Hi everyone, Saul and Jan had a very difficult week - with a pretty scary emergency. As you will read in his update, he has remained incredibly upbeat and joyful throughout it all. However, this just goes to show how important this campaign is. The expenses from these kind of emergencies drive up the cost of cancer treatment significantly. Although we are almost at our goal, I would love to spread this campaign more broadly and surpass our original goal, to cover these type of situations should they continue to arise. If you know of anyone else who might be able to support Saul and Jan at this time, please share this campaign with them. Thank you again so very much for all of your love and support. I know that it is sustaining them during this difficult month.

Here Is Saul’s update:

Hello friends! This update will serve a good example of why these types of fundraising efforts are important for cancer patients. It’s just so much uncertainty on this journey.

Last Monday night, I was unexpectedly hospitalized with deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in my left leg. Turns out, I had a clot that ran half the length of my leg from my hip to my knee. I had a chemo infusion that day at 2 PM. And at 5 PM I had rapid onset DVT with massive, painful swelling in that leg. It was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before.

Anyway, I was admitted to Laffayette General and the clot was managed with blood thinners at first and then I end up having surgery late Tuesday afternoon. After a couple of blood transfusions, I was finally discharged late on Thursday.

I’ve been told few things about DVT…

First, this will not delay or setback the chemo train. In fact, I’ve already next infusion.

Second, I have had a stent inserted into that vein now so if I am ever at risk of getting DVT again, it won’t be in that leg.

Third, I have to take blood thinners from now until the end of chemo at the end of July. Until then, I’m basically a hemophiliac, so my blood will struggle to clot at all.

The latest unforeseen issue is that over the weekend, I developed some extremely painful oral sores. But since it was the weekend, I knew we wouldn’t be able to really do anything about it until this week. Well, we figured out yesterday that the sores are due to my very low white blood cells count. We picked up a prescription late yesterday for a mouthwash that should help - it is literally called Magic Mouthwash - but for the next three days, I’m also going to be getting a bone marrow booster shot.

So bottom line, it’s been a little chaotic here since the last update. Thank you again for your continued prayers and support!

Saul had an unexpectedly blessed week! Check out this update and keep the prayers coming. (Also, we are getting so close to our goal, please keep sharing this campaign. Thank you all so much for your support.):

This week was full of headlines, and I'm not sure which one should take the lead.

"Week 1 is in the books!"

"Unexpectedly, my body feels great after Week 1!"

"Habemus papam!"

There have been two other conclaves since I became Catholic, 2005 and 2013, and I remember where I was when I saw the billowing white smoke broadcast around the world for each of them. This time, however, will be more memorable, since I was in the middle of a chemo treatment in the infusion lab with Jan by my side.

As missionaries, we're not typically shy about our faith, and we haven't been during my health scare either. Cancer has given us many opportunities to offer words of encouragement, to pray with others, or just to talk deeply about spiritual matters. So it was edifying that many of the Catholic nurses in the infusion lab came by our station just as Pope Leo XVI was introduced to the world. What a moment!

But as I said above, there were other headlines this week. Week 1 is in the books now, and my body did quite well all things considered! I received fluids into my body via IV for somewhere between 24-25 hours this week. It wasn't all poison. Each session began and ended with an hour of saline hydration. I also received IV steroids and nausea meds, in addition to the chemotherapy. 

Given all I've heard about chemo during my life, I fully expected to be curled up in bed by the middle of the week. And it just never materialized for me. No nausea. No extreme fatigue. No hair loss ... yet. 

And now that I've made it through the hardest part of this first cycle more or less unscathed, it's got me really thinking about the road ahead and if this bodily reaction is repeatable for cycles 2, 3, & 4. Let's beg the Lord for it together, please!

Before closing, I do want to say one more time just how touched Jan and I have been by all of you. One of the great silver linings of cancer is that old friends seem to emerge from everywhere to check in with us and see what they can do to help. Your encouragement and prayers are fuel to us, and we are blessed beyond measure to have each of you in our lives.

God bless you all!

A Update from Saul today:

Well, friends, we finally made it. Today is Day 1 of my chemo journey and road back to health. And before you ask… yes, I’ve lost about 30 lbs since the beginning of the year!

It’s hard to believe that we only found out 36 days ago that I “had a mass” that needed to be investigated. Since then, I have had a bunch of tests, numerous doctor appointments, two surgeries, innumerable needle sticks, and more green smoothies than you can shake a stick at.

I’m scheduled for 4 cycles of chemo, and each cycle will be three weeks long. Each cycle will also have 7 days of medicine delivery, and I will recover the rest of the cycle. 

I have been overwhelmed by all of your gifts, your messages of encouragement, and your prayers. I am truly humbled by all the loving attention, and I thank God that I am surrounded by all of you. What a great cloud of witnesses!

May God bless all of you!

Thank you again so much for your incredible generosity! We are almost halfway there. Please read Saul‘s update below and continue to pray:

Friends,

Thank you for your continued prayers for my healing and for my family! Jan and I continue to be humbled at all of the contributions that are coming in as part of this fundraising campaign. We cannot thank you enough for your help in all of this!

It's only been four days since I posted my last update, but I thought it would be good for me to lay out some basic info in this post so that others can easily find it in the future.

First, my tumor is called a seminoma, which is a germ cell tumor. This means, technically speaking, that I have testicular cancer. 

Second, my PET scan found two additional tumors in my left upper chest. On the positive side, the scan also showed that I don't have any evidence of cancer in my testicles. That is one heck of a silver lining in my book!

So combining these two pieces of information means that I have Stage III Testicular Cancer, which wasn't on my bucket list for 2025. But here we are!

Now, I have been told by every medical professional that knows about my case that I have every reason to be optimistic. Seminomas, even at Stage III, have a very high cure rate. So that is what we are aiming to accomplish with the Lord's help!

Also, the start date of my treatment has been moved from May 12th to May 5th. Because of the specific protocol that I will be following, I have to start on a Monday and those were the options. It's only a change of 7 days, but I am excited for the change and eager to get started.

I'm going to have quite a lot of time on my hands while receiving the chemotherapy, so please let me know if you have any particular prayer intentions that I can offer on your behalf. I'm eager to pray for all of you during my time of suffering. Text me at 601.383.2276 to share intentions or if you just want to say hello.

God bless you,

Saul

Thanks so much to everyone who has so generously contributed! We are over 15% of the way to our goal in less than 24 hours.

Here is an amazing update from Saul:

One of the great things about living into my 50s is that I don't have any trouble asking for help now. And that's a good thing, because I need help. A lot of it!

Cancer became part of my life on March 31st. Since then, life has been a blur of antioxident green smoothies, meetings, blood draws, nutrition books, and kidney stents. And on and on it has gone. Despite how many people get cancer each year, there's no template of how it will go. There's so much uncertainty and unexpected stuff that I need to properly equip for the tough times ahead.

I can tell you on the positive side that my spirit has never felt more alive! I have been prayed for my so many people - friends, family, fellow missionaries, strangers - that my cup of grace is overflowing! It has felt at times that hatch in the sky was open and a torrent of heaven's treasures was raining down on me. What a gift! 

And I have been trying to spread the love as much as possible. I had a particularly profound encounter last week with another oncology patient in the hospital waiting room that left us both in tears and whispering to the Holy Spirit to descend on us for healing together. 

When God called us to Family Missions Company the second time, it didn't make sense economically. We did the math on what it would take for us to live on the slimmest budget, and it never worked. Yet He continued to call us, and He asked Jan and me to trust him about the money. We knew that if times ever got tough, we'd have to rely on His Providence to provide for our needs through our friends and family. 

And here we are! Times have gotten tough for the Keetons, and each one of you has said "yes" to helping us in our time of need. And for that, we will never be able to thank you adequately. Please know that we carry each of you in our hearts. We will pray for you every day. And God willing, we will celebrate with you when our cancer journey comes to a good conclusion.

In Christ,

Saul, Jan & Family