Hello Loved Ones,

It is just shy of two months since Kurt went to be with his LORD.  His long dreadful journey began in June, 2022.  For those of us that have had to watch people we love fade with age or illness, we can say without reservation that we are thankful for their release. Yet, in the quiet spaces that they used to occupy in our lives, there is a grief that words will never quite encompass accurately.  While we all walk this road, this family has no doubt we are here without Kurt for a reason.  We know that Kurt was taken at his appointed time even if we don’t like it or agree with the plan.  We know that God has plans for us as we go on without him.  We know that his plan for us includes joy within our grief even if we don’t ‘feel’ it right now.

Once Kurt stopped treatments, his oncologist said that this type of cancer would move like a fully loaded freight train going down a hill without brakes.  He was correct.  Kurt always said that he wasn’t concerned about himself. He frequently said that his last breath on the earth meant that his next one was in the presence of Jesus.  His heart cried out to God for us that are left behind.  He knew the next steps in our lives would be difficult to navigate in sorrow and that we would need to listen and lean on God to carry us through.  His prayer was for us to be obedient in the next steps and trust that God would wrap us up with His great care in tangible ways.  God has been faithful to that cry.  You have been a part of that wondrous, generous care. You have given through loving sacrifice with your hard earned money and beautiful messages.  We have all been speechless and cried tears of profound gratitude so many times from God’s great care given through you.

Know that we as a family will live the rest of our lives grateful for your Christ like servant care.  We want to let you know that this giving campaign will be closed this month.  By God’s grace, it has done what it needed to do. Thank you for answering a call to help.

We leave you with Kurt’s favorite way to close his letters and emails…

Love Jesus Most

The Anderson’s, Cindy, Nick/Anabel & children, and John Jeffrey/Rachel & children

Hello Loved Ones,

It is just shy of two months since Kurt went to be with his LORD.  His long dreadful journey began in June, 2022.  For those of us that have had to watch people we love fade with age or illness, we can say without reservation that we are thankful for their release. Yet, in the quiet spaces that they used to occupy in our lives, there is a grief that words will never quite encompass accurately.  While we all walk this road, this family has no doubt we are here without Kurt for a reason.  We know that Kurt was taken at his appointed time even if we don’t like it or agree with the plan.  We know that God has plans for us as we go on without him.  We know that his plan for us includes joy within our grief even if we don’t ‘feel’ it right now.

Once Kurt stopped treatments, his oncologist said that this type of cancer would move like a fully loaded freight train going down a hill without brakes.  He was correct.  Kurt always said that he wasn’t concerned about himself. He frequently said that his last breath on the earth meant that his next one was in the presence of Jesus.  His heart cried out to God for us that are left behind.  He knew the next steps in our lives would be difficult to navigate in sorrow and that we would need to listen and lean on God to carry us through.  His prayer was for us to be obedient in the next steps and trust that God would wrap us up with His great care in tangible ways.  God has been faithful to that cry.  You have been a part of that wondrous, generous care. You have given through loving sacrifice with your hard earned money and beautiful messages.  We have all been speechless and cried tears of profound gratitude so many times from God’s great care given through you.

Know that we as a family will live the rest of our lives grateful for your Christ like servant care.  We want to let you know that this giving campaign will be closed this month.  By God’s grace, it has done what it needed to do. Thank you for answering a call to help.

We leave you with Kurt’s favorite way to close his letters and emails…

Love Jesus Most

The Anderson’s, Cindy, Nick/Anabel & children, and John Jeffrey/Rachel & children

Kurt’s return home to Jesus remains in our hearts and minds, but we take comfort knowing his legacy of love and faith lives on. This GiveSendGo page will remain open through the end of 2024 to support Cindy in the days ahead.

Your gifts will help ease the burden of remaining medical bills, lost income, mortgage payments, utilities, everyday expenses, and funeral costs. Cindy will carefully manage these funds with the guidance of her pastor and a trusted financial planner to meet her needs.

Your continued prayers, love, and support during this time mean more than words can express.

"Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. -- 1 Corinthians 15:55-57 (NIV)

Cindy asked me to share that Kurt went home to Jesus this morning. Please be in prayer for her, their sons, grandchildren and family.

Catching you all up on life in our little world is a bit of a challenge. About the time we sit down to write out an update, that ‘current’ update is already outdated. Knowing this, we will do our best to tell you about this journey as it is today. Kurt has written the bulk of this, but I (Cindy) am playing editor as requested by him. These are so hard to write. Talking about Kurt’s physical state and the entire family’s mental state bares the raw edges of our hearts. We have known what it is to have broken hearts. At this juncture, we have wandered beyond broken into the realm of being owners of shattered hearts. I told a friend recently that I sure am thankful that God holds our hearts because he is the only one that is able to track every shattered piece in order to mend us as he sees fit. The pieces, no matter how small are not lost to him.

We are so grateful for the hospice care Kurt is getting. They see things we don’t know to look for, giving suggestions without pushing us with the difficult decisions and explain the steps of what the cancer is doing at various points of its progression. The cancer has encroached into Kurt’s lungs to the point he is now on oxygen full time and requires medication to control the cough that comes with his body trying to get rid of the tumors. He rarely has ongoing pain with anything which is mind boggling. We are all incredibly thankful for that! He is able to be up and walk for a very short time, but mobility is now pretty limited due to losing his ability to get much air into his lungs. Doing small things have become great treats for him such as going out back to the back yard to sit in the sun.

From Kurt – The Lord continues to shower me with more of His goodness every day.

Over the past months, friends throughout my life, from back in grade school years to the present, have visited me, left me messages, notes, cards, emails, voicemails, texts, Facebook messages, gifts of money to help with finances on our “Give, Send, Go” account and the priceless gift of a group called “A Living Eulogy for Kurt Anderson” found on Facebook. We have read them all and continue to do so over and over. For me to try and respond to each message is simply overwhelming! Our hearts are humbled and filled with grateful love as we are given so many gifts of treasured memories and words of love. It is frustrating not to be able to respond and catch up with each of you. My mental and physical strength is becoming more limited. Please, please know that each message, memory and photo is cherished and brings great encouragement. Daily.

The effects of cancer on my body takes its toll not only on me, but on my family as they carry the very heavy responsibility of caring for me. I simply can’t find adequate words that describe how I feel about each of them and want to ease their burden but can’t. The simple things of daily life become more difficult to navigate both physically and mentally for me. I cannot say that in my humanity that I don’t get angry. I do! I cannot say that I don’t groan, asking God to bring relief. I do. No one likes to suffer, yet we all do in many different ways. For the child of God, it is a vastly different outlook. As I read, pray, listen for guidance from the Holy Spirit, there is a tangible blanket of Peace that covers me. I am not afraid of death. It is the path everyone on this earth will take. In the quiet or especially during times of pain, I hang on to every single promise God made to his children. As my body and mind give out, the Holy Spirit comforts me with the truth that those promises are there for me to hold tight to. Because of God’s character, He will never break His promises. Therefore, I am fully confident that following my final exhale on this earth, there will be a big inhale in the very presence of God himself and His son Jesus! I will be home. It will be perfect. It will be forever. And I will be reunited with saved loved ones who went before me and those who come after me. For this, I wait patiently.

Please take some time to read Romans 8:18-36. We are God’s groaning creation. To choose to believe God’s promises and accept the gift of life with Him after our earthly death, is the choice you make in this world, not the next.

Thank you for your love and care. We would be honored for you to remember us in your prayers as we continue down this path.

Thank you for your ongoing prayers and help. The Lord continues to demonstrate His great care for us as we walk this cancer road.  

These last few weeks have been especially difficult. I had not previously experienced much pain from the cancer growth specifically, but random significant pain has entered life. It was very significant and landed me in the hospital overnight in order to get the pain under control. The following Friday the pain returned as well as an accompanying fever that elevated significantly sending us back to the ER. I was subsequently admitted again for three nights on a steady IV antibiotic diet. This last Monday was another trip to the ER with side effects of lung tumors that could become a familiar part of this traumatic journey.

With the frequency of health issues entering at such a rate, we have made the inevitable decision to enter In-Home Hospice Care. We knew this was going to be necessary at some point, I just thought it might have been a little further down the road. We now have extremely helpful access to needed comfort care services that our hospice service provides. They have been amazing. I am still able to continue to work and get out as I feel good enough to do so. We are asking God for His strength, wisdom, and a tangible presence in every step due the fear and sorrow we find creeping into our minds.

Physically, my body is weaker and my lung capacity has notably decreased. This has caused me to be even more mindful of planning my physical activity, utilizing a cane or walker when necessary. I am not a fan of needing to use assisted walking equipment, yet I am thankful because they will allow me a bit more mobility.

Please remember my wife and sons as you pray. They are also walking a very real part of this earthly suffering. They are there for me at every turn, dropping whatever they are doing to get me the help and assistance I need at any moment in time. This last ER trip was a terrible end to my oldest son’s birthday. While I know they would do anything possible for me, I also know they are weary and heartbroken while watching my body fade from this disease.

We are grateful to the Lord for each of you and we continue to covet your prayers.

We asked the Lord that He would be very clear in the direction we needed to go over the coming months, regarding chemotherapy treatments. He has answered that prayer with great clarity.

This current chemo treatment (Plan B) failed miserably. The newest CT scan revealed “innumerable” tumors. The liver tumors continue to grow. The lungs, particularly my left lung displayed 30%-100% growth of the tumors over the past 3 months. They are starting to incase my left lung wall.

What now?  We are out of medical options. I have decided to stop treatments. No more immune booster shots either. We have let this decision sit in our souls for a few days and sought affirmation from the Holy Spirit. We wanted to make the decision that most honors and glorifies the Lord.

We are told that I have 3-9 months left on this earth. The decision to stop treatment should mean that in a few weeks or so, I am told that I should feel pretty decent for an unknown period of time! The Lord willing, I am going to live and serve as well as possible for as long as the He sees fit.

We are grateful to the Lord for His great care, especially in the coming months. He continues to use so many people that come alongside us to encourage, serve where needed, provide financially, and most importantly, to pray for us.

Our grief is deep.

Our trust in the Lord is unfailing.

Our gratitude is immeasurable.

Friends

It has been a while since we have updated you on my health. I have completed six rounds of the “Plan B” Chemotherapy treatments. On July 2nd I will get a CT scan to determine if Plan B is working or not.  We know this cancer is aggressive, so even slight growth of the tumors will be viewed as success. 

Cindy and I will meet with my Oncologist on July 3rd to review the CT results.  Once we process what we learn on the 3rd, we will post another update. We are grateful for you and continue to covet your prayers. 

Hello All,

The depth of our gratitude for you is beyond measure.  Your generosity humbles us.

We thought you might want to know a few things in regard to where Kurt is with treatments.

He is on what is being called 'Plan B' for chemotherapy.  Plan A, the newest and most hopeful one on the block included immunotherapy.  It did not do as well as hoped.  At his three month check up it showed more tumors had appeared in his lungs and only one of the three liver tumors had shrunk in size.  Plan B was begun two weeks ago.  He gets one week of treatment and one week off for three months at a time. At the end of three months, he will get a CT scan to see how this set of chemotherapy is working.  The goal is to hold the tumors at the size they are or shrink them.

In regard to your gifts, you have made it possible for us to stay in our home and pay bills for the time being. Hopefully you understand what joy that brings us at this point. God has used you all.  Kurt is able to work 30 hours a week for YFC.  We pray God allows him to continue. He wants to work and the 30 hours allows us to keep our current medical coverage.  Once we know how this chemo regime is going, we will be sure to update you as soon as possible.

Again, thank you so much everyone!