Bob and Sally Tamez are friends of ours. We’ve become close to them and their kids: Casey, Tina, Joey and Timothy. Some of you know that I’ve been asking for prayers for Joey. I received this e-mail from Bob and felt the need to share it. Please keep this family in your prayers — Tim

Hello all,

Some things are not easy for me to say and I was up most of the night on Monday with Tuesday dawning upon me with little sleep. I have been forming my thoughts and seaching for the words that would best explain what is going on. So this letter is about my son Joey and our Father in Heaven. As difficult as it has been for me, the best and most important theme of what is happening here is….God Has A Plan. God wants me to express to all my family and friends and co-workers that Joey is being used right now for a purpose. Allow me to tell you a little bit about “Them”.

Joey is a 15 year old young man…. after God’s own heart. He is very mild natured who is artistic and loves music. He is a part of the Mighty Brahma band where he plays the Saxaphone. He lives in Stockdale, TX and is a Sophomore at Stockdale High School and doing very well in school. He loves going to church and is not ashamed of God. He has two older sisters and one younger brother. When Joey was young and in Elementary, one of his teachers asked the students to draw what they would like to become when they grew up. Well, Joey drew a man in front of a pulpit. When the teacher asked him about his picture and what it was, he said, ” a preacher like my wello”. (grandfather) I knew then that God would use him someday.

As I said above, I want to tell you about them. Now God,…. God is awesome! HE is omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient. In repeating what John Massie ( one of our Elders ) said, God is ochestrating Joey’s life for a reason. I have had to think about this which has not been easy for me for my heart and my mind have been clashing. As the Spirit has come to play with my emotions, little by little almost as a light flickers have I come to accept what is happening. I believe that God is orchestrating this life altering change for a good cause. God would not allow such a thing to happen without a purpose; for the God that I know loves his people and all things happen for good to those that love the Lord. Today on Wednesday, we told him of his condition. Mark Forster our evangelist came prior to the telling of details and he prayed for Sally and I and for Joey. It gave us the strengh to tell Joey and it gave Joey the strength to accept it. And guess what, Joey took it like a champion. He still amazes me. Afterwards we had a devotional with about 18 people in his hospital room and with Joey singing; he loved it. Mark brought us some words of encouragement and we were all lifted up by the presence of the Holy Spirit.

Currently, Joey has been diagnosed with Glioblastoma, a very bad tumor that almost always has very bad results. It is still very early but options could include further surgery, radiation and chemo and radiation surgery will be discussed. If you google this ugly and life threatening condition, you will get a good idea of what Joey will be experiencing. Sally and I have been through a roller coaster ride of different emotions. Although his tumor has taken us all by surprise, it was completely removed but unfortuanately, he has two more and one of them is on the right side, away from the left one. On Monday, the day we were told, we were basically given the example of Ted Kennedy and that Joey has the same tumor. We were told that Ted Kenedy did not live past 18 months but that they will do everything they can for Joey. The news was devastating as well as earth-shattering. One never knows what can bring them to their knees but this did. So much ran through my mind and my heart that wave upon wave of tears would not stop flowing. I had never ever felt so helpless and scared in my life. My world was turned upside down and my heart was as if riped in two. I know that after the announcement, by behavior made others break down yet it has been wonderful to have had so many come to our aid both from near as well as from far. But 24 to 48 hours later, after the devastating news, and after an all-night soul searching and after an all-night prayer, I realized that what happened to me and what ran through my mind and through my heart was not spiritual but physical. My physical has been (and somewhat still is) fighting against my spiritual.

On Tuesday morning while in the shower and while on my knees, I asked the question that most fathers would ask… why Lord, why my son? Why Joey? I did not nor dare not raise my fist up in anger but I honestly asked, “why not those other kids that hurt people or that steal or do drugs or why not those disobedient, selfish, self-centered kids who don’t care about God or life. Why God, why not them? Or why not me”? While on my knees, I fervently prayed, “God, if it is your will, please rescue Joey and save him. Please God, please save his life.” I remembered how Joey has never really asked me for the usual stuff that most kids want. He has not asked for any material gifts or those particular toys that teenagers like to have. While I prayed, I thought about how all he ever repeatedly asked me for was three things; he asked me for a new Sax (since he has had his for 6 years now), he has asked me to take him on an airplane ride anywhere (for he has never flown), and he has asked Sally and I for a week-long trip to Disneyland Florida Disney Resort. With God’s help I will give him those things. I felt that God would give us time for that and somehow the resources. Slowly as I rose and got dressed I felt better.

And the answer as to why Joey is going through this and not those other kids has been slowly revealed to me. To me, the answer as to why this has happened to my son is multi-faceted. I believe its because God is using Joey to bring HIS people together as a community, I believe it’s because God is using my son to bring people into a closer relationship with HIM. It is for a good. It is for a good purpose. People have been praying without ceasing. Isn’t that what the Apostle Paul told us to do. People have been taught to serve and I’ve seen it. People have been performing a self-examination and it gladdens my heart to hear it. I have felt the love and concern of so many people. Joey’s condition has helped us all to focus on God and our own personal relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I believe God is doing this to bring glory, honor and praise unto himself. God is in the business of saving lives and not only Joey’s life but as many people as Joey has touch. There are uncles and aunts and cousins and friends and people who need to obey the Gospel or recommit their lives to God. Joey wants everyone everywhere to know that there is no life without God and His son Jesus. And that as long as God is with you and in you, you are whole.

Joey is now in a regular room but earlier this week, as I saw my son resting with head bandaged and as I heard and listened to the alarms going off and watched the monitors, I saw a young boy whose life is in God’s hands. While in ICU, doctors came in and they went out, yet he showed no fear. He has had two seizures post surgery with his second seizure being a very violent one and still afterwards, he showed no fear. Is that not God in my son’s life? But even if he showed fear, God is still his life. Joey has amazing strength and I am very proud of him. His character and his attitude towards his condition and his recovery has been…it has been truly awesome.

Tomorrow on Thursday and with God’s help, Sally and I will decide about the location of where Joey will receive his cancer therapy. It appears that Texas Children Cancer Center is where he will possibly go. I did ask our Oncologist about Duke University Medical Center after a visit from our dear friend Ginger Jackson (a cancer survivor) but the Oncologist told us about the connection they have with Texas Children Cancer Center, however she did contact them as well. I asked about MD Anderson but she dissuaded me since they mostly treat adult cancer victims. But wherever we go, I will not give up or slow down until I have done everything a daddy can do to help his son. He has become priority. Sally and I will not allow the current prognosis to be an option, God is in control not man. So thank you to all of you who have encouraged Sally and I. Thank you to all who have come to see us. The last thing I will stop doing is keeping the faith. If Joey doesn’t stop then nobody should. Many of you have asked how you can help and to be honest, monetary help is secondary. Primary help is prayer, that is a priority. Through prayer comes healing and saving, through prayer comes patience and understanding. Through prayer comes all the resources needed for helping. Everyone has been wonderful and has shown us love and brought us food and given us financial assistance. Some of you feel helpless but please let me assure you, prayer and faith is not to be taken lightly, the weight of the dollar cannot compare to the power of prayer. If you feel you want to include the secondary help in assisting us with the cost of care, you can. I do not deny that money helps, it does and I will be very thankful but not ever so thankful like prayer. I can provide you with the following information, you decide how and when and we thank you in advance.

Randolph Brooks Federal Credit Union
Checking Account #: [Tim can send you this if you want; no widows of foreign diplomats, please]

My address is:
P.O. Box *** [Again, ask Tim if you want this]
Stockdale, TX 78160

I look forward to the healing and as I mentioned above, I look forward to the coming together of brothers and sisters and their prayers. I know that I cannot conclude this letter without asking and inviting you to come see Joey on November 8th. On this day, if the Lord is willing we will be at St. Philip’s College for a fantastic service of worship and praise to God. I know Joey would want each and everyone who reads this letter to be there with him Glorifying God. It is our Neighbor Day and I ask you to please come visit, we start at 9:00am

God bless each and everyone of you. Please send this email to others so that they may be inspired to serve and love God and His son Jesus Christ.

Bob Tamez

PS. I do want to mention something that will also help with Joey’s healing. Please do not show Joey your sorrow but show him your smiles and your laughter. I attended the walk for cancer in San Antonio earlier in the year with our dear sister and cancer survivor Priscana Huddleston and there was a lot I learned. Couple of things I want to mention that I heard from the speaker was that cancer victims do not want your pity. They do not want your sadness. They do not want your tears. Those things serve to bring people down. What cancer victims want is your joy and laughter. These things serve to bring people up.
Earlier today, Ms Lynn our High School Principle brought over a banner with lots of signatures of all Joeys classmates (which is now currently on Joey’s hospital wall) as well as lots of letters. This really pleased him. But later, Joey and one of his aunts started reading the letters and although I have not read them myself, he was laughing with joy. Thank you Stockdale High, keep them coming.