Mikey and Bonnie

          Recently we celebrated my first-ever Canada Day (akin to the Fouth of July) in an amazing way: camping at Lake Louise and the best buffet we have ever eaten at the Banff Springs Hotel! We had a great time hiking and biking around the area and visited some waterfalls, walked on great trails, and Mikey and I continued our blitz through the Chronicles of Narnia series by reading “The Voage of the Dawn Treaddar” into the wee hours of the night. The family time was fun and proved to be a needed, neat time away for everyone (especially for those who work)… Maurice had a break, Muriel had some time away, and Cath even came out for the second day and celebrated at the hotel with us. She’s been busy working between hospitals so it was great to have some time to hang out with her. It was great to roast hot dogs and eat s’mores like any good North American car-camper over a holiday weekend. I also went for some great runs throughout those two days and just loved running next to the streams and up the hills. And eating at the Banff Springs Hotel was unbelievable! The buffet was, hands-down, the BEST buffet we’d all ever eaten at! The atmosphere was fun too in that classy and historical hotel, and afterwards we had fun cruising around the town with all the festivities going on. So thanks to the Langs for a fun-filled two days!

          In other news, we’re learning more about the process of chemo with every treatment. It does indeed get harder with each one, and we saw that this time as Mikey’s recovery process in between treatments has been rougher and longer, leaving him more tired and down in comparison to times before. It’s been discouraging to not see Mikey feeling so great; sad to see him down and we both have our hard days at times. But in those hard times are incredible moments of seeing God woo us, of seeing Him pursue us and desire our hearts in ways that feel so real and fresh. I’ve also been encouraged by receiving a few neat packages of Peet’s Coffee (whoo! my fav!) from friends and family (thanks Bonnie and Dean and the Philpotts!) and it’s in those times when I see God giving me intentional little blessings that make my day through the grace of others.

          There are some neat things on the horizon for us: I’ve applied to a few places and hope to get a job as a server at a nearby-ish restaurant called White Spot. For those of you who are familiar with it, this particular place is not the fast-food-type White Spot, but a higher-class, low-lit place with a lounge too…hope it works out! The staff seem neat and it’d be great for me to start working. We’re also headed to the Calgary Stampede on opening day (July 4th), and I couldn’t be more excited to experience this side of Calgary! Should be a blast and Mikey and I splurged on the unlimited rides pass and are looking forward to some cotton candy and chuckwagon racing! Other than that, we’re living day-to-day and trying to stay encouraged as we try to cling to God, to abide in the Vine…it’s hard sometimes. But we recognize that the only way to stay joyful is to stay in the Word, so we’re trying to stay faithful to the Faithful One.

          Hope you are all well and enjoying your respective summers! We’re thrilled to hear of good news down at YD Adventures and that on our friends’ (Shane and Kady) trip, a boy came to Christ! Sounds like life down there is rocking and that God is not only providing but making incredible things happen, displaying his fame on trips as they run smoothly, as the staff make great connections with students, and as He is glorified. We MISS YOU GUYS TONS…but are so glad to hear good reports from Sarah and Craig and see that God is doing so much there - we trust His greater plan in moving us here is just as much of a display of His glory, even if the truth is that we wish we were there, plain and simple. Huck it huge, friends, and keep serving Christ hard. Love you guys,

                Bonnie and Mikey

“Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand.”

- Proverbs 21:19

      …It’s been real nice. Those are some famous last words my mom seems to give whenever we say goodbye (that plus a good, hard squeeze on the arm), and I’m kinda sad to say that she’s leaving early tomorrow morning, heading back to hot and sunny CA. I’ll be getting up quite early for a fun, solo ride with her to the airport in the a.m. and am already getting teary as I write these reflections on our time here together.

      What a blessing it’s truly been to have my mom here with us. I’m grateful for her presence here, for her kindness and desire to help out in any way she can, for early (-ish for me!) morning coffees, running together, and for the relaxing times enjoying the sun with her. I think it’s also been really great for her to see our lives up here in Calgary; around the house, biking along the beautiful pathways on the electric bikes, seeing the rugged and amazing Rocky Mountains, and getting a glimpse into the cancer centre and seeing the full gamut of chemo’s effects.

      Speaking of cancer treatments, today Mikey had his second dose of chemo. The time in the hospital went quite quickly as my mom, Mikey and I talked through the whole 3 hours we were there. It was great for my mom to see the reality of what it’s like to be in the cancer centre and what the chemo process exactly looks like. For Mikey it was an alright time there: the IV didn’t work the first time, so beside the discomfort of a second prick, most of the chemicals went in smoothly and didn’t hurt as much this time. The big window view might have helped as we talked, cried, and read bits of C.S. Lewis’ book, “The Horse and His Boy.” Two treatments down, ten to go!

      At the end of this eventful day of chemo and mom’s last evening here, I just wanted to say thanks so much for being here, mom! We love you and your fun ways, your great laugh and smile, the workouts you inspire me with, and your generous and caring nature. Thank you for taking time out to come here and be more of an encouragement than you may realize; you’re such a good friend to me, mom.

      And thanks to all those who helped her get up here - if there’s anything that’s been made clear throughout this cancer process, it’s that we are ALL surrounded by people who care, and this is a clear result of some of those caring people! So thank you and just know that Mikey and I are grateful for your generosity to our family! It’s so neat to see the Church - family, friend, and even those not a part of the Church - come together and be a strong support for others. Thanks for the great week you helped provide!

      Sending mom off to huck it huge as we do likewise here,

            bonnie and mikey

Hi all! We’ve had a wonderful week with my mom up here experiencing life in Calgary together! From using the electric bikes and enjoying slurpees to hiking around Banff or Lake Louise, we’ve explored a lot and bene able to share life together for a bit. What a treat to have her here! It’ll be sad to say adios come early Wednesday morning. Thanks to all who enabled her to take time off work and make the trek to Calgary to see us…we’re all grateful for it! Next stop: church today and a hang out afternoon plus chemo treatment number two on Tuesday…we’re doing great (just in time for the next dose of chemo, of course) and glad to be alive together.

Here’s a peek at some photos…more to come later! Take care and keep huckin’ it huge everyone! Love from up north,

mikey, bon, and mom

 Morraine Lake

Out to dinner at the Bison Mountain Bistro in Banff!

Lunch stop near Lake Louise

Beautifully desolate land at the Plain of Six Glaciers

                         Well, almost a week into the first treatment, it looks like we now have a bit more knowledge as to what to expect as far as how the days will go for Mikey while on chemo. It looks like the third day after the treatement (which will be on Fridays as he gets chemo every other Tuesday) will be the hardest days. Yesterday was an amazing day where I felt celebrated for who I am on my 23rd birthday, but it was hard as Mikey’s body was having a rough day. He was so kind to get up and celebrate over lunch with us at a great spot called “Route 40″ (a restaurant with great soups and wraps and a fun atmosphere!) and to go on a short hike with the fam afterwards. but the feeling of nausea stuck around all day, and it was yesterday when we realized that this might be harder than we expected.

                           But then we were blessed with a great day today as Mikey’s body seems to be on the upswing as we move into week 2. So it was a mixed blessing day, starting and ending with family, friends, and great food, but interjected with some hard times as Mikey struggled to make it through the day. But praise God for a better day today!

                           We posted some fun photos from the day, including some of me in my “birthday pants” from my mom - I love them! Hope you enjoy them! Even if Mikey didn’t feel 100% all day and wanted to do more, he is the BEST gift I have ever received - my best friend and best love. So it was a great day, and good to now be getting into the flow of how life will be.

                          Next on the horizon? A visit from my mom next week and some job searches for us! Huck it huge and thanks for your prayers and thoughts,

                                                                     bon and mike

Lunch at a great spot in Turner Valley!

Incredible appetizers… yum!

Wonderful atmosphere…something I appreciate!

Cute outside…and a sunny day

LOG CAKE to celebrate! (with Dave down for a weekend to visit too!) 

Photo op with Honey

I love the LORD, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy. Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live…Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; our God is merciful. The LORD preserves the simple; when I was brought low, he saved me. Return, O my soul, to your rest; for the LORD has dealt bountifully with you. - Psalm 116: 1-2; 5-7.

               I am blessed to look back over 23 years and see exactly that - a merciful God who has indeed dealt “bountifully” with me. God has been gracious and forgiving of me, sparing me of certain experiences and indulging me in other opportunities. This morning I read from I Kings 17, where Mikey and I have been following Chuck Swindoll’s daily “Insight for Living” devotionals, and was reminded of Elijah’s contentment in the face of trials, of his dilligence to serve God, and of his humility to be a faithful, serving man of God. By God’s grace I can say today that God is good! I have nothing, really, to complain about, for when I look back over my life, all I can see are evidences of God’s faithfulness and provision. So on my birthday I just want to thank God for his consistent and unending love, and to have such an incredible man to display that love to me in human terms rocks my world every day!

              There’s also reason to celebrate God’s faithfulness in my brother, Taylor’s, life today as he graduates from high school! Whoo! So we just wanted to say congrats on graduating, Tay - have a great night tonight walking across that stage on the football field and enjoy every minute of grad night with your friends. Mikey and I cannot wait to see what God has planned for your next year; wherever you go, it won’t be an accident and we’re trusting that he’ll enable you to step out in faith whether you’re around Walnut Creek or off somewhere like New Zealand! Way to go; I’m proud of you!

             Huckin’ it huge reagardless of what the day may really hold,

                      bonnie

                  Just woke up this morning and, after a solid prayer and reading time with Mikey (which has been hard to stay regular in, we’ll be honest…so good to simply come before the Lord together), we read through the comments on the blog. We just wanted to say thank you so much for your thoughts, for taking the time to share good verses and quotes from others, for supporting us in such a tangible way. What an encouragement you guys are in our lives; we’re so blessed!

                   Today is essentially the second full day after the first chemo treatment; apparently the third and fourth days are the hardest, as your body’s white blood cell count is at its lowest. So we’re taking it easy these days and just seeing how things go, although aside from some slight nausea, some heavier heartburn, and a flushed face, Mikey’s been doing okay for these first few days. Tomorrow is my birthday, so we have some fun family plans that will make the day extra special and different (I even get to wear cute “birthday pants” sent up by my mom!), and hopefully Mikey’s feeling well enough to celebrate! Then of course there’s Father’s Day on Sunday, so we have good reason to celebrate this weekend - not to mention celebrating for God’s grace in this time for us…MANY reasons to feast and be content, mainly because the joy of the Lord is our strength.

                 So thanks again and keep huckin’ it huge in all you do,

                                                                                                  bonnie and mikey

 [Our new “home!”] Today we came into the Tom Baker Cancer Centre feeling a bit nervous and maybe even a little high-strung…but perhaps that was the result of wandering around many parking lots and being unsuccessful at finding a spot! But once we got in we felt more settled, and soon after were sitting in the waiting room being served juice, Tim Horton’s coffee, and home-baked cookies from volunteers in china tea cups (they treat their patients well here!). Looking around the waiting room, we saw people at different stages of cancer: some with hats, some with bald heads, and some with neat wrap coverings. Once again the threatening, thunderous head of cancer was defaced for me and in its stead was a human, treatable, even “normal” disease that right now is an interruption in our lives and not a terrible, roaring lion. Not to say that we face an easy road ahead – we know that things are really just getting started – but we know that so many people have had a form of cancer, that so many people have survived it, and that they continue to live their lives.  

After a brief waiting time, Mikey was in the treatment area and laying in a bed, ready to begin the IV, chemical dripping process. Looking into his eyes when the nurse first put the IV into his vein, I felt sad, almost realizing for the first time that this was really happening. Today marks the start of the next leg of this journey, and today it all sunk in. From about 2:00 to 5:00 pm, the four different drugs were pumped through Mikey’s vein as we watched some TV, read pamphlets with Muriel about nutrition, and met with different nurses throughout the treatment time. Mikey didn’t experience much pain besides the occasional coldness in his vein at the source and some aching because of the drugs moving through, so all in all it was a “quiet,” though new, experience. Soon enough, however, we know that we’ll become well acquainted with this place, the matter-of-fact yet kind nurses, and the several procedures that coming in for a chemo treatment entails.

And to celebrate the end of the first day of chemo? A dinner at McDonald’s, of course! And for Mikey in particular? Loading on the calories with a Big Mac Meal and a strawberry milkshake. J It was a bit of celebration, and now we’re back at home and things seem almost…normal! Surely the next few days, when his white blood cell count drops really low, will be harder than today, and we anticipate fatigue and even some nausea (although hopefully not!) as we hang out the rest of the week. So here we are, jumping on the next boat in the storm, learning how to ride this one out with the trust, rest, and confidence in Christ that we’re trying to lean on.

Thanks for partnering with us in this epic journey, and especially for your super encouraging comments and faithful prayers. Huck it huge,

Mike and Bonnie Lang

 A rainy day…in the car and on the way to the Cancer Centre!

Mikey’s “Red Card” - his ticket to cancer help

“Chemo’s over today…make a face!” (the result)

We just wanted to write a quick update to let everyone know that we went to the specialist yesterday and he confirmed that Mike has “classic hodgekins disease,” which is the best case cancer scenario! The treatment is fairly straightforward: chemo starts next Tuesday and is every two weeks for the next six months. After this, there may be a month or two of radiation; they’ll determine that later.So yesterday was a day of good news for us! It’s nice to finally have some concrete answers and a plan to be put on. It took almost 3 weeks from finding out that Mike has cancer to get to this point, and we’re grateful for the doctors and your prayers to get us through such a seemingly lengthy time of uncertainty. That’s about it as far as new information…next stop on this crazy ride? The Tom Baker Cancer Centre. We’ll keep you updated!Huckin’ it huge from C-Town, mike and bonnie 

Hey everyone! This is Mikey and Bonnie, tag-teaming a post, just letting you know another thing that God has been teaching us…  

Recently, we read a book by Henri Nouwen called “In the Name of Jesus: Thoughts on Christian Leadership.” Nouwen claims in his book that the central question of our culture today is “Who am I?” In the past this question was not an issue with strong traditions and clear roles in family and society being communicated to children from a very young age. Over time, adults have taken their hands off parenting to pursue their own interests, creating a new stage of life we have called “adolescence” where this question begins to be asked.    

Nouwen states that our culture tries to answer this question in three ways: I am…

•  What I do/accomplish [relevancy]
• What I control [power]
• What others say about me [popularity, being spectacular]

Unfortunately, basing your identity on these three measures makes us emotionally captive to them, taking us on a continuous roller coaster of ups and downs. Nouwen pairs these three components of identity with the three temptations that Jesus faced in the desert in Luke 4:1-13.  The first temptation is the temptation to be relevant, or to prove who you are by doing something, just as Satan tempted Jesus to change the stones into bread. The second temptation is to prove yourself using power. In the text, Jesus chose to let go of defining himself with power with Satan’s temptation to control all the nations. Instead, He chose to be powerless, the “suffering servant.” The third temptation is the temptation to be spectacular or popular, as Satan urged Jesus to jump from the temple and “wow” the people with a safe landing. Here, again, Christ chose to deny the temptation to be incredible and chose not care about what people would think of Him.  

In all these temptations, Jesus chose to trust His Father’s definition of who He was, which was given to Him in Luke 3:21,22: “This is my beloved Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased.” What an identity! All the identities that Satan offered pale in comparison to the identity that God’s words to His Son provided. We have been praying for the last few weeks that we would take hold of our true identity and now find ourselves in a situation where we have nothing else to hold onto. We are (1) completely irrelevant with no jobs to our name, living in our parents’ basement, and no real plans for the future. We are (2) completely powerless in our lives, unable to control even simple things like our health or what we will do tomorrow. We are (3) the “new kids on the block,” not popular and finding ourselves without a circle of friends with whom to be spectacular. We are no longer able to define ourselves as rock climbers or raft guides, as skiers or mountaineers, or even as healthy, active people. In fact, we now realize that over the past few years we have been defining ourselves by these temptations to be relevant, powerful, and spectacular.   

As you can see, God has given us what we’ve prayed for! We have no choice but to take hold of our true identity as His beloved children, with whom He is well pleased. This is yet another truth that God has been teaching us on this crazy cancer ride! Below are a few photos from our hike at Yamnuska on Saturday, May 31st - a beautiful day…enjoy! 

A long way straight down!! 

Gorgeous clouds and mountains 

The Summit

Scree running in Chaco’s… videos will come later.

Huck it Huge!!   Mikey and Bonnie 

Since several people have asked about the diagnosis lately, we thought we’d just write a quick post to let people know that we did visit the doctor today but that they still don’t have a conclusive diagnosis on Mikey’s cancer scene. The preliminary diagnosis is Hodgkins Lymphoma (whoo! - the cancer you hope for if you get cancer at all!), which is great news. But it still needs to be analyzed by the specialists in the world-reknown cancer institution that just happens to be in the area ( ), so once they have had a look at the biopsy we will have more exact information and the treatment process can begin. So while we may be rejoicing a bit at the probably outcome, it’s still only probable…and the waiting continues!

Thanks so much for your interest and prayers along with us in this journey…these days we’re still mainly trying to see the good in why we were seemingly pulled away from our community, our plans, our summer of ministry down in Washington with YDA and why we are here now, waiting and wondering. But we trust that God is truly sovereign and does indeed desire to refine us through this process. So if you’re praying for healing and for the cancer itself, thank you; but right now if you could please pray for our spirits and hearts as we try to discern God’s plan in all this, we’d be extra grateful for that right now.

There’s a lot of good in being here, of course…family time is wonderful (even P90X workout sessions with Cath!), Calgary sunsets are beautiful, asn we’re slowly connecting with old friends and excited to make new ones. It’s also been fun to unpack (well, the decorating is fun!) and watch the basement and our room take shape into something distinctly “us;” it’s hard to complain about anything with great breakfasts and fresh coffee every morning! That’s the lastest on us; we’re interested in what’s happening with you guys (friends, family)…pop us a note and let us know what adventures God is taking you on, what rivers you’ve rafted lately, or what the best meal you’ve eaten recently is. Take care and huck it huge,

bon and mike