Inside Out

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Nelson is doing well and feels fairly good. He’s got energy he didn’t have two weeks ago, and today the three of us (four with Will) ran a string of errands during which Nelson never had to sit one out. He’s continuing to meet his five daily goals, and today he ticked off lots of number four’s.

Though the swelling in his tissues continues to worsen and pop up in new places, it isn’t causing pain but is more of an inconvenience. Tomorrow may include several scans to scope out any developing problems.

Overall, he’s doing beautifully, but he’s very tired. His immediate family is tired, too, along with the rest of us. We’re all tired. Unfortunately, cancer never gets tired. It always has the energy to multiply, attack, and relocate without stopping to rest.

When I look at Nelson, I see pretty much the same guy on the outside, but doctors describe chaos on his insides. A war is waging between bad cells and good, both desiring dominance. Evil is fighting against good.

This morning as I was getting ready for the day, I heard Nelson singing in the living room. It was a country tune that revealed a joyful heart. Though he’s got cancer in multiple places, it’s failing in its attempt to dominate him.

Nelson is in a physical crisis but not a spiritual one. His spiritual life is healthy and whole. Actually, it’s flourishing. Why? Because his inner heart, his soul, and his spirit, are being influenced by God’s Holy Spirit, and that Spirit is injecting new life and fresh hope into him every day.

Satan works overtime to kill people, to steal their hopes, to destroy their relationships. But ultimately he has to answer to God Almighty. And God Almighty says, “Letting [my] Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.” (Romans 8:6)

Nelson has invited the Spirit to control his mind, which is why his inner self is characterized by life and peace.

But what if he was going it on his own, without the governing Spirit of God within him? The best he could do would be to rely on doctors, test results, drugs, and palliative care. Nelson is incorporating those things, too, but his #1 source of stability is the Lord himself.

“God will give life to his mortal body by this same Spirit living within him.” (Romans 8:11)

Really?

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Last Friday morning, Ann Sophie got an email telling us a special delivery was arriving between 11:00 and 1:00. At about 11:00, a giant furniture delivery truck pulled into our apartment complex, and two strapping young guys got out.

They hauled several large pieces into our living room, putting them together in less than five minutes. And there stood a deluxe, gorgeous lay-z-boy chair, a gift for Nelson from his “home church” in Tennessee–Brentwood Baptist.

It had remote control and could move up or down according to his wishes, whether he wanted to use it as a chair or a bed.

We all tried it out, happy with its comfort and capabilities. The best part was watching the chair move Nelson from a lying-down position to a full stand-up without any effort on his part—other than pushing a button. This lavish gift is from a group of thoughtful, generous, supportive friends in Nashville, who wanted to do something special for Ann Sophie and Nelson.

Because lying flat is almost impossible for him, this chair now allows Nelson the comfort of a bed with the ability to put his lungs at any angle that makes his shallow breathing easier.

After welcoming the new chair to our living room, we were making weekend plans when Ann Sophie got a text from Tennessee. “There was actually money left over after we bought the chair, so what else would you like? We’re going to spend it on you guys somehow, so just tell us what to buy.”

After we stopped shaking our heads in wonder, Ann Sophie gave it some thought and chose a KitchenAid mixer. The beautiful KitchenAid she has in Kona, Hawaii, (too heavy to ship) will now be given to someone else way out there, who will receive a ricochet-blessing from the folks back in Tennessee. God does, indeed, move in mysterious ways. And he loves to use generous people to take part in his happy surprises.

“Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh the joys of those who take refuge in him!” (Psalm 34:8)

Q & A with Ann Sophie Nyman 

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What was your background growing up?

I was born and raised in Karlsruhe, Germany, in a loving home with Christian parents. I was an only child and never dreamed I’d marry into a family of 29 people!

Tell us how you and Nelson met.

I had half-a-year before starting my big career as an occupational therapist in Switzerland. I’d been trained for three years in my home town and had had internships in both Germany and Switzerland. I decided to volunteer with Youth With A Mission in Kona, Hawaii, on the Big Island. Little did I know how God was about to change the direction of my life!

Among the many people I met in YWAM was one in particular who was very nice to me and spent lots of intentional time with me. Nelson and I were both on staff there, helping top manage 70 young YWAM campus workers between the ages of 18-25. Nelson and I shared many tasks and got to know each other well in the process. I liked his close relationship with the Lord and his wisdom and his adventurous lifestyle. A friendship between us quickly developed, and in time it turned romantic.

When did you marry?

We got married in Kona, at the ocean’s edge, on August 26, 2017. We’ll be celebrating our 5th anniversary this year.

When did you learn about Nelson’s cancer?

We had just mentioned to each other that this was the happiest time of our lives. We had longed to have a baby throughout our marriage, and finally our little Will was born. Though the birth was traumatic, it had a happy ending, and we were thrilled with our new son.

For several weeks leading up to the birth, Nelson had had a persistent cough with some swelling in his neck. He had seen a doctor, and the doctor thought it was thyroiditis. The medicine they gave him wasn’t helping, and one day his coughing got so bad he went to the Emergency Room.

They admitted him and began testing to see why he was coughing. They found fluid in his lungs and kept him for several days, planning to drain it. I visited him and felt relieved that they’d found the answer to his cough and could fix it. I went home feeling good about it.

Then, on that afternoon, my friend Kari was with me, and we were having fun with the baby. I didn’t notice I’d missed a text and three phone calls from Nelson. The text said, “Tell Kari to stay with you.” I remember standing at the kitchen counter and calling Nelson back. That’s when he told me the doctor thought he had cancer. It was a terrible shock. Thankfully Kari was with me when I got this awful news.

What happened next?

Kari stayed with me, babysitting Will so I could visit Nelson, where children weren’t allowed. She was a tremendous support to me. In the hospital, Nelson’s cousin Luke from Minnesota was urging him to pack up his family and leave Hawaii for better medical care on the Mainland. While Nelson was still sitting in a hospital bed in Hawaii, he went online and found an apartment for us near the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. As soon as Nelson was discharged, we packed four suitcases with our clothes and left YWAM and our apartment and everything in it—with two days notice.

How have things gone since you’ve been in Minnesota?

Rochester is a wonderful place that has welcomed us with open arms. Luke is here with all his encouraging support, the weather has been great so far, our apartment is comfortable, Mayo Clinic’s care has been outstanding, and all this time together as a family of three has been wonderful. We used to talk about what it would be like to live on the Mainland, and now we’re getting a chance to find out.

What do you envision in your future?

Right now it seems like we’ve left the earth and are living on another planet. But what I’d really like is for Nelson to see little Will grow up and for us to be together as a family—with several siblings for Will.

I wouldn’t mind putting down roots here if it would help Nelson. I look back at how fast we left the island and all that’s happened in the month since, and I see God moving in all of it. We believe he wants us here, so we want to accomplish whatever work he might have for us to do here. Day-to-day, we are following him.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)