October Update

Dear ones,

We are finally coming up for air and since we've received many requests, it's time to update you on what is happening here in Hungary.

Rob and I traveled to Debrecen in early August and literally hit the floor running. So many things to do that it was hard to decide what to do first!

Taking stock of what was needed and how to accomplish it, we first needed to paint the inside of both the mission and guest houses. God blessed us hugely when an unexpected new supporter came forward with a 6 month commitment which enabled us to hire the painting done rather than doing it ourselves. In hindsight, we both know it would have been an impossible task and would have taken us much longer to accomplish. Thank you dear unexpected supporter. (You know who you are.)

For nearly 3 weeks, we and our guests found ourselves moving furniture and sleeping accomodations from one room to the next. It was a real interesting experience cooking when nearly everything was covered with sheets of plastic!

After the painting was completed the big job of cleaning up began. Thank God for Dani and Andi who are our "temporary" residents in the guest house. Interesting thing about the construction here in Hungary; the walls are all concrete so that when they are being painted, they first have to sand them. Of course all this dust gets into and on everything, necessitating a thorough cleaning of every surface when it's done. We spent more than a week washing down and polishing windows, floors, and furniture.

Never knowing when to quit, both Rob and I ended up with back problems. Too much bending and lifting which then led to heat packs, ice packs, and lots of Ibuphrofen. Gosh, it's tough getting older!

So, the house was back in order and the next item on our "to do" list were the yards. Our Hungarian church made an announcement and the following Saturday, we had 14 hardy souls show up and between them, the yards were whipped into shape and all the old building materials were sent to the recycle center in a huge dumpster. Interesting thing here in Hungary; you may not even need a dumpster because before we knew it, we had people stopping by to ask if they could take the old bath tub, toilet, and wood scraps. That allowed us to dispose of more than we thought possible.

Once all the cleaning up was done, Tibi from our Hungarian church stopped by and took lots of photos inside and outside the house in preparation for creating a webpage to list the property for sale. That has now been done and you can go to the webpage by clicking the link below to see the listing. Please feel free to pass it along to anyone/church that might have an interest in basing their ministry here in Hungary. http://www.toplak.hu/elado-kiado-ingatlan/Haz/Csaladi-haz/Hajdu-Bihar/Debrecen/hirdetes-76855724.html

Our beautiful city of Debrecen is close to several borders so it makes it a perfect "jumping off point" to minister into Romania, Slovakia, and Ukraine. Plus, we have all these young Hungarians who are becoming fluent in English and serve as translators.

Rob's health is holding up so far. Other than a slight change in his voice and less energy than what was normal, he is keeping busy. We had hoped a ministry would consider purchasing the property and our plan was to include as much furniture as possible. But since that doesn't seem to be in the cards at this time, we aren't sure how much to pack up to bring back with us once we finally move.

The waiting is the hardest part. Funny thing about the spiritual life, it is so easy at times to say all the right words but to live it out is a whole other experience. The "Refiners Fire" is a difficult place to be, whether it is yourself or a loved one going through it.

Rob's hope, and one could say his dream, is that once he is back in America, he would like to take a road trip to visit our many friends and family around the States. We are praying for a quick sale and smooth transition back to life in America as soon as possible. Understanding that might not be God's plan , we pray for patience to wait upon His perfect plan.

Thank you one and all for your faithfulness in lifting us in prayer. May you and yours be blessed in the days ahead.

In praise and gratitude for our Savior Jesus Christ.

Rob and Carol Greathouse

Going Home - To Hungary

Rob is finished with his 32 radiation treatments and it's time to organize our trip back to Hungary. We will leave California on August 6th and arrive in Hungary on August 7th, hooray!!!

Rob likes to keep busy and while here he has helped Janine (our hostess) with a number of projects including organizing her garage, putting in a new kitchen sink and tile, and sanding and staining her outdoor furniture.

Your prayers have bathed us in love, encouragement, and peace as we've walked through this desert trek. Rob has healed from the radiation burns, is gaining strength daily, and oh so ready to go home and tackle the next phase in this journey...getting the mission house property ready to sell, on the Internet if necessary.

Our Hungarian church family has offered to help us with the painting inside both houses and we are so grateful for them, even if they didn't help, it's so nice to be a part of such a loving and supportive family of God.

Rob's prognosis is uncertain. The doctors have said with the radiation treatments they hoped he would have at least two more years. Our hope is that we can sell the property and get moved back to California before the cancer makes another appearance. The doctors are not too happy about his decision to return to Hungary but Rob is adamant that he wants to help me tie up all the loose ends before our move back to the States.

To all our brothers and sisters, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for standing with us in these uncertain times.

May God bless you one and all.

Carol and Rob

Prayer Warriors Unite

Cancer...the dreaded words conger up all kinds of emotion. Fear strikes first, then disbelief, followed by the questions, why me, why now, what will the future look like.

Then, the peace of God fills us with the realization that everything, even this, is in the hands of our Creator, who loves His children with a never ending supply of grace and mercy.

As you know, Rob is going through his own battle with Metastatic Squamous Cell Neck Cancer. Thursday, June 25th marks a milestone of sorts because that is the day he had his last radiation treatment, 32 in all.

In the past two months the cancer gene in his family as claimed the life of Rob's beloved Uncle Bob, and just this week, we received the news that his very beloved Aunt Nadyne has been diagnosed with Pancreatic cancer in it's last stage.

So much heartache, so much sadness at the thought of what lies ahead (on this earth) for those close to us as they walk through yet another fight with the enemy, Cancer. Yet we are comforted by the knowledge that we will see one another again when we have a great reunion in heaven.

Please dear ones, pray for our family members who have been devastated by this disease, who are coming alongside to provide care and comfort to those affected. We have been bathed in the love of God and wish the same loving kindness for them as well.

Rob decided he wanted you to see for yourselves the almost "Star Trek" mask he has worn for his radiation treatments. We've also taken a photo of his neck so you will know what is happening. Your prayers and encouragement in these past months have meant the world to us and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the love you've poured out upon us.

May God bless you each and every day.

Rob and Carol

Health Update

Dear ones,

It's been a while since we've updated you so here's the latest scoop.

Rob has completed 13 of the 32 scheduled radiation treatments and so far, he is being a real trooper as the effects of treatment make their appearance.

He now has a burning sensation and some blistering in the treated area. There is some pain just under his chin and swelling in his throat. His voice is also changing again, much like it was post surgery.

Rob had a clean shirt on when we left the house for church on Sunday but when we walked out of church, the front of his shirt was covered in beard hairs. He reached up and as he rubbed his neck, clumps of beard began falling. So the next phase has begun, no beard where he is being radiated. He's not too sad to see it go but wishes it was the whole neck area so he wouldn't have to shave at all!

One of the most noticeable things is the increasing fatigue. The doctor says this will increase throughout the treatment but will progressively improve once treatment is completed.

All in all, Rob is being a real trooper and wants you all to know how much he appreciates all your prayers.

We are praying Rob will regain enough strength to be able to return to Debrecen in early August to make some changes and possibly paint the inside of the houses. We will also have to decide what to pack up to bring back to the States once the property is sold. So far, there is no buyer in sight. Please keep this in your prayers. It is difficult to straddle two continents, not knowing what steps to take next.

Thank you all for your words of encouragement and love. We are being bathed in God's love and grace each day. Included are some photos of Rob taken in the last two weeks.

Blessings in Christ,

Carol and Rob

What's Happening Now

Busy days and more to come. Rob has completed 8 radiation treatments so far and is really a trooper!

So far, he is beginning to experience a burning feeling to the treated area and also more tiredness. He is taking more naps throughout the day and just conserving his energy for what lays ahead. His doctor said he would begin to experience the full effects of the radiation in the weeks ahead.

This past weekend we had the opportunity to go camping with our daughter and grandkids. They have an RV and a boat so we were able to have a great time on the water. Rob's fishing was limited to the evening hours so I don't have photos of him sitting on the back of the docked boat with his line in the water.

I did get a few photos of our grandkids wakeboarding and tubing plus me just hanging out on the boat which I've posted above.

Thank you one and all for all your loving encouragement and prayers. God is good, giving us a quiet place to hang our hat, rest when needed, and also be a blessing to our hostess Janine, who has turned her home over to us. She even gave up her master bedroom so we could have more space to be comfortable. Sitting on her patio with the beautiful waterfall has become an oasis for us, allowing us to feel God's love all around us. Blessings upon blessings just keep pouring out on us and we are so very grateful.

Wanting to do something to thank her, we found out Janine wanted to change her kitchen sink to a stainless one so we took her shopping for a new sink and faucet which Rob and Janine's Dad will install next week.

We are still praying for a buyer for the Mission House in Debrecen and try to remember the timing for this is also in God's hands.

Blessings to all,

Carol and Rob

Some Good News, At Last!!!

Thank you all for your prayers these many months. Rob just finished talking with his surgeon and finally got an idea of the prognosis for his future.

He was told that if he chose to have radiation to his surgery site, it could add 2 years to his life. If no radiation, he could expect about 1 year. Of course, he is choosing to have radiation which will start in the next two weeks.

Please know how much your prayers have encouraged us. We ask you to continue to pray for God's mercy and strength as Rob faces his next hurdle.

Additionally, there has been word of a possible buyer for the mission house property. Keep praying!! Thanks.

Love and hugs to you all!
Rob and Carol

Rob's Dream Machine

Thanks everyone, for your prayers this past week. Rob was able to make the trip to Southern California and Nevada with no problems.

While in Las Vegas visiting my brother Wayne, Rob had the chance to sit on Wayne's Harley Davidson motor cycle. It has always been Rob's dream to own one but he was more than content to just get the chance to sit on one. You can see his huge smile above.

Monday, Rob will see his surgeon and hopefully get some answers about the prognosis for his type of cancer. Right now, we don't know whether to plan to return to Hungary or stay here for the forseeable future.

Please keep praying for the sale of the Mission House in Debrecen Hungary. So far, there hasn't been any one coming forward with interest or an offer.

Blessings and love to all.

Rob and Carol

Making Progress!!!

Wednesday was doctor day and the news is good. Rob was able to have ALL his tubes removed and he is one happy man now that all his "attachments" are out!!! See that smile on his face above!!!

The doctor also gave him the biopsy results. They show that of the 18 lymph nodes removed, 17 were benign and only one large node was malignant. Not sure yet what that means but Rob will ask his Oncologist in a couple of weeks to explain ALL the details.

Baring any restrictions, Rob wants to make the trip to Los Angeles to the Hungarian Consulate after seeing his surgeon next week Wednesday. If all goes well, my sister Georgia will drive us to L.A., then to Long Beach to visit my cousin, then to Riverside to visit one of Rob's uncles, and finally to Las Vegas to visit my brother and his family.

Most likely, the week after we get back, Rob will begin his radiation treatment. We've heard some gruesome tales of what that will be like so we're asking for prayer for Rob's strength to get through it without too many side effects.

Except for being beardless, we're both surprised at how little change there is in his appearance. Of course a lot of that could be the result of swelling.

From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you for your faithfulness in praying for Rob. He is encouraged by all the love being poured out to him. Thanks to all who have written e-mails, snail mail, and made phone calls.

Thanks Pastor Bodi and Doctor Krisztian, your calls from Hungary meant the world to us.

Blessings to all,
Carol and Rob

Rob is Home!!!!

The picture below is Rob smiling and thanking everyone for their prayers. The doctors allowed him to come home Saturday although he still has a catheter bag plus two drains in his wound. You can see by the smile on his face he's happy to be out of the noisy hospital even though he was blessed to have a private room!




He had a rough night, waking several times (it's hard to get comfortable with all the "attachments") but his pain level is manageable with pain meds.

Rob will see his surgeon on Wednesday to have his catheter removed and hopefully, both of the drains. Rob is hoping to be able to make a trip to Los Angeles in about 2 weeks to go to the Hungarian Consulate to have paperwork signed.

After that, he will start the radiation treatment about week 3 post-surgery. That will entail 6-7 weeks, 5 days a week of radiation targeted to his surgery site. They are saying the affects of the radiation will begin about week 2 or 3 with a burning affect much like someone who has experienced a fire. He doesn't know more than that yet but will find out more once he has his pre-treatment meeting with the Radiation Oncologist. No one is saying what comes next so we'll keep you posted how you can be praying once we know more.

Today we are celebrating our risen Savior, Jesus and thanking God for His loving care. We are so aware of all the prayers being lifted for him and for me as well. Thank you dear ones for continuing to keep us in your thoughts and prayers.

Blessings in Jesus, the RISEN Savior.

Carol and Rob

Rob Doing Well!!!

Never one to miss an opportunity to have an In-N-Out cheeseburger, as soon as the docs gave him the ok to eat whatever he wanted, he asked me to bring him one from his favorite place, plus fries and a chocolate shake. Boy was he grinning when I walked through the door shortly before noon today.

Rob is currently out of bed, disconnected from his monitoring devices and leg pumps (keeps the blood flowing while bedridden), but still with an IV attached, and sitting in a recliner chair reading one of his favorite authors.

No pain meds have been needed for the past 8 hours so he is doing REALLY well, post-op. He is looking forward to being able to come home tomorrow and will see his surgeon on Wednesday of next week, hopefully to have the drains removed from his neck.

We will have a quiet Easter at home, probably watching one of the TV Church programs. My sis and a friend are stopping by in the afternoon to check on his progress.

Once again, we thank each of you from the bottom of our hearts for your faithfulness in standing with us through these many weeks.

May you all be encouraged and your faith strengthened as we celebrate our risen savior Jesus Christ. To God be the glory.

Gratefully His,
Carol and Rob

Rob's Surgery Outcome

Rob thought you all might like to see him before shaving and after so no one will have a problem recognizing him in the future!!! As you can see, he still has a smile on his face and did even when they were wheeling him into surgery.

The results of the surgery are this: They did NOT have to remove the muscle in his neck or his salivary gland. The tumor was the size of a closed fist, it is "non differentiated" squamous cell cancer, at least a stage 3. His doctor said they also removed a lymph node that was totally affected. She also said that since the lymph node was involved, it may have spread to other lymph nodes and therefore could be in other parts of his body at some point, not necessarily just the head or neck area.

I was able to see Rob for a few minutes, he was still groggy from the anesthesia but knew who I was. His throat was sore from the breathing tube during surgery so he wasn't able to talk much.

Since he went into surgery at 4:45 p.m. and they finished about 8 p.m. he will be staying in the hospital until at least Saturday.

Thank you all for your prayers and good wishes. Rob has been encouraged by all the love coming his way.

Blessings in Christ,
Carol for Rob too

More Details

Hi all,

Rob got a call from his doctor yesterday and the decision is to do his surgery on Thursday, April 9th at 2:30pm. The reason for the late start is that there is a question about how long the surgery will take, anywhere from 2-4 hours depending on how much tissue is involved, if they can save his neck muscles, any lymph nodes, etc. The doctor is determined to save as much of his head and neck as possible, always a good thing!

Rob continues to be encouraged by all the comments on the blog, e-mails, and phone calls. He had a call from Pastor Bodi while he was still in Texas and Rob got to talk to a few of the former students all meeting and staying with Tenny's family.

Rob is keeping busy these days, updating our ministry financials and teaching me how to do it on my own. Something that's being in a holding pattern for the past 10 years!!! Yesterday he also worked on our taxes, never a fun thing to do but oh so necessary.

We do need prayer about the ministry financial situation. Several of our long-time supporters are in a situation where they will not be able to continue due to the recession, job loss, or other financial considerations. Please pray that God will continue to provide all that is needed to keep things going even though we are not there. In any case, the ministries continue, praises to God!

We are so grateful to Dani and Andi for their help in keeping things going in Hungary at the mission house. A real cause for concern if not for them. Kudos to you both Dani and Andi.

We love you all, thank God for you by name, each time we remember you in our prayers.

In His grip,
Carol for Rob too

Rob's Decision

Rob met with his cancer surgeon this morning and has made a decision about the course of treatment he is going to pursue.

He has decided to have a neck dissection where they will remove most of the side of his neck, nodes, and any affected tissue. That will be followed up by 6-7 weeks of radiation to the surgery area. He chose not to have the more radical radiaiton which would have meant radiating his whole head. He said the side effects were too drastic, loss of smell and taste being the most primary.

The doctor wants to do the surgery as soon as approval is received from the insurance company, sometime next week most likely. He will be hospitalized at least the day of surgery overnight and longer if needed.

Thank you again, for all your prayers and we will update the blog once the schedule is set.

God bless you,
Carol and Rob

Monday's Test Results

Dear ones,

Thank you for praying today. The result is that with the exception of a small red patch in the upper chest and a small polyp in the colon, they found nothing!!! The doctor feels that neither of these "finds" are suspect but he did go ahead and do a biopsy on both. The results are not in yet.

Rob is resting after finally getting a chance to eat. In fact I just checked on him and he is snoring peacefully.

Rob will meet with his cancer surgeon tomorrow (Tuesday) at 10am to discuss all the test results, find out what she recommends, and hopefully, be able to make an informed decision about treatment.

Most of the doctors are encouraging Rob is go with the modified neck/jaw dissection plus 6-7 weeks of radiation. We shall see what he ultimately decides.

Please continue to pray for Rob to have clarity so he can be comfortable with his choice, and ultimately, that the decision is the right one for his type of cancer.

Thank you so much for all your prayers and may God bless you in abundance.

Carol for Rob too

Prayers for Rob

Dear ones,

Today Rob is prepping for tests to be done on Monday, March 30th. The doctor told us when Rob met him last week, that he should know immediately if they find the primary source of his neck cancer. That said, I may be able to post more indepth news tomorrow.

Rob is experiencing new symptoms; nearly constant headache, stiffness in his neck along with pain running from his lower neck into his head, and difficulty in turning his head.

We covet your prayers, that the doctors will finally be able to pinpoint the primary cancer and then determine what can be done to treat it effectively.

Rob will meet with his primary doctor late morning on Tuesday. He should have more details then and we will of course, update this blog as soon as possible.

Thank you all for standing in the gap with us. Your prayers are apreciated more than our words can ever convey.

Blessings in Christ,
Rob and Carol

Debrecen Mission/Guest House Photos

We have been asked to provide photos on our blog for anyone interested in taking over the ministry Rob and I have been involved with for the past 10 years. The following slide show contains the only photos we have available at the moment.

Create a Free Slideshow

If you are interested in more information, please contact us at: carolgreathouse292@hotmail.com

Rob and Carol Greathouse

Wednesday, March 25th Update

Today was a day of "No Doctors" for Rob. He was able to sleep in for a change and he's spending the day vegging out.

Yesterday, he had two appointments; the morning appointment was with the Gastroenterologist who has scheduled two procedures for Monday the 30th. The doctor will look into his upper chest and neck and also his digestive tract, looking for the primary cancer site. The doctors assure us that it is not unheard of for them not to find it when the cancer site is head or neck. It's just frustrating since treatment, if that's Rob choice, is more difficult when the primary is unknown.

In the afternoon, Rob, our daughter Cheryl, and I went to the Radiation Oncologist to get more details about treatment options. He was given three scenarios to consider. Rob has said he will not make any decisions until after his tests on Monday and he meets with his primary doctor Tuesday morning. We should know more to share with you early next week.

Thank you once again for all your blog comments, e-mails, and phone calls. We are being bathed in prayer and experience the Lord is walking closely with us through this.

Blessings in Christ,

Carol and Rob

Monday's Test Results

Thank you all for your prayers during the weekend. Rob had a great time fishing even though the weather was not too good. He even fished in the rain as the photo below shows. In any case, the time of rest enabled him to quit thinking about what was coming up for a time.




The procedure today went well, unfortunately the news was not good. They were unable to find the primary cancer in either his head, neck, or lungs. The new biopsy came back positive for squamous cell neck cancer, our worst fear.

The Gastroenterologist (Doc who checks the digestive system) was unable to be there today so an appointment is scheduled in the morning (Tuesday) and the test will probably be done on Wednesday if Rob decides to have it. Tuesday afternoon, Rob will see the Radiation Oncologist to discuss options for treatment.

Rob's surgeon who is heading up his care and ordering all the tests, came into recovery this afternoon to talk to him about possible treatments and also the possibilities if Rob chooses not to pursue treatment.

Ideally, she would like him to have surgery to remove the tumor and follow that up with Radiation Therapy. Unfortunately the picture she painted was not a pretty one for how much of his face and neck would be "dissected" if he chooses surgery and the effects of Radiation were pretty grim.

Rob continues to say he will keep an open mind to his options but privately says he doesn't want to go that route. Rob will meet his surgeon again next week Monday where all the pieces of the puzzle should be known and he will be better able to make a decision for treatment or not.

Please pray for Rob's wisdom and continued peace through this process. He says it's harder not knowing everything so he CAN make an informed decision about his future. So our hope is by Monday, he will have a better sense of where he wants to go with this.

Thank you all for your continued prayers and words of support. We've had an outpouring of mails and apologize for not being able to answer each one separately. You can leave your comments on this blog and I'll see that Rob gets them.

Right now he is sleeping off the effects of the anesthesia and resting comfortably.

In His Grip,
Carol and Rob

Urgent Prayer For Rob

Dear ones,

Rob is scheduled to enter the hospital Monday morning, March 23rd for a procedure where they will put him under anesthesia and three doctors will be looking at his insides. The Gastroenterologist will be looking at the insides of his stomach and other areas, the Pulmonologist will be looking at his lungs and doing a biopsy, and lastly the surgeon will be looking into the head and neck area and doing another type of biopsy on the tumor. The procedure is scheduled to begin at 11 am and take from 1 to 1.5 hours. We have no idea how soon results will be known.

I'm sorry I couldn't get this to you earlier but the details have been coming together throughout the weekend. Rob also got the news that the second biopsy showed the tumor in his neck is malignant but there is a question about the type of cells which would indicate where the primary cancer site is. Hence, the need to look further afield to check every possibility.

Thank you all for standing in the gap with us as this cycle of testing continues. I will update the blog as soon as there is something new to report.

Blessings to you, in Jesus,
Carol for Rob too

"Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, accordingly to the power that works within us..." Ephesians 3:20

In The Arms Of Jesus

To all our friends and partners in prayer...our beloved friend and sister in Christ, Carol Porter, went to join Jesus in heaven Saturday, March 21st at 11:51 p.m., surrounded by her family and several friends.

Carol's life impacted so many people during her time here on earth and although we are going to miss her hugely, the impact of her example, inspiration, and faith will go on for a life time.

We are thanking God for allowing us to know Carol and for her importance in bringing both Rob and I to the Lord. There are untold numbers of women both in Hungary and Romania whose lives were impacted by the annual outreaches she initiated in 2000. She will be missed for many reasons not the least of which was her wonderful sense of fun and joy in the Lord.

The photo below is typical of the joy Carol showed while ministering in the name of Jesus. This was taken in Brasov, Romania during the 2007 outreaches. This photo so exemplifies Carol's joy that they used it on the back page of the program for her memorial service Saturday, March 28th. Can't you just sense her joy!!!



Now, as she hears the voice of the Lord saying...well done good and faithful servant, we too say well done dear friend. We will meet again one day soon.

Blessings in Jesus,
Rob and Carol

Friday, March 20th Update

Dear ones,

We are thanking God each time we remember you. We thank God for His grace each day as He showers us with His love and strength. And, we thank you for all the prayers being lifted on Rob's behalf.

Yesterday, Thursday, March 19th, Rob saw Dr. Lee the Pulmonologist (Lung Doctor), who told Rob he wants to do a bronchoscopy to look at the inside of his lungs and possibly do a biopsy. The thinking is that the PET CT Scan results do not show cancer sites other than the one in his neck and there is some concern that there might be smaller sites which the first scan did not show. Unfortunately, the scan also did not show where the primary cancer site is.

At the same time this test will be going on, Dr. Shah the Surgeon, would also look into Rob's head, neck, throat, etc. They will do the test while Rob is asleep so he will not have to deal with the discomfort he experienced when similar tests were attempted in Hungary while he was awake.

Dr. Lee and Dr. Shah will try to get Rob on the schedule for either Monday or Thursday of next week. Rob is scheduled to meet with the Radiology Oncologist on Tuesday and it is hoped that the biopsy results from his neck will finally be in by then.

We are off to go camping later today and Rob is excited because he will get to use his new fishing pole!!! Wednesday he went with his cousin to a train museum in Jamestown, a town started in the California Gold Rush days. It was a great male bonding time for them.

Please know how much your prayers mean to us. Knowing he is loved and prayed for means a great deal to Rob and to me as well.

I'm posting a photo of the backyard where we are now staying. It is soooo nice to wake up to the sound of the waterfall so close by. It's a great place to stay close to the Lord especially when thinking about and praying for all who are dear to us.

In His grip,
Carol and Rob

Wednesday, March 18th Update

Lots of news but we are no more enlightened than before.

Dr. Shah, the surgeon who did a second biopsy last week called to say she still does not have the results of the biopsy. She did say she had received info on the PET Scan which does not show where the primary cancer might be.

This said, they are referring Rob to a Pulmonary doctor (Lung specialist) who will coordinate a broncoscopy with the surgeon who will look into Rob's lungs and head and neck while he is asleep. Rob will meet the Pulmonologist tomorrow but doesn't yet know when the above mentioned test will take place.

Rob is also scheduled to meet with a Radiation Oncologist next week on Tuesday but we are not sure what that will mean since Rob continues to reiterate his decision not to have chemo or radiation. There was also talk of Rob having an MRI in hopes it might pinpoint where the primary cancer site is.

That's as much as we know at the moment. Thank you all for your continued prayers and notes of encouragement.

On a lighter note...we are leaving Friday afternoon to go camping with our daughter and son-in-law plus my sister and her significant other. They have RV's so we'll be camping side by side. We will be back late on Sunday and are really looking forward to a bit of down time.

Love to all,
Carol for Rob too

Sunday, March 15, 2009 Update

Thank you all for your continued prayers and words of support. Rob is continuing to experience God's presence and peace through this time of uncertainty.

Rob arrived on his birthday last Sunday and since we didn't have a big "do" on his arrival day, our daughter Cheryl and friends from the church here decided to hold a special surprise birthday party at the church. They put the notice in last Sunday's bulletin and a great many turned out.

Since our whole family, grand kids included planned to come, we all piled into Ron and Cheryl's motor home and made the 45 minute drive to the church together. It was a hoot climbing the Altamont Pass in this monster vehicle. At times, even the trucks were passing us!!!

Once at the church, the fun began. We saw some people we had not seen in years. Rob's cousin and her husband live in the mountains in Twain Harte and showed up, surprising Rob with a new fishing pole and an invite to "head up the mountain" for some quiet fishing. We also had a really surprise guest when our neighbor from our very first home came by. We had not seen her in over 30 years, having lost touch until a few months ago when she found us through this blog. What a joy it was to see her and the beautiful flower arrangement she personally made for Rob was exquisite. Oh the wonders of the Internet!!!

At one point our daughter read an e-mail Pastor Dani and his wife Andi, from Hungary sent me. It was too emotional for me to read but Cheryl managed to get through it without breaking down completely. She told me later that she had read it many times in advance so she wouldn't break down. The message basically shared how Rob had impacted them in their own spiritual walk. Rob is a man of few words, not given to emotion, but even he had a hard time holding in the tears. Thanks Dani and Andi for sharing your love and encouragement in such a profound way. You are dearly loved. I'm pasting the message here...

"P.S. There is something Dani would like to share with you and he hopes this will be an encouragement.

We would like to share with you how much it encouraged us seeing Rob's life, heart, and faith in these past few weeks. Up until this point, his spiritual life was not in the spotlight and to many people he was a mystery. But now for us and to many in the church, it was made obvious how much he sticks and clings to Jesus; and his quiet faith spoke volumes to us, encouraging us, and comforting us. We were trying to encourage him (probably did not work too well as we are a bit clumsy) but he encouraged us in a greater way even without words. What I personally learned from him and what encouraged me the greatest (Dani) is that he is not attached to earthly belongings. And, seeing how many joined in the prayer chain (all 24 hours were covered) is proving that you guys are greatly loved and many, many people care for you. In addition, both of you are greatly missed. Dani says: Rob, you are one of the role models I want to follow. We love you both."

To continue...

Today is Sunday and Rob and I will move from my sisters home to a new "home away from home." Rob's cousins' daughter has offered to share her home with us. Janine is single with a beautiful home nearer to Rob's doctors that will make it easier to get back and forth for all these doctor visits. Since Janine works all day and has a busy active life on the weekends, we will have the house almost to ourselves.

We would appreciate prayers for Rob on Tuesday. He is scheduled to have a PET Scan at Noon California time. From what we understand, it will take about a week for the results to be known and at that time, we will meet with Rob's Oncologist who will give Rob the details about the stage of his cancer and treatment options. Rob continues to stress he does not want to have chemo or radiation but is open to other options.

Tomorrow, we are meeting our Hungarian friends, Dr. Krisztian and his wife Betti and driving them to see 17-mile Drive, plus Monterey and Carmel. While we were talking about it at the party last night, Betti's eyes just lit up when I told her we would be driving along the coast with the ocean next to us. Pretty neat stuff for someone coming from a land-locked country.

We wish one and all a blessed week and I will update you here as we have news to share. Again, thank you so much for your love and support.

Blessings in Jesus,
Rob and Carol

Wednesday and Thursday 3/11 & 12 Update

To keep you up-to-date on our happenings, Wednesday was a day of vegging. By that I mean Rob spent time visiting the grocery store (his favorite place) just checking out all the new stuff to eat while I did our laundry.

While Rob was away, we had phone calls from two Hungarians, who both happened to be in Rob's cooking class in Hungary. Both Susil and Lidia called to check on Rob and said they would each call back later. Rob was so excited waiting for their calls and had some nice catch-up time with them. Thank you Lidia and Susil for making Rob's day.

Since Rob is also a handyman of renown, his services as a plumber were called into play when Georgia's toilet stopped up and ran over. Off to the home supply store for the purchase of a plunger to unclog things. Of course, Rob found the latest and greatest plunger on the market and within minutes, everything was up and running, literally.

Everyone knows Rob's love of a good steak and Georgia made his wish come true in grand style. While at the specialty meat market, she found Kansas City beef steaks and Rob got to enjoy a Kansas City Rib Eye steak, along with the rest of us. Yummy to say the least.

Thursday was going to be quiet since we had yet to hear from Dr. Lei (pronounced Lay) about further tests. While Georgia and I were about to have pedicures, I received a call from Dr. Lei asking if Rob could be in Pleasanton by 3pm. Since it was already 1:30 pm when the call came in and we were 1.5 hours away from there, it took some doing and speedy driving to make it to the surgeons office on time. Dr. Lei also said that the chest x-rays and blood work Rob had the day before didn't reveal anything.

While Rob was driving to Pleasanton, I was on my cell phone trying to reach Dr. Krisztian (who just "happens" to be visiting from Hungary) to see if he could meet us there to translate all the Hungarian medical information. Walla, they were home at their hosts house and agreed to meet us by 3 pm.

Once at the doctor's office, we discovered the doctor was in an emergency surgery so we had some one-on-one time with the Gaspar family. Kind of took our minds off everything playing with little Adele and seeing our dear friends.

Rob's surgeon finally arrived, Dr. Krisz translated all the medical information and the doctor decided that since Rob had not brought slides of his biopsy, she would do another needle biopsy. This time Rob received something to deaden the site and it was over in no time.

The doctor told Rob she wanted to get him scheduled for a PET Scan as soon as possible but since it was already 5 p.m. it was too late to reach anyone to schedule it. She said her office would call us once it is scheduled and let us know when to come in.

From what we know, a PET Scan takes about 2 hours. That is, 2 hours lying on a hard table while a noisy machine rotates around you taking pictures of your insides. We understand this procedure involves injecting radioactive material which will travel to the cancer site(s). The hope is that the Scan will show where the cancer site(s) is/are so they can determine how extensive Rob's cancer is.

It is now early Friday morning and we just received a call from the Imaging office. Rob is scheduled to have his PET Scan on Tuesday, March 17th at Noon. That is 8 hours later for our Hungarian friends. Remember, America has already gone onto Daylight Savings Time, hence only 8 hours time difference instead of the usual nine hours. We will update you as we can.

Thank you one and all, for your faithful prayers, for your loving words of encouragement, and your emotional support. We pray God will bless you abundantly.

Carol and Rob

Tuesday Update 3/10/09

Rob arrived in San Francisco safe but tired on Sunday afternoon. He was so grateful to be able to stretch his legs after more than 12 hours of sitting! Cheryl, our daughter, and I arrived somewhat early only to discover that his flight had already landed, 30 minutes early! Must have been some tail wind!!!



Monday, we met with the staff of Valley Bible Church, our home church. They are trying to help us come up with ideas for how we can sell the mission house in this dismal economy, not only here in America but in Europe as well.

Today, Tuesday 3/10, Rob will see his primary physician, learn which tests will be ordered, and get some idea of the process involved in this illness. He realized the doctors here will probably do their own biopsy rather than rely on the results from another country. Plus, the report from the Hungarian doctors is of course, in Hungarian!!! See Rob's smiling face before his doctor's visit...



We will update this blog with information as it becomes available and in the meantime, we thank you all for your prayers and loving words of support. Both Rob and I are more grateful than we can express.

With grateful hearts,
Rob and Carol

Peace through the Storm

Dear partners in prayer,

The past two weeks have seen the focus of our lives changed in a way neither Rob nor I could have imagined. While we were focusing on the details of our move to the States and winding down our ministry in Hungary, health issues were looming.

Sunday morning February 15th while Rob was shaving before church, he discovered a large mass in his neck. After looking at it and discovering it was not painful (an indication of infection) we decided we needed to have our friend Dr. Krisztian take a look at it at church that morning.

Dr. Krisztian checked it out and decided that Rob needed to be seen by an Ear, Nose, and Throat doc so an appointment was made for Wednesday, February 18th. Following a chest x-ray and an ultrasound, the doctor in Hungary told Rob the mass was indeed a tumor but gave no indication whether it was benign or malignant. Since it was too late in the day to have a needle biopsy and since they are only done on Wednesday mornings, an appointment was scheduled for Wednesday, February 25th.

Since I,(Carol) was scheduled to leave for the U.S. on Monday the 23rd, there was discussion of whether or not to postpone my leaving. Rob assured me he felt the tumor would be benign and not to change my plans.

On Wednesday, February 25th Rob had a needle biopsy and was told that he would know the results within an hour or so. Unfortunately, the news was not what we hoped to hear. The tumor is malignant, the diagnosis was "Metastatic Squamous Cell Neck Cancer with an unknown (occult) primary." This means that the cancer in his neck is metastasized from an unknown location and is considered a secondary cancer. The doctors do not know at this time where the primary cancer is except that with this type of cancer it generally is in the area above the shoulders, i.e., head and neck areas.

On Thursday, February 26th, I met with our personal doctor here in California and showed him the e-mail with the diagnosis and asked him to tell us the truth, i.e., how serious is this type of cancer, how treatable, etc. Again, the news was not good. His comments were that this type of cancer is VERY aggressive, VERY fast growing, and DOES NOT respond well to treatment.

The next question I posed to him was what does this mean in terms of survivability. He said without treatment it would usually be from 3-6 months. Rob has stated many times through the years that he would not choose to prolong his life with chemo or radiation treatments. Most recently he expressed this again when a friend in California was diagnosed with cancer and died in 11 days. Rob's comment was "that's the way I want to go...quickly."

Rob will fly to California on Sunday, March 8th (his 66th birthday) and will have additional tests here including a CT Scan, possibly an MRI, and blood work. After the results are in, Rob will meet with the Oncologist so he can make a fully informed decision about the course he will choose to pursue.

Please keep Rob in your prayers, for God's perfect plan for his life to be accomplished, and my special prayer...that Rob would not suffer unduly.

I will keep you updated through this blog as we have information to share. The number of e-mails we've received since the news got out have just inundated us and it's hard to respond personally to each of you.

We thank you one and all for your love and encouragement. We cherish you and our friendships, realizing we would never choose to go through these days without you and most importantly, without the Lord's grace and peace.

Rob continues to express being filled with a sense of God's presence and the peace only God can provide.

Be blessed in Jesus,
Carol for Rob too

Words of Encouragement

Dear ones, we've received yet another letter of encouragement from long-time partners in ministry. In fact, they are the first people God used to encourage us in this ministry journey in Hungary and Romania. So read below and then continue on to the two additional blogs added in recent days.

Blessings to all,
Rob and Carol

-----------------

The following is from Lowell and Sally Senitz, Missionaries to women and children who are victims of slavery, working through Safe Houses Int'l, Inc. If you are interested in being a part of this worthwhile work for the Lord, you can contact Lowell and Sally at: wingsofshelter@aol.com
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rob and Carol, our friends whom we've prayed for for over 10 years!

Amazing is all that we can say! Our God is Amazing that he has taken a couple out of the middle of America with children and grandchildren at the point of most people's retirement and given them a heart to serve others - on the other side of the World! Amazing is our God who 'places the desires upon our hearts as we follow Him and look toward Him'. Amazing our 'God who fulfills the desires of our hearts'! Amazing is our God who gives those strength and ability as they reach out to serve others! Amazing is the love of God that flows through His servants who are obedient to Him!

Amazing are our friends, Rob and Carol, who for over 10 years have sought to honor God, to please Him, to offer their life in service for Him, who have been willing to be obedient far beyond their comfort zone. Amazing are our friends, Rob and Carol, who have, without expectation, given such Amazing Love to so many hundreds of people. Amazing are our friends, Rob and Carol, who have been willing to make changes that are so far outside our personal control and personal comfort, for the sake of God's leading and the sake of being obedient to the One who has given them life! Amazing are our friends, Rob and Carol, who literally have poured out their lives to serve others because of their confidence in God's love and ability to give them strength and God's willingness to provide them with resources to do the work. Amazing, our friends, Rob and Carol, who listen to God's voice through the Word of God, though the prompting in their Spirit, through other's Godly counsel, through one another, through open and closed doors----to make major changes in their lives --- according to God's Will.

We love them and know they are blessed! We were the first to take Carol on a missions trip to Romania-10 years ago! We saw her fall in love with those precious ones that had "no one to love them", we saw her go back home to America, after the missions trip and grieve and grieve over the situation that she had left, over the burden to do something for these precious ones, and the desire to 'go' and 'serve' outside of their comfort zone! We saw Rob getting ready to retire as a Chief Executive from a successful American Company and struggle through the decisions that would take himself and his precious wife overseas, away from grandchildren and children, friends and comfort of home. We saw Rob and Carol grow with Christ through the experiences they had, both good and bad, as they took the step to "be willing" to be in Eastern Europe for missions, "forever, if that is what their God called them to do".

Now, 10 years later, God is calling them back home to America! They once gain, will go through the suffering of "letting go of great friends", "letting go of an entire ministry that they have wrapped their lives and hearts around for 10 years". But we see the witness through their "lives poured out for others" and through their obedience to "pick up once more - and move their lives back to America", after establishing 10 years on the missions field.

We pray diligently for Rob and Carol, for God's wisdom, for God's comfort and for God's continued leading and protection upon them! We continue to pray, as we have over the 10 years, that they continue to flow out their love - upon others - that love that nourishes and touches the hearts of 100's that they have been near.

We are excited for them to come back to America...where God's next step is waiting......

We love you Rob and Carol, we stay united in hearts and minds and love,
You are welcome to come to stay with us in Florida for a time of R & R and some 'relaxation in the sun',
We love you, we are in pray for you,

Your friends, Lowell and Sally
Senitz

Rob and Carol's your lives are a living testimony of this verse from the Bible:

Acts 20:35-36 (New International Version)

V.35 In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.' "

A Word of Thanks

Recently we received a letter from one of our ministry partners who asked us to post it here for all to read. We are humbled and oh so grateful for all the wonderful people God has brought into our lives during these 10 years living in Debrecen and the three years prior while doing short-term ministry trips.

Be assured we will never forget you our prayer partners, financial supporters, and deeply loved friends.

Here is the letter sent to us...

January 24, 2009

Hospitality Ministry
Rob and Carol Greathouse
Debrecen, Hungary

GoodSports International wants to be one of the first to congratulate Robert and Carol Greathouse for their Hungarian Hospitality Ministry. As your time in Hungary comes to a close, we wanted to thank you for the strong ministry presence that influenced so many lives.

Servanthood is a characteristic that is frequently sought, but rarely lived out. However, servanthood truly defines the quality of your personal and public ministry here in Hungary. Your hearts touched many, the orphans in Miskolc and Debrecen, the Roma in Hadjuborszormeny, the women’s ministry in Romania and the children and coaches involved in the GoodSports program. We are truly--eternally--grateful.

If I were to describe the value of your ministry, I would say that your time in Hungary has encouraged, enabled and empowered the Hungarian church and its community of believers. Led by the Holy Spirit you were frequently present at the inception of new outreach ideas. In many ways you both served as a catalyst for believers to conceive, develop and execute a myriad of missions’ opportunities. As prayer warriors, and wise mentors, you were able to engender hope in so many lives.

So we shout our thanks from baseball, basketball and soccer fields. We shout our thanks from Romanian and Hungarian gypsy communities.

How many children, communities and families do you impact? – At least three countries (Hungary, Romania and the Ukraine) and mission teams from numerous stateside churches.

How many smiles have you enabled - countless.

How many have heard of Christ's love because of your ministry? - This list grows every day.

Thank you, good and faithful servants.

Russell J. Chun
GoodSports International Director

For the Body Sport, for the Spirit Hope....GoodSports International

Going Home!!!

After living and ministering in Hungary for nearly 10 years, we were content thinking we would spend our waning years serving the Lord in Hungary. Whenever Rob was asked how long we planned to be here, he would always answer...forever. When Carol was asked, she responded, as long as God wants us to stay.

God in His infinite wisdom knows the number of hairs on our heads, the number of days each of us will have here on earth, and He knows the number of days we are to stay in His service in Hungary.

For nearly a year, we have been praying and asking God to make His will known to us as it related to our service in Hungary. Little by little, changes began taking place that showed us God was moving to pick up the slack that our leaving would cause.

Carol also began experiencing a need for more contact with members of the family, to be available to and for them in their daily lives. At the same time, we both began noticing health issues which needed to be addressed. Rob, not wishing to avail himself of the Hungarian health system, decided to wait until a permanent move before addressing his health issue.

All this led up to an intense period of prayer at the end of 2008. With like minds, both Rob and I felt God was showing us that the time had come to begin the process of leaving Hungary. This means praying for workers to come alongside the ministries we support, financial support raising to continue so that the ministries can continue to function at the same level, plus we also need to sell the property housing the mission and guest houses.

God has allowed us to see a great deal through these nearly 10 years. We have seen the growth of His church through the planting of churches in Miskolc, Hajduboszormeny, Eger, and Nyiregyhaza. The ministry to the orphanage in Miskolc has grown and been enhanced through the partnership of GoodSports Ministry. There is now an annual English Camp which was solely supported by our sending church for the first two years. There are now numerous sports camps throughout the summer months. The local church with it's focus on evangelism is actively working to start a church plant in Ukraine.

The Gypsy Church in Hajduboszormeny which began with just one couple 8 1/2 years ago, now has a weekly attendance of 8-12 adults and anywhere from 15-25 children. The church has purchased a house which serves as their place of worship. Teams from Germany have come to build fences, build a soccer field at the rear of the large property, built a 4-seat outhouse, and lastly, they have painted the outside of the church building and built a large covered patio for fair weather outdoor activities.

The guest house ministry has had the privilege of hosting an untold number of teams who have assisted in ministering at English and Sports Camps, and evangelistic outreaches to the Gypsy population in Hungary and Romania. We have had the privilege of housing pastors and their families who have never had the opportunity to take a vacation. We have been a home base for several families needing medical care at the local Medical Clinics. And, we have been a home for several families who found themselves "homeless" for a period of time.

We have seen our church grow from a hand-full, meeting in the basement of an old building, to where we are now...with our own property and a growing body of believers. We have been blessed these nearly 10 years to have teaching in English by godly pastors who have had a hand in growing our faith and trust in the Word of God.

With each activity we've been a part of, with each person God has put into our lives, we have been the ones blessed. It never ceases to amaze us that whenever we think we are doing something for the Lord, He turns it around and gives us the blessing.

The emotional attachments we have developed with the people and countries of Hungary and Romania is overwhelming. The idea of never seeing the faces of the people we have come to love and consider as our own family, is overwhelming to us.

Please keep us in your prayers, for continued ministry support to cover the expenses until we can sell the property, for the winding down of our day to day activities as the time draws closer to our leaving, and for mutually encouraging closure with the many people we may never have the opportunity to meet again.

Where we go from here is a mystery. God has yet to reveal those plans to us.

Christmas with our kids - the orphans from Miskolc

Wow, thank you God...for allowing us to share you with the "graduates" of the Miskolc orphanage. We had the privilege of sharing time together, sharing laughs, and sharing our hearts with one another. We thank God for all the people who came alongside the girls and shared their love and time as well.

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