We have closed a chapter in Andrea's life and in her words we "just wants things to be normal!" And very soon they will be. The next 10 days are a period of adjustment as Andrea is not able to attend school yet. As precautionary measures we are told that we should not spend long periods of time in close contact with her. During these next two weeks at home we will gradually get Andrea back on track with school and start exercising (she has not been able to exercise for at least 3 months). She is really looking forward to getting back to swimming!

Smiles all around!! (nice nose hairs)

Andrea's name means 'courageous' and boy was she a brave warrior these past two weeks. We are so proud of her.

Andrea and her good friend Katka

Katka's results were good as well. She was equally as anxious to get the positive news and to be discharged. It was good to meet her husband Nicholas.

GOOD NEWS!!

2007-10-26T16:24:00.000+02:00

We received good news from the doctor this morning. Andrea's full body scan indicates that the cancer has not spread anywhere else in her body. There is no evidence of cancer cells in her bones or lungs and no reoccurring tumors. All that remains is the residual thyroid tissue that we hope the radioactive will destroy. An ultrasound showed that Andrea has two lymph nodes on the right side of her neck that appear to be inflamed (they did not show up on her scan as abnormal). This may or may not be a cause for concern. In a patient who has never had cancer this would not be something they would worry about, but because of her history this will be something the doctors will want to keep an eye on. If it is cancerous we hope the iodine will be effective on this area as well.

Andrea will be discharged from the hospital on Monday morning -- a day we are ALL looking forward to!!

In 3 months time Andrea will have blood tests and an ultrasound to make sure there are no abnormalities. The doctors will not be able to evaluate the effectiveness of the radioactive iodine treatment for another 6 months. At that time Andrea will receive a diagnostic dose of RDI (with a 3-5 day hospital stay) and they will perform another scan. The results of the scan will show us whether the thyroid tissue has been eliminated and/or if there is any sign of re-occurrence.

We are so encouraged with the news we received today and thank God for many answered prayers.

Part of God's Family

2007-10-25T11:33:00.000+02:00

We know that literally hundreds of people are thinking about Andrea daily and many of you have been praying for her healing and comfort while she is in the hospital. We are completely overwhelmed by the support we have received.

Each of the time slots on the Prayer calendar was filled (many by more than 1 person). That’s 168 hours of continuous prayer!!! We have also heard from many people who were not on the prayer calendar that they have been praying for Andrea daily - people from 5 continents (North America, Europe, South America, Asia, Africa), and 20 countries; Canada (British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario), the United States (Oregon, California, South Dakota, Texas, Hawaii, Michigan, North Carolina, Indiana, Ohio), Czech Republic, Austria, Germany, France, England, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, Russia, United Arab Emirates, Israel, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Africa, Uganda, Argentina. Thank you for praying!

When we decided to do this 24/7 prayer calendar we prayed that this would be a time of blessing for those who prayed and God would touch many lives. It has been encouraging to hear how God has spoken to many of you.

We anticipate that Andrea will come home on Monday. We look forward to that reunion!!! We are meeting with her doctor tomorrow morning. We have been told that he will give us the results of Andrea’s full body scan and discuss her follow-up treatment plan. We usually leave many of our meetings with more questions than we went in with. Hopefully after Friday we will have a better understanding of what her treatment plan will be.

DAY 7 of 24/7

2007-10-24T15:35:00.000+02:00

It has been 10 days since Andrea was admitted into FN Motol Hospital for her tests and treatments. And the 7th and last day of the 24/7 prayer calendar that many of you have been a part of. We know that many of you, who didn't sign up for an official time slot, have been praying as well and our family has been thoroughly blessed by your faithfulness.
We continue to be encouraged by Andrea's progress. Connie saw her at lunch time today and Andrea had had another good sleep and continues to gain strength. She is eating well and has done her best to drink at least 2 liters of water/day. Katka is feeling quite a bit better as well and the two of them continue to be a good support for one another.
The days are feeling quite long for her (and us) as we anticipate a home reunion on Monday (or earlier in the weekend if her levels of radiation are safe).
Even though the 24/7 will be over at midnight tonight - Prague time - we take comfort in knowing that family and friends around the world will continue to pray for Andrea's recovery and complete healing. I will continue to update the blog to keep you all posted. We value your friendship!!!

Encouraging Day!

2007-10-23T15:41:00.000+02:00

4.00pm - Prague time. Andrea continues to feel better and is getting her appetite back. She appears to be regaining her strength as she is able to eat more of the food we bring her (the hospital food just isn't happening for her right now). Andrea is still quite tired and has spent a lot of time listening to audio books or music. She was hoping to do some school work today but didn't have the energy.
Andrea has been in good spirits and has had a positive attitude. She has complained that the blinds in her room don't fully close and there is a bright light outside the window.
Connie visited with her earlier this afternoon and I will bring some supper to her and have a chance to visit soon. We cherish this time and can hardly wait to have our family back together again!

Wonder if Andrea's Hippo is in that truck?

We continue to pray and trust God for her complete healing. The radioactive iodine will continue to work in her body for up to 6 months. Our prayer is that all thyroid and cancer cells will be destroyed and that the cancer does not come back in any form.

1/2 WAY THERE!!

2007-10-22T11:10:00.000+02:00

4.15pm - Prague Time. Wow! What a great visit! Connie and I were able to see Andrea for 20 minutes this afternoon. As you can see from the photos Andrea looks great and we had some good laughs. Connie commented to Andrea that this was the best part of her day. Andrea responded by saying it was "the best part of my (her) week!!" She has felt less nauseous today and enjoyed the chicken ceasar wrap and fresh scones we brought her. We will be able to see her again tomorrow for 20 minutes. It was such and encouraging visit. Andrea did end up having her whole-body scan today so we will see if we can find out the results sooner than our scheduled meeting (Friday at 8.00am). Andrea wanted us to pass on that she is very thankful for all the prayers, cards, gifts and emails.

A visit from a distance. So hard not to hug our girl!!!

I wrote the following this morning at 11.45am - Prague Time. We just got back from the hospital where we met with the doctor in charge of Andrea's treatment. We had understood that Andrea was to have a full body scan this morning and that the purpose of the meeting was to discuss the results of this important test. She did not have the full body scan yet - we believe it is now scheduled for Thursday. We will meet with the doctor again on Friday morning to discuss the results of this test. This test will give the doctors a much clearer picture (because of the high dose of radioactive iodine compared to her first body scan) of whether the cancer has spread or not. The meeting this morning wasn't a total waste of time as we had some of our questions answered. Andrea is already on thyroid hormone replacement medication and is taking a vitamin supplement to protect her blood from the radioactivity. This morning Andrea was allowed to shower (her first since Wednesday night). She was very happy about that :) She also removed all the linens from her bed and had to include her PJ's and the stuffed Hippo we gave her for the 5 days of isolation. The hippo was so radioactive they said there was no way she could keep it (must have received lots of hugs)!! Andrea and Katka were moved to a different room as well. Andrea is pleased as it is bigger and brighter. They are also permitted to wander the halls and access their own food from a fridge in a common area. We brought her some food and were pleasantly surprised when the nurse brought her to see us! We had a 5 minute visit with her. She looked really good and her spirits were up this morning. Still experiencing nausea but was able to eat some breakfast. The hospital clothes were so big on her, with the crotch of her pants at her knees. She looked like a true skater! Connie and I will get to see for about 15 minutes this afternoon. We are looking forward to seeing her again.

Security is tight in the radioactive zone

Frustration Sets In!

2007-10-21T09:41:00.000+02:00

It is now 4.30pm -Prague Time. We just got off the phone with Andrea. Since the morning she has started to feel a bit better. She was pleased that she was able to eat some of mom's apple sauce and Nana's home-baked buns. Her spirits were up, compared to this am, but she is still tired - to be expected I guess. Andrea spent over an hour reading the emails that many of you sent to her over the past day or two. She has been really encouraged by the emails and knowing that so many are praying.
Tomorrow morning Andrea and Katka will move to different room in another part of the ward. They will be able to walk the halls and the change of scenery will be a welcome sight. Andrea will also have a full body scan in the morning. Connie and I will meet to learn the results of that scan at 10.00am tomorrow. And the best news of all...Connie and I can visit with her for about 15 minutes in the afternoon (it will be hard not to hug her but to see her will GREAT!).

I wrote the following update at 10:00am Prague time
We talked with Andrea this morning. She slept okay but was up too late and still feels quite tired. Her stomach continues to feel nauseated and she is getting quite frustrated with that. She feels hungry, but when she goes to eat, she doesn't feel like eating.

A better night and day

2007-10-20T10:26:00.000+02:00

It is 6.00pm here in Prague and I just got off the phone with Andy. She is pleased that we dropped off some food for her but still does not have much of an appetite. She is feeling much better than yesterday and indicated that she was at about 7.5 out of 10. Katka has not felt that well this afternoon and both are quite tired. Andrea has been working through a brain-teaser book and finished reading her first book there. She is also enjoying audio books and believe it or not she has only watched one DVD in the past two days!! Andrea was pleased to be able to access her emails today andygocrazy@hotmail.com
THANK YOU for your prayers and best wishes!!

Below is a short note I wrote at 10.30 - Prague time - this morning.

Andrea had a much better sleep last night. She is not feeling 100% but was able to eat a small amount of breakfast and drink milk and water. She is also able to connect to the internet and will be checking her emails (I don't think she will have the energy to respond at this point). Thanks to those of you who have sent words of encouragement.
Katka feels about the same as Andrea...better than yesterday but not 100%.

By the way...with all the trips to the hospital we have discovered that Czechs have the most polite elevator etiquette. You never enter an elevator without saying "dobrý den" (good day), nor leave an elevator without saying "na shledanou" (good bye). Interesting.

Exhaustion

2007-10-19T19:24:00.000+02:00

Andrea had a rough night and morning. She experienced nausea quite bad and was very exhausted. She sounded pretty down this morning but the nurse gave her an injection to help with the nausea and she slept and rested most of the day and went to bed by 8.00pm. Connie and Nana made some chicken noodle soup for Andrea and delivered it through the nurses at the ward. She enjoyed that compared to what the hospital served her and was able to keep it down.
The hospital food is not that good and often bizarre (for example: 3 jelly donuts for dinner). So we are delivering home cooked meals and fresh salads and fruit when ever we can.
We are praying that the nausea will pass and that she will be able to sleep well.

We have printed out the emails that have been sent to her and have delivered them to her. She has been encouraged and has really enjoyed reading them. Thank you! She also enjoyed listening to recorded greetings and well-wishes from many of her classmates and other kids at school...thank you Mr Maddocks and friends!

It is so hard to not be there to help her. We are stripped of all possibilities of helping her physically, and are left to pray. So we will pray.

First Day of 24/7 Prayer!

2007-10-18T12:03:00.000+02:00

We just got home from the hospital and we had positive news. Andrea had a small drink on Tuesday (very low dose of radioactive iodine which is used to tag or light up where any thyroid/cancer cells could be) and yesterday they took a preliminary scan from her waist up to her head. This was to give them an idea of how strong the dosage should be for today--the 'big drink', they call it. The doc was very pleased with the scan and her blood levels. The scan shows that there is a small amount of thyroid tissue(may or may not be cancerous) in her neck still as well as two lymph nodes in her neck that they are not sure whether they have cancer or not. From these first tests, it looks like there is no cancer in her lungs. Praise God for that! They were originally talking about giving her a dosage of radiation that was 100-150 mCi, but after these results, they decided to give her a dosage of 80 mCi --so that is good. Her iodine levels were very low, which is what we have been working towards with this diet. Doc said that will be very good for her as then the radioactive drink will be absorbed better by the thyroid cells.

We were able to visit with Andrea this morning for about 30 minutes. Her roommate, Katka, came for a few minutes to translate something for the nurses. We had a brief visit with her. She said that Andrea is such a strong and courageous girl. She is just amazed at Andrea and how calm she is about the whole thing. I think they are enjoying each others company. We had a chance to tell Katka about the prayer calendar and that we have asked people to pray for her as well.

We were not able to get the internet connected for her, so that was a bit of a disappointment, but she is okay with that. We will print off her emails and bring them to her as they come in. She was quite tired this morning as she stayed up a bit late last night--hopefully she will get some extra rest today.

She should already have her 'big drink' by now--they were going to give it to her by 11am. The small drink gave her a bit of a stomach ache and so we are praying that this dosage will not cause her to be nauseous.

October 17th 2007

2007-10-17T20:48:00.000+02:00

Andrea had a busy day today. She had more tests and spent time trying, along with Katka her roommate, to get connected to the dial up internet...no luck yet. She has got to know Katka quite well and is teaching her several card games.

She had a body scan today. They strapped her to a narrow bed and required her to remain still for 20 minutes. She had a nasty itch on the back of her head but her arms were strapped down...nice feeling. Connie and I will meet with the doctors tomorrow to discuss the results of the scan. This scan and the other tests she has had will determine the amount of radioactive iodine she will take on Thursday morning.

Andrea appreciated the text messages she received today. Thanks for taking the time to do that. We are excited to learn what God is going to do with this 24/7 prayer time which starts tonight at midnight! Thank you for your prayers.

DAY 2

2007-10-16T22:53:00.000+02:00

Good evening.

We are at the end of day 2 with only 12 more days to go. We want to update all of you on how these past couple days have gone. These couple days have been filled with blessings as well as some tough moments. It has been very emotional for us to experience this with Andrea. The unknowns and language barrier have caused anxiety.

Blessings:

Andrea has a roommate who speaks English and Czech fluently. Her name is Katka. She is in her 30’s, has been very kind to Andrea and has helped us with translation. She and Andrea have been playing cards and keeping each other company. Andrea said tonight, “I am so thankful that Katka is with me”.

We have been able to talk with Andrea on her cell phone throughout the day.

She has been in good spirits and, thanks to many friends around the world, she has lots of activities to keep her busy during her stay.

Connie’s parents and brother are here helping us out and being a great support.

That so many have been praying for Andrea and our family. This has been so encouraging for all of us. Our prayer calendar is almost filled up!

Prayer Requests:

We have not been allowed in Andrea’s room these three days—this was unexpected and has been difficult for Andrea. Today each of us (Al and Connie) were only able to spend 20 minutes each with her in a waiting room area and could not have any physical contact with her because she was given a small dose of radioactive iodine for one of the tests.

We have her set up with the computer and web cam, but unfortunately they have not been able to set up the internet access for her. If you feel like dropping her a text message, she has a mobile phone with her. Please email us for her number if you want to contact her.
That the cancer will not have spread to other parts of her body. The tests and treatment will provide us with that information.

Katka is also going through the same treatment for thyroid cancer and we want to pray that they will be a good support to each other and for healing for Katka as well.

If you are interested in still picking a designated hour of prayer we still have some times that are open.

Prague time: (remember we are 9 hours ahead of BC time)

Thur 18^th: 5am , 9am

Fri. 19^th: 1am, 2am 7pm 10pm

Sat. 20^th: 1am, 2am, 3am

Sun. 21^st: 1am, 2am, 3am, 5am

Mon. 22^nd: 1am 2am, 3am, 5am, 6am

Tues. 23^rd: 1am, 2am, 3am , 5am

Wed. 24^th: 12am, 1am, 2am, 3am, 10pm,

For the next few days we will be updating our blog for those who are interested in reading a more regular update. www.alandconnies.blogspot.com

7 DAYS OF PRAYER for Andrea

2007-10-08T21:37:00.000+02:00

7 DAYS OF PRAYER

We have been encouraged by some friends to have a prayer time for Andrea while she is going through her treatment in the hospital. We thought it would be nice for her to know that someone is praying for her each hour of the day while she is in isolation. We have divided the days into one-hour time slots. Please let us know if you would like to join us and take one of the hours on any of the days from the 18^th to the 24^th. If you would like to email her during that hour or during her stay please use andygocrazy@hotmail.com She will have access to a computer and will be checking her emails regularly.

Just let us know by email a day and time (Prague time) you would like to pray. We will organize the times on a web-based calendar and be updating the remaining times available. It is not necessary but if you want to see the times on the calendar click on " Andy's Prayer Calendar" (we will not post names on the calendar but will keep the names private). When someone is praying at a specific hour the time on the calendar will say "no subject".

Andrea will be in the hospital from Monday 15 October until Monday the 29^th. She will be on her own from Thursday the 18^th until Tuesday the 22^nd. We will then have 10-15min visits with her until her radioactive levels are low enough.

We have decided to set up a one week schedule for the time that will be most difficult for her. It will be from Thursday, 18th October 12.00am – Wednesday, 24^th October 11.59pm – Prague time.

Here is a timetable to show you the time difference between Prague and Vancouver.

Prague Time For Day 1	Vancouver Time for Day 1
12am-1am Thursday	3-4pm Wednesday the 17^th*
1-2am	4-5pm*
2-3am	5-6pm*
3-4am	6-7pm*
4-5am	7-8pm*
5-6am	8-9pm*
6-7am	9-10pm*
7-8am***	10-11pm
8-9am***	11pm-12am
9-10am***	12am-1am Thursday
10-11am***	1-2am
11am-12pm***	2-3am
12-1pm***	3-4am
1-2pm***	4-5am
2-3pm***	5-6am
3-4pm***	6-7am*
4-5pm***	7-8am*
5-6pm***	8-9am*
6-7pm***	9-10am*
7-8pm***	10-11am*
8-9pm***	11am-12pm*
9-10pm***	12-1pm*
10-11pm	1-2pm*
11pm-12am	2-3pm

* prayer time for friends in North America
***prayer time for friends in Europe

Thank you for helping us through this time.

Al and Connie, Andrea, Mark and Sara

Andrea's prayer calendar can also be accessed through this link: http://www.google.com/calendar/embed?src=end1hj03o5jhmcjmvd8pemo538%40group.calendar.google.com

Andrea's Journey - Email Excerpts

2007-09-28T13:37:00.000+02:00

As many of you know Andrea was diagnosed with Thyroid Cancer on the 22nd of August. Our Journey actually began on the 23rd of July when a visit to the doctor revealed she had a lump on the right side of her neck. I have cut and pasted many of the updates we sent family and friends over the last 6 weeks and posted them here.
It has been a crazy ride so far and we know we have a challenging road ahead but we continue to trust God for complete healing. Please continue to pray for Andrea. She begins her radioactive iodine treatment on the 15th of October.

Andrea at home - 7 days post-op

I have a link to several pictures of Andrea's journey on Flikr. Click here to view photos of Andrea.

July 27

Wanted you to know that Andrea has been at the doctors this past week. She had a stiff neck, beginning 6 days ago, that wouldn't go away. She had a tick bite a few weeks ago so wanted to make sure it wasn't a symptom of Lyme's disease. They did some blood tests and examined her thoroughly. Upon examination the doctor discovered a lump on her neck (to the right of her esophagus-her stiffness was on the opposite side of her neck, in the back). The lump is not painful or sensitive at all, but it is visible when she holds her head a certain way. The stiffness has decreased quite a bit and we have no clue if it related or not. We saw an ENT specialist and got an ultrasound today. The ultrasound showed a large "abnormal" lump 35mm x 25mm to the right of her thyroid gland. We are going back to the ENT specialist on Mon eve. to discuss the results of the Ultrasound and blood tests. we will update you on the results. Please pray.

July 30

Just to keep you posted...

We saw an ENT specialist today to go over the results of the blood tests that Andrea had last week and the Ultrasound. All of the blood tests she had were negative...so that's positive! The ultrasound was inconclusive. It confirmed there is a large mass, 'nodule', on the right side of Andrea's neck inside of her thyroid gland and another mass outside of her thyroid which is abnormal as well. We are seeing a thyroid specialist on Wednesday am. He will do another ultrasound and possibly a needle biopsy. The needle biopsy - the doctor inserts a small needle into the abnormal area. A sample of tissue is removed and given to a pathologist who looks at it under a microscope to determine what the abnormality is -- for example, cancer, a noncancerous tumor. Andrea is very anxious about this procedure.

Thanks for your prayers.

August 1

Andrea had the biopsy procedure today. She was very brave but not too pleased and found it quite uncomfortable, but she did enjoy a hot fudge sundae afterwards! There are nodules in both sides of the thyroid - abnormal masses. The right side having a much larger mass. They are fast tracking the tests and we should know the results by the end of next week....so we wait again. Thanks for your prayers.

August 1 Thank you so much for your prayers--we really feel them. Things went really well today at the doctor considering being in a foreign country and going to a hospital that looked like we were back in communism. We continue to hope for positive results and pray for patience as we wait. We have felt remarkably at peace throughout this time and have just had a few moments of fear during the late night hours or early morning when it is all quiet and there is time to think. Andreas neck has been a bit sore today after the biopsy and she has been a bit tired and emotional. It was NOT fun watching her lying on the bed with this big needle coming at her throat. She had this look of fear in her eyes and then she closed them tight during the rest of the procedure. she sat there as still as can be and tears came to her eyes after it was over. She said it was very uncomfortable and felt like someone was choking her. It brings feelings and emotions to me that I haven't felt before.

August 11

We received news from the nurse at the clinic that Andrea's nodules are benign--NOT Cancerous. Great news. She confirmed that the doc's (both ENT specialists that we are dealing with) are on holidays till aug 30, but we will be able to go to the hospital to get the official results and just see a doc who is filling in while our guy is gone--on monday. the nurse was not supposed to really tell us anything over the phone, but she knew we were anxious to know, so she just said it was benign but couldn't tell us any more. We will keep you informed as we know more. Love you all and thanks for your prayers,

August 13

Last week we received verbal information that Andrea's condition was not cancerous. Today Connie and Andrea met with an endocrinologist to discuss the results and the treatment for her thyroid. He confirmed that she would need medication to control it... They were just about to leave the office and Connie still felt uneasy and didn't feel we had all the info we needed. She asked whether the medicine would also decrease the lump on the outside of her thyroid (the one we were originally seeing the specialist about). The endocrinologist said "what bump" he said there was no information on this bump in the report from the biopsy and ultrasound from the thyroid specialist. He did another ultrasound and immediately did another biopsy - this time getting the tissue from the lump outside of the thyroid. The doc was quite upset that there was nothing in the previous report about this lump…and all along we thought that was what they were testing. The results show that this lump is cancerous (without a formal pathology report). They are saying it is thyroid cancer and are sending it to the pathologist to determine which type of thyroid cancer.

August 15

It is now the end of our day and we feel we have taken some good steps. We were feeling uneasy about not having one doctor who was keeping track of all our result--like we had so many specialists and different people doing tests and worried that something would get lost in the shuffle. With this last set of results we are waiting for, the specialist told us to just call the hospital to find out. None of the people who answer the phones at this hospital speak english, so we were not feeling good about it. Felt kind of like we were floating around in no man's land. I went to the Canadian medical clinic( which has nothing to do with Canada by the way) where we usually go for medical treatment yesterday and found a doctor who was willing to help us. She has contacts with the top oncology doc in the hospital (Motol) and she spent most of the morning today making sure the docs at the hospital were following through with the proper tests. We should know the results of the pathology report in the next few days. This doctor said that we are not in this alone and that they would do whatever they could to help.. They will send someone along when we go to the hospital to do the translating for us. We also had our cleaning lady (and friend) , Alena here today and she has a daughter that we know well who just happens to work at the canadian clinic as a nurse. Alena called her today while she was here and told her our situation so Alenka (her daughter) phoned me and said she will also help and she actually spent the morning with the pediatritian , helping her. So, we feel we are in good hands. Hope this all makes sense.

August 16

Dear Family and Friends,
It is hard to believe that we are nearing the end of summer and beginning another school year. We would like to update all of you on what is happening at Riverside in this coming year, but have some other news we would like to share with you and ask if you will come together with us in prayer.

A few weeks ago we discovered a lump on Andrea's neck, right next to her thyroid. We have been to the doctor (actually 5 doctors) and are going through some testing to discover what it is. She had biopsy on her thyroid and it came back benign. They sent us to another specialist to decide on a plan for her thyroid which they said was enlarged. During this visit with the Endocrinologist discovered that the previous doctor had mistakenly not done a biopsy right on the lump itself. So, Andrea went through another difficult biopsy and now we wait for the pathology report again.

We have been going from one specialist to another and feeling uneasy about not having one doctor who was keeping track of all our results--concerned that something would get lost in the shuffle. With this last set of results we are waiting for , the specialist told us to just call the hospital to find out. None of the people who answer the phones at this hospital speak english, so we were not feeling good about it. It has also been difficult trying to understand what the doc's tell us because of the language barrier. We felt uneasy, so I went to the Canadian Medical Clinic (nothing to do with Canada by the way) which caters to the international community where we usually go for medical treatment yesterday and found a doctor who was willing to help us. She has contacts with the top oncology doc in the hospital (Motol) and she spent most of the morning yesterday making sure the docs at the hospital were following through with the proper tests. We should know the results of the pathology report in the next few days. This doctor reassured us that we are not in this alone and that they would do whatever they could to help.. They will send someone along when we go to the hospital to do the translating for us. We also had our friend, Alena (who is Czech) here today and she has a daughter that we know well, who just happens to work at the canadian clinic as a nurse. Alena called her today while she was here and told her our situation. Alenka (her daughter) phoned me and said she will also help and she actually spent the morning with the pediatritian , helping her put together all the loose ends. So, we feel we are in good hands now.

It has been a long couple weeks with all the waiting and wondering but have felt God's presence through it all. We have some supportive people around us here, and also appreciate the support of all of you back home.

August 21

Dear Family and Friends, Thank you for your prayers and support over this past week. We saw an endocrinologist this morning and reviewed the pathology reports of both biopsies. The biopsy indicates that the lump beside her thyroid is malignant and is referred to as Papillary cancer. This is a type of thyroid cancer that can be treated by having the thyroid and the lump surgically removed and then waiting six weeks at which time she will begin treatment with radioactive iodine. The doctor spoke English fairly well and we went through the information in English with her. Then Alena (our Czech friend and nurse) spoke with us and the doctor in Czech and translated for us. We are quite devastated by this news but also are reassured that this is a type of cancer can be treated successfully. It was very difficult to talk about this with Andrea. We know the prognosis is good but surgery and all that goes along with it is not a fun thing to think about. We have not scheduled the surgery yet, but will keep you informed once we have discussed the options with family and doctors. Andrea's favorite verse, which is written on a poster in her room, is found in Jeremiah 29:11 'For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you plans to give you hope and a future." We have prayed this over her from when she was first dedicated as a baby, and we continue to claim this for her life. Thank you for your continued prayers.
August 27

Hi Everyone, We just want to begin by expressing how grateful and overwhelmed we are with the many expressions of love we have received and the prayers of so many of you. We apologize that we have not responded individually to everyone but hopefully these emails will keep you updated as to how Andrea is doing. We have continued to feel a peace that cannot be explained except by the power of Christ through the many prayers that have gone up. We had a very confirming appointment today with Professor Doctor Betka (his official title). Al, Andrea and I were in the waiting room, playing a game of dice until the Dr came. He walked in, introduced himself to Andrea and then began playing dice with her. She looked at me and giggled and so the meeting began. Dr. Betka was able to schedule a surgery time for us this Wednesday and Andy will go into the hospital tomorrow (Tues.) morning first thing for blood work and then stay in the hospital for surgery and recovery. We anticipate that she will be in the hospital for a week before she can go home. Then she will have six weeks at home with check ups in between to prepare her for the radioactive iodine treatment which will be at least two weeks in the hospital. Andrea is doing very well considering what she is facing. She is able to talk about what is happening to her and has asked many questions about the surgery and treatment. She is able to express her fears and disappointments (mostly about missing the first weeks of high school) but amazingly, she maintains a good sense of humour through it all. We have had lots of fun as a family and with friends this past week and really sense that God is going to do something good through this all. We have felt so much support from our friends here in Prague as well as family and friends from home and around the world. We will also be receiving help from some of our family members who are coming out to be with us. My sister, Cyndy, is arriving in 30 minutes (yeah!) and will stay until Al's parents arrive here on Thursday, who will stay until my (Connie's) parents arrive on September 16th. We are blessed!

August 28

I'm home from hospital and going to bed. Andrea was seen by several doctors and lab techs today. Blood tests, ECG, X-Ray, etc. She did well through it all. It was a long day. I was with Andrea and Connie until 11.30 or so and spent the rest of the day at work. Connie and Andrea watched a movie, made friendship bracelets and created picture frames. They avoided the hospital food and enjoyed a warmed up lasagna that I brought back. Andrea is in a room for two but she is the only patient there so Connie asked the nurses if she could spend the night. The nurses were very accommodating and allowed her to stay as long as she "was up by 6.00am, dressed and the bed made before the doctor came in." So Connie is spending the night next to Andrea. Andrea was very pleased. I will head back to the hospital by 6.45am. Spend some time with Andrea before they whisk her away to the operating theatre. We probably won't get to see her until Thursday am as they are very protective of ICU patients. That will be hard!

Andrea, Grandpa and Grandma - 5 Days post-op

August 29

Dear Family and Friends,

It is the end of a very long day here and we want to update you on how everything went.

The surgery was not standard as the doctors discovered the cancer was a more aggressive type of thyroid cancer than originally thought (follicular). Consequently, the surgery was more radical than they would have hoped. It lasted 6 hours and involved removal of the entire thyroid, the tumor, and all of the lymph nodes in the right side of her neck. Needless to say this was the longest and most painful wait we have every experienced.

The tumor was much larger than the ultrasound indicated and had probably been growing for several years. This tumor grew deep in the neck and surrounded the right "recurrent laryngeal nerve" - one of two nerves that control the vocal cords. This nerve was infiltrated by the cancer and a 3 cm section needed to be cut out.

The surgeon preformed reconstruction of the recurrent nerve by taking a section of another nerve in her neck and suturing it back together. This procedure is very difficult and very rarely performed. It was the first procedure of its kind (reconstruction of a laryngeal nerve using another nerve) performed at this hospital and the success rates are unknown. We are unsure what this means for Andrea. She will experience voice changes including hoarseness.

We are grateful for the team of surgeons and nurses who were able to perform such a delicate surgery and hopefully have removed all the cancer. We believe in miracles and are praying that God will do a miracle in Andy's body and the reconstructive surgery will be 100% successful and she will have 'her' voice back.

We were able to see Andrea for a few moments in Intensive Care. We will see her again tomorrow morning.

Thank you again for all your support and continued prayers.

First Fresh Air - 5 days post-op

Sept 5

Good Morning! (this is a long one, so you may need a cup of coffee)

Andrea has been making great progress these last few days and we are rejoicing because we have unexpectedly been able to bring her home from the hospital early. She was supposed to be in until Friday at least, but Prof. Doc. Betka came to see Andrea Monday night and said he was so pleased with her progress that he decided to let her go home the next morning.

Andrea is looking and feeling remarkable—we just give the glory to the Lord as we see she has experienced His healing touch over and over in this past week (skilled doctors, friendly nurses, His divine hand...). She is sooo excited to be home and continues to be positive and we are all enjoying her good sense of humor. She is walking around, playing games, sleeping well, resting, watching movies, checking her emails andygocrazy@hotmail.com, and of course, loving her new Nintendo DS—I think today she is even up for some reading.

Physically she is trying very hard to face the challenges of the changes in her body. Her voice has been improving and she is able to talk in a quiet, slightly raspy voice. We are grateful to the Lord that she is able to communicate. During surgery, one of her parathyroid glands had to be removed, which aids in absorption of calcium. The three remaining glands were not able to do all the work initially, but now they are now able to keep up her calcium levels. She has also had trouble moving her neck as it has been very stiff and sore. She began working with great determination –once the tubes were removed from her neck- to exercise her neck and she has made great progress (this is probably her biggest challenge right now). She has also been eating and drinking well and her strength has increased remarkably.

Pr. Dr. Betka examined Andy Tuesday morning and tested her voice. He was amazed at how well she was able to make certain sounds and asked if he could take some pictures of her vocal cords. He used a camera (only a few in the world) that takes 4000 frames per second and we were able to see how her cords moved as she made sounds. These pictures should help us to have a better idea of how she will be able to talk in the future.

Thursday morning we will be going back to see the doctor for an important check-up. We will be receiving the pathology report to see how extensive the cancer was. This will help us to determine what the next step will be in her treatment. What generally happens from here is Andrea will have to wait for six weeks at which time she will be given radioactive iodine (probably in the form of a drink). She will have to stay in the hospital for two weeks (by law) as she will be radioactive. Thankfully she should feel fine during those two weeks, so we have our challenges to try to keep her busy while she is in isolation.

The rest of the family is doing well. Mark and Sara are thrilled to have their big sister home. Andrea has to work hard to be heard amongst the hustle and bustle of daily life, but she is managing well. We are so grateful to still have Al's parents here who have been a big help and support to us all. Al and I are doing okay, trying to get through the ups and downs of each day. Al is still going in to work but it is amazing how the school has pulled together and provided such a support for us as a family and for Al in his work. Connie has been able to be home from work for now to care for Andrea. We are grateful for meals that have been provided, people who have offered rides, an extra car that we are able to use and many other ways that we have been helped by people here and back at home.

Prayer Requests:

Andrea asked for prayer for when she stretches her neck that the stitches wouldn't feel like they are pulling out.
That the children will have and extra measure of grace towards each other as they adjust to changes that are happening at home.
Andrea's voice will continue to get stronger.
That the doctors will have wisdom in knowing how to proceed with further treatment.

We continue to trust in the Lord that He will have the victory in all of our lives and that His glory will be revealed.

Thank you for all your support and the encouraging messages and phone calls. They have really helped to see us through this time. Andrea has enjoyed reading through some of the emails and is amazed at how many people are praying for her. She has been encouraged!

Andrea with her good friend Imogen - 6 days post-op

Sept 6

Just to briefly update you on Andrea.

We met with the surgeon this morning for the stitches to be removed and to hear the results of the Pathology report.

The results are not yet complete and we (without Andrea this time) will return to the hospital on Monday for further information. However, the initial analysis indicates that the cancer is more aggressive than was previously considered and that much thought will need to be given to the way forward, in particular with regard to her treatment program.

We feel we are on a bit of a roller coaster and really ask you to continue to pray for our family and especially Andrea. We will let you know more after we meet with the doctor again. This is a worrying time for us and yet we feel that God continues to have a plan for Andrea.

Sept 10

To our family and friends around the world,

This morning we had a difficult meeting with Dr. Betka, Andrea's surgeon, and he informed us of the results from her surgery. The chief pathologist analyzed her thyroid, lymph nodes and vocal cord nerve. He found that she has Insular carcinoma, is a rare type of thyroid cancer that is said to be particularly aggressive and is far more serious than papillary or follicular cancer.

In about four weeks time she will undergo radioactive iodine treatment to kill any cancer cells left behind after her surgery and to treat any thyroid cancer that may have spread. We are unsure, but she will most likely require follow up treatments in 6 months. The treatment uses a radioactive form of iodine. The iodine will circulate throughout her body in her bloodstream. Thyroid cancer cells will pick up the iodine wherever they are in her body. The radiation in the iodine will then kill the cancer cells. This is a targeted treatment. It will not affect other body cells as it is only thyroid cells that pick up iodine.

The treatment will make her slightly radioactive for a number of days, so she will be isolated until her radiation levels have fallen (usually it is a two week stay in the hospital). The time that we get to spend with her will be limited for our protection but she should be feeling okay during that time—possibly nausea.

The doctors are hopeful that the radical surgery that was performed and these iodine treatments will reap positive results. We of course trust God for complete healing.

It was difficult for Andrea to hear about the cancer being more serious and having to undergo more treatments. We are grateful that she is sharing her feelings and able to talk about how to deal with this challenge ahead of her. She has really put her trust in God and is eager to fill her locker at school and bedroom with scripture as she wants to surround herself with the Lord's promises. Andrea has been attending some classes at school and is very eager to get back into her regular routine. She loves school and being with her friends and seems to have the energy to be there for part of the day. Overall she has been very positive and has handled things with incredible maturity. Dr. Betka said today that she was one of the best patients he has ever had.

We have also shared with Sara (to a point that she would understand) and Mark. Mark responded right away with "I know she is really sick, but I'm not going to cry because I know she is going to be healed".

We asked Andrea if she had any specific things she would like us to pray about, and she said, "that all the cancer cells would be gone", and we also ask that you pray for her as we have to massage in a special ointment onto her incision that hurts and smells 'yucky'.

Thank you all your prayers, encouragement, and practical help.

Andrea with Nana and Papa

Sept 19

We met with the Head of Nuclear Medicine and Endocrinology, Dr Vlček, this morning. We had a friend who speaks Czech join us in the meeting to ensure that nothing was lost in the translation.

We have a much clearer idea of the treatment program that is planned for Andrea. We learned that Andrea will go into Motol hospital on Monday the 15th of October and stay for two weeks. From the 15th to the 17th she will undergo several tests - accumulation test, scintigraphy, blood tests and ultrasound that will help the doctors determine the appropriate dosage of radioactive iodine to administer. We are allowed to be with her during this period of diagnosis.

On Thursday, the 18th of October Andrea will move to an isolated room and will be given her radioactive iodine (RAI) drink. As she will be slightly radioactive the time that the staff spend with her is limited for their protection and we are not permitted to visit her for five days. During this time of isolation she will have access to a phone and be able to watch movies, etc. We are hoping to send in a laptop and establish communication through Skype and MSN. After the five days of isolation we will be able to see her for short visits each day – to begin with only 10 minutes each within 24 hours. We hope her radiation levels will be low enough to begin to see her for longer periods of time during her second week in the hospital.

Two weeks prior to her treatment Andrea will have to go on an iodine free diet. This essentially means cutting out fish, kiwi, salt, dairy and anything that has iodine in the ingredients. We will have to come up with some creative cooking!

Andrea's incision is healing well. We massage the area a few times a day with cream. It is a bit uncomfortable for her but the area is slowly getting less tender.

Andrea is very anxious (as are we) about her time alone in the hospital. We are thinking of creative ways for her to occupy her time and will make sure she is out-fitted with books, entertainment, and crafts…we will try to slip in a bit of homework here and there.

We continue to marvel at how well she has recovered from surgery. Today after dinner she broke out in song, singing "On Top of Spaghetti…" What a miracle…the doctors were not sure if she would ever sing again! Her voice seems to be getting stronger but she has difficulty speaking in a loud voice or for long periods of time. She is able to attend school about ¾ of the day and tries hard to get her homework done. She is eager to participate in physical activity but still has to take it easy and is very tired by the end of the day.

Once again we value your prayers and continue to experience God's grace as we walk this journey together.

Spring Break - Vienna and Croatia

2007-04-30T21:14:00.000+02:00

A two week spring break and a visit from Mom and Dad Falk gave us a great excuse to do a road trip. We had a fantastic holiday in Croatia with a brief stop in Vienna. The pictures above are of Connie and the girls on the walls of Dubrovnik and the family on a pier in Bol on the island of Brac, Croatia. Check out some of our other holiday pics at Spring Break Pics

RIVERSIDE SCHOOL

2006-12-22T14:00:00.001+01:00

Praha!
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. It is home to approximately 1.3 million people. Nicknames for Prague include "city of a hundred spires" and "the golden city". The Prague Castle is the largest ancient castle in the world.

Expats!!
There are thousands of Expats (An expatriate is a person temporarily or permanently residing in a country and culture other than that of his upbringing or legal residence) living in Prague. Many expats work for Consulates, Embassies, Multi-national companies - the city is becoming a site of European headquarters of many international companies - and as managers in Czech corporations trying to compete with the rest of Western Europe.

Let’s go to the movies!
Since the late 1990s, Prague has become a popular filming location for international productions and Hollywood motion pictures including; XXX, Amadeus, Mission Impossible, The Bourne Identity, Shanghai Knights, and A Knight's Tale, Casino Royale, Hart's War, Hitler: The Rise of Evil, Oliver Twist, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

Riverside is a International school with an underlying Christian ethos - it is not affiliated with any particular demonination. It was founded in 1993 by some Christian expat families who were seeking an alternative to the other (secular) international schools in Prague. Riverside provides high quality education in the English language for children aged 3-18, in the context of a cross-cultural environment. The school is a very popular option with the international community as well as with the Czech families. We have a total of 300 students (200 in the Primary School (3-11) and 100 in the High School (12-18)). This year we have 34 different nationalities represented at the school -- the majority coming from Britain in the United States.

The education we provide is based on a Christian world view which promotes Biblical Christianity as a way of life and a key to genuine enjoyment, security and fulfilment of life.

INTERESTED IN SEEING MORE OF RIVERSIDE? Check out the photos on my flickr site. Just click this link: Riverside Photos. And don't forget to check out our school web-site (the link is listed under links on this blog).

Riverside is very different from a Christian School in North America, or MK (Missionary Kid) school internationally. The vast majority of our students come from un-churched and non-Christian backgrounds. In addition to Christians, Riverside welcomes students from many other faiths (Islam, Buddhist, Hindu, Judaism, and Zoroastrian) or no faith at all -- all are welcome! It is very challenging and thought-provoking environment to learn in. Pray for the Christian students - that they would; gain in understanding of what they believe and why they believe what they do, for the grace to live out their faith, and boldness to share the Good News with their peers. Pray too, for the students and families who have not experienced the joy of being a follower of Christ. Pray that they would gain an understanding of God's unconditional love for them and that they would recognize the urgency of accepting God's gift of grace.

Christian Education
Each morning the students for a time of Collective Worship within their home room or as a larger group (assembly) - an opportunity for students to: worship God, reflect on values that are of a Christian nature and on their own beliefs, develop a community spirit, consider spiritual and moral issues. It could include a study of character and the traits that we want to aspire to develop. It may include prayer as well. During our assemblies we sing worship songs and there is a 'talk' - usually given by one of the staff members. Students are involved in leading the singing and have the opportunity to share in assembly if they wish.

The Religious Education classes we offer are not an exclusive study of Christianity but rather a study of the major world religions - looking at social, moral, ethical and spiritual issues from different perspectives.

Staff
The support staff (secretaries, maintenance, cleaners, and support assistants) are local hires. We make a concerted effort to hire Christian support staff. The teachers are practicing Christians and are from Scotland, England, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, US and Canada. We also have language teachers from France, Costa Rica and the Czech. We have a fantastic team at Riverside. It is challenging for a group of teachers from all different parts of the world to work together towards a common goal. We have a great opportunity to share Christ's love with the families connected to Riverside. Pray that the bond we have in Christ would unite us - that we would “Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of (Christ's) love. Make every effort to keep (ourselves) united in the Spirit, binding (ourselves) together with peace.” Ephesians 4:2-3

Riverside is a relatively small school with a high teacher-student ratio. It has a family focus and families connected with Riverside as well as visitors invariably comment that the environment is very welcoming, positive, warm and loving.

“In addition to an outstanding education our kids are being mentored by teachers who love them and make an incredible impression on their lives. A school like Riverside is what keeps many missionaries able to serve the Lord in the Czech Republic.” Jim Hynds (Missionary)

What Do The Kids Say About Riverside?
Andrea enjoys “Having nice friends from all different places”. She likes the small classes as she thinks she “learns more”. She says Riverside has a comfortable feel with good teachers, good clubs, and many opportunities to get involved. She also loves the Holidays!!!

Mark enjoys his many soccer loving, funny friends. He likes the “long play times the way they teach”. Mark also enjoys swimming and the fact that mom and dad teach there. He would agree that the holidays are GREAT!

Sara has many “nice friends and teachers” at Riverside. She loves the clubs-swimming, sewing, and choir and is excited about the holidays.

Thanks for praying for our family and the staff and students of Riverside!

What Have The Falks Been Up To?

2006-12-11T22:32:00.000+01:00

Here are some photos from the Fall. They will give you a good idea about what we have been up to and how the kids have changed in the past few months. You will see pictures of Mark's 9th BDay, Halloween, Swimming Gala, Book Week and more. Click on this flickr link - Falks in the Fall (once in flickr, if you click on each picture separately you will find a description of the picture).

Click on this link to see some interesting pictures of Storks in Germany.
Click here to see some photos of a fascinating WWI site in the Alcase region of France - Hartmanns weillerkopf.

Stay tuned for an Up-date of Riverside School and our involvements there - hopefully I will get this posted over the Christmas Break.

A SOBERING DAY AT LIDICE

2006-09-04T21:45:00.000+02:00

Lidice is (was) a small village of 500 inhabitants just 20 minutes from Prague. It was completely destroyed by the Nazis in retaliation for the assassination of the most important Nazi leader in Eastern Europe (Reinherd Heydrich). Every physical trace of the village was destroyed and literally removed from any map or historical record; the male inhabitants, over 15 years old, were shot; the women were separated from their children and sent to concentrations camps; and the children, 82 of 105, were gassed in the back of trucks designed for that purpose.

This life-size bronze monument represents the children, 42 girls and 40 boys murdered in 1942.

If you are interested in reading more about this tragedy click on this Lidice link.

Falk Family Day Trips With Nana and Papa Janzen

2006-08-26T20:29:00.000+02:00

We recently took Nana and Papa (Connie's Parents) to three Czech 'hot spots'.
Pruhonice is a beautiful park just to the east of Prague (45 minutes from our home). Karlstejn is a castle to the south (approximately 40 minutes from home). Karlovy Vary is a great Bohemian town in western Czech Republic (100 minutes from Prague). It is famous for it's mineral water (for drinking and bathing in), it's specialty waffers - Oplatky, and Becherovka (liquer).
You can see our photos -including more 'jumping photos' on Flikr. Click o the links below:
Pruhonice
Karlstejn
Karlovy Vary

Switzerland Holiday

2006-08-14T21:50:00.000+02:00

Another Holiday??!! Wow are we fortunate. We thank God each day for the wonderful opportunities we have living here in Europe. Enjoy the pictures on Flickr (Just click on the link to the left). What to see:

Walking sticks
Cows and Cow bells
Nana and Papa smooching as we celebrate their 42nd Anniversary
Roclette (traditional Swiss meal)
Al gets deep into the word; Enjoys a large Doner with Connie and somehow escapes the fashion police (the photo speaks for itself)
Beautiful scenery
Family fun
Boats rides
and MUCH more...

EVER BEEN TO THE BLACK SEA?

2006-08-13T14:24:00.000+02:00

In July we got away to Bulgaria for a week of fun in the sun! We stayed in the Golden Sands region and enjoyed swimming in the Black Sea. It was a great experience for us and a fantastic family time.
Highlights and Lowlights:

Sara finds a Jelly Fish
The kids enjoy trampoline/bungy jumping
Andrea and Mark Para-sail
Enjoying cocktails on the beach
A day at the waterslides
Connie tells off the chef for under cooking the hamburger
Al experiences the "Bulgarian Blues" and discovers we forgot the Cherry Pepto-Bismol
Carry extra Leva (Bulgarian currency) everywhere as they like to charge for EVERYTHING
Check out some of the photos on Flickr

Falks on a day trip!

2006-07-18T14:53:00.000+02:00

When mom and dad Falk were here we visited a reconstructed Medieval Village. Here Andrea is making paper. You can see other photos of the outing, as well as some pictures of Pruhonice - a garden we visited just outside of Prague.

Easter 2006 Holiday

2006-07-17T18:34:00.000+02:00

Mom and Dad Falk came to Europe over the Easter break. We had an incredible holiday which included stops in Salzburg, Austria; Venice, Rome and the Cinque Terra in Italy; Riquewihr, France; Lego Land, Germany. What an incredible trip! Check out some of the pictures posted here: Easter 2006 Holiday (there are 80 of about a million pictures we took!). Living in Europe has its benefits.

Swimming Gala

2006-07-16T21:36:00.000+02:00

All three kids did great at the school swim meet. Mark had 2 silvers and a bronze, Sara had 2 Golds and Andrea received 2 Golds and a Silver!

Skateboarding!

2006-07-16T16:16:00.000+02:00

There are few things in this world that Mark and his buddy Josiah Harder enjoy more than skateboarding! Check out the photos on this link; Mark Skateboards

Christmas Eve

2005-12-24T21:04:00.001+01:00

Andrea, Mark and Sara enjoyed opening one of the gifts from Grandpa and Grandma and and another from Nana and Papa. (Notice the chocolate stain on Connie's shirt! Testing the Fondu chocolate BEFORE it was served.)

Karlstejn Castle

2005-11-13T17:09:00.000+01:00

Medieval Festival and Jousting Tournament.

Click on the link below to see a 1 min. 20 sec. clip.

Green Lake Video

2005-11-12T22:43:00.000+01:00

Click on the link below to view a video I put together from our time at Green Lake with Paul and Carol in July 2005.

The Prague Circus-take II

2005-11-07T20:30:00.000+01:00

Click on the link below to see the Circus clip. I'll have to keep them smaller in the future.

The Prague Circus

2005-11-06T21:04:00.000+01:00

I will attempt to attach a video here of the Circus we went to in October. Hope it works!

This isn't going to happen!! I need to get advice from the bogging guru, Dean shareski, on hove to put video in the blog. Stay posted.

2005-11-06T21:02:00.000+01:00

We spent a weekend of our half-term break with Mark, Cyndy and family in Kandern, Germany. Mark and Cyndy are dorm parents there. All four of their kids attend Black Forest Academy.

2005-11-06T21:01:00.000+01:00

It was sure good to see Gary and Bernice Hildebrand again. We had a wonderful afternoon of hiking together.

2005-11-06T20:59:00.000+01:00

Sara and Andrea had a blast hiking with their cousins in the forest.

2005-11-06T20:58:00.000+01:00

The sisters look on as their children climb the hills in the forest.

2005-11-06T20:57:00.000+01:00

Sara, Jaclyn, Andrea, Mark and Conner find shelter under the root system of an old tree.

2005-11-06T20:56:00.000+01:00

Mark and Andrea enjoy the view from a tree.

2005-11-06T20:55:00.000+01:00

Good lookin' trio.

2005-11-06T20:54:00.000+01:00

Mark's Basketball made it to Germany. He is rarely without it.

2005-11-06T20:53:00.001+01:00

The fall colours were spectacular.

2005-11-06T20:53:00.000+01:00

Incredible views from the Castle watchtower!

2005-11-06T20:52:00.000+01:00

Andrea and Sara sure had fun reuniting with Jaclyn Hildebrand.

2005-11-06T20:51:00.000+01:00

Jaclyn Hildebrand and Sara enjoy the view from an old castle ruin.

2005-11-06T20:48:00.000+01:00

Mark

2005-11-06T20:44:00.000+01:00

Beautiful sunset. Our view as we pic-nic'ed with Gary and Bernice and Mark and Cyndy.

2005-11-06T20:42:00.000+01:00

Sara loves to dress up! Here she borrows Eden Clarke's 'fairy' dress.

2005-11-06T20:41:00.000+01:00

The kids play on the driveway of the home we lived in from 2001-2003.

2005-11-06T20:37:00.000+01:00

Connie's Birthday! The kids all made some great cards for Connie.

2005-09-26T21:49:00.000+02:00

Remy, Andrea and Eden enjoy lots of laughs on the way to the Medeval Festival.

2005-09-26T20:53:00.000+02:00

The train ride to Karlsteijn. Drinking lemon flavoured Sparkling water (Mattoni)

2005-09-26T20:52:00.000+02:00

Beautiful Karlsteijn Castel - Built in the mid 14th Century.

2005-09-26T20:48:00.001+02:00

Good vs Evil. Of course Good Triumphs over Evil!

2005-09-26T20:48:00.000+02:00

For King and Country!

2005-09-26T20:47:00.001+02:00

The crowd favourite missed the target...again!!!

2005-09-26T20:47:00.000+02:00

Hit the shield and spin the "dummy". How many times does he spin around?

2005-09-26T20:46:00.000+02:00

The costumes were incredible

2005-09-26T20:45:00.001+02:00

Jousting...without a helmut?

2005-09-26T20:45:00.000+02:00

5 Knights participated in the Tournament

2005-09-26T20:44:00.000+02:00

The Tournament Instructions

2005-09-26T20:43:00.001+02:00

The Evilest of the Mideval Festival

2005-09-26T20:43:00.000+02:00

Prince William

2005-09-26T20:42:00.000+02:00

Bad Guy on Horse Back

TRAIN To Karlsteijn

2005-09-26T20:31:00.000+02:00

This past weekend we took in a Mideval Festival at Karlsteijn Castel. The hour train ride went by very quickly with friends from Riverside.

2005-09-26T20:27:00.000+02:00

30 countries were represented at the ploughing championship. The fields were about 3 km's from our house. We were unable to see any of the competition.

2005-09-26T20:25:00.000+02:00

We woke up to a suprise last Saturday. There was the World International Ploughing Competition Championships in Prague. This tractor along with many others were lined up in front of our house. We had a good chat with the competitor (from Ontario).

NEWS LETTER #3

2005-09-11T17:06:00.000+02:00

Dear family and friends,

It is a beautiful sunny Sunday afternoon and I am sitting here at the computer listening to all the sounds outside: Andrea, Mark and Sara playing football (soccer) in the yard, the traffic humming by and the ever present orchestra of dogs. I think almost every Czech family has a dog and often they have a picture and name of their dog on the outside of their gate. It sure makes us miss our Cesky boy.

We hope you are all doing well. It has been great to hear from so many of you, as we think of friends and family back in Canada so often. A day doesn’t go by that we don’t talk about someone from home and reminisce about one thing or another.

It is hard to believe we have been her over a month already. We are so thankful to have been able to step into Harder’s home (good friends who are in Canada for five months and were looking for someone to rent their home), and not have to worry about getting a house all set up. It has made our transition quite easy. We just found out this week that we have found a house to move into in January. It is a nice house with a yard and is just around the corner from the Harder’s house. We love the location as it is very close to a bus stop and a potraviny (a store the size of a corner store but with the amount of food you would find in a grocery store). We do our daily shopping here—every day picking up our bread, milk, cheese and yogurt…oh yes, and our chocolate! The owners of the house seem very nice and are wanting to work with us to provide the things we would like. It is not furnished, but they are willing to buy a washing machine, dryer and dishwasher ( the latter two things are not as common in the homes out here).

We have made it through our first week of school. Things went very well for Al in the high school. He is really enjoying his administrative duties and the two classes he is teaching (US history and general studies). Al and the director of the school, Peter Daish work great together, being like minded in their goals, and yet complimenting each other with their gifts. Our prayer is that God will continue to unify the staff, parents and students, so that God can accomplish His purposes in the school.

I have had an exciting and slightly unexpected teaching load this week. The reception (kindergarten) teacher became ill and so I stepped in to take the class. It was a challenging and also rewarding week for me. These 4 year olds are in school every day from 8:30 to 3:00, so it is a full day for them. I think I felt as tired as they looked by the end of each day. They were a pleasure to teach and have sure captured my heart. In the coming weeks my position will involve me teaching 3 days a week—one full day in Pre-school, a full day in grade one (Sara’s class) and a half day in Kindergarten.

The kids will all be in swimming lessons (a school program) every Friday afternoon. I will be supervising this club, so that works out well for us.

We have not found a suitable vehicle yet, so we are continuing to pray about that. It is a bit tough to do the bigger shopping when we have to try to haul it all home on the bus. We are quite the sight to behold, when you see our family of five completely loaded down with grocery bags, getting on and off the bus and then trying to walk home without any of the bags breaking through.

We are really feeling the Lord carrying us through each step of the way. This has been a time for us to draw closer to Him as He brings us through the ups and downs of adjusting to a new culture.

Thank you so much for all your prayers.

Love,

Connie (for the Falks)

2005-09-11T17:02:00.000+02:00

Ready for the first day of school! Andrea is in Year 5...her teacher is Miss Clarke from Scotland. Sara is in Year 1...her teacher is Mrs. Gower from England. Mark is in year 3...his teacher is Mrs. Selbie from England.

2005-09-11T16:59:00.000+02:00

Sara is doing so well. She adores her teacher and is loving every minute of school. She has made a good friend, Benjamin, and the two of them seem to watch out for each other. She has adjusted well to going to school full days, although she is pretty tired by the time we get home on the bus.

2005-09-11T16:58:00.000+02:00

Andrea had a great week at school, reuniting with some old friends and connecting with new ones. Andrea often will sit back and slowly find her way in new situations, but she seems to have jumped in with both feet and is having a great time.

2005-09-11T16:55:00.000+02:00

Mark is doing well overall, but is having a harder time adjusting to school. He talks a lot about family and friends in Canada and is missing all the great things about Cornerstone. . He is trying to be positive and I know that in time things will look up for him. He is so excited that he made it into the after-school soccer club, so hopefully that will be a time for him to get to know more kids. (Uniforms aren't so bad when you can dress them up with a few accessories!)

2005-09-11T16:54:00.000+02:00

Enjoying a ride around the University courtyard.

2005-09-11T16:53:00.000+02:00

A Hedge Hog (all rolled up) in our yard.

2005-09-11T16:51:00.001+02:00

My beautiful (and flexible!) wife.

2005-09-11T16:51:00.000+02:00

The university courtyard (still in August...no students around).

2005-09-11T16:50:00.000+02:00

The kids love to ride their bikes up and down our street (south of our home...the university campus is just through the bushes at the end of the street. The kids can ride their bikes through the trails in this forested area).

2005-09-11T16:46:00.000+02:00

This is the north side and front view our home (Doug and Lynn Harder's house) until January.

2005-09-11T16:44:00.000+02:00

This is the south and front (facing east) view of our home.

2005-09-11T16:42:00.000+02:00

Connie attempts her first 'circus act' since returning to the Czech. No broken ankle this time!

2005-09-11T16:41:00.000+02:00

What a great smile!

2005-09-11T16:40:00.000+02:00

The kids enjoy Jennifer Harder's birds and take turns feeding them and changing their water each morning.

2005-09-11T16:38:00.001+02:00

what a blessing the bikes have been.

2005-09-11T16:38:00.000+02:00

The kids have enjoyed riding in the trails just 150 meters from our house.

2005-09-11T16:37:00.000+02:00

Check out those muscles!

2005-09-11T16:35:00.000+02:00

Lego has been a highlight during the cold and raining days we had in August!

2005-09-11T16:25:00.000+02:00

Family at the University campus just minutes walk from home.

CZECH IT OUT

Rafting on the Vltava

Awww Cyprus!!

Riverside's Jungle Book!

SPRING 2009 ROAD TRIP

Suprise!!!! An update.

Summer 2008 - Oh Canada!!!

CANCER FREE!!!!

GOOD NEWS!!

Thursday, 15 May 2008

Wednesday Update

Back to Motol

Spring Break 2008 - England

Enjoying Life

December Update

Out and About

SHE'S HOME!!!!!

More Than Ready!!

GOOD NEWS!!

Part of God's Family

DAY 7 of 24/7

Encouraging Day!

1/2 WAY THERE!!

Frustration Sets In!

A better night and day

Exhaustion

First Day of 24/7 Prayer!

October 17th 2007

DAY 2

7 DAYS OF PRAYER for Andrea

Andrea's Journey - Email Excerpts

Spring Break - Vienna and Croatia

RIVERSIDE SCHOOL

What Have The Falks Been Up To?

A SOBERING DAY AT LIDICE

Falk Family Day Trips With Nana and Papa Janzen

Switzerland Holiday

EVER BEEN TO THE BLACK SEA?

Falks on a day trip!

Easter 2006 Holiday

Swimming Gala

Skateboarding!

Christmas Eve

Karlstejn Castle

Green Lake Video

The Prague Circus-take II

The Prague Circus

TRAIN To Karlsteijn

NEWS LETTER #3