Elise: “I Need Relief” from This Battle

It's been two years now since Encompass worker Elise received a diagnosis that changed everything.  

One of her greatest joys in life has always been gathering people around the table. She loves discovering new restaurants, sharing meals with people, and savoring the conversations that stretched long after the plates were empty. For Elise, food isn't just nourishment—it’s fellowship, hospitality, and one of the ways she experiences God's goodness. 

But after several lines of unsuccessful treatments, she can no longer eat. 

The cancer adapts too fast, and has caused a blockage in her digestive system, making it impossible for her body to receive nutrition normally. Instead, she must receive all her nutrition and hydration intravenously. She spends 20 hours a day connected to a tube and can only disconnect for four hours a day. 

“Every day I seem to wake up with a new random pain or symptom that wasn’t there yesterday.” Elise says. “It’s really hard to not understand your body and what to do about it. The tears are numerous.” 

And the uncertainty is often just as agonizing as the physical suffering. There’s no guarantee of improvement, and no way to know what tomorrow will bring. "Not having any idea of when—or if—any of this gets resolved is daunting and scary," she admits. "I’m just living day by day—even hour by hour depending on how my body and mind are coping." 

Cancer has stolen countless ordinary moments that the rest of us often take for granted: Birthdays. Gatherings. Spontaneous invitations. There was a conference she was really looking forward to, but it came and went without her. 

There is no polished version of Elise's story. No false optimism that pretends everything is okay. "There are tears pretty much every day, and I just plead and beg for healing," she says. "Every day, I pray for enough encouragement to just get through the day, asking God to show me what He's doing." 

As tragic as her situation is, God is somehow using her pain and suffering to bring spiritual breakthrough to her unbelieving friends. Elise has one friend from junior high who she’s been praying for the last 25 years. This friend recently told her, “I want to pray for you, but I don’t know how. Can you tell me how to pray?” 

Another friend who had been angry with “religion” for a long time told her, “I’m no longer angry with God. The things you've been sharing are building my faith.” This friend even agreed to start reading the Bible with Elise. 

A former coworker who openly admitted he didn’t believe in God messaged Elise after seeing her request for prayer online: “You know I don’t believe, but you’ve convinced me to pray for your healing.” 

Others have sent photos of candles lit for her in cathedrals across France and Canada. Friends who once kept God at arm’s length are now turning towards God. Despite her weakness and suffering, conversations about God are surfacing. 

“God is working and using these circumstances to turn people towards Him—friends I’ve been praying for decades.” Elise says. These are amazing answers to prayer, yet she is also honest about the cost. “I can’t deny that most days the price seems just so high. I need relief, I need something to change, I need healing, a miracle, by any means.” 

Those words capture both the strength and the exhaustion of a young woman who has been fighting for two long years. 

As we watch Elise walk this road, our hearts ache with her. We grieve the pain she carries, the countless things cancer has taken from her, and the daily battle she continues to face. Yet at the same time, we’re thankful for the remarkable ways God is working through her story. 

Elise, you are not alone! As the body of Christ, we’re honored to join the battle with you and fight by your side in prayer. May God supply you with the healing, relief, and strength you need to face even the hardest days.