Samuel's Mission

Years of disappointment, infertility, and miscarriage behind them, John and Suzanne Henkels finally found bliss. A family began when they joyfully adopted Zach from Russia and was completed when Suzanne gave birth to twins, Jacob and Samuel, two years later. That ecstasy was shattered when Sammy was given just a 50 percent chance of surviving a rare and brutal disease. The months of treatment - chemotherapy, bone marrow transplant, and devastating complications - put unimaginable pressure on the family. As Sammy struggled for survival, John and Suzanne were frequently separated from their sons, from their home - and from each other. With rare candor, John writes of his doubts, fears, and anger - and his search for lost faith. Marriages have been destroyed by far less than what this couple endured. But he and Suzanne learned the meaning of extravagant love and grace - from their family, from the medical professionals, from the children fighting for life, and most importantly, from Sammy - which ultimately opened the doorway to a life of joy.

Years of disappointment, infertility, and miscarriage behind them, John and Suzanne Henkels finally found bliss. A family began when they joyfully adopted Zach from Russia and was completed when Suzanne gave birth to twins, Jacob and Samuel, two years later. That ecstasy was shattered when Sammy was given just a 50 percent chance of surviving a rare and brutal disease. The months of treatment - chemotherapy, bone marrow transplant, and devastating complications - put unimaginable pressure on the family. As Sammy struggled for survival, John and Suzanne were frequently separated from their sons, from their home - and from each other. With rare candor, John writes of his doubts, fears, and anger - and his search for lost faith. Marriages have been destroyed by far less than what this couple endured. But he and Suzanne learned the meaning of extravagant love and grace - from their family, from the medical professionals, from the children fighting for life, and most importantly, from Sammy - which ultimately opened the doorway to a life of joy.

John Henkels grew up in Iowa amid a family of nine kids to a road-warrior traveling-salesman father and a stay-at-home mother. John is a civil engineer by day and a family man all the time. This is his first book. He and his wife, Suzanne, are the parents of three boys. They live in a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio.