As many of you know, our friend Ed Anderson, passed away on July 23. Ed used his cancer journey to spread hope, and peace, and truth, and joy into his community. His memorial service was a testament to his contagious joy, his love for God, and his impact. 

At the same time Ed passed away, his wife Cindy began having health issues. A month ago, she wrote:
"For the last several months I've been struggling with a health challenge. To be discreet, it's a female issue that is common for women my age. However, it's been causing symptoms that can lead to more serious problems if not treated and I'm going to need minor surgery. I'm blessed that I've never needed surgery or been under anesthesia before. This one seems pretty routine, but the first time for anything is a little scary. While I'm confident I will be fine, it's a lot to process right now. 

Thankfully the symptoms can be managed short term and I can wait a few months so we can catch our emotional breath. This is harder on my sweet Rebekah than it is on me, and my momma's heart would greatly appreciate some extra prayer for her. I'll be honest that I think the timing is "interesting" considering what we are already going through. 

I feel Eddie's absence more significantly because he is the person I'd be leaning on the hardest right now. But when I feel down I hang on to knowing that God's love is deeper for us than my finite mind can comprehend and He is good in all things. I can trust that His timing is ALWAYS perfect. For 4 1/2 years, I saw the most remarkable model of faith as I watched Eddie's love for God grow even stronger through what he endured and I'm drawing on his example in this. I know so many of you have been thinking about and praying for us over the last month and I believe that the strength we have right now is because of the prayers you lift up on our behalf. Your prayers for peace, physical and emotional strength and complete healing would be most appreciated right now. We all have challenges in life to some degree and that you think about and pray for us means more than I can adequately express!!"


Ed's one concern when he passed away, was for his girls - Cindy, his loving wife of 25 years and his remarkable daughter, Rebekah. He knew the grief they would both feel, and he also knew the financial burden they’d have, after 4 years of medical bills and two years of not being able to work himself, which drained much of what they spent their life saving for.

In addition to the emotional piece, another reason Cindy was putting this surgery off, is because she wanted to save and be able to pay for it. Several of us, have encouraged her to get it scheduled and done sooner, rather than later. When I asked Cindy about the possibility of letting her community know she could use their support, she told me I was the 5th person to ask. 


We decided at this point, to do a GoFund me page, because there are people far beyond any one person's reach, who want to tangibly support Cindy & Bekah. This is their most pressing need, and as a community, we can help make a really hard time easier for our friends.

Thanks for reading, and for your prayers and support!