Halloween Party Fundraiser Reminder

Hello everyone...as Carolyn noted, we SOLD OUT the Amerigo dinner last week. However, there is another chance to attend an event and visit with John & Kaitlin.

Please see below for a reminder from Tony "Maestro" London about the Halloween Fundraiser Party this Friday night.

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The Halloween Party for Kaitlin and John is coming up this Friday, October 25th at Noah's Event Center from 7 pm-12 am!

Party admission is free, with a suggested donation of $25 per person at the door. A silent auction will also take place with many fabulous gift packages. If you have any items you would like to donate to the silent auction, please send that information to KaitsHalloweenParty@gmail.com as well. All proceeds will go to support Kaitlin and John and Thrivent Financial will be matching donations!

Come enjoy food, drinks, music and fun- and all to support Kait and John! Don't forget to wear your best costume. The costume contest prize is an Ipad mini!!! More info on the party can be found here.

Finally, if you can, please RSVP by sending an email to KaitsHalloweenParty@gmail.com with the number of people in your party. We look forward to seeing you there!

- Tony "Maestro" London

Helping Hands

A post from Tom:

I received an email a few weeks ago from a friend of mine attending college in the Midwest. He relayed a story from Exodus 17 in the Old Testament.“I'm sure you know the story, but, the Israelites were fighting against some enemy and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the mountain to pray. Whenever Moses' hands dropped, the battle went in favor of the enemy, but when his hands were raised to the heavens, the battle shifted in favor of the Israelites. However as time went on, Moses couldn't hold his hands up anymore, so Aaron and Hur stood beside him and held his hands to the sky until the battle was won. I just want to encourage you to keep your hands up. When they're up and you're praying, Kaitlin's battle is shifting in her favor. But, they will get tired, you will get tired, you won't be able to pray anymore. Your hands won't fall though because I am here, as well as many others, to support your hands and hold them to the sky until Kaitlin's battle is won.”

Well, our family has gotten tired; yet we are coping relatively well in the midst of what we consider to be nothing short of a battle. What is sustaining us? Ask any of the family members and they will say without hesitation it’s because of the layers and layers of caring and faithful people supporting us, both in prayer and action when we are overwhelmed and exhausted. Consider the last three or four days. Due to amazing professionals in the construction business, all donating/discounting their time, John was able to successfully pull a permit with full architectural plans, a detailed work schedule with a very reasonable budget for electrical, plumbing, framing, drywall, and tile. We are on a very tight renovation schedule, since we are hoping to accommodate Kait when she returns home around Thanksgiving. Due to the amazing generosity of our community donating funds directly to Kait, she has the money in her checkbook to pay for the bulk of this work. Move out day was this past Friday night and Saturday for John, Carolyn and Daniel – they couldn’t stay in the house during construction due to noise and dust. Collectively, we had about a dozen volunteers that helped pack, load, and then unload the entire contents of their house. Most items will be stored at a donated warehouse until the rehab is completed, with the rest of the items temporarily in our garage on Ivy St. On Sunday after the move out, we had demolition day at Lima Street. The demo day was accomplished with another 15 volunteers, including a hand full of dedicated CU fraternity brothers of Mark (Kait’s Dad). Completely filling a big dumpster with construction trash, we striped out walls, trim, carpet, toilet, sink, hardwood floors, plumbing vent pipes, plus a very heavy pink cast iron tub- making Kait sad- she loved that tub!

Both days’additional volunteers provided great lunches to the army of workers (thank you Debbie, Joan and Sharon!). Moving the shed in Kait’s backyard (so we can do concrete work this week), was an engineering task; sliding on metal tubes taken from the chain linked fence- primitive yet effective!

If you read the daily newspaper, it’s easy to fall into the trap of feeling bitter and cynical about people and the times we live in. But as our family has experienced the unity and generosity of our community over the past six weeks, I can’t help but think of how closely our feeling have mirrored what the early church must have been like as written in the book of Acts 2:46 in the Bible.“They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people.” Carolyn has repeated many times how humbled we are to witness the uprising of our community as they walk beside our family in love and deeds. You truly are holding our hands to the sky as we regain our strength and balance. 

-Tom Wanberg

EAST SIDE!

Dear family and friends,

I sat with my precious girl in the garden at Craig Hospital this afternoon. It was a beautiful fall day and we enjoyed the colorful leaves and cooler temperature as we reflected on all of the changes that have occurred during the past 6 days. This has undoubtedly been Kaitlin’s biggest week of change since her surgery and her admittance to Craig on September 11^th. We agreed that we need to catch you all up on her progress and prayer needs.

Craig hospital patients reside in either the east or west side facilities. Kaitlin had been in the west building since her arrival. This facility is much like any traditional hospital with single/double occupancy rooms, hospital beds, IVs, gurneys, etc. Last Friday, Kaitlin moved from the west side to the EAST side of Craig!  This has been such a wonderful transition for her and we are so proud of her hard work which made it all possible. The east side is comprised of small studio apartments. These apartments have large accessible bathrooms, a small living room area complete with a fold-out sofa, small functional kitchenette and best of all…no more hospital bed! Kaitlin is now in a regular double bed and JOHN CAN STAY WITH HER! YES! These two have waited a long time for this day and we’re thrilled for both of them. Kaitlin loves the freedom and space that her new place has provided; she enjoys her huge window and especially the double bed! She told me that she’s feeling a sense of independence and normalcy as she is pushed to adapt to what life will be like when she returns home and resumes daily tasks like giving herself a shower, using the kitchen, dressing herself, and sleeping in a normal bed. Such great progress!

On Tuesday Kaitlin had her cervical brace removed. She will continue to wear her back brace for one more month, but the cervical one was the most confining and claustrophobic. With her neck able to move more freely, her therapies are easier and she feels that she will make faster progress. She’s participating in some new therapies which she couldn’t do before and she feels more able to express herself when interacting with others because she isn’t so confined. She is making progress towards driving which will boost her independence. She will not miss that neck brace!

Kaitlin’s daily therapies were also increased this week.  On Monday, she had seven hours of therapy/classes with only a one hour break for lunch.  It’s very tiring but is important for her to get the most out of her stay at this excellent hospital. Most of her therapies involve mastering her transfers, gaining muscle strength, working on her balance (even sitting up can be challenge with no abdominal muscles), learning how to negotiate sidewalks, curbs, stairs and attending classes on skin care, diet, etc. She is one busy young lady.

Since earning her ‘pass’ to travel by car, Kaitlin has been enjoying occasional outings on the weekends which have included a Pumpkin Chunkin launch, dinner at the Rice’s kitchen table and a date night movie/dinner with John. We were all so thrilled to have her back home again and our dog Razz was totally beside herself with excitement. 

One last thing I wanted to share with you before listing our prayer requests. Kaitlin is really jazzed about a new wheelchair technology she tried out earlier this morning which would allow her to go longer distances with less effort. A wheel is affixed to the axel of her regular wheelchair and a battery pack goes between her thighs. When she pushes the wheelchair, she can lock in her speed. Even if she doesn’t push again, she will remain at the same speed as her first push. This technology will help her go up hills almost effortlessly and makes different types of terrain easier to navigate, saving her a ton of energy and potential damage to her shoulders. This technology is one of many that encourages her and gives her hope that she will be able to keep up with her friends and family when she’s out with them, while still remaining independent.

PRAYER REQUESTS:

Pray for God to restore Kaitlin’s legs so that she may walk again.

• Pray for restoration of her abdominal muscles.

• Pray for her nerve pain to be reduced or be totally taken away (if it is not necessary in order for her to regain sensation).

• Pray for John to manage his diabetes.

• Pray for safety for the construction crews as they begin the house remodel on Monday. 

• Pray for protection from catching a cold or the flu. It is difficult for Kaitlin to cough since she has no use of her abdominal muscles. This is a big concern and we pray that God will protect her and keep her well. 

• The pressure sore on Kaitlin’s sacrum reopened just a tiny bit. It’s important for it to heal completely. Please pray for healing. 

• Pray for the Craig Hospital community. Kaitlin has been such a bright light at Craig. She continues to encourage good friendships and interaction between all of the patients. When we first arrived at Craig, patients did not readily interact with one another. Two individuals might share a therapy mat and not even know each others names or interact at all. Kaitlin has changed all that. EVERYONE knows Kaitlin. She is so outgoing and has been the instigator for helping others to get to know one another as well. This has been GOOD MEDICINE for everyone! She has truly changed their Craig experience by modelling friendship, encouragement and empathy. Even the staff members have commented about this. Her physical therapist thinks Craig should hire Kaitlin as the ‘good will’ ambassador!  

Thank you all for your love and faithful friendship! You have been the hands and feet and very heart of Jesus to us. We will never forget this. Please continue to lift up Kaitlin and John daily. We appreciate YOU!

With love,

   Sue

AMERIGO DINNER FUNDRAISER IS BOOKED!

WOW. We are so overwhelmingly grateful for the response...I am SO pleased to announce that all of the reservation spots for our dinner at Amerigo fundraiser are taken! Thank you so very much to those who RSVP'd and are supporting John & Kaitlin so generously...this will be a night to remember, I promise!

For those who did not get a chance to RSVP but are interested in participating in a fundraiser like this-stay tuned! We are planning on hosting one of these evenings each month for as long as people will come. We are anxious to see all of you, enjoy time together and know that you are so ready to see John & Kaitlin and support them as well. The time will come again soon!

Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for your support and love...we are so humbled by each of you!

Love,
Carolyn

Impact Players: A post from Tom

Every week the party grows. The folks that work at Craig poke their heads in the door and say hi, or grab a quick bite to eat, or simply smile as they stare through the conference room window.  As Peyton Manning and the Broncos do their thing on TV, the real action is happening in this room on the third floor of Craig Hospital. Courage & bravery in every wheelchair, pushing themselves daily to find new limits. Hurting people taking risks to roll from their room and come into a larger group of people that they don’t know. Awkward shuffling of chairs & tables to accommodate various sized wheelchairs. Trying to eat chips and dip when your fingers don’t tighten like they use to. A fledgling community testing what it is like to expose their personal story and hurt.  An occasional newbie to Craig, still showing surgical pain in their face, towing tired family members with blank stares looking for hope, but not really expecting to find it. The heavy reality of the new beginning- how can I be social again, how do I start?

Enter Kait, the real Impact Player of the Game. She’s invited everyone at Craig to the party- told all the other patients (in that sweet, smiling-  but very commanding tone that she can get) that they need to come and cheer the Broncos. As people arrive, she shouts their name with joy, and is liberal with her introductions to make each person feel welcome and comfortable. She is energized, hooting and hollering with every first down, setting the tone for the room. I laughed out loud last week when a new woman patient came in and Kait cheered with contentment and said “we girls need to stick together!” She then promptly abandoned the Bronco game, turning her chair around to focus completely on the new girl and her story.

It was interesting to watch the babies and kids in the room. Instant acceptance of what to us is a challenging situation. Tessa climbed on to Kait’s lap with joy and I watched them roll through the bridge-walkway that separates the East and West wing. 

 Every patient in that room has a unique story, saturated with grief and loss, yet striving to learn how to live and define their individual hope. Tears mixed with laughter, fighting for the inner strength to fly again. Redefining possible.

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13

-Tom Wanberg

FUNdraisers coming up for Kait & John!

I am so very honored and excited to announce to all of you that we have not one, but TWO fundraisers coming up THIS MONTH to benefit the long term financial needs of John & Kaitlin. In case you haven't realized by now how absolutely incredible our community is...here is further proof. We are once again, humbled by how generous those around us are & how deeply they care for John & Kait and for our families.

Please see below {and under the "fundraiser" page!} for all the details that you may need on these two events. Both John & Kaitlin plan to attend both events to see you all and to enjoy the fun! Both families will be at the dinner fundraiser on October 27th as well. We are really looking forward to celebrating life, costumes, dancing, great food & excellent company with all of you who choose to attend!

Please Note: For the dinner fundraiser on the 27th, we have a limited number of places-make sure to RSVP to carolynwanberg@gmail.com -- first to e-mail will be on the list! Please specify in your RSVP which time slot you prefer.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE FUNDRAISERS HERE

Kaitlin's "debut" {A post written by Kait}

I cannot possibly start this post with anything other than the biggest thank you I can summon. Each and every one of you has blessed me and my family immensely and I am grateful for your continued support and encouragement.

As my "debut" back into the community, I wanted to share with you a few details of my life at Craig, as well as what The Lord is teaching me through each trial, change, and victory I face.

My life here is full of transfers, walks, weight lifting, aerobics, showers, classes, dressing, balance drills and more. Although many of these things seem simple and trivial, the most important thing to remember is that everything I do is powered by only my upper body.

From the armpits down, all I can feel is a heavy weight. This weight is carried by each push with my arms up a steep hill. I drag it behind me as I transfer back onto my bed from my chair and painstakingly lift each leg onto the mattress. I feel it when I want to turn over at night, but don't have the power to do so. Although this weight that I carry poses challenges each day, The Lord has already begun to use it to give me a greater understanding of the gospel and his grace, and I am confident that this is only the beginning of His work.

When you think about it, my spinal cord injury has served to create an interesting metaphor for the gospel and God's grace. My lower body has fully functioning muscles, tendons, organs, and bones; yet while it is set up to work and move the way it was intended to, it instead proves to be a useless pile of tissue that fumbles aimlessly at any attempt to work properly. And why? Because it lacks connection. Just as before Jesus, we lacked connection to God, so my lower body now lacks a connection to my brain. The result of a disconnect is the loss of all purpose and function...and the solution is Jesus.

What a reminder to carry each day in the weight of my lower body. I feel its worthlessness. I feel its dysfunction. I feel its stubborn resistance. Jesus chose to come and save THAT. While we were dead in worthless dysfunction and stubborn resistance, He came to give us a connection. He wants to know us and be near us badly enough that he sacrificed himself for that "useless pile of tissue" that I carry daily. Now when I transfer or wheel up a hill, it's easier to see GRACE above struggle or pain; and I am daily blessed by this powerful reminder.

Ultimately we are assured in scripture that our flesh receives life through none other than the Holy Spirit. Romans 8:11 tells us that, "If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his spirit who lives in you." My body (no matter what shape it is in) has been given LIFE through the spirit. What a glorious gift!

Thanks for taking the time to glance a little further into my life since the accident. Please know that you all continue to serve as a blessing of encouragement from Jesus that inspires me to live each day in a way that is glorifying to Him. I am looking forward to writing more updates in the future, but until then, I am grateful for your continued prayers for strength, determination, and growth as I complete my therapies here at Craig.

All my love,
Kaitlin

A post from Kait's Dad

I am Kaitlin’s Dad. A heartfelt thank you to all of you who have encouraged us through prayer, meals, emails, texts, errands, financial contributions…..it’s been truly humbling.  Kaitlin’s accident has been the most incredibly painful and terrifying experience in my life.  I can’t imagine going through something like this without the miraculous power of love and community provided by our Creator.  

Kaitlin is quite an encourager for fellow patients.  She continues to “pressure” them to show up for our Broncos parties, so we had another great time yesterday afternoon.  Kaitlin is now allowed off campus from Craig Hospital.  She’s been home a few times with John (I heard it felt wonderful to help clean the kitchen), and she’s been to the movie theater, as well as out to dinner.  I can only imagine how encouraging it must be to get out and do something “normal”.  She is working so hard at Craig with great courage and determination.  I’m so proud of her.  I’m also tremendously proud of John and his devotion to his sweet bride.  Many decisions about house renovations are taking place.  We are praying for the work to start soon so that Kaitlin can have complete independence when she returns home, hopefully sometime in mid-November.       

We are constantly uplifted and encouraged by your prayer support.  Jesus used many parables to teach his disciples.  One such parable was about praying without giving up.  His example told about a widow who kept pleading for justice from a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men.  For some time the judge refused, but finally he said “even though I don’t fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice”.  Jesus said “will not God bring about justice for His chosen ones, who cry out to Him day and night?  Will He keep putting them off?”     

With that in mind, I pray for my sweet daughter day and night.  Please join me in praying for her broken vertebrae to fuse correctly.  Please pray for her spinal cord to heal, one neuron at a time.  I was on my knees praying in the hospital chapel during Kaitlin’s neurosurgery. I prayed for a healing miracle, and I continue praying for that miracle every day.  God has provided steady healing, and I’m not giving up in asking for walking legs.  He has made it crystal clear to me that He plans to magnify His Kingdom through this, and miracles beyond my imagination will take place.  I refuse to give up my hope and faith, and will patiently and excitedly wait to see what the miracles will look like.

We have all been wounded in some way by this accident.  I constantly rely on an eternal perspective for strength and hope.  God promises we will all be made perfect in Heaven.  There will be no more tears.  I envision ski slopes beyond imagination, incredible mountains to climb, trout streams galore, and we’ll be made new to enjoy them forever.  I call on the words of the apostle Paul when he wrote “do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.  Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things.  And the God of peace will be with you”.

Thank you for your love, caring and compassion.  Please continue to join me in prayer for a better tomorrow for Kaitlin.  

Mark

"Only in You"

Those of you who read this blog know that our lives are saturated with the gospel of Jesus Christ.  As we go through this difficult season, we are reminded constantly of the importance of fixing our eyes on God and relying on him for salvation.  This morning, Brian [our pastor at Park Church Denver] preached a message on John 3 & Ezekiel 36 which drove home this point. Both these scriptures speak of the utter importance of being made new through Jesus Christ. Jesus came to this earth, died the death on the cross that we deserve and rose again three days later so that we could be born again. He did not send Jesus to give us instructions to make ourselves better or to tweak our characters and lives to somehow make our time here on earth easy...He sent His only son to cleanse us, wash us clean and point us to Him so that we might know God & find eternal life in Him. He tells us to find the beauty & value in longing for the Kingdom of God. We need to look no further than the cross to see the extremity of God's love for us.

Our family believes that we all stand condemned before God, but that through our belief that Jesus takes our sin upon his shoulders we are reconciled to God.  This gives us an eternal hope that is not dependent on circumstance, a holy crutch that gives us the freedom to be weak without giving up, and a genuine affection for a God that is so loving, that he sent his own son as a sacrifice for our screw ups {John 3:16}... pretty amazing.

In the video below, Daniel is singing this beautiful song called "Only in You"... written by one of our incredibly talented best friends, Josh Storie. Josh wrote this song in light of the season that John & Kait are in right now after hearing a sermon preached on Psalm 22 {we encourage you to read it!} & generously gave us permission to post it on youtube/the blog to share with all of you. Our prayer is that you will find peace this evening, going in to another crazy week, in the absolutely sovereignty of the God of the universe. That you will find your hope only in Him! That you will see the love that is so evident in the gospel.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30g8CR5C38A&feature=youtu.be


Only in You:
Written by Josh Storie
Sung by Daniel Thompson

I can't see through the rain

But I know that you're near

The sky is dark and the wind, it blows. 

But I know I have nothing to fear.

Because I can call on your name

And you won't hide your face

So I will praise your name in the midst of the storm.

Knowing you don't love me less and you can't love me more

Than you do right now

So may I be found only in you

I can't see past today

But I know that you're there

And at times it may feel like I'm on my own

But my burden you gladly bare 

So I will call on your name

Because you won't hide your face

And I will praise your name in the midst of the storm.

Knowing you don't love me less and you can't love me more

Than you do right now

So may I be found only in you

Only in you, I find my rest, my righteousness

Only in you, my hope and peace, eternally

Only in you, only in you

And I will praise your name in the midst of the storm.

Knowing you don't love me less and you can't love me more

Than you do right now

So may I be found only in you

Love, Carolyn, John & Daniel (writing this post as a team tonight...roomies!)

Strong in Faith, Body & Will

A brief e-mail from my Dad sent to the families yesterday that I wanted to share with you all as I thought it was a good update of where Kait is right now in her recovery....

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Family, I know everyone is fully engaged at work, but I had to write you about how encouraging it was to watch Kait this morning as she had her first experience with the stimulus bike in Craig’s Peak Gym. So cool to see her feet strapped into this bike pumping her legs. With no knee brace on anymore both legs are churning just fine. The sedentary bike measured that she went a little over 4 miles in distance, and Kait was so tired when it finished that she could hardly keep her eyes open. (I’m not kidding, her eyes were closing involuntarily she was so exhausted). She must have been on overload, having full circulation to 100% of her body. I’m sure her body was happy and sad all in the same moment. It’s hard to imagine having your legs not flexing for over 30 days then suddenly engaging again. Sue was still with her when we got back to her room, so she can say if she sacked out immediately or not. I’m pretty certain the girl ate a solid lunch, since she had her normally rough workout of Be Fit class, PT, OT and THEN finished with the bike! It was so cool to watch.  I’m not sure that Kait realizes how much she learns and improves every day. As I watched her shift in the chair, move with balance, an roll her chair up that nasty ramp leaving the gym, it occurred to me that she’s changing every day- and getting stronger. It blows me away that her muscles are working perfectly but the signal from her brain can’t communicate back and forth with her lower extremities to make them work.  It also makes me realize how diligent we need to be in prayer, that God will allow her spinal cord to knit together in a miraculous way. But I remain so hopeful, since this girl is a fighter, strong in faith, body and will.

Love you guys,
Tom

________________________

Happy 4 Month Anniversary!

John and Kait got to celebrate their 4 month wedding anniversary yesterday. John-being the thoughtful husband that he is-brought some of their dishes from home, got Kait's favorite meal from her favorite restaurant delivered and made the night really special. These two lovebirds are madly in love and thankful for their life together. 

Broncos Party!

Picture credit: Tom "the pro" Wanberg 

Believe in a Better Tomorrow

Good morning sweet friends & family-

We had Kaitlin's initial meeting at Craig with the team that has been working with her and our family yesterday & wanted to share some of the major themes with you all.

Praises:

• The doctor asked Kait what they can be doing better for her & she said "nothing!"
• Kaitlin came in with a lot of medical issues that are now cleared up. Her body is healing.
• Time is still on her side-most recovery happens in the first 6 months, but can take up to a few years. In some cases, even longer!
• Her blood counts are normal.
• Kait is getting off medication faster than the majority of patients that have the same time frame as her.
• Her skin is looking pretty good. She has a tiny pressure sore, but it is looking much better and she should not have long term skin issues if she is diligent about her weight shifts & skin checks.
• Kait is being referred to Craig's driving program by her OT.
• In PT, Kait's car transfers are going very well and soon she will have her pass to leave campus in a car and go wherever she wants! 
• Today she should be getting a better wheelchair that she is more comfortable in and that fits her better.
• Her knee brace should come off in the next couple weeks and this will REALLY open up possibilities in her PT time.
• Joe (her PT) says that her balance has been AMAZING.
• Her rec therapist said they are working on getting her back involved in some of her favorite activities-hiking, shooting, etc.
• Her discharge date is set for the time being around November 14th...in time for Thanksgiving!
• People who have community like Kaitlin does almost ALWAYS do better with this kind of injury. You are helping her to heal!

Prayers:

• Kait's goal: to live fully independently and normally. She doesn't want John to have to do normal things for her and she wants to drive a car. 
• There is still a baby bit of fluid in her left lung-pray that this clears up!
• There are 5 types of spinal injury. Kait right now is a type A...which is the most severe because she still hasn't regained feeling back below her injury line. Pray that this quickly changes!
• Pray for her nerves to reattach around the injury (see picture below). Both of these patients are a type A just like Kaitlin. The injury is the black dot on both patients. In the patient on the left, once the damaged nerves around the injury begin to heal, there is a much greater chance of the nerves reattaching because there is space for them to go around the injury. The patient on the right will not ever have nerves reattach because the span of the injury is too wide-even after the damaged nerves around the injury heal. There is no way to tell which patient Kaitlin is...we are praying for the patient on the left! 
• Pray that she gets moved to the East side of Craig. This is where the beds are bigger (so John could stay) and she doesn't have a roommate. Plus she would have a window! This would be HUGE for both John and Kaitlin.
• Pray for the small blood clot that is still in her leg. They still aren't worried about it, but we don't want it to get worse!
• Pray that she would continue to have the mental and physical strength to fight hard in PT and OT.
• Pray for our families...we are trying just like Kait and John are to be in the moment, and to believe in a better tomorrow.

We appreciate you and know that you are walking with us in this. Thank you for praying! It truly is the support we need the most. We are desperate for your prayers.

Love,

Carolyn (& the rest of the Rice/Wanberg family)

Worth the Fight

Our family has been spending quite a bit of time in the book of Job lately.

Job is described as a man who was "blameless and upright" and one who "feared God and turned away from evil." Satan came to God questioning and challenging the seemingly effortless faith that Job had in His goodness and sovereignty saying, "you have blessed the work of his (Job's) hands, and in his possessions have increased in the land. But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face." Although I am certain that He did not need to prove anything to the enemy, The Lord allowed Satan to test his faithful servant.


In the following chapters, we get a window into the immense suffering, pain, and anguish that was brought upon Job. Many times, Job wishes that he has never been born and even curses the day that his life began. All this to say...Job maintains his integrity. He says, "my lips will not speak falsehood, and my tongue will not utter deceit. Far be it from me to say that you are right; till I die I will not put away my integrity from me. I hold fast my righteousness and will not let it go; my heart does not reproach me for any of my days." Living in pain and suffering greater than he can imagine....through Job, the Lord instructs us to trust in Him above all else.

Job's friend Eliphaz says to Job, "for he wounds and binds up; he shatters, but his hands heal." Kaitlin's vertebrates have been shattered and her body undeniably wounded. We found out a few days ago that John does indeed have type one diabetes. The stress of the last month has brought out the symptoms of his diabetes, but not caused it...meaning this life change is completely separate from Kaitlin's accident. From a beautiful wedding, to the unfathomable trenches. Yet, the same hope that was so apparent when they took their vows on that beautiful day in June is just as apparent today as they lay in the hospital bed together. We hope in HIM. We trust in Him. We wake up each morning and remind ourselves that "The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord."

As John mentioned in his last post, we don't know why this happened or how to answer the question, "did the Lord do this to Kaitlin?" What we do know? He binds up. He heals. He makes all things new. Today, tomorrow, in a year, in 5 years, at the end of our lives when we go to be with him in heaven. We are confident that who God is does not depend on who we are or what we are going through.

In John & Kait's wedding, my husband Daniel & Kait's sister Megan sang the hymn "Help my Unbelief." They lyrics say, "I would but cannot rest in God's most holy will; I know what He appoints is best and murmur at it still." It is hard to believe y'all. This morning, as I read about Job and his anguish and mourn Kait and John's anguish...it is hard to believe. My heart finds peace in this: it is so worth the fight.

One of my kindergarten students had a cut on his finger the other day and asked for a bandaid. While I was putting it on him, he said casually (and with complete confidence), "Mrs. Thompson, God is going to heal this cut."The only thing I could do was scoop him up in a giant hug and tell him thank you for the reminder. Let's pray to have faith like a child.

I'm praying over all of us this morning...all of us who resonate with this very real feeling of unbelief. That we would confess this to the one who pursues and loves us best. That we would find hope in His son-sent by the Father so that we could have life. There is no greater love! There is no greater hope.

Kait has her off-campus pass and has been to Caribou coffee, the Copper Pot for dinner and to the park. She is processing, fighting, praying and living with integrity. She is making friends who she is already loving & serving so well. She is working on transfers from the bed to her chair and back. She is SO good at finding pockets of joy. She is ready to get her knee brace off and to move rooms so John can start to stay with her at night and so they can have alone time to spend together without a roommate. She is watching Broncos games with passion. She is still giving me wise and much needed advice on things going on in my life. She is taking care of John as he figures out how to deal with diabetes. They are working it y'all. Keep the prayers coming.....we all need them!

Thanks for reading my reflections & fighting along with us.

Love,
Carolyn

Moving Forward - A Chance To Help & Give

To the ones who love us so well,

I don't know that I've adequately expressed how honored I have been over the past 3 weeks to be the one receiving the majority of your e-mails, texts, calls etc. addressed to our families. We say over and over again how humbled we are by your love and your support...but the truth is, to continuously use the word "humbled" is a poor understatement. Thankful, grateful, blessed, appreciative, blown away...there isn't a word or a phrase that exists to truly thank each of you for the millions of ways that you all have served the Rice/Wanberg/Thompson family in the last 28 days. 28 days. Not one of those 28 days did any one of us go without feeling incredibly loved and taken care of. Not ONE of those days have we felt alone in this world or in this insane journey that we did not ask for and wish we were not on. Tears are streaming down my face as I write this and reflect on the overwhelming and genuine outpour of care shown to every member of my family. You are the ones who know us, who take care of us, who remind us of truth, who carry us when we can't take another step. The ones who keep us looking forward, and simultaneously comfort us when in our brokenness, we can't stop looking back. The ones who make us laugh when we don't have any tears left, and the ones who check in on us even though we seem fine. Please allow me to say thank you for the 5 millionth time on behalf of our families. YOU are teaching us more every single day about the faithful love of the God we serve.

Now that you have been gracious enough to read my pitiful attempt to thank you-we have an announcement:

John's best friend (who is, along with his lovely wife, a cherished member of our family), David, has been incredibly generous in making Kait and John a donation website to help them as they move forward. This website outlines the needs that we foresee in the future for these amazing newlyweds. All of the support raised will go directly to John & Kaitlin as they renovate their house and begin to put in place some financial structures for long term care.

On the site, David writes, "We have created this site to act as the vehicle for giving to Kaitlin and John. As you can imagine, we are only beginning to understand the full scope of needs and requirements to care for John and Kaitlin long-term. However, over the past several weeks John and the families have been working with friends, family, and the staff at Craig Hospital to begin to put together the initial list of needs and ways the community can support Kaitlin." 

Please know that we do NOT expect you to give. Your prayers, love, support, phone calls, e-mails, texts, cards etc. have been more than adequate in allowing us to see the unbelievable community around us. There is no pressure surrounding this donation site...only an opportunity for those of you who feel called to help John & Kaitlin monetarily. If there's one thing we all understand, it's the need to do something to help the two best people we know....this is in response to that need. Many of you have already reached out and blessed John & Kait financially-you are beyond appreciated. The money you have given will be going towards the items on this website.

We would be so grateful if you took a look: www.youcaring.com/kaitlinwanberg

Again, there are no words.
We love you more than you know.
-Carolyn

Showers - A Post From John

(Posted on behalf of John)

Over the past few weeks my morning showers have been getting longer and longer. In a time of trauma and uncertainty, I find myself searching for those rare moments when my life feels somewhat normal. As hot water streams over my neck and back, I can almost imagine that everything is still ok. As the water continues to flow reality always floods back in, leaving my mind to wander and wrestle with the circumstances that have been thrust upon us. Is this part of God’s will? Why would he let this happen? If it is part of his will, did God cause the crash? If he did, what does that say about who God is? If we know God can heal Kaitlin, why doesn’t he do it?

When Theology Collides with Life - A Note From Tom

A post by John's Dad, Tom:

Our whole family has been on a roller coaster of emotions and thought. Who controls an accident of this nature? Is it man’s will, Satan’s attack, or God’s providence?  Or is an accident a random event, not controlled but just a happening?

Whispers

A brief medical update: Kaitlin did have to have her right lung drained today, but they are confident this is the last time that will be necessary. She is feeling good today, and we are thankful. Today was a day of education...she went to class, met new friends (she already has 2 younger girls from out of state that she calls her "babies") and continued her therapy.

Please Pray....

Specific prayer request for TONIGHT: the doctors are taking another x-ray of Kait's chest tomorrow mid-morning to determine if she needs to have ANOTHER procedure done to drain the remaining fluid in her lungs. She has already had more than her share of fluid drained and this procedure, while relatively quick is quite painful for Kaitlin. Pray that the Lord would take away the fluid and that this issue would resolve itself!

Continue to pray for Kaitlin's spirit, John's health (his blood sugar has been too high), the spirit of our family and for walking legs without pain. I read Kaitlin cards today for awhile at the hospital (this is becoming a daily ritual for us as she is settling in for dinner) and I can't tell you how much she's encouraged by them. She smiles, giggles, says "awwwww" and looks at every single one of them with such care. She feels so loved by all of you who are reaching out...thank you.

Love.

"All Was Well."

Hi family and friends,

This is Kaitlin's mom, Sue, and I wanted to give you an update on her progress and pass on to you our current prayer requests. It amazes me how our prayer needs seem to change each and every day. Thank you all for your faithfulness to take these requests to the very foot of the cross, both with us and for us.

True Love.

Chinese Food & Games

Good morning all-

Just wanted to send a quick update since it's been a few days.
We continue to reflect on and praise God for the amazing community He has blessed us with. We don't feel worthy of your love & support, but are so thankful to have it. It is AMAZING how well we have been served and cared for as an entire family over the past couple weeks.

So… what did YOU do?

Hello all!

Today was another big day for Kaitlin. The doctors drained almost 900ml of fluid from her lungs this morning. Apparently the procedure itself was uncomfortable (as it has been the past two times), but she is already feeling much better. Imagine trying to breathe with a full liter of liquid in your lungs... I’d want to get that junk out of there too! 

The therapists completed her ASIA (American Spinal Injury Association) test for motor and sensory function in her whole body. She still has no feeling or mobility below T5, but her arms and upper body are functioning at 100%. When my mom and I went to visit this afternoon we got a pleasant surprise: Kaitlin was scheduled to sit up and be transferred to her wheelchair after occupational therapy! She also was able to wear the “normal” clothes (aka not a hospital gown) that Carolyn and Anita bought her from Old Navy. I’ve never seen a gal pull off sweats and a large striped sweater quite like Kaitlin :]