Mark Woodman's Personal Health Update
(No 6 - May 5, 2010)

Dear friends, family and brothers and sisters in Christ

Every day I receive emails, phone calls and visits from kind people asking me how it is going, I feel it is my duty therefore to give you an honest update as to what's happening.

As many of you know, Retha and I did an interview on the Eden Life Network satellite TV channel about 2 weeks ago. Much information regarding my condition was given during that interview, but there are those who are in other areas of the world who did not see this interview and therefore I am sending out this email.

There has been a marked deterioration in my health over the last month, and I can feel in my body that things are not going the way we had hoped. For those who are interested in specifics, here is a basic run down of what's going on: My abdomen (where I have 3 of the largest tumours) has swelled up quite considerably over the last 5 to 6 weeks, which indicates that there is new and further growth in those tumours. This is a concern, as the adrenal tumours were already about 15 cm big before the swelling occurred. Naturally there are no spaces in the body, so when a tumour grows like this it pushes all the other organs out of place. Having 2 or 3 of similar size and aggression within the abdominal area does cause considerable discomfort and pain.

The cancer has also entered my lymph system, causing the lymph glands to swell and protrude on the body. This has been there for some time, but lately the number of tumours below the skin has increased dramatically, and I am now full of lumps and bumps on my head, on my face, in my neck, the shoulders and arms, my back and front and right down through to my feet. I estimate that there must be now about 50 or 60 tumours visible just under the skin, and this also indicates a severe deterioration in the functionality of the body.

The cancer has also attacked my left hip and knee. A tumour has grown in the hip area which is pushing against the ball of the hip itself and when I walk it feels like the tumour is pushing the nerves (or something else) into the ball, so movement of any kind causes me excruciating pain. I am now permanently on pain killers to keep this pain under control. The knee is similar in the way that there seem to be small tumours against and under the knee cap. Again, pain killers are helping me cope with this pain.

I have also noticed a change in my eyesight. The flashing and blackness are appearing intermittently again, and I have an almost permanent humming inside my head-again. These were the symptoms I had before I was diagnosed with the first brain tumours, so, even though I had the first ones removed, these symptoms seem to indicate that the tumours on the brain are back again.

Please note that this email is not a 'let's feel sorry for Mark' email, but rather a matter of fact, honest view of what is going on. I stand unapologetically on the health message, and firmly believe that this is what has kept me alive for so long, but one needs to also be realistic and face what is lying ahead. By all indications, the cancer is spreading and growing at an enormous rate and there is nothing that can be physically done to curb it anymore. There are now only 2 options: either the Lord will perform a miracle to save my life, or He won't. These are the only 2 options. We have done everything in our power to slow and possibly stop the cancer, but it was picked up too late and the cancer has ripped through my system in typical melanoma style. It is now over to the Lord.

Although there is not a single indication in the Bible that it is the Lord's will for anyone to be sick or that He does not want to heal a sick person, there are other examples of patriarchs which come to mind when I consider my situation. Through the evangelistic work I have done, I have kicked Satan's shins blue and purple, and he hates me as a result. Like any Biblical Gospel worker, hard times lie ahead when you truly work for the Lord, and I know that Satan wants me dead; in this light the story of Job comes to mind. Also the history of John the Baptist; when he was locked up in prison, I am sure he must have wondered if the little bit of work he had done had been enough. He must have longed to be set free so he could go back out to preach again and support his Messiah's work. The way John the Baptist died is not something anyone would wish for, but in the greater scheme of things and in the universal Plan of Salvation, his death fits in and makes absolute sense. In the same way, as I sit in my own little prison, unable to be involved, I wonder whether the little bit of work I have done for the Lord has been enough.

I long to be alive, to live with my wife and children and to preach again for the Lord. Every fibre of my being hangs on to life, but it remains the Lord's decision if the outcome of my life will be that of Job or of John the Baptist. My faith in Christ is strong. I know He can heal me in a heartbeat if He so decides, but if not, I have peace that one day we will all understand why when we see how the puzzle fits together.

I solicit your prayers-more for my family than for me. My wife and children are going through a very difficult time at present. I am sure you can imagine how difficult it is for them as they see me fighting but losing the battle. Also for my family at large, my parents, sister, and family in law. It is never right when parents have to bury their child, and they will need all your prayers, support and kindness if this does indeed happen. For the present though, even with the situation as it is, I am still walking, talking, laughing, and driving around trying to live as normal a life as possible. This in itself is a miracle as I should long have been on morphine and unable to function. This shows me how the Lord has been with us all the way, leading us through the valley of the shadow of death. He has truly been kind.

So, in short, only the lord knows what lies ahead, but I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that He has the whole world in His hand.

Please pray that my faith will be strong enough to carry me through the next few months.

Kind regards

Mark Woodman

Eden Life Ministries