- Jan 19: Laura Thesenvitz relates the following, quoting: “Christopher was able to take a day off from the OR Sunday and was able to wean off of the vasopressors (the medication that was helping to raise his blood pressure), so by this morning he was maintaining a satisfactory blood pressure on his own. Praise! And his white count had dropped a little – also a good indicator of positive progress. Unfortunately even with the positive progress, it was a rough night in a sense of finding comfort and just general agitation being confined to a hospital bed without movement and change in a few days. So by morning it was a lot and difficult to see the frustration and to be unable to help give or find a way to offer relief is hard. And then being in a hospital you know how it goes – once the moment you get a second of respite, someone comes in needing to see you and examine you, or give you something or xray, or consult you on the upcoming surgery.. yep.. and so it goes.. but that is also the their jobs to help you heal and we know that, it’s just hard to watch your loved one struggle and be uncomfortable. Various doctors came through and reviewed and consulted on the status of his wound, sepsis progress, and due to the amount of tissues removed, incision spanning over 50% of the rectum, increased need for healing, and good chance of increase to quality of life the decision was made to also include the surgical placement of and ostomy. Mid-day wound clinic gals came up to mark Christopher for placement of the ostomy and talked the beginning explanations of things knowing that we were already in information overload and Christopher was in drugged information-won’t-remember overload, but I was at least and Christopher -even if he won’t remember was appreciative of the slow talk through descriptive information they gave since we are a few weeks ahead of when we had planned the actual consult for this.. Bonnie was the nurse prepping him – even though I don’t think he will remember this (partially why I’m including this) was amazing and I know she will be a great, patient resource in the days ahead for us both. She gave me a giggle when sending nurses looking for a razor when she peeked looking at the fuzzy bear she was going to need to mark for surgery- “uh yeah, we’re gonna need a razor! No way they’ll see our marks under this!” I about lost it.. Christopher didn’t quite see my humor.. maybe in a few weeks he will? Kissing him and sending him off today felt a little different even though I knew he was going into a safer environment being able to regulate his blood pressure on his own. It still just felt harder to say “see you on the other side” and my heart did a flippy flop. I was grateful to have his parents keeping me company while I waited for him. I’m normally a solitude, can’t handle the over stimulation, but today I was very thankful for the company, lunch and snacks. They take good care of me. I am very thankful. Father Jerry also sat with us a while and that was nice to be able to update him. When the nurses had taken him back they had mentioned it would be maybe an hour, hour and half so when we were hitting the 2, 2and half hour mark I was starting to get a bit anxious but the Surgeon stopped up finally around 4 and gave us an update on how things went. He said that they did do some cleanup of tissue, but he feels the infection is under control and no longer advancing. The surgery went longer because he had to work a little harder to place the ostomy and had to stretch a little higher for placement. Christopher is a tall guy and will be seated and needs to be able to visually see it and it not to fold or crease when he is seated so the placement is important.
His hope is that they will be able to bedside dressing changes and wound-vac maybe Wednesday - possibly bedside, but most likely going back into OR for one more look/clean and to do the sterile placement of wound-vac. BUT one day, one thing at a time. He remains in the critical care ICU for the time being until he’s past the wound-vac placement for sure. A lot is still happening, BUT positive things are also happening we need to give some big praise for: he was weaned off the vasopressor drugs, and able to keep his blood pressure up on his own, so being under anesthesia was a bit safer today. His white count was slightly down today. The infection is no longer actively progressing. Christopher safely came through surgery. THANK YOU Heavenly Father for wrapping your arms around my Christopher and guiding the hands and skills of those caring for him! I pray for continued clear paths forward and open hearts and minds to what Your path is and grace to accept whatever that path is and strength to follow and faith to continue as we will remain in hope what Your plan holds. I appreciate your patience with me, I will continue to update as the days go. I don’t have the stamina for daily updates, but know that if there are important updates, I will share. I will do my best to not lag too far. Thank you for your continued support and love. –Laura Thesenvitz” - Jan 19: Jon Harmsen relates the following, quoting: "Gracia is at Mayo all this week for testing and to hopefully find answers for one of her ongoing complications. Early in the fall, she was diagnosed with GI failure and gastroparesis (in which they know some part of her GI system is paralyzed, they just don’t know where). They will be trying to figure out where the paralysis is located and figure out what else is going on. There are a few theories, but this week will give us a lot more answers. Makes it that much more complicated with her past history of complications, abdominal surgeries, nerve damage, and only having about 1/3 of her small intestine remaining. Prayers appreciated! --Jon Harmsen"
- Jan 17: Laura Thesenvitz newly relates the following, quoting: “Not that I like to have a multi update day – but feel it’s important to keep updates current: Late morning after I rejoined Christopher and made my first update post, his blood pressure was trending down again and they were having to increase meds to try and raise it and they were noting that the was swelling increasing around the wound. The floor doc notified the surgeon and they decided to bring him back into surgery around 2-ish. He was in surgery for a couple of hours this time and doctor said they re-opened the small incisions with the drains and found more black and dead tissue and decided to open to a long incision and removed more necrotic tissue and cleaned it out farther and packed it again. She said they will watch him closely as he extubates and through the night to see when they will need to go back in - whether it will be overnight or tomorrow or can wait until Monday. His blood pressure, tissue response and keeping the wound clean of stool will determine that timeline. There were A LOT of things she discussed that will need to be done and will need to happen over the next couple few weeks, but it is one hour at a time at this point.. So greatly appreciate your prayers! Praying he is able to sleep and his body can rest and recover some before having to go into surgery right away again. That we will sleep through the night and even through tomorrow… Praying for peace and strength for all. Praying for his team. Praying for my Christopher.. Laura Thesenvitz”
- Jan 17: Sharon Van Essen relates the following, quoting: "Prayer for Lloyd who has bladder cancer and on Tuesday January 20th he will his 1st Chemo flush (wash). He will have one a week for 6 weeks. --Sharon Van Essen"
- Jan 17: Kate Stellinga relates the following about Ken, quoting: “Dad had his follow up appointments this week and I am THRILLED to report all good news!!! The tumor is similar in size or slightly smaller than when he started. Has not spread anywhere. He is still a surgical candidate and thats exactly what he's going to do! Surgery is scheduled for Jan 27!!!!! So now we are packing him up & moving him in with us (Kate & family) - our addition is wrapping up just in time! Surgery will be a doozy - then he'll spend 5-7 days in the hospital making sure there no complications & getting him back on his feet. What a journey. The surgeon says dad is in the top 25% of his class! Most dont make it this far. Thank God. Please mark your calendars & send all the prayers on the 27th!—Kate Stellinga”
- Jan 17: Here are the details for the funeral service of Janae Marcus’ father, Garry Van Zee. Funeral services will take place at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, at First Christian Reformed Church in Sioux Falls. Visitation with the family present will be held from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, at the FCRC. Visitation will also resume one hour prior to the funeral service at FCRC on Wednesday.
- Jan 17: Jodi Ackerman's mother is being discharged from the hospital today. Thanks for your prayers.
- Jan 17: Our condolences go out to the family and friends of Garry Van Zee who passed away yesterday. He was Janae Marcus' father. Please keep Janae, Matt and their whole family in your prayers. Funeral details are pending.
- Jan 17: Laura Thesenvitz relates the following, quoting: “Not the update that I want to make but I one that needs to be made to ask for some much needed additional prayers. I will attempt to summerize as best I can, but my brain is struggling to wrap around all that has happened and is seeming to heppen in rappid fire.. Anyway, this all revolves around that the wound that we have been battling to treat on Christopher’s coxis or tailbone area- it has progressively been getting worse over the past 5 months. He has been seen and treated in the wound clinic and even had a surgical debridement procedure approved by insurance and scheduled with plastics on Monday. However, starting last weekend this got kicked off with a clogged catheter that forced an in-home self removal and replacement of his catheter- he was able to do this successfully and cleaned it in betweeen but was still seen Monday for a sterile replacement and by Tuesday evening started having a fever. Assumed it was possibly a UTI from the catheter incident called to check on the UA that was collected and the culture wasn’t yet available, but the doctor started him on an antibiotic because of the fever. By the next day the culture showed they picked the wrong one, so back to the pharmacy I went to pick up the NEW antibiotic and the fever persisted on and off.. Thursday He noticed some slight changes in his scrotal region and by Friday morning had shocking and significant swelling and fluid retention as well as sever chills and fever in the morning. So Friday mid afternoon we went to see an available family practice doc. She pulled a white count and additional UA and gave him a booster dose of antibiotics and let us go home. As Christopher was waking up from resting and I was putting dinner on the table the PA called him direct, on the results from the bloodwork and was very concerned with the extreme elevate white count and stressed that it was concerning and highly recommended we go to the ER and that she would call ahead and set up his chart notes prior to our arrival. We opted to follow her recomendation and once we arrived in the ER it seemed like things started to continue down hill rather quickly. His blood pressure began to trend down, and then there seemed to be a lot more attention from his nurses and lots and lots more labs being drawn. His Hemoglobin was even lower than it had been earlier in the day and white count higher.. and his blood pressure was bottoming out... he was starting to win himself prizes he didn't imagine were in his plan for the near future.. starting with a blood transfusion. He also got lined up with CTs and blood cultures and met more docs. The doc came in to talk with us and told us he had a severe infection – and his CT was showing findings consistent with Fournier's gangrene, a type of bacterial infection and a severe form of necrotizing fasciitis. Not only did he win a stay in the hospital, he won himself an emergency surgery. Emergent debridement to clean out the infection and dead tissue to stop the spread asap. Not exactly the jackpot of winning big we were ever hoping for.. He went into surgery early hours of the morning and spent just over an hour in surgery and the doctor said they were able to clean out the wound and infection currently with three entry incisions - connected with drains currently. They will remain packed and watch closely the next couple of days and likely need to reopen and clean/ re-explore again in a couple/few days depending on how he does. They will watch him closely and his blood pressure as well. He is in ICU for the time being so I ask for no additional visotors for now but just lots of extra prayers. This will be a tricky and difficult recovery so praying for NO MORE complications. Praying patience. Praying for wisdom, strength and grace. Pray for my stamina - it’s been a LONG time since I’ve pulled nearly a full 24 hours awake day.. I don’t care for it. I’m tired - also why my typing may not make the most sense or autocorrect may get the best of me.. Pray for our kids. But mostly, I pray for my Chrstopher. For his comfort – mental, emotional and physical. This is a long hard road and I love him so. Thank you for your support and love,-- Laura Thesenvitz”
- Jan 16: Ken Stellinga had the scan and he is now scheduled for the Whipple procedure surgery to be done on January 27. He will be in the hospital for 5 to 7 days afterward. Please keep him in your prayers. Thanks.
- Jan 16: Our condolences go out to William and Leah Herrick on the passing of William’s mother, Petronila "Wilma" Herrick. Leah is Arlan and Mary Burggraaf’s daughter. Please keep them in your prayers. Thanks.
- Jan 15: Jodi Ackerman's mother will be having a cardiac ablation on Friday (1-16). Please keep her in your prayers.
- Jan 15: Dar Keizer's Funeral Service will be held January 30, at 10 AM. That is Friday, January 30, 2026, at Community Reformed Church with a Visitation starting at 9 AM. Food and fellowship will follow. Jan 15: Joyce Tarrell reports that the biopsy has been done, and initial finding are encouraging. The final report will not be known for a week or so. Thanks for your prayers.
- Jan 15: Katie Thill relates the following about her baby, quoting: “Leroy had his esophagram today and not one drop of contrast went down. They still want to do the dilation next Wednesday because they will try to go through his G-Tube site, but the doctor wasn’t even sure that would work because it’s so tight. We do have an option to go in and surgically remove the stricture and basically start at the beginning, but my hope is that that’s a last resort. Our next step is most likely looking for a children’s hospital that specializes in esophageal atresia.—Katie Thill”
- Jan 14: Joyce Tarrell relates the following, quoting: "Tomorrow (Jan 15) I am having an endoscopy to get a biopsy of a small spot on my pancreas. This spot was found when they did a CT scan and found the big stone in my gallbladder. I again would appreciate any prayers said on my behalf and that the results will be positive. Thank you so much, Community.--Joyce Tarrell"
- Jan 14: Baby Leroy Thill remains in the NICU. He is now 9 weeks old. They will be doing more tests tomorrow and a possible dilation soon. Please continue to pray for him and his family.
- Jan 12: Dar Keizer passed away today. Our condolences go out to Bill Keizer and his friends and family. Funeral arrangements are pending. Please pray especially for Bill in his loss
- Jan 11: Jill Hanson's friend, Renee, is in ICU with a very serious medical situation. Please keep Renee and her family in your prayers. Thanks.,
- Jan 10: Jodi Ackerman's mother, Karen Christian, had heart aneurysm surgery yesterday (Friday). She is doing well. Please pray for her recovery.
- Jan 7: Joyce Tarrell relates the following, quoting, "I was discharged from Rehab today and it is so good to be home. Thank you Community for all your prayers. I am being assessed for home health therapy tomorrow. --Joyce Tarrell"
- Jan 7: Jodi Ackerman's mother, Karen Christian is in the hospital awaiting heart surgery. It has been scheduled for Friday morning at 7:30 at the hospital she is in. There is a possibility she could be moved to a different facility, and a different time/day for the heart surgery. Please keep them all in your prayers. Thanks.
- Jan 6: Jane Newmann's surgery for the knee replacement has been completed. She will be spending the night in the hospital. Please pray for her recovery
- Jan 6: Joyce Tarrell is scheduled to be discharged from the rehab facility tomorrow. Please pray for her continued recovery.
- Jan 6: Marv Vos has been discharged after his knee replacement and is at home. Please pray for his rehab.
- Jan 4: Marv Vos is scheduled for knee replacement surgery tomorrow morning (Monday Jan. 5) at 9am the Sioux Falls Specialty Hospital. He would appreciate your prayers for a successful, routine surgery. Thanks
- Jan 4: Jodi Ackerman’s mother, Karen Christian has been admitted to Banner hospital in Mesa Az for an aortic aneurysm. She will have open heart surgery. Please keep her in your prayers.
- Jan 4: Jane Newman will be having a knee replacement on Tuesday. Please keep her in your prayers. Thanks.
- Dec 30: Kate Stellinga relates the following, quoting: "December 17th was the final round of chemo for dad and he had his pump removed December 19th after the last bit of his 3rd medication was infused. Dad said this last round wanted to be remembered as his side effects were pretty terrible. I surprised dad with a group of his biggest supporters as he rung the bell at the infusion center - a sign that hes completed this portion of his treatment! Christmas with the family was delayed due to weather, but we are so thankful we have that to look forward to this year. Plan moving forward: CT on Jan 13th, meet with oncologist on 14th, meet with the surgeon on the 15th. Hopefully have a surgery date nailed down! Thank you all for supporting Ken through this part of his journey. We hope you all enjoyed some Christmas festivities. We will be in touch. -Kate Stellinga"
- Dec 30: Joyce Tarrell has been transferred to Encompass Rehab. Please pray for her as she does the physical therapy and other therapies. Thanks.
- Dec 28: Baby Leroy Thill remains in the NICU. He is almost 7 weeks old. He is making progress, but will be in the hospital for some time. Please keep him, his parents Trevor and Katie, and his siblings in your prayers. Thanks.
- Dec 27: Joyce Tarrell has been readmitted back to Sanford today. She says she will be there until Monday or until a rehab space opens and would appreciate any prayers sent on her behalf. Joyce says, "God is in control and I trust him with all my heart. Psalms 46.1 “God is my refuge and strength. A very present help in trouble.”
- Dec 27: Please pray for Joyce Tarrell. She had the gallstone surgery and went home from the hospital yesterday. Today (Saturday) she says she is doing poorly at home and may have to go back to the hospital. Please keep her in your prayers. Thanks.
- Dec 24: Gracia Harmsen relates the following, quoting: “Hi all! I have a new update on our dad’s cancer journey. He wasn’t due for his 3 month scans until next month, but due to increasing pain and significant symptoms, we decided to scan early. He had a scan Monday this week (12/22) and saw oncology pretty soon after. The scan confirmed what we figured we’d see: the cancer has spread. Specifically, to the lymph nodes in his abdomen and in the peritoneum cavity. [The peritoneum is a large membrane lining the abdominal cavity, acting as a protective layer that supports organs (like the stomach, liver, intestines) and allows them to slide smoothly, thanks to lubricating fluid, all while providing pathways for nerves and vessels. It has two layers—parietal (lining the wall) and visceral (covering organs).] This fully explains the increase in pain and discomfort he’s been having. What does this mean? Well, it means that the new treatment he started 2 months ago isn’t working. That much is obvious. We have decided to start a new treatment called FOLFIRI. This is very similar to the treatment he started with a year ago and was on until 2-3 months ago, FOLFOX. There are a few of the medications that are the same, but the specific chemo that caused him such severe neuropathy in the FOLFOX is replaced with another in FOLFIRI. He will have a similar chemo schedule: every 2 weeks, and will have a continuous chemo pump going for 2-3 days after. The hope is that by switching to a new chemo, specially one similar to one that he responded so well to, will stop (or significantly slow) the progression and improve quality of life. He will start this new treatment next week. In the grand scheme of things, while this isn’t the last option we have for treatment, this is likely the best remaining treatment. There are 3 “heavy hitters” when it comes to metastatic esophageal cancer, and this is the 3rd one. There have been people that have remained stable on this 3rd option (FOLFIRI) for up to a year, with decent quality of life and minimal disease progression. We will just have to wait and see how he responds to this one. After this stops being effective, there are some other “smaller hitting” options for palliative treatment, if need be. We’ll cross that bridge when it gets here. We’re right at 1 year since his diagnosis (Christmas of 2024) and he has done really well, all things considered. We were originally told he likely had 3 months, due to how severe the metastasis was. No one really expected the cancer to respond well to the chemo, so every appointment, every blood draw, every infusion, and every scan…we were all met with significant surprise. Now 12 months in, he’s still chugging along. He moves a bit slower than he used to, is a lot more tired, and sometimes is a bit more cranky than normal (lol)… but he’s still here. And for that, we are grateful. Whether this message meets you in the midst of great joy or immense grief, our family is praying that the person and presence of Jesus would be so very near to you this holiday season. Merry Christmas, from our family to yours.—Gracia Harmsen”
- Dec 23: Joyce Tarrell had a successful surgery today to remove her gall bladder. She is stable and recovering at Sanford hospital. Please keep her in your prayers.
- Dec 22: Joyce Tarrell relates the following, quoting: "I’m asking for prayer for me. Saturday I was experiencing severe back pain, nausea and lightheaded symptoms. I decided I should go to the Sanford ER to find out what was going on. After all the testing and six hours later, they found that I have gall stones, one 1.5 inches, and that I need surgery to remove my gallbladder. I was admitted to the hospital on Sunday. Because I am on blood thinners, surgery cannot be scheduled until my numbers come down. So we’re just waiting for everything to work so I can have the surgery. I know God is watching over me and has a plan for me. Thank you for your prayers sent on my behalf. --Joyce Tarrell"
- Dec 22: Rick Beckstrom had surgery for prostate cancer in March 2025. Recent tests have revealed there may well be residual cancer cells still stirring up trouble. His doctors are attacking this with hormone injections and radiation treatments. Please send prayers for good tolerance of the treatments with the goal of cancer eradication. Thank you!
- Dec 20: Ellen Garner relates the following, quoting: "Please pray for Ellen Garner - healing in airway after Dec 3rd injections. For Ellen's husband, Tim Garner, who will be having oral surgery for dentures on Wednesday, January 7. For successful surgery, and quick healing. For Ellen's mom, Carol Nelson, who unexpectedly had surgery this week to insert a pacemaker and is dealing with the pain and adjustment of that. For Ellen's dad, Eldon Nelson, who also went to the ER this week and has a twisted bowel. At this time they've decided to treat with medicine, not surgery. Thanks so much for keeping all of these needs in your prayers! Ellen"
- Dec 17: Katie Thill relates the following, quoting: "Update on Leroy! It's been a long day for little dude, but he has been a rockstar through everything. GI agreed to do a dilation today. Surgery was scheduled for 11 and got pushed back to 4. They ended up not being able to complete the dilation due to it still being too small for the wire to get through, but this isn't a step back; it's a stepping stone. So now we wait, again, with faith and optimism. This is going to be a long road for Leroy, but God has a plan, and we're just along for the ride. --Katie Thill"
- Dec 17: Kate Stellinga relates the following about her dad, Ken, quoting: “Tuesday, December 16, 2025. Well, tomorrow is it!!!! Round 8, FINAL round of chemo! Dad continues to be a trooper. A few bad days here & there and inconveniences, aches & pains, but hes doing it. And he's almost done. The war isnt over though... Final round tomorrow, CT in 4 weeks, surgery in 7-8 weeks. Surgery is called a "whipple" & is very intensive. So, thats what dad has to look forward to and begin mentally preparing himself. But first, Christmas. And New Years's and enjoying time with the family celebrating our Saviors birth. Please send prayers dad's way as he continues to navigate this journey. And please, please enjoy time with your family. Christmas last year, I dont think any of us would've imagined this is how 2025 would go. So hug & love on those around you this year. Much love.—Kate Stellinga”
- Dec 15: Jerralynne Tjeerdsma relates the following, quoting: “I was hoping to report my daughter was through with treatments but her Pet Scan two weeks ago showed she has cancer in a lymph node! Today she saw her Oncologist and she has said Deb needs to be back on Chemo! She is going to wait until after Christmas as she shouldn’t be around a lot of people when she starts Chemo! This is very disturbing news and asking for prayers that the Chemo the Dr orders will take care of her cancer! My favorite Bible verse is Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength an ever present help in trouble! Deb’s favorite verse is Psalm 46:10 Be still and know that I am God ; I will be exalted among the nations , I will be exalted in the earth! Thank you for your prayers, --Jerralynne Tjeerdsma”
- Dec 13: Katie Thill relates the following about baby Leroy, quoting: “Things are going good. Leroy got his PICC line taken out and he is off all of his pain meds! Unfortunately though, they did find that he was having issues with his breathing. His O2 was dipping down into the 40’s. They did another swallow study and found that it is so narrow only a drop of milk was going down, and he has now been diagnosed with tracheomalacia. They placed to tube down his throat to help keep the spit out, and he’s been doing great. So now we just have to wait for the surgeons to let us know when we can get a dilation. I’m thinking once we can get a dilation we can go home, but that might now be for awhile. –Katie Thill”
- Dec 12: Tim DeLoof's surgery went well. Thanks for your prayers. Please continue to keep him in your prayers.
- Dec 11: Sandy DeLoof relates the following, quoting: “Tim is still holding his own and had a good report in his recent ALS clinic visit. Also, Tim will be having outpatient same day surgery tomorrow (Friday Dec 12) morning at 11am at the Prairie Center at Avera. He will have anesthesia so will appreciate prayers as that always presents a small risk for ALS patients. We hope to get to Community again soon now that he has a power wheelchair and we purchased a wheelchair accessible van..so it makes it easier to go places now. Take care and I will let you know how everything went with the surgery. –Sandy DeLoof”
- Dec 11: Here are the funeral details for Arlene Lee, Steve Lee’s mother: Visitation: Hartquist Funeral Home - Luverne Chapel Friday, December 12, 2025, 5:00 - 7:00 pm. Funeral Service: Grace Lutheran Church – Luverne Saturday, December 13, 2025 at 1:30 pm. Please keep the family in your prayers.Dec 9: Hen Timmer has been discharged from the hospital.
- Dec 9: Our condolences go out to the family and friends of Arlene Lee, Steve Lee's mother. She passed away today. Funeral details are pending.
- Dec 8: Our condolences go out to the friends and family of Linda Stoops. Funeral details:
Friday December 12.
9 am visitation
10 am funeral.
Then internment.
Services will be at George Boom Funeral Home with John Thornton officiating. - Dec 8: Hen Timmer is in Sanford with Pneumonia. Please keep her in your prayers.
- Dec 6: Carrie Valentine's friend Chariti will be discharged from the hospital today. Thanks for your prayers.
- Dec 5: Baby Leroy Thill had a G-tube placed today (a feeding tube through the abdomen) and tolerated that well. Please keep praying for him and his family.
- Dec 5: Carrie Valentine relates the following, quoting: "This evenings update: Chariti is back from the MMA, all went really good! She is finally getting to eat a bit and hopefully sleep. We’ve moved out of the critical room and Into the “less” critical room. She is in good spirits! Doctors say the CT scan looks good, she should expect to not feel good since she has a 4” scar and staples in her noggin but she is sporting an awesome new haircut! She will most likely be here till Sunday. If you’d like to visit just check with me quick to be sure she’s feeling good enough. Thank you to everyone for thoughts, prayers, rearranged schedules and everything in-between. --Carrie Valentine"
- Dec 5: Carrie Valentine friend Chariti will be having another brain procedure today. Please keep her in your prayers.
- Dec 4: Carrie Valentine relates that her friend Chariti' surgery went well. Please continue to pray for her.
- Dec 3: Carrie Valentine relates the following, quoting: “Our good friend Chariti has been admitted to ICU this afternoon after an MRI this morning, they found a brain bleed on her right side. She is currently scheduled for surgery tomorrow for a drain. Plans to be in the hospital 3-5 days. Please also keep her family in thoughts and prayers as well. Thank You.—Carrie Valentine”
- Dec 1: Katie Thill relates the following update on her baby Leroy, quoting: “He is off all of his tubes and started bottling. The first couple days were going great, but he started to not do as well the last couple of days. They attempted to place a NG tube today, and they were not able to get it in. So, they said we may need to wait for his throat to dilate (this could happen on its own or he would need to go in to have that done). They have also talked about placing a G tube which would allow us to go home after a couple days of that being placed. He is finally off fentanyl, and transitioned over to morphine. He also tested positive for MRSA today, so he started some antibiotics for that.—Katie Thill” Please keep baby Leroy, his parents and siblings in your prayers.
- Nov 30: Our condolences go out to Randy Hindbjorgen his wife Karen, and his family and friends. His mother, Marlys Hindbjorgen, passed this afternoon surrounded by family. Funeral arrangements are pending, but will probably at Peace Lutheran. Please keep the family and friends in your prayers.
- Nov 26: Jodi Ackerman's knee replacement surgery went well. She is home recovering. Please keep her rehab in your prayers.
- Nov 25: Baby Leroy passed his swallowing test and is able to take some nourishment. Praise Jesus. Please keep praying for him.
- Nov 24: Baby Leroy Thill is progressing, but still in the NICU. He will be having another swallow test soon. Please keep praying for him, his mom Katie, his dad Trevor and his siblings. Thanks.
- Nov 24: Kate Stellinga relates the following about her dad, Ken, quoting: “Hello! Quick update, thankfully not much to report on. Dad had chemo, round 6 on Wednesday the 19th. After last round, he had a couple days that gave him the go around with stomach issues. We'll see what this round brings. His son, Nick was able to come up to Sioux Falls and be with him on the 19th as I was ill - thankful most of us have some flexibility in our schedules to be with dad on those days. Ryan, my husband, joined them in the afternoon. So far this round has been uneventful - but we wait for about day 5-7 after chemo to see some of the side effects. Hoping this round is gentle so we can celebrate Thanksgiving together. Plan moving forward, round 7 on Dec 3, Final round, round 8 on Dec 17th...wow....wasn't sure we were going to make it this far. Then, we wait 6-8 weeks for dad's body to "recover" from chemo and then on to surgery!! We pray for continued strength and motivation for Dad. For his labs and scans to remain stable and the lung infection to stay at bay. We also pray a prayer of thanksgiving for everyone who has supported Dad, directly or indirectly on this journey - we are so, so thankful for your prayers and positive thoughts. Hope everyone enjoys some time with family and friends this thanksgiving - cherish every moment.—Kate Stellinga”
- Nov 24: Rachel Thiesen relates the following about her sister, quoting: "The Dr. said Rebekah can have food and drink. They had put that order in as a precaution but no longer feel it's necessary. They did find a small blood clot in her leg but the treatment they are doing for the blood clots in her lungs will take care of that. Plan is blood thinner for 6 months. Rebekah's vitals have stabilized so they are moving her from the ICU to regular hospital now. She might have the same room because currently there are no hospital rooms available. The Dr believes that the low hemoglobin was from heavy periods and that the blood clots probably formed from sleep apnea. So they are getting a gynecologist on board in the hospital and want Rebekah to do a sleep study in the future. It's nice to know people are praying for her and she seems to enjoy visitors/messages and calls of love and support.--Rachel Thiesen"
- Nov 24: Randy Hindbjorgen's mother, Marlys, is in the hospital with serious medical situations. Please keep her and her family, Randy, and his wife Karen (Roetman) in your prayers.
- Nov 23: Jodi Ackerman will be having knee surgery early this Wednesday. Please keep her in your prayers. Thanks.
- Nov 23: Rachel Theisen relates the following, quoting: "Can you please pray for my sister? Her name is Rebekah Miller, and she is being admitted to the ICU at Sanford tonight (Saturday). She had really low hemoglobin (6.4) and was given 2 blood transfusions. They found scattered blood clots in her lungs and will be giving her blood thinner to break up the clots. They said that they want to watch her closely because of the blood transfusions and blood thinners.-- Rachel Theisen"
- Nov 22: Laura Thesenvitz relates the following, quoting: “Ta-Da! Here we are, just as I said 8 weeks later in a blink of an eye – having done surveillance scans earlier this week wondering where the time has gone, trying to decide how much detail to include without oversharing or confusing anyone and realizing there was more than a little bit of chaos that ensued. 8 weeks is a lot of ground to cover, so I will just start with a simple warning of: this may be a less organized brain download, so buckle up for the ride and kindly give grace to my details and editing, ha! Over the last 2 and half months, it has been a rollercoaster ride to say the least. Christopher started the targeted oral therapy drug (Desatinib) and also tried some acupuncture therapy as recommended by Palliative care for an additional non-opioid pain management option. He did that for 4 weeks or so and decided to stop as it was hard to determine if it was loosening muscle to relax and instead of giving relief actually made different discomfort and other issues. Bowel and bladder problems seemed to flare as well. We did enjoy a weekend out to the Hills with a couple of our good friends for the weekend of the Honor March. We were not participants this year, but we were able to meet up with some of our other friends that were and cheer them on and have a celebratory beer at the end. We even ran into my cousin and her husband in downtown Deadwood (unplanned!) while were there as well! Christopher didn’t necessarily feel the greatest and the long travel is hard on him, but he put on a great face for it and for me especially because he knew how badly I needed the break and time away and opportunity to spend some time with friends as well. I am so very grateful for that weekend away, it was an absolutely gorgeous picture perfect weather weekend and I am thankful for the time away together. Unfortunately, that weekend really wiped him out and we rolled right into prepping for being host family for the Knights of Columbus family camping weekend that he was the lead on for the event and in charge of the pot luck dinner on that Saturday night. To add to it, we thought it would be so fun and great idea to get the kids tickets the Taylor Swift DJ event at the Canaries field (for those who don’t know Claire is a HUGE Swifty and Henry by default). So add that on TOP of the weekend AND we then were hosting Kelli’s (our at that time future-sister-in-law) bridal shower on that Sunday afternoon. Yeah. It was too much in one weekend even if life was perfect and everyone is healthy and wonderful, I realized that too late. BUT the weekend went fairly well and we all survived. Kids are still talking about their DJ dance party and it was another awesome experience with one of my cousins their kiddos! Also during these weeks Claire was finishing up her first tennis season so we had at least 2 matches a week in addition to all the rest of the normal weekly activities. That brings us to the beginning of October. We were able to watch the kids in their Festival of Bands parade downtown. It was windy and not very nice, but they did well and had a good time. By that weekend Christopher had really started to wear down and paid was odd, high level and severely uncomfortable. He spent a good amount of time in the car until the kids were close in the parade before joining us and progressively lethargic and worse feeling through the weekend. By that Monday morning he had a slight wheeze in the morning and after a nap that afternoon he had the same but then with an additional tightness in his chest that didn’t want to go away. We tried a trip to Aldi to get a few things but cut it short and decided it was time to go in wanting to be sure it wasn’t a side effect of the medication causing fluid buildup in his lungs or abdomen. He had popped a fever and had signs of a UTI that morning, so we figured there was something going on. We went to the ER knowing that he’d require a CT so skipped acute care. Unfortunately with the wide range of issues he was having, we were not specific in what we were wanting them to check on – if what he was experiencing is a side effect of the drug – is there fluid buildup in lungs or abdomen? – he won himself a stay in the hospital. He was there until Wednesday when they finally got comparative CT scans from Mayo to make determination comparisons and comfortably discharge him. The added stress in the scenario – this was the week of Brent and Kelli’s wedding. The wedding that Christopher and I had the honor of being Best man and Maid of Honor. Thankfully there was no fluid. They did put him on an antibiotic for his UTI and presumed upper lobe pneumonia. The multi-symptoms and issues unfortunately got way too many specialists involved than needed. To be safe, Dr Ho had Christopher discontinue the Desatinib for the week until he checked back in with her. The weekend came and we celebrated the joyous wedding of Brent and Kelli! Saturday morning was rough start for Christopher but thankfully through Mass and by reception was able to tolerate and make it through the evening ok. I… celebrated with GUSTO! *cough* *cough* Ha! Don’t worry, Tristan drove home and I we even all 5 made it to Mass the next morning! Christopher started to feel a little more himself and bowels in check again by mid / end of that week. He was still running a random on and off fever but decided to restart the Desatinib after discussions and OK from Dr. Ho. The following week we made an overnight trip to the Cities to honor and celebrate the life of Christopher’s Grandfather, Edmund. His funeral Mass and internment at Fort Snelling were on October 22nd. Another longer car ride two days in a row felt like a marathon and right into appointments again in Sioux Falls when returned the next day. We had a follow up with Palliative care and then fall teacher conferences for the kids that night! Ufta! Highlight in here is that Christopher did start the process towards driving and completed the evaluation and training program for driving controls. Now all is needed is to finish various paperwork processes within the VA and we’ll keep that train rolling – more to come. Christopher was officially retired from the military on October 18th, with his final date of service being the 17th. We’ll fast forward over that last few weeks to last weekend – he had his official retirement ceremony on base followed by a celebratory social we hosted at the club on base. It was a bitter sweet event but no less momentous in that it was an opportunity for him to be honored for 21+ years he served and to be recognized for the work he has done and the many ways he has influenced and played a role in shaping the career paths and lives of those around him… always with a smile on his face and lead with a firm calmness in any storm. The event took a lot out of him – prep leading up to it and then the peopling and recovering, but he did great. That pretty much brings us to this week and our trip to Rochester for surveillance scans. We traveled up on Sunday to try and attempt to keep a morning routine for Christopher on Monday prior to scans and not the long car ride prior and having to go right into MRI tube for long period of time. Bloodwork, MRI and CT was all on Monday and then we met with Dr Ho Tuesday morning. Overall there wasn’t anything “earth shattering” as Christopher would say. MRI showed continued tumor growth but not at an aggressive rate. It shows more measured fluid changes, but that is yet to be determined what that will become. The CT had “mixed results” is what Dr. Ho said. A couple of the nodules showed reduction in size but others showed joined together to make a larger mass and a couple individually increasing in size. Discussing the side effects that Christopher is having from the Desatinib, they are considered mild at current being dry skin, fatigue and maybe some very slight early signs of something starting to develop on the CT scan – Dr. Ho is still comfortable with him staying on the drug for the time being. Christopher feels this is a good choice as well in that it wasn’t a consistent trial run on the medication having had to start and stop a couple of times. She wants him to return for surveillance scans in a couple of months again and discuss again at that time what options would be to move forward or to decide not to do any treatment and see what growth rates would be and focus on a time quality approach. Things to digest and think about. Main things at hand that we are focusing on dealing with are managing day to day. Overall, he seems to keep a “window” of ok-ish time of the day. Depending on the day that will shift and lengthen or shorten. Each day is different and may bring a different challenge or discomfort. Bowel and bladder continue to be wild cards. A pressure sore that he has been trying to heal since early August has made severe negative progress and with our last follow up visit to the would clinic this week I have now learned the process of wet-to-dry wound packing for 2-3 times a day change and he is “supposed to” be spending as much time off his bum as possible unless toileting or eating.. she had us add a special waffle pump pad to the mattress for him to sleep on to help avoid adding more sores on his side as well. All the things. Each day comes and goes. I find myself on auto pilot or ultra survival mode – doing just enough to get through the next hour to move to the next thing, so that I don’t know what day it is a lot of the time. We’re tired. We’re frustrated. The holidays are on deck. I pray we find the joy in the time have together and that the memories we make will hold some happiness and bring some smiles rather than tears and bottled frustration. We appreciate your continued support and prayers as we navigate these upcoming days and weeks. Thank you for the love and village that surrounds our kids and has made it possible for us to do what we need to do whenever life happens. Thank you for hanging in there with this long winded updated! Lots of love from us - Laura Thesenvitz”
- Nov 18: Baby Leroy Thill is recovering. He is now off the ventilator and doing well. They will be doing swallowing studies to see when he can begin feedings. He is just over a week old. Please keep him and his parents, Katie and Trevor, and his siblings in your prayers. Thanks.
- Nov 17: Rich Odens reports that Carolyn's foot surgery went well. She should be home this afternoon. Please pray for her recovery.
- Nov 17: Today, Monday November 17, Carolyn Odens is having surgery on her foot. Please pray for her healing. Thanks.
- Nov 15: Katie Thill relates the following about her baby, Leroy. Quoting: "Just wanted to update you with Leroy’s night. Last night he ended up with a pneumothorax and had to have surgery to place another chest tube. This means that he won’t be getting his breathing tubes out until Monday or after (which is fine with me, better safe than sorry!) They think it was an isolated incident where the tube moved just enough when they lifted him for a weight possibly, but X-rays showed everything is looking good right now. --Katie Thill"
- Nov 14: Baby Leroy Thill is doing okay after his surgery. He will have the endotracheal tube for a few more days. Then they will do a swallowing test to see if he can begin eating. Please keep him, and his 2 siblings and his mom (Katie) and dad (Trevor) in your prayers. Thanks.
- Nov 12: Baby Leroy Thill, parents are Katie and Trevor Thill, is having surgery to correct the abnormal opening between his throat and his airway. Recovery after surgery will involve his being intubated (an airway tube in place) for at least a few days. He will also be on IV feedings until the passageway to his stomach heals enough for him to take nutrition that way. This means probably a couple weeks he will be in the hospital. Please keep baby Leroy and his family in your prayers. Thanks.
- Nov 11: Joel Kraayenbrink relates the following, quoting: “Trevor and Katie Thill gave birth to Leroy Vernon Thill. Leroy was found to have an esophageal atresia with a fistula, meaning his esophagus doesn't connect to his stomach. He was placed on a ventilator and moved to NICU. Surgery is planned for Wednesday, 11/12/2025 to help repair esophagus. Prayers for successful surgery and uneventful healing. NICU stay may be as brief as several days or much longer depending on how he responds. Thank you!—Joel Kraayenbrink”
- Nov 11: Steve Lee relates the following, quoting: "Today we moved our 92-yr-old Mom, Arlene Lee, to the Luverne Hospice Cottage. We’re asking for prayers for a peaceful adjustment this new environment.--Steve Lee"
- Nov 10: Here are the details for Jerry Ackerman's funeral service. Gerald Allen Ackerman, age 79 of Hills, MN died Sunday, November 9, 2025, at Sanford Hospital in Sioux Falls, SD. A public visitation will be Sunday, November 16th from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., with the family present at the Community Reformed Church of Sioux Falls, SD. A graveside service will be at 10:30 a.m., Monday, November 17th, at Eastside Cemetery near Steen, MN. A memorial service will be at 1:30 p.m., Monday, November 17th, at the Community Reformed Church of Sioux Falls, with Rev. Clyde Teel officiating.
- Nov 9: Our condolences go out to the friends and family of Jerry Ackerman, who passed away today. Please keep them in your prayers. Thanks.
- Nov 9: Jerry Ackerman has suffered a severe medical incident. He is seriously ill and in ICU on life support. Doctors are working to figure out exactly what happened. Please keep him and his family in your prayers. Thanks.
- Nov 7: Claradith Kingsbury will probably be in the hospital until at least Monday. She had a mild stroke and the doctors are looking at what kind of treatment is needed. Her children are traveling home to see her. Please pray for her and her family.
- Nov 7: Jennie Van Roekel is now at Bethany in Brandon for rehab. She is doing well, and is expected to be able to return to her home after rehab. Please continue to pray for her. Thanks.
- Nov 7: Junella Wesselink relates the following, quoting: "Update on my sister-in-law, Virginia. She has now been placed in a nursing home for continued rehab. She had 14 days in Sioux City hospital, upon arriving to driveway at home was taken by ambulance to local hospital (not planned on), and 12 days in local hospital, now in nursing home. She is thinking positive. Naturally longing to go home. Thank you for all prayers for her and my brother, Jon. Need to continue prayers for strength and mobility to keep improving. Also that they continue to stay strong spiritually.--Junella Wesselink"
- Nov 7: Claradith Kingsbury has suffered a mild stroke. She is hospitalized and the doctors are assessing the situation. Please keep her in your prayers.
- Nov 5: Jennie Van Roekel is doing well with her repaired hip. She may transfer from the hospital to rehab at Bethany in Brandon tomorrow (Thursday). Please keep her in your prayers.
- Nov 5: Jean Nollmann has a hematoma in her shoulder. She was released from ER last night and will see the orthopedic doctor tomorrow. Please keep her in your prayers.
- Nov 5: Dree Mayer relates the following, quoting: "Would like prayers for Bryan Breier who is in the Abbot Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis with serious complications following open heart surgery. Prayers too for his wife Kim as she waits for additional surgery for an abdominal aneurism. Elevated BP as well as small strokes hindering surgery & recovery. They are a friend of a friend. --Dree Mayer"
- Nov 4: Jean Nollmann is in Sanford ER with severe pain in her right shoulder. Please keep her and the medical staff tending to her in your prayers.
- Nov 3: Kate Stellinga relates the following about her dads, Ken, quoting: “This is the week - Dad starts chemo back up. He's been on meds for the fungal infection in his lungs for about a week or so now, after meeting with Infectious Disease doctor at the V.A. He'll have to be on the med for a while as the chemo will continue to affect his immune system and we don't want to give that fungal infection a chance to spread. Thursday is the day we will start chemo back up. This is good/bad. Dad has really started to feel good without the chemo! But, the tumor isn't being treated without the chemo. Four more rounds, every other week and then we let his body rest and catch up before surgery, planned early next year. His appetite has been good. He has started to grow some whiskers back :) But, the oncologist was very frank in telling Dad to expect feeling crumby again as soon as we start chemo back up. Nature of the beast. Dad joined us at Great Shots for a couple of the grandson's birthday celebrations this week. He's been out running errands and stopping by our house to visit. It's nice to see him back to "normal" but the show must go on. Thank you for continued prayers. Specifically that Dad can find motivation to continue the fight, knowing that it will come with ugly side effects. Prayers that the fungal infection (and all infections, considering it's cold/flu season) will stay at bay and we can continue chemo as scheduled.—Kate Stellinga”
