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UPDATE 5/28/08
Greetings!  As you may know, our son, David, is scheduled to have a kidney transplant on June 12th. This date is pretty firm; we request prayer for he and Ivan as they undergo this serious operation - -that it will be successful for both.

For those of you who have not previously heard about David's health, the excerpt below if from a recent newsletter that Hazel wrote, it provides the background on David's upcoming surgery.

Thank you for your continued prayer support, it is such a blessing to us and our family. Bob & Hazel

Excerpt from newsletter:  Some of you realize that our son, David Hoskins, (Age 44), has had decreasing kidney function.  May 10, 2007, he had an appointment with his kidney specialist.  The doctor took one look at him, and wheeled him immediately into emergency.  Because of his potassium levels and high blood pressure, he was at high risk for cardiac arrest. The bottom line is that he suffered complete kidney failure, and has been on dialysis since that time.

Now the good news:  David's good friend, Ivan, who David led to the Lord, has offered David his kidney.  Ivan is a match.  They are undergoing pre-op procedures, and the surgery should take place within the next two months (since this was written the June 12th date was set).  Pray this will be successful.  This is a wonderful story.  David was instrumental in giving Ivan spiritual life, now he is giving physical life.  "Greater love hath no man than this than a man lay down his life for a friend".  Of course, this refers to Jesus, but could also refer to this situation.

UPDATE 3/23/08
We received the pathology report from the doctors today. They found that the cancer has metastasized. One of the ten lymph nodes tested was positive; Dad's situation is further complicated by the location of where the tumor resided in his cecal pouch, so they have diagnosed him as stage three. After he recovers from his present surgery, in about two months, we will begin chemo therapy for an additional three to four months.

As we received this news as a family - -in addition to Kim and I being broadsided yesterday by a motorist who ran a red light and my brother David facing kidney transplant surgery next month - - we experienced fresh and anew the peace, comfort and power that comes from our beautiful, resurrected Savior. We are reminded again that we are '...hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.' II Corinthians 4:8-10.

He is our Peace!!! We know and believe that these are but, '...light and momentary troubles that are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.' II Corinthians 4:17-18.

Please continue to believe and pray with us for the Sovereign Will of God to be preformed in Dad's body. We are overwhelmed by the love of God's family around the world. The Hoskins Family

UPDATE 3/19/2008
Great news! Please praise God with us.

The first part of Bob's surgery is complete. The tumor was only the size of a nickel (this is considerably smaller than it appeared when it was discovered). The doctor was able to remove it and there is no indication that the cancer had spread, although they will test the lymph nodes to confirm.

Bob still has a couple more hours of surgery to complete the significant repairs and close. Please continue to pray! The family feels your prayers and is very grateful for the love and faith expressed by them.

UPDATE 3/18/08
Dear Friends,
The surgery to remove the tumor is scheduled for Tuesday, March 18 at 7:30 AM and will last several hours. We covet your prayers on Bob's behalf during this time. After the surgery we will send out an update. To add a name to the email update list click here. You can also call 954-975-2550 to receive an update. Thank you for your love & faithfulness.

UPDATE 2/8/2008
Dear Friends,
Today we met with Dr. Weiss, Dad's previous cancer surgeon. He confirmed that the tumor is cancerous, and it resides in the ileocecal valve connecting Dad's small intestine and colon.

They will do surgery to remove the tumor and a good part of the colon. The good news is that they will not need to remove the entire colon which would have necessitated an ileostomy. CAT and PET scans are scheduled for Monday to confirm that the cancer has not spread. If the scans are negative then no chemo or radiation will be necessary. Surgery will be scheduled for sometime in March.

REQUEST 2/6/2008
It is such a privilege to be able to ask you, as part of the Book of Hope family, to pray. Today, your prayers are needed on behalf of my dad, our ministry founder, Bob Hoskins.

My dad just found out that he has a large tumor at the end of his small intestine. The pathology reports are not good. On Wednesday, we will meet with the surgeon and get more information.

A very close personal family friend, Mart Green, was kind enough to fly in and be with us for a time of prayer on Sunday. The Lord had laid on his heart a message for our family, and he said it would be fine if I shared it with you, as part of the ministry family.
The message was called "Worth Fighting For." Here's what M art said:
"Don't consider yourself to be wise; fear the Lord and turn away from evil. This will be healing for your body and strengthening for your bones." (Proverbs 3:7-8, HCSB).

We feel peace about following this procedure and know that God is working His miraculous power through this process.

We have received literally hundreds of messages from friends & partners in every continent, numerous countries and across America. The messages are filled with faith, encouragement and love. We are overwhelmed with the response of our family and friends who have been impacted by Dad's life.

We wish we could personally respond to everyone, be assured we are reading these prayers and blessed notes - - they are sustenance and food for our souls.

We love you all,  Rob and Family

The surgery to remove the tumor is scheduled for tomorrow (Tuesday, March 18) at 7:30 AM and will last several hours. We covet your prayers on Bob's behalf during this time. After the surgery we will send out an update. To add a name to the email update list click here. You can also call 954-975-2550 to receive an update.

Thank you for your love & faithfulness.

"I have heard Bob speak of clean hands and pure hearts many times. As I read these verses it reminded me of Bob making this statement. If we do have clean hands and a pure heart, God has healing for our bodies and strength for our bones.

"I felt the Lord impress on me to 'fight for Bob,' that Bob's life was worth fighting for, and that we could do that in the heavens through prayer. My challenge to you is to fight for Bob. He has fought to impact the Kingdom for years; this is a great time for us to fight on his behalf.
"Ephesians 6:10-12 in The Message Bible says, 'And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and He wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we'll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the devil and all his angels.'

"Fight for Bob, get on your knees and pray!"

I thank God for this message He gave to Mart. It gives us hope and courage. I know we'll need it as we face this challenge - because we have faced it before: Over a decade ago, Dad was in an enormous battle with cancer, and when people like you prayed, God miraculously touched him. We know the importance of your prayers, and humbly ask you to join us today. We serve a God who is able to do above and beyond what we could ever imagine.

Thank you for your prayers. I will be in touch again with updates.
Your Friend and Brother,
Rob