- Oct 21: Gracia Harmsen relates the following about her dad, quoting: “Once again, it's been long time since an update! For the most part, no news has meant good news. Kon was still doing chemo every 2 weeks and the cancer was still there, but wasn't growing at all. The doctors called it "maintenance mode". He would have scans every 3 months and they would stay relatively the same each time. However, over the last month or two he has had an increase in pain where the big tumor is, as well as an increase in chest pain. We started to be curious about new cancer growth. Last week Monday he had another 3 month scan. On Tuesday the 14th, we met with the oncologist to discuss the findings. Our assumptions were correct and there has been some progression. When he was originally diagnosed, there were a few lymph nodes that were enlarged and cancerous (on his chest and then also by his stomach & liver). Those are the nodes that are now growing and causing issues. They are concerning enough that we need to completely change the chemo protocol and completely change how we are addressing the cancer. He will start a new cycle of 4 weeks: chemo week 1,2,3, and off week 4. On week 1, he will get two chemo drugs and it will be a very long infusion. Weeks 2 and 3 will be only one chemo drug, and that will only be about 2.5 hours. And then, of course, nothing on week 4. This new protocol is not going to be easy. This is the kind of protocol that has a lot of side effects— nausea, neuropathy, significant hair loss, and quite a bit more. However, it will stop the nodes from being able to absorb or make any proteins, so they will basically shrink and shrivel up. We are excited to see how he responds to this chemo, but also preparing for how hard it will probably be. He started the new protocol today, October 21. It went surprisingly well. He didn’t have any allergic reactions to the new chemo (apparently it isn’t uncommon with this new stuff). The next challenge is getting through the side effects over the next week. Doctor noted that prognosis at this point is still very up in the air. It truly all depends on how he reacts to the new chemo. We could have anywhere from months to maybe even 2 years. We are so thankful for the community he's had surrounding him since the start of this journey. We have never had to worry if he was being taken care of-- there was always at least one or two people stopping in each day to check on him. We are so thankful for the time we've had with him. We even got to celebrate his 56th birthday in September! There have been multiple grandkids' birthday parties, countless hours spent together working on social security and other disability applications, and "Papa Kon snuggles" as my son calls them. We continue to trust that God will provide full healing-- whether that be on this side of Heaven or not.—Gracia Harmsen”
- Oct 20: Kate Stellinga relates the following about her dad, Ken, quoting: “Monday, October 20, 2025 Well - we're going to consider this good news....The lung biopsies came back as fungal infection and NOT CANCER!!!!!!! Yay!! The fungal infection is called aspergillus and is commonly found among this area with crops, dirt, and is a common fungus found in buildings, etc. For most of us, it may not ever cause a problem, but given dad's compromised immune system from the chemo, the fungus had a chance to blossom, for lack of a better word. We met with his oncologist today (Monday) and due to the infection being present and readily able to spread, she didn't think we should re-start chemo just yet. Dad will meet with Infectious Disease team next Tuesday to start treatment on the fungal infection and once they all feel the infection is at bay, we can re-start chemo. The yucky part is, no chemo. His labs show a slight uptick in his liver function numbers and his tumor marker as it's been almost 5 weeks with no chemo. While this has it's perks (dad's been feeling pretty good and his appetite is amazing, and his mouth isn't sore, his tummy isn't as bothered, he's putting some weight back on, etc), it's frustrating to know that we aren't treating the cancer right now. Thank you for all the prayers for the lung biopsy and continued fight in this battle. Dad really felt at peace the morning of the biopsy saying he felt like the biopsies would not come back cancer, he just had "a feeling." I will give all thanks to God for that peace and for his "feeling" being right! We'll continue to keep everyone updated as we know more. Love you all.—Kate Stellinga”
- Oct 19: Please prayer for John Shubert. He has a persistent infection in his ENT areas and he will be having a muscle biopsy on October 21. Please keep him and his family in your prayers. Thanks.
- Oct 19: A Meal Train is in place for Jon and Gracia Harmsen’s family to help them through Gracia’s recovery from her recent surgical procedure. Here is the link for anyone who would like to help with a meal or a gift card. Please also continue to pray for Gracia’s healing and for Jon and Ezra as they care for her. You can copy and paste this address: https://www.mealtrain.com/trains/dngv8v
- Oct 17: Al Price is in the hospital. Please keep him in your prayers.
- Oct 16: Junelle Wesselink relates the following, quoting: “Update on my sister-in-law Virginia. Dr's.call is vasculitus. She remains in ICU in Sioux City. When taken by ambulance, she was vomiting blood. She is weak. Received blood, receiving meds by infusions. More treatment to come similar to chemo treatments but not chemo. A year ago at my sister's funeral, she was very tired. Shortly after began seeing Dr. and few weeks ago had kidney biopsy. Thank you for your prayers. Asking that you continue for her and her husband, Jon, who is my older brother and only sibling I have left. Our younger 3 siblings have all passed away their past years.—Junella Wesselink”
- Oct 16: Glenda VanDenHoek had a lower back fusion surgery today. She is doing okay. Please keep her in your prayers. Thanks!
- Oct 15: Men's Bible Study by John Thornton, on Monday evenings at 7 pm will resume on October 20. HIs midweek class will resume on October 22. Thanks for your prayers for his recovery (yes, I wrote this, John Thornton).
- Oct 14: Ken Stellinga had his lung biopsies today. He is home, and his throat is sore. It will be about 5 to 7 days before they get the results. Please continue to pray for him.
- Oct 14: Junella Wesselink's sister-in-law, Virginia, is being rushed to the hospital in a city out of state. Please keep her in your prayers.
- Oct 13: Gracia Harmsen relates the following, quoting, “What a week. Surgery recovery has been as hard as expected. In some aspects it’s been nice knowing what’s coming because of doing this recovery once before, but also think a lot of it was blocked out of my mind because of how horrible it was. Pain has been wildly intense, to say the least. Doctor said that there is significant nerve and spinal cord trauma from everything he had to do during the surgery. Got bandages off today and finally get to shower! No other restrictions lifted, though. T-Rex arms for everything, no twisting, no lifting, no grabbing anything, can’t do anything on my own. Going back next week Monday to try and get stitches out. In the midst of recovery, I also have other tests ongoing as a chronic illness that impacts my heart has been in a severe flare for the past few months while also having 8 months of tests ongoing to figure out some severe endocrine deficiencies as well. That being said, still a large recovery ahead of me. I’m tired and in pain and brain is so very foggy. But thankful for your prayers.—Gracia Harmsen”
- Oct 13: Heather DeWit's stepmom, Patty Van Aartsen, passed away peacefully at Sanford Hospital on Sunday night, surrounded by her family. A Celebration of Life service will be held at Community on Friday, October 17 at 11am with lunch to follow. Visitation will be at Community at 10am, prior to the service. Thank you all for your prayers and kindness during her illness.
- Oct 13: Kate Stellinga relates the following, quoting: “Monday, October 13, 2025. Dad and I met with pulmonologist on Thursday last week (10/09) to discuss the new spots in dad's lungs. There are 2 on the L. side and 1 spot on the R. side. Dr. would like to biopsy all 3 spots. This is done with a scope and an essentially a GPS-type system that tells the doctors where to go to get to the areas of concern. This will be done on Tuesday 10/14 - surgery scheduled at 11 and will take about 2-2.5 hours. Risks are infection, bleeding, collapsed lung and not getting appropriate biopsy tissue (so no diagnostic results). They will be doing pathology reading at time of surgery and taking frozen sections for further diagnostics if needed. Hope to have some answers. There is a lot of anxiety that goes along with this for Dad as it's a longer surgery and more risks. He will likely have a sore throat and cough for a few days after. Once we have results, we will be able to come up with a plan. If the spots are NOT cancer, then they will look at a diagnosis of pneumonia from chemo or non-infectious pneumonia - both of which can be treated with antibiotics and/or steroids. If the biopsies show this is metastatic disease, then we reconvene and come up with a plan moving forward. Dad has not had chemo for almost 4 weeks now, so feels pretty good overall - effects from chemo are slowly wearing off.....but we know we're not actively treating disease at this point either. Trying to enjoy all the good moments. Prayers for dad during surgery and for good/optimal results. Thank you for reading and keeping up with us on this journey.—Kate Stellinga”
- Oct 13: Our condolences go out to Wendy Hellenga and her family. Her dad, Alan Ratliff, passed away. Please keep them in your prayers. Thanks.
- Oct 10: Ken Stellinga has a lung biopsy scheduled for Tuesday. He is feeling okay, since he has not had chemo for about three weeks. Please keep him in your prayers.
- Oct 10: Susan Vos has been transported back to Sioux Falls and is now in rehab facility for continued treatment. Please keep her in your prayers. Thanks.
- Oct 8: Jon Harmsen relates the following, quoting: “10/8 Wednesday Update: Gracia is now a couple days post-op. It’s hard to say if this recovery is worse than last time, but she can say this: it is nothing short of horrific. During the surgery they had to dig deeper into her back and into her spine than before, securing all leads and wires deeply in her spinal column. The hope is that with how they fastened them this time, they will not move or migrate again. Pain management has been very rough. We are thankfully still able to control it at home, though, as we are trying to avoid another hospital stay. She had very little movement and range of motion. She will only be able to use “T-Rex arms” for 6-8 weeks. No twisting, no stretching, no reaching. The loss of independence has been very frustrating for her. Please pray for a miraculous recovery— that pain would be easily managed from here on out and that she would be able to let her body get the rest it needs. Please pray for Jon and Ezra, as they are not only her caregivers, but having to see her in so much pain is really difficult. Thank you to everyone who has been covering us in prayer this far— we feel it and are so grateful!!—Jon Harmsen”
- Oct 8: John Thornton here. Well, this is my one-week-out update. A week ago I had my right artificial hip rebuilt. It has been a challenging week, but I can say I am mending. I am still on my 48-year old crutches, but am adding to my daily step counts (not always voluntarily, haha) and the pain and swelling are getting more manageable. Sleeping is a challenge at times, but then other nights it is great. Marcia has been a wonderful helper, so please keep her in your prayers as well. We had to adjust a lot of things for this sudden change in our plans. Thanks for your prayers and concerns.
- Oct 7: Ken Vos relates that he and his wife Susan (recovering from the fractured leg repair surgery) should be traveling home on Thursday. It is a 13-hour drive. Please keep them in your prayers. Thanks.
- Oct 6: Jon Harmsen reports the following, quoting: “Gracia unexpectedly suffered very rare and unexplainable complications from her big surgery. The pain has been beyond inconceivable. Today, Monday October 7, she had to undergo urgent revision surgery to her implanted device and to her spinal cord. We are frustrated and exhausted knowing that she has another huge recovery ahead. Family plans and work schedules were not ready for another 6-8 week bed rest curveball. She’s heading back to the operating room any minute now. Please pray for wisdom + clarity for doctors, patience + minimal pain for Gracia, and abundant peace for Jon + Ezra.—Jon Harmsen”
- Oct 5: John Thornton here. I am recovering from my hip revision surgery, but am having more pain, sleeplessness, and diarrhea than I expected. I would appreciate your prayers. Thanks.
- Oct 3: Ken Vos relates that his wife Susan, with the fractured leg, did have the external fixator removed and internal screws and plates surgically installed. She is still having a lot of pain, and high blood pressure issues. Please pray for those things, and for a safe travel back to Sioux Falls in the coming days. Thanks.
- Oct 3: Leslie Cleveringa relates the following, quoting: “Jocelyn‘s MRI went smoothly yesterday despite difficulty getting her IV started. Thankfully, they were able to get the MRI read quickly and report that there were no concerns with her brain development! We are thanking God for that as well as the kind pediatric staff at Sanford children’s. She has a follow up with neurology next month and we will continue their recommended course of action.-- Leslie Cleveringa”
- Oct 2: This is John Thornton. I have been discharged from the hospital. It will be a couple weeks before I can drive, and I am on a walker for a while and then crutches. They had to replace three of the four components of the artificial hip. But the surgery is all completed. My previous email said I was preparing but that was a typo. It was a surgical repair. Everything went well. Thank you so very much for all your prayers. God bless you all.
- Oct 2: Kate Stellinga relates the following quoting, "2 Updates in one week! I wish this was to deliver some better news.
Dad had his CT scan yesterday (tuesday) & reviewed with the oncologist this morning (Wednesday). The tumor on his pancreas has not changed. Same size. It hasnt grown, so thats a win, I think.
The crappy news is, the CT showed new growths in his lungs. The oncologist said one of the areas looks like inflammation or infection, but Ken is not having any fevers, cough, etc. so inconsistent with infection. The other spot is a growth. He will be meeting with a pulmonologist, hopefully in the near, near future to have a bronchoscopy (scope) and biopsy the growth.
Because of the new growth, the oncologist did not want him to do chemo today. His chemo regimen is very aggressive & hard on his body, so if its not improving things, she didn't want to put his body through it.
Once we have more answers, we will reconvene and come up with a plan. We will update as we know things.
Thank you for continued prayers. -- Kate Stellinga" - Oct 1: Leslie Cleveringa relates the following, quoting: "Wanted to update you for a prayer request we have for Jocelyn. She will undergo sedation tomorrow for an MRI of her brain. This was always planned just to help with diagnosis of her seizure disorder, but we would still appreciate the prayers for peace during the pre-and post anesthesia process, safety during the MRI, and complete recovery for Jocelyn. Also pray that no abnormalities or concerns are found. She continues to do well and is a typical two-year-old! Her seizures have lessened with the medication that she is on, but do continue to see a few per day that the neurologist would like to see at “none”. Thank you!--Leslie Cleveringa
- Sept 29: John Thornton here. I will be having surgery tomorrow (Wednesday, Oct 1) to repair my broken artificial hip joint. Until the surgeon gets inside me, it is not clear what all will need to be replaced. I would appreciate your prayers. Thanks!
- Sept 28: Kate Stellinga relates the following about her dad, Ken Stellinga, quoting: “I've let time get away - quick update. Dad is about to venture on to his 5th round of chemo! Over half way. He has a CT scan on Tuesday 30th and then doctor's visit and chemo on Wednesday 10/01. I will be traveling so Nick, Ken's son, will be joining him this round! Dad will appreciate the change of company :) ... Each round seems to be a little more tricky. New symptoms appearing while old symptoms persist, a conglomeration of "no thanks" is a nice way of saying it. Dad is a trooper, although from the outside in, it appears to take a toll on one's motivation and desire to continue pushing forward. Like Dad would say, "what choice do we have?" This round has been the G.I. symptoms, numbness and tingling in his lips like he's been experiencing, but this time we seemed to add in swollen lips/gums/tongue and throat. Allergic reaction was ruled out so we just chalk it up to chemo. This makes eating and swallowing medications difficult. This week, prayers for an improved CT scan, fingers crossed the tumor has gotten smaller and no new surprises are found. Less symptoms from chemo/no new symptoms from chemo. And a renewed sense of energy for Dad to keep pushing through. As always - thank you for those who have reached out to dad, prayed for dad and offered help. Your generosity is life-giving. For a guy who has done so much for other people in his life, I'm not surprised that he is getting all the love in return. Thank you.—Kate Stellinga”
- Sept 27: Heather Dewit’s stepmom, Patty Van Aartsen, is now off the ventilator and continues to recover. Please keep praying. Thanks
- Sept 27: Daisy Johnston requests pray for her adult son, Zach. Please keep him in your prayers. Thanks.
- Sept 26: Becky Lee relates the following, quoting: "Steve had another appointment today with his oncologist & we feel very uplifted right now. We will not need to proceed w/chemo at this time. From last week’s swollen hematoma culture report, Steve has pseudomonas (a bacterial infection found in the soil & moist environments). He is currently being treated w/3 infusions per day (7:30, 2:30 & 10:00) of Meropenem, w/the 2:30 dose including Vancomycin. The good news comes from the fact that our oncologist strongly feels that the pseudomonas is what fired on Steve’s last pet scan rather than cancer. Infections can also fire (show) & appear to be cancer. There actually was no cancer found in the biopsy that showed pseudomonas. Thank you Jesus! We feel his hand is very evident in this possibility. We appreciate all the prayers Community!-- Becky Lee"
- Sept 26: John Thornton relates the following, quoting (yes, I wrote this myself) "my right artificial hip broke today. I was walking my dogs and felt a crack in my leg. I am barely able to put weight on it, and it is very painful. I saw the surgeon and I am scheduled for a hip revision surgery on Wednesday. The time is yet to be determined. Please keep me in your prayers. Thank you so much.-- John Thornton"
- Sept 24: Susan Vos is out of town and she fell and broke her leg. The break is near her knee. The doctors put on an external fixator to stabilize the bone, but it is unsure where she will have the next surgery. Please keep her and Ken, and her family in your prayers. Thanks.
- Sept 23: Donna Holmgren relates the following about her brother Tim, quoting: "He came through the defibrillator surgery well and is now in a regular room. He needs prayers for being able to swallow and talk. Thank you. --Donna Holmgren"
- Sept 22: Donna Holmgren relates the following about her brother, quoting: "Tim has a feeding tube through his nose to his stomach because he still can't swallow. The surgery for receiving a defibrillator is scheduled for tomorrow. He's doing well except for the not swallowing or talking.--Donna Holmgren"
- Sept 22: Bonnie Frisbee related the following, quoting: "Brian Frisbee's rehabilitation continues. It has been a struggle to regain strength. It isn’t a straight line to the finish due to health obstacles that arise. Set backs occur and we restart trying to meet goals of regaining independence. We are never accepting of defeat because we know where our strength and endurance comes from. Please pray for continued improvement in rehab and overall health. Thank you --Bonnie Frisbee"
- Sept 22: Heather DeWit’s stepmom, Patty Van Aartsen, is in the ICU at Sanford with sepsis, pneumonia, and broken bones from falls. Please keep her in your prayers.
- Sept 22: Dennis Korb is doing better and may be released from the hospital today. Please keep him in your prayers.
- Sept 20: Steve Lee was able to come home due to a program called, Avera Hospital at Home. They can do some of the same things he was getting in the hospital. Please continue to keep him in your prayers. Thanks.
- Sept 20: Dennis Korb is in the hospital with stroke symptoms. Please keep him in your prayers.
- Sept 19: Steve Lee is in the hospital again. He had a bronchoscopy and is waiting for culture results. He is feeling poorly. Please keep him in your prayers.
- Sept 19: Donna Holmgren's brother, Tim, is critical condition in an out-of-state hospital. He is on life support. Please keep him and his family in your prayers.
- Sept 18: Hen Timmer had a lumpectomy for breast cancer on September 17. Please pray for her surgical recovery. No further treatment will be needed. Thanks.
- Sept 18: The funeral service for Joe Johnson will be on September 29, 2025 at the Community Reformed Church, Sioux Falls. Visitation begins at 9 am, service at 10 am, and lunch afterward at the church. Burial was already held at the Grandview Covenant Cemetery, Larchwood, Iowa. Pastor Keith Nash from Linwood Church will be helping with the service at CRC.
- Sept 17: Jan Sturing relates the following, quoting: “I want to thank you all and let you know how things are going here. My 2nd surgery was Thursday morning, and since then, I've experienced slow but definite improvement. I just now woke up with mild discomfort, but NO pain! I am so grateful for this change! GOD IS GOOD! I am grateful, too, for the prayers and encouragement that you all offered on my behalf. I rely on God for continued improvement with heart rhythm and hope He also provides strength, endurance, and a multitude of further health benefits. Thanks, again, for your care and kindness.—Jan Sturing”
- Sept 16: Laura Thesenvitz relates the following, quoting, “It’s time for another update. If I count correctly, it’s been… six weeks (?) since Christopher had his surveillance scans and officially stopped the immunotherapy and seven and half weeks or so off of the oral targeted therapy drug. During that time, he has been on a stepdown regimen of steroids. Within a week of being on the steroids, his appetite and energy levels improved, and bowels started to come back into control. From mid-August to now we have been incredibly blessed with a handful of amazing weeks of wonderful, quality-time filled, crazy busy, sometimes stressful but fully involved days, moments and events. PRAISE! This has kept us in a bubble of happy chaos and I have selfishly wanted to just keep to myself, somewhat holding my breath in fear it will end or the pain will just catch up one day..mostly it makes me drag my feet in updating and here we are.. almost a month and half later making an update that is greatly lacking in lots of life details, but you don't have 3 hours to read them all and you won't find all of them entertaining or enlightening or interesting. Just know that we have been making the most of our time together! Last week Tuesday, Christopher had a follow up chest CT and bloodwork and Oncology check in appointment. Chest CT showed a lot of improvement in the suspected pneumonitis – ground glass appearance in the imaging or swelling in his lungs from the month prior. The note nodules from the previous CT – some were reduced in size, so were most likely from swelling but others still held steady so still most likely metastatic cancer – but not showing aggressive growth. So very positive overall and will just monitor and will not proceed with a biopsy at this time as there has been no increase or aggressive changes evident on the CT. Bloodwork also showed improvement and thyroid starting to go to a normal level. We’ll see what that trends to as the immunotherapy continues to leave his system. Again, we give big thanks, even for the small positives! In visiting with Oncology, Christopher got the all-clear to start the next targeted oral therapy drug (Desatinib) – It had been approved through insurance, and he had just received it in mail from the specialty pharmacy. He wanted him to visit with his primary care doctor and rule out a UTI just in case prior to starting. Since he already had an appointment set up for when we got home, he was fine with him waiting to see him. We also discussed an ongoing struggle with a pressure sore not healing (initial reason for seeing doc at home) and he informed us that a partial player in that could be that previous drug Chris was on being a wound healing inhibitor. Just another reason to be thankful to be off that drug! We saw Christopher’s primary care doctor Wednesday afternoon once we got home, and he was able to run a urine test and also start a referral to the wound care specialty clinic at the hospital to be seen locally. Chris met the wound care specialist this morning (Monday) and she was happy with the status of how things are progressing with healing and was able to give some good additional recommendations on things to try and a referral for seat mapping. Having the established baseline on the wound and contact source of the clinic is good resource and hopefully once he can get past this, it won’t be something we will need to frequent. As of today, he has officially also started his newest oral targeted therapy drug – so we send up our prayers … for success, for tolerated, minimal side effects, for continued quality good time together. We will march forward into the oncoming days as normal. Up next will be some check-in blood work every couple of weeks, and as long as nothing wild and crazy pops up, he will continue as is with a video check in with the nurse in a few weeks and then surveillance scans again in first week of November… I pray that pain stays under control. I pray for continued calm hearts and minds. The willingness to accept what comes and that planning is fluid and flexible and ability to ask for assistance when needed. I pray for help to be intentionally present – to not miss the moments we’re being blessed with and not waste them. --Laura Thesenvitz”
- Sept 15: Zach Johnston has been released from the hospital. Please keep him and his family in your prayers. Thanks
- Sept 15: Bob Sayler reports that his Gail Babcock, his sister, had the broken neck surgery and it went well. Please keep her in prayer for full recovery and no nerve damage. Thanks.
- Sept 15: Gail Babcock, Bob Sayler's sister, is having surgery on her broken neck this morning. Please keep her in your prayers. Thanks.
- Sept 13: Our condolences go out to the friends and family of Kristi Ter Wee, who passed away on September 9th. Her family includes connections with the Hallings and Ter Wees who attending Community. The funeral was on September 13. Please keep the friends and family in your prayers.
- Sept 13: Gail Babcock, who used to attend Community, and the sister of Bob Sayler, recently fell and has significant neck injuries. Please keep her and her family in your prayers. Thanks.
- Sept 12: Zach Johnston, the adult son of Daisy, has a worsening medical situation and is in crisis. He is in ICO. Please keep him, and his family in your prayers.
- Sept 12: The memorial service for Joe Johnson is scheduled for Monday September 29th, at 10:00am at Community Reformed Church. Please keep his family in your prayers.
- Sept 12: Ryan Vos relates the following, quoting: “I wanted to let everyone know that Tuesday morning my dad Denny Vos was involved in a pretty serious car accident north of Bondurant. His back is broke in three spots, has some broken ribs, lacerations, and has a long road ahead for awhile. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers as we navigate our way through this. Thank you all for your love, prayers and support!!—Ryan Vos”
- Sept 11: Jan Sturing had to have a second pacemaker surgery this morning to reconnect one of the leads. She hopes to still go home this evening. Please keep her in your prayers
- Sept 10: Jan Sturing's pacemaker placement is completed. She will be spending another night in the hospital. Thanks for your prayers.
- Sept 9: Our condolences go out to the family and friends of Joe Johnson who passed away this evening at 7:45 pm. Funeral arrangements are pending, but the memorial service will likely be at Community. Please keep these people in your prayers.
- Sept 8: Jan Sturing is in the hospital with heart rhythm issues. Testing revealed that she needs a pacemaker. She is scheduled for that pacemaker insertion on Wednesday. Please keep her in your prayers. Thanks
- Sept 8: Joe Johnson is terminally ill. Please pray for a quick and easy passing for him. His sister Deb and other family are here. Thanks
- Sept 8: Please pray for the volunteers from Community Reformed who will be serving at the Banquet this Thursday night - it is from 5-7! Please come and join them, if you want to help out. Thank You.
- Sept 7: Please pray for Daisy Johnston and her adult son Zach, Zach is in ICU with a severe medical condition. Please keep him and their whole family in your prayers.
- Sept 7: Steve Lee relates the following, quoting: "Praise the Lord! I was discharged from Avera Cancer Center today (Sunday). After much testing it was determined that my lung incision issue was a skin problem that could be treated with IV antibiotics. There does not appear to be any association with my lymphoma and treatment for that remains unchanged. Thank you for your ongoing prayers, Community! --Steve Lee"
- Sept 5: Kate Stellinga relates the following about Ken, quoting: “Update: Dad had his 3rd round of chemo on 9/3/2025. I was able to join him in the morning, as well as Ryan. Braydon, Ken's grandson, joined him for the later part of the infusion - trying to soak up time before he leaves for ARMY basic training on Tuesday 9/9. Overall, Dad's infusion was status quo. The nurses at Avera Oncology never cease to amaze us - they're angels on earth. His sugars were high from the dextrose that is infused with the chemo - he's learned to expect and manage that best he can. He did have some blurry vision afterwards. The following day (thurs), his voice and throat were a little funny. His throat was pretty sensitive to cold/hot temperatures and his ear was ringing more than normal. All side effects of the chemo. We will see what days 5-6-7 bring this time around. Hopefully he can dodge the stomach cramps/G.I. issues this time around. He'll hate me for saying this, but his hair is pretty sparse at this point. I think it's cute....he doesn't. We may start investing in a variety of baseball caps for him to wear! I have a few hats that I could offer - one says "shit show supervisor" and the other says "I'm surrounded by pricks" with cactus, but for some reason, I don't think that's his style. We'll continue to take the good days and pray the bad days fly by. Thank you for surrounding him in prayer. He's grateful for this army. Plan is to do round 4 of chemo on 9/17. CT scan on 9/30 with a meeting on 10/01 - as long as things look good, round 5 will be on 10/01 as well!—Kate Stellinga for Ken”
- Sept 5: Steve Lee relates the following, quoting: “I have just finished eight weeks of immunotherapy. Today I had a PET scan to see how effective the treatment was. The Pet scan showed another concerning spot so the oncologist will be starting a mini version of chemotherapy starting September 11th. I will receive the mini version every 21 days in combination with my immunotherapy shot every week. Last evening I begin having a small discharge from my lung incision. My oncologist took a look and noticed what appeared to her to be infection. She admitted me to Avera for further investigation & antibiotic therapy.—Steve Lee”
- Sept 5: Gary Holmgren is now home from the hospital. Please pray for his complete recovery. Joe Johnson remains in the hospital. His sister is driving here to see him. Please keep them in your prayers. Thanks.
- Sept 4: Gary Holmgren's surgery went well. He should be discharged tomorrow. Thanks for your prayers.
- Sept 4: Steve Lee has another PET scan and oncology appointment tomorrow. Please keep him in your prayers.
- Sept 4: Joe Johnson is in the hospital in critical condition and in isolation. Please keep him in your prayers.
- Sept 3: The forecast on Sunday morning is looking a little chilly so we've decided to start the Outdoor Service at 11:00am instead of 10:00am.
Please note this time change and spread the word!
11:00am- Combined Outdoor Service
Come pack the front lawn for a combined worship service!
Please bring your own chair if able.
Nursery will also be available.
12:15am-2:00pm
We’ve got lots of fun activities going on after the worship service! Stay for a free meal (Hamburgers, hotdogs, chips & beans) and snow cones for dessert!
There will also be inflatables, face painting, & lawn games.
PLEASE SHARE THIS WITH OTHERS. THANKS! - Sept 2: Gary Holmgren will be having surgery on Thursday (Sept 4) for a problem in his right leg's femoral artery. He may have to stay one or two nights in the hospital. Please keep him and his wife, Donna, in your prayers. Thanks.
- Aug 27: Joan Schouten's shoulder surgery went well. She is home now. Please pray for her complete recovery. Thanks!
- Aug 27: Susan Bierwagen relates the following, quoting, "Stana is much better than yesterday so it's looking good. She's still in ICU. After she gets out she'll still need to go to a skilled nursing rehab facility for a bit. Thank you for your prayers! --Susan Bierwagen"
- Aug 27: Kate Stellinga relates the following about her dad, Ken. Quoting: “Dad had his 2nd chemo treatment on August 20th, one week ago today. Much like his last round, today is rough. His tummy does not like the chemo affects. He experiences pretty severe abdominal cramping. Last round these symptoms lasted about 3-4 days and slowly improved. I'm praying this isn't his "normal" but acknowledge that this may be what to expect each round of chemo. We're thankful that he can go a week after chemo feeling fairly well. No other changes to plan of care at this time. Plan to have his next treatment on September 2nd as long as blood counts stay at an acceptable level. Not feeling well for days on end can be defeating. Prayers for Dad to be persistent in his fight, strength and motivation, comfort and knowing he is not alone in this journey. Thank you for all the prayers, comments, well wishes.....Dad does not take a single bit of it for granted.—Kate Stellinga for Ken”
- Aug 27: Dolly Hoogendoorn's younger brother William “Bill” Bouwman passed away last week. His funeral is in Rock Valley on Thursday the 28th. Our condolences go out to his friends and family. Please keep them in your prayers
- Aug 26: Joan Schouten will be having shoulder surgery tomorrow (Wednesday). Please keep her in your prayers
- Aug 25: Susan Bierwagen relates the following about her prayer partner and close personal friend, quoting: “Please pray for Stana Grant. Friday afternoon and evening she fell 3 times in about 3 hours and then was taken by ambulance to ER. They think she collapsed from diabetic keto acidosis. Her sugar was 708 at admission, later down to 420 with IV insulin in ICU. Saturday her blood sugar was down to 248, Sunday afternoon 185, reaching as low as 122. (Her best in thirty years.) Late Sunday, she was still sedated, her blood sugar stabilized. This morning they sent her for an MRI as she isn't coming out of sedation properly. Blood sugar is back up to 317 since off insulin. In ICU she complained about some chest pain so they scheduled an EKG. The doctor thinks she may have had or is in danger of a heart attack, and has been transferred to Parkview Hospital in Pueblo, CO. EKG was unusual and MRI shows a possible mild stroke. A new catscan has been ordered. Stana lives in Pueblo. Thank you for your prayers.—Susan Bierwagen”
- Aug 25: The life celebration service for Gary VanDenHoek is as follows:
Friday August 29 at Community Reformed Church
10 am Visitation
11 am Funeral
12 Lunch - Aug 24: Doug DeWit has been discharged from the hospital. Please pray for his continued healing.
- Aug 24: Our condolences go out to the friends and family of Gary VanDenHoek who passed away in the early hours of Sunday. Funeral details are pending. Please keep them in your prayers.
- Aug 23: Gary VanDenHoek's family says that they are now ready to have brief visitors at their home. Gary is in home hospice. Please keep them all in your prayers.
- Aug 22: Melanie Odens relates the following about her sister Amber, quoting: “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you: I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41: 10 Lord my God, I called to you for help and you healed me. Psalm 30:2. Last year, in 2024 on this date, my dear sissy Amber was having her big surgery. Is she ever glad that she is on THIS side of it...looking back feels great. I recently had a few of you ask how she is doing...so a quick update on her journey...She continues to have monthly blood draws, and scans every 4 months. She also has with daily chemo pill that can cause nausea and fatigue along with hormone blocking shots. These bring a daily reminder of her healing and also the reality of what the medicine is trying to do. It is such a gift to have these medicines, and yet we won't hover over being thankful for JUST the medicine but thank God for the healing He has allowed Amber. Thank you Lord! We thank you too for praying for Amber. Some of you shared that you are praying for her daily, even now! Thank you. We ask that you continue to pray that her medicine continues to do as it intends. We adore you all. With Love, The Poppen Family—Melanie Odens”
- Aug 21: Rhonda Lockwood relates the following, quoting: "Just a quick update. I’m home I’m doing well. I will post more later but now it’s time for a nap. Thank you all for the thoughts and prayers and text messages and pm messages today and last night! They truly did help!--Rhonda Lockwood"
- Aug 21: Joan Schouten will be having shoulder surgery next Wednesday. Please keep her in your prayers. Thanks.
- Aug 21: Doug DeWit is in Sanford hospital. He had a heart valve surgery earlier this week. He is now having some post surgical complications and will be in the hospital today and probably overnight for observation. Please keep him in your prayers.
- Aug 21: Gary VanDenHoek will be going from the hospital to home hospice today (Thursday). For now, his family requests no visitors. Please keep them all in your prayers. Thanks.
- Aug 20: Gary Van Den Hoek and his family are arranging for home hospice. Please keep them in your prayers
- Aug 18: Gary Van Den Hoek has been transferred to the ICU at Avera after a very serious heart arrythmia (extremely irregular beating of the heart). Please keep him and his family in your prayers.
- Aug 16: Kate Stellinga relates the following about her Dad, quoting: “Quick update! This is what I initially was afraid of with posting an update too soon, the chemo started to rear its head with a few nasty side effects and we canceled our trip to the Black Hills. Overall, Ken is feeling ok today (Saturday) and joined us for supper & dessert. But the last few days have been rough. Good news: his MRI from last tuesday came back reassuring for NO metastatic disease to the Liver, specifically. So thats a huge win. This coming Wednesday is round 2. We are praying for a smooth infusion. Less side effects. Dad's body to continue to hold up despite aggressive treatment. As always, thank you for the prayers, good thoughts & wishes. You all are such an A-team to have behind dad. Last weekend, dad was able to watch some of his favorite hockey players. We are so grateful he’s been able to integrate himself into some "normal" activities.—Kate Stellinga”
- Aug 16: Rhonda Lockwood relates the following, quoting: "I was DX with breast cancer last Wednesday. I caught it EARLY and it is not aggressive or fast growing!! I WILL be okay but this will be a few speed bumps in my life for the next 6-8 months. I have decided to do the bilateral mastectomy with reconstructive surgery…3 surgery’s total. First surgery will be August 21st.-- Rhonda Lockwood."
- Aug 15: Holli Jans relates the following, quoting: “I’m incredibly grateful for the time I’ve been able to spend with my dad since his stage 4 cancer diagnosis 5 1/2 years ago. Last week, we found out that the cancer has spread and there are no other treatment options. He has decided to do home hospice. Thank you for keeping my dad and our family in your prayers— it truly means a lot, Community.--Holli Jans”
- Aug 14: Gary Van Den Hoek has been admitted to Avera Hospital. They are running tests. Please keep him in your prayers. Thank you
- Aug 13: Please continue to keep Steve Lee in your prayers. Thanks.
- Aug 12: Kate Stellinga relates the following about her dad, Ken, quoting: “I know a few have been asking for updates on Ken and how his first chemo treatment went. And to be honest, I was delaying an update because I was waiting for the true colors of chemo to show! Dad had chemo on Wednesday Aug 6th. Thursday Aug. 7th, he felt a little "queasy." And every day since then, he's been up and moving and operating fairly status quo! The first day was a long day. We started at 9 a.m. and didn't leave the Prairie Center until 4:30 ish. We had meetings, education, labs, and then the pre-medications were infused, followed by 2 separate chemo meds. Each infusion taking about an hour - hour and a half. We had so many visitors; that Avera Cancer Center has this figured out! Service puppies (which dad agreed to let in the room just for my entertainment), the chaplain, volunteers, social workers, genetic counselors, nurses and other staff. It was a busy day! Dad had a fairly common side effect during the last chemo infusion that caused some muscle twitches and his nose to run a little, but surprise! They have a drug to combat that too. After the final infusion, he was hooked up to a "cassette" that had the 3rd chemo drug inside. This would need to infuse into his port for the next 46 hours. Dad and his cassette were discharged and he went home! That cassette was removed from his port on Friday! Some of the infusions have to be hung with "sugar water" as that is the only fluid that is compatible with the chemo drug...Dad's sugars were a little out of control for a portion of the time we spent in the Prairie Center and into the time he went home. Other than that, he was a champ! Since the typical side effects of chemo didn't really bother him this time around, Ryan and myself are kidnapping dad and taking him to the Black Hills this weekend. We understand that he may not feel this well each time he gets his treatment, so we want to take advantage of it while we can. For upcoming prayer requests, Dad's oncologist is ordering an MRI due to dad's liver function tests being a little ornery (although leaps and bounds improved from 3 weeks ago!) and a cyst found in his liver during initial testing that appears benign, but just to be safe. This will be tomorrow (Tues August 12th) at 3:00 PM. Also that Dad continues to feel well and up to doing "life" without much side effects from treatment. I've learned I should do updates from my phone because these updates from a keyboard get to be long. Thank you all who have reached out, prayed for dad, asked for updates, called him or left messages. He is feeling the love from all around and enjoys reading comments –Kate Stellinga”
- Aug 11: Irwin Van Leeuwen relates the following, quoting: "It has been a long time since I shared an update. This week is my third anniversary of when I was diagnosed with renal cancer. I am thankful and happy to report things are going really well. My oncologist reported today that things have stabilized. He desires to keep monthly treatments going to keep things stable. We are so thankful for your prayers and encouragement. I will not give another update unless there is a change. We give our faithful God all the praise for His healing.--Irwin Van Leeuwen"
- Aug 10: Our condolences go out to Katie and Nic Koth and their family and friends on the passing of Katie's mother, Laurie. Please keep them in your prayers. Thanks.
- Aug 8: Judy VanMeetern surgery went well. She will spend tonight in the hospital and come home tomorrow. Please keep praying for her recovery. Thanks.
- Aug 6: Grace Marette Vanden Heuvel's funeral Service will be held 11:00 AM, Friday, August 8, 2025, at the Community Reformed Church, Sioux Falls. Visitation will be one hour prior to the funeral service at the church. A Graveside Service will be held 2:00 PM, Friday, August 8, 2025, in the Riverview Cemetery, Rock Rapids, Iowa.
- Aug 6: Laura Thesenvitz relates the following, quoting: “We haven’t given an update over the last six weeks or so because it has been rough and I honestly haven’t known what to say. We’ve been operating strictly on a day at a time survival mode, and some days- hours at time the way things seem to change and roll like ocean waves. Since we arrived home from his most recent infusion three weeks ago, his bowl system seemed to just go haywire. At first, we thought he maybe got a bug, but then quickly realized it had to be something much more complex or worse as it progressed and became more difficult to handle. Leaving home, let alone getting sleep or enjoying a window of normal functioning time during the day was nearly impossible. Waves of nausea, uncontrolled bowels and paraplegia are a combination that make for a low quality of living with feeling so crappy all the time and a frustrating cycle of trying to determine what is the root cause of the sudden changes. He meticulously keeps notes on medications and dosage changes so then started the one by one trying to rule out each one by trialing changes in dosage or removal – but this is a fine line to walk as to not cause other problems as well. Again, frustrating when nothing feels like it makes any sense or seems to help. Christopher even stayed home and sent the kiddos and I for a few days to meet up with the Thesenvitz family on the annual lake vacation because he wasn’t feeling up to it, not wanting to need to spend the entire time in a bathroom or asleep in a chair. It was good for the kids to have a couple days at the lake. They have been looking forward to going all summer and with the ups and downs of the last several weeks/months we haven’t been able to plan anything or make anything stick for “big summer adventures” for them this year. They understand that not every year will have big adventures, but they were most excited about being able to join the big family again on the annual lake trip since we have missed the last couple of years so that by far made up for it with them. For me, it was bitter sweet missing Christopher, but I was appreciative of the time with the kids and being able to watch them have fun regardless. We came home after just a few days sunburned, bug bitten and very ready to see Daddy. Last week, after continued and worsening issues, we visited with GI doc at Sanford(ironically this was a pre-planned appointment that was scheduled quite a while ago, though thankful to meet with them regardless) and they had ordered a stool sample test and what I would consider the “easy” things to be, all came back negative – like the C-diff and other various intestinal virous tests. Though the test that measures the swelling levels of the colon was high and the test that measures the enzymes that the Pancreas makes was quite low. GI requested additional long version tests to look further at absorption levels and Mayo added an abdominal CT to the imaging list for surveillance scans. This week we traveled Mayo. Monday was Chest CT and MRI and Tuesday morning was abdominal CT and blood work followed by meeting with the oncology team. We didn’t meet with Dr. Ho as she is still out on maternity leave. We met with other sarcoma specialty doctors on the team.. two actually. In review test discussed: Chest CT: shows several new solid nodules and growth of some previous existing nodules and some stable nodules, and also development of pneumonitis - inflammation of the lung tissue / ground glass visual on imaging- like we had seen develop from the last go with immunotherapy. Couple of the nodules appear within the pneumonitis so could be enlarged by swelling rather than accurate growth. MRI: Progressive, but not specific tumor growth on the spine. T12 – L-1 region. Continued spinal stenosis in additional levels. (narrowing of the spinal canal by the encroachment of the tumor). They didn’t spend a lot of time on this and the read on this imaging was also disappointingly vague. Noted on both the CT and MRI were new fractures of ribs on either side right and left. CT of Abdomen: showed fracture of iliac wing (back part of the hip bone), prominent mesorecta lymph nodes which could be from normal bathroom regimen or from ongoing inflammation issues and uncontrolled bowels. Other inflammatory things that are much of the same. Bloodwork: Thyroid slightly trending down from three weeks ago otherwise, several tests were all over the board. Game plan that was decided on was that immunotherapy is no longer an option and will be discontinued. With the results from the scans and the current side effects that are being experienced, the immune checkpoint inhibitors (of the immunotherapy) must have switched into over drive, and instead of helping the immune system to better find and attack the cancer cells, wherever they are in the body, decided to attack healthy tissues instead. Thus the pneumonitis, and MAYBE the some of the bowel issues?? We won’t know really on the bowel issues until we get farther away from the immunotherapy and also continue with some additional GI testing to rule out other inflammatory disease possibilities. So, giving time to let Christopher’s body heal a bit and catch up and start some steroids to aid in that process as well. In the meantime, the team is working on approving a new drug that isn’t quite FDA approved to have on stand-by that is a “cousin” drug of the first he tried late last year that turned his hair white that they think will fair better on it’s own. In about 4 weeks the plan is to have a follow up chest CT to determine the clearing/healing of the pneumonitis in the lungs to help rule out what is true solid nodule growth and then set and perform a new biopsy of growth tissue to send to pathology to test for comparison of previously confirmed mutation markers and also test for any possibilities of new mutations that may qualify or respond to other medications that are available or recently available. Overall, it was a lot. And unfortunately, Christopher still felt like crap the whole time. The whole car ride there and back. It sucks to have to watch him go through all of this and not be able to do anything to help ease any of it. To not be able to DO anything for him. I hate this. I hate waiting. I’m inpatient, and being overtired makes that worse. Being home eases things only a tiny, tiny bit. But then reality also sets in that I need to catch back up from what was missed while we were gone and that is a whole different ball game.. Kids are about 2 weeks from school starting (21st). Claire is playing school tennis this year for the first time, so her official season actually started on MONDAY while we were gone.. yikes! There is a family wedding this weekend we are looking forward to.. Henry is starting drumline practice next week… it doesn’t stop, and it will only get busier once school gets into full swing… I can’t look too far out otherwise it’s a bit overwhelming... so I just try to remember the mantra… ONE THING, ONE DAY AT A TIME. I know we can do all things through Him and He will make all things possible. I need to focus on letting go, and letting Him do His work. Easier said than done though, so I’ll definitely need the continued prayerful support on that. I say it and I pray it daily, and often, but I need the follow through help. I’m praying for some quality improvement for Christopher. Longer good windows of time and to see when and to be able to take good advantage of that time together. That something starts to work in his favor and give relief and allow for some joy again. For our kids and family as a whole. Thank you for your continued support! We don’t necessarily ask for visitors at this time as it ss difficult to navigate the days ups and downs, but we certainly appreciate your ongoing encouragement. We’ll keep you posted with the next round of scans and status of drug approvals. Thank you for your love and praying with and for us! -- Laura Thesenvitz”
- Aug 5: Judy VanMeetern will be having an artificial hip replacement revision on Friday. She will likely stay at least overnight. Please keep her in your prayers. Thanks.
- Aug 3: Ken Stellenga will be starting his first round of chemotherapy on Wednesday. Please keep him in your prayers. Thanks.
- August 3: Our condolences go out to the family and friends of Grace Vanden Heuvel who passed away last night. Funeral arrangements are pending, Please keep her family in your prayers.
- Aug 2: Our condolences go out to Jan Mellema and her family on the passing of her Uncle Chuck. Please keep them in your prayers.
- August 1: Tim DeLoof has been released from the hospital. He is still struggling with the symptoms of ALS. Please continue to pray for him. Thanks
- July 31: Grace Vanden Heuvel is in the nursing home and is very ill and weak. Please keep her and her family in your prayers. Thanks.
- July 30: Jan Mellema relates the following, quoting: "Update on my Uncle Chuck; They are doing comfort measures only now. He does wake up a little at times but is very weak. When he is awake he does recognize and talk to family members. But it is only a matter of time for him now. Please pray his passing will be peaceful. Thank you! Jan Mellema"
- July 29: Tim DeLoof remains hospitalized and they are running more tests, in addition to treating his symptoms of ALS. Please continue to pray for him. Thanks
- July 28: Our condolences go out to Shanda Cutler Hay and Chelsea Veurink’s and their families on the passing of their Uncle Curt. Please keep them all in your prayers. Thanks.
- July 25: Mary Hanson has been discharged from the hospital. She will be doing her recovery at home. Please keep her in your prayers. Thanks
- July 25: Tim DeLoof has been hospitalized again. He is struggling with ALS and now also has a serious infection. Please keep him, and his wife Sandy and family in your prayers. Thanks
- July 25: Jan Mellema reports that there is no change with her uncle, Chuck Holm (who is 90 years old). Please keep praying.
- July 24: Dree Mayer is now home from the hospital. She will be getting PT and home health as she recovers. Please continue to keep her in your prayers.
- July 23: Jan Mellema relates the following, quoting: "My uncle, Chuck Holm (my mom's brother and last living sibling), had surgery for a bowel obstruction last week. The surgery went fine but he hasn't really woken up from the anesthesia yet. The doctors are trying to figure it out but at this point nothing seems to be going in the right direction. They are now starting to focus on comfort care. His wife, Maxine, and the family are need of lots of prayers in the days ahead. Thank you church family! Jan Mellema"
- July 21: Dree Mayer fell this morning and is in the Avera emergency department. She has suffered a fracture (possible around the pelvis/hip area). She will be spending the night but does not need surgery. Please keep her in your prayers.
