Dear Friends

On Tuesday, 2 December 2008, Bishop Willoughby saw an oncologist who specializes in melanoma. Dr Richard Carvajal provided Bro Willoughby with a treatment plan. Bro Willoughby will commence oral chemotherapy today, Sunday, 7 December. This drug, which will be taken daily for 6 weeks followed by a 2 week break, will cause side effects such as nausea which will be the most severe for the first 3 days. Dr Carvajal informed that this drug will not only seek to destroy any remaining melanoma cells but also work on the brain and aid the radiation in being more effective in destroying the tumors. A PET-CT scan will be performed in 3 months time to assess the efficacy of the drugs.

In addition to the oral chemotherapy, Bro Willoughby will commence targeted radiotherapy on the brain tumors on Friday, 12 December. This treatment will consist of 5 high dose radiotherapy sessions each lasting 15 minutes in length.

Yesterday, Bro Willoughby experienced additional symptoms caused by the brain tumors. They include some numbness in his right leg and arm. The physicians at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center have adjusted Bro Willoughby’s steroids dosage to reduce these symptoms thus allowing him to maintain his mobility. Sis Willoughby will be undergoing a PET-CT scan on Monday, 8 December to see if there is any cancer activity. This investigation was ordered by her Singapore oncologist because of consecutive monthly rises in her tumor markers and complaints of tiredness and back pain.

Your prayer support for the Willoughbys over the past month has made a tremendous difference in their lives. The prayer pointers for this week are as follows:

- That the PET-CT Scan report will show no cancer activity in Barbara Willoughby’s body.
- That the tiredness and back pain that Sis Willoughby has been experiencing will cease.
- That Bro Willoughby will experience slight or no adverse effects from the chemotherapy.
- That every unseen melanoma cell in Bro Willoughby’s body will be destroyed.
- That the radiotherapy sessions will be effective in completely destroying the brain tumors.
- That there will be no further deterioration in Bro Willoughby’s level of mobility.

Bishop Willoughby has stated that he is committed to a process of faith. He is committed to be like Him and does not intend to take himself off the potter’s wheel. Before I close this email, I would like to share with you a word of encouragement that Bro Jeff Arnold, Pastor, Pentecostals of Gainesville, Florida shared with Bro Willoughby.

God can provide relief but his real goal is restoration. Restoration is a process. Restoration requires faith in the restorer. God’s ultimate goal is to restore us into His likeness and to restore what we lost in the fall. Oftentimes before we fully come to or turn to God, we have to come to the end of ourselves which requires a journey.

Restoration refers to the act of bringing back to a former place, station or condition, the fact of being renewed or re-established. Relief, on the otherhand, speaks of that which removes or lessens pain, discomfort or uneasiness.

Restoration often causes the loss of identity for a period of time to that which is being restored. This loss of identity causes a lack of recognition. But the restorer says ‘If you will trust me, I will put it back together again.’ And so it is with our lives. Do we really believe that God can reduce us to the extent that we lose our identity and bring about not just relief but restoration to our lives?

Relief or restoration? May God give each of us this week the courage and faith to trust in our Saviour, our Restorer and the Author and Finisher of our faith.

Abiding in His Grace
Sandra Subner
On behalf of Timothy Lee and Tabernacle of Joy

Praise  the Lord!

Its a joy and relief to report that the Mumbai terrorist attacks are over. Mumbai virtually shut down the past 2 days. The attacks from the ruthless terrorists are over. Today around noon after 60 hours of attack, the security forces (National Security Guards) were able to shoot down the last terrorist. The exact number of them aren’t known, but it is believed to be 10. While 9 were killed, 1 has been captured alive and is being interrogated right now.

Seems they came by sea from Karachi, Pakistan to India, hijacked a boat and killed the members while their boat went back. 2 coast guard officials who came by to check on them were also murdered. They planned to kill 5000 people, and had brought enough ammo. But God did not allow such a massacre. They were able to kill about 200 and injured more than 300. Exact numbers are not yet known. About 22 foreigners have been killed, 20 security personnel have also died including top officers. Among the dead are also relatives of top cops, relatives of celebrities, top businessmen, hotel staff, lots of israelis, the rabbi and his wife…..their son celebrated his 2nd birthday today!)

While the Nariman House is an Israeli residential place having a prayer house too, the Oberoi and Taj are posh 5 star hotels. The Taj built in 1903 is one of the most expensive hotels in India. Its restaurant is the most expensive in India. The Taj is still standing after numerous explosions only because it is a very strong stone structure. It is totally devastated inside. Israeli medics and forensic experts, the FBI and Scotland Yard are on the way here to help in the terror investigations.

We are glad that its all over and though we haven’t lost anyone we know directly, friends of our friends have lost their lives and we feel connected to them somehow in this hour of grief and loss. Today was the funeral for most of them. Please join us in prayers for the injured and the families of those who have lost their lives. Please pray that God may use this opportunity to draw many to Him as the Comforter and our Refuge.

This Thanksgiving I am grateful for all of you who have covered us and our church in prayers and kept us out of harm. Thank you for your mails and words of encouragement. The Lord be with you all!

Blessings,
Pastor Chacko Thomas
981-931-3189

Dear Friends

Love you guys. Thanks for all the prayers. Can’t help but believe that Jesus is at any moment going to make a dramatic entrance to do devastating damage to the devils domain. I don’t believe this about us - it is about harvest. Some how we have been fortunate enough to be chosen to be in the crosshairs of a titanic harvest struggle. I don’t know much but this I know, "When the family of God comes together in unity to do battle,  it reeks havoc in the halls of hell." I love being a part of putting the devil’s domain in disarray.

This too I know - we win!!! He loses!!! Big time.
 
Thanks for standing at our side.

Blessings
Bro Steve

Dear Beloved in Christ,

Hope you are doing good. By now I believe most of you will be aware of the Mumbai shootings and bombings that took place yesterday night. I and my family are fine. I know this is only by God’s grace and your fervent prayers, for which we are so thankful. All our friends and near and dear ones are also safe. But they have lost a few of their friends sadly.

Just to update you, according to our news channels, a group of terrorists hijacked 2 police vehicles and escaped with them. They opened fire at a major railway station killing many, shot at a business house and at a big hospital too. They also took over the two posh 5 star hotels in South Mumbai: the Taj, near the Gateway of India, and the Oberoi Trident, which is close to it. They took hostages at both the hotels, majority of whom were foreigners. They were looking for British and American passport holders. 6 were shot and among them were 2 top US intelligence officials. About 50 guests are still held hostages. Please pray for their safety.

Three of our top officers were shot dead - the Chief of Anti-Terror Squad, an encouter specialist, and the Deputy Inspector General of Police (Mumbai). That is when the army, naval commandos & National Security Guards were called in. They have stormed the hotels overnight and firing is still in progress. While the terrorists have been throwing out grenades and a portion of the Taj is gutted badly, hotel guests in the remaining floors have been rescued. Not much headway has been done so far and over 100 are left dead and about 300 injured.

As the situation continues to be tense in the south, please pray for the rest of the city who are in panic and in a sense of insecurity. The citizens of Mumbai have been advised to stay indoors today and all schools and colleges are closed today.

Thank you for your encouraging mails and much required prayers. I am so grateful! I love you all and know that you are with us in prayers before the Lord. Please join us in praying for peace in the city and to all those hundreds of innocents who are suffering due to this situation. It is so good to trust in the Lord and be in the shelter of His wings!

Blessings,
Chacko
981-931-3189

Dear Friends

We are thankful that Bro and Sis Willoughby were able to see an oncologist at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, New York on Monday, 24 November 2008.  

Currently, Bro Willoughby has two tumours in his brain. In order to arrive at a accurate diagnosis, the doctor ordered a PET-CT scan. This scan will be performed on Friday, 28 November and the results will be known on Monday, 1 December.  This result along with the results from the investigations performed at Georgetown will allow the doctors to determine whether the two lesions in the brain are secondary tumours (metastasis) from a primary tumour (i.e. lung cancer) or primary tumours. If the PET-CT scan comes back clean, the doctor has recommended whole brain radiation.

Sis Willoughby is recovering from the flu. She will be resuming her chemotherapy regime on Monday, 1 December.

Prayer pointers for this week:

• That the PET-CT scan will show no traces of cancer in Bro Willoughby’s body including his lungs
• That when a another scan of the brain is performed, no lesions will be found
• That the side effects from the brain lesions will cease
• Wisdom to choose the best treatment option in the best place
• For physicians who will not only treat but minister to Bro Willoughby at this time
• For complete healing for Sis Willoughby

This Thursday, our American brothers and sisters will celebrate Thanksgiving Day.
It is a day set aside to give thanks, to remember God’s blessings and grace in our lives and to recognize that everything we have is a gift from God.  There is much to give God thanks for. Yes, even at this time.  We, at Tabernacle of Joy, pause during this Thanksgiving week to say thank you to all of you around the globe who are praying and interceding for the complete healing and deliverance of the Willoughbys. 
Your prayers and words of encouragement have  brought much comfort to Tabernacle of Joy. 

Lastly, we give thanks to God for providing us with a Senior Shepherd who with his wife who has given so much of himself to Singapore and to Asia. We love you Bishop Willoughby!

With a grateful heart
Sandra Subner
On behalf of Pastor Timothy Lee and Tabernacle of Joy