The Livesays (a missionary family in Haiti - they are taking a maternity leave/furlough as Tara is expecting a baby and due to past deliveries is having the baby in the US) just got good news which is also an answer to prayer that many people have been praying for. I cried when I read the post (which is linked above) It is just another visible reminder of how great our God is!
If you go check out the Livesay's blog, check out Troy's photos - He has taken some awesome photographs and shares them on the blog & through a Flickr link on the side of their blog.
What a great way to start the long weekend!
Baby Ticker
Friday, August 31, 2007
Thursday, August 30, 2007
blog redesign
I was asked by a friend if I would be willing to give her blog a redesign. I told her that I would be willing to try and see if she liked what I could come up with. Well, I created a header for her and changed her template & colours and it seems that she likes it! You can view her blog here and tell her what you think of her new look!
I also had some time to play around with my blog and came up with a custom signature for my posts - in case anyone is wondering about the "winnie the pooh" - I am a huge Winnie fan and thought it would be fun to have winnie the pooh in my signature!
Enjoy!
I also had some time to play around with my blog and came up with a custom signature for my posts - in case anyone is wondering about the "winnie the pooh" - I am a huge Winnie fan and thought it would be fun to have winnie the pooh in my signature!
Enjoy!
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
my hubby
I got to talk to Ronel tonight. I haven't been able to talk to him since Saturday and that was only for a couple of minutes cause it started to rain and he needed to get home & get his moto in from the rain. Well, I found out tonight that he had a "ti" (little) accident that night on his way home. He hurt his foot & shoulder, but says he is fine (I think he is really fine, but also making sure I am not too worried about him, when I can do nothing but pray) He also said that his moto is fine, which I am thankful for as that is his main mode of transportation, especially to & from work and it is much cheaper than taking a tap-tap (public transportation) It is getting harder & harder to be apart - we are both feeling it now and I can hear it in both our voices when we talk. Just because we know that God has a plan for us, and that He has this whole situation under control, does NOT make it any easier to be separated by thousands of miles from your spouse, with no end date in sight. While I have been able to look at it more positively lately, - each day apart is one day closer to us being together - it still is hard each and every day that we are apart, and especially each day that we haven't been able to file. We are both now waiting on finances and while I know that God knows exactly what we need, waiting on money is hard for me. I can't pull this amount of money out of thin air, I have to trust God for this and I see how He is providing it bit by bit - for example, I just got an email from a friend (whom I will leave nameless for privacy) saying that she had wanted to send us a wedding gift but was unemployed last November and so was unable at that time and she had forgotten about it and had just remembered about it and so wanted to send me a cheque. I was floored! and so extremely thankful - the amount of the cheque doesn't matter in the least, what amazes me is God's faithfulness and how He is using those around me to bless our socks off! I am so grateful to the obedience of those around me as God is using them and continually showing me that He, NOT ME, has this all under control! My friends in my bible study want to have a garage sale to raise money for my "bring my hubby home" fund and even just that blesses me immensely!
As my header says - through everything I am going through God is growing & stretching me and I am getting excited to see the result of all this growth! I know that there is something great on the other end!
Count your blessing and be amazed at the greatness of our God!!
As my header says - through everything I am going through God is growing & stretching me and I am getting excited to see the result of all this growth! I know that there is something great on the other end!
Count your blessing and be amazed at the greatness of our God!!
Thursday, August 23, 2007
My nephew
I just got an email from my sister with a video of my nephew at the PNE. He helped a performer with his trick and it was so cute! But it really reminded me how big they are both getting and how fast they grow up! I missed C's first year of life as I was in Haiti, then I was home for 9 months, then gone for the majority of the next 3 years with multiple trips home but only for 3 or 4 weeks at a time. I was home for 3 months when T was born but because I was sick, I wasn't able to spend as much time with the boys as I would have liked. On my breaks at home, I would spend alot of time with my sister & the boys because everyone else was at work during the day, but now, with me working full time, visits are fewer and farther between. C starts kindergarten in Sept. and I just can't believe it! He has grown so much since I came home in Feb of '06 and while both boys have warmed up to me after knowing me so long through web chats & infrequent trips home. I am glad that I have been able to be around over the past year and a half and can't wait until Ronel can meet them, after hearing me talk about them for years!
test results
I went and saw my doctor on Monday for my test results and my anti-tTG is 124. The normal range is under 20! This means that I still have celiac disease. My B12 levels are also low and will be taking supplements also.
This is not what I expected to hear but am dealing with it. I know that God answered our prayers in June, I have been asymptomatic since June 6th and that is a miracle in itself! But, I do still have celiac disease and so I have started again on a gluten free lifestyle. I don't want to call it a diet as it isn't - this will be my lifestyle until God decides to completely heal me of celiac disease. At first, on Monday night, I was quite upset, but after a couple of days of being able to reflect on this and pray and discuss it with others, I have come to see the positives in this and see that God did touch me, but it wasn't the complete healing that I (and others) thought it was. I have also come to the realization (with help!) that this could also be God's way of getting my attention and having me pay more attention to my health.
As my new header title says - through it all, I am growing! Growing personally, growing relationally, growing spiritually, growing into the woman that God wants me to be!
This is not what I expected to hear but am dealing with it. I know that God answered our prayers in June, I have been asymptomatic since June 6th and that is a miracle in itself! But, I do still have celiac disease and so I have started again on a gluten free lifestyle. I don't want to call it a diet as it isn't - this will be my lifestyle until God decides to completely heal me of celiac disease. At first, on Monday night, I was quite upset, but after a couple of days of being able to reflect on this and pray and discuss it with others, I have come to see the positives in this and see that God did touch me, but it wasn't the complete healing that I (and others) thought it was. I have also come to the realization (with help!) that this could also be God's way of getting my attention and having me pay more attention to my health.
As my new header title says - through it all, I am growing! Growing personally, growing relationally, growing spiritually, growing into the woman that God wants me to be!
P.U.S.H
I saw this on a blog I read and really liked it!
A man was sleeping one night in his cabin when suddenly his room filled with light, and God appeared. The Lord told the man he had work for him to do, and showed him a large rock in front of his cabin. The Lord explained that the man was to push against the rock with all his might. So, this the man did, day after day. For many years he toiled from sun up to sun down, his shoulders set squarely against the cold, massive surface of the unmoving rock, pushing with all his might!
Each night the man returned to his cabin sore and worn out, feeling that his whole day had been spent in vain. Since the man was showing discouragement, the Adversary (Satan) decided to enter the picture by placing thoughts into the weary mind: (He will do it every time)! "You have been pushing against that rock for a long time and it hasn't moved." Thus, he gave the man the impression that the task was impossible and that he was a failure. These thoughts discouraged and disheartened the man. Satan said, "Why kill yourself over this?Just put in your time, giving just the minimum effort; and that will be good enough."
That's what the weary man planned to do, but decided to make it a matter of prayer and to take his troubled thoughts to The Lord. "Lord," he said, "I have labored long and hard in Your service , putting all my strength to do that which You have asked. Yet, after all this time, I have not even budged that rock by half a millimeter. What is wrong? Why am I failing?"
The Lord responded compassionately, "My friend, when I asked you to serve Me and you accepted, I told you that your task was to push against the rock with all of your strength, which you have done. Never once did I mention to you that I expected you to move it. Your task was to push. And now you come to Me with your strength spent, thinking that you have failed? But, is that really so? Look at yourself. Your arms are strong and muscled, your back shiny and brown; your hands are callused from constant pressure, your legs have become massive and hard. Through opposition you have grown much, and your abilities now surpass that which you used to have. True, you haven't moved the rock. But your calling was to be obedient and to push and to exercise your faith and trust in My wisdom. That you have done. Now I, my friend, will move the rock."
At times, when we hear a word from God, we tend to use our own intellect to decipher what He wants, when actually what God wants is just simple obedience and faith in Him. By all means, exercise the faith that moves mountains, but know that it is still God Who moves the mountains.
P = Pray
U = Until
S = Something
H = Happens
"Though no one can go back and make a brand new start,any one can start from now and make a brand new ending."
A man was sleeping one night in his cabin when suddenly his room filled with light, and God appeared. The Lord told the man he had work for him to do, and showed him a large rock in front of his cabin. The Lord explained that the man was to push against the rock with all his might. So, this the man did, day after day. For many years he toiled from sun up to sun down, his shoulders set squarely against the cold, massive surface of the unmoving rock, pushing with all his might!
Each night the man returned to his cabin sore and worn out, feeling that his whole day had been spent in vain. Since the man was showing discouragement, the Adversary (Satan) decided to enter the picture by placing thoughts into the weary mind: (He will do it every time)! "You have been pushing against that rock for a long time and it hasn't moved." Thus, he gave the man the impression that the task was impossible and that he was a failure. These thoughts discouraged and disheartened the man. Satan said, "Why kill yourself over this?Just put in your time, giving just the minimum effort; and that will be good enough."
That's what the weary man planned to do, but decided to make it a matter of prayer and to take his troubled thoughts to The Lord. "Lord," he said, "I have labored long and hard in Your service , putting all my strength to do that which You have asked. Yet, after all this time, I have not even budged that rock by half a millimeter. What is wrong? Why am I failing?"
The Lord responded compassionately, "My friend, when I asked you to serve Me and you accepted, I told you that your task was to push against the rock with all of your strength, which you have done. Never once did I mention to you that I expected you to move it. Your task was to push. And now you come to Me with your strength spent, thinking that you have failed? But, is that really so? Look at yourself. Your arms are strong and muscled, your back shiny and brown; your hands are callused from constant pressure, your legs have become massive and hard. Through opposition you have grown much, and your abilities now surpass that which you used to have. True, you haven't moved the rock. But your calling was to be obedient and to push and to exercise your faith and trust in My wisdom. That you have done. Now I, my friend, will move the rock."
At times, when we hear a word from God, we tend to use our own intellect to decipher what He wants, when actually what God wants is just simple obedience and faith in Him. By all means, exercise the faith that moves mountains, but know that it is still God Who moves the mountains.
When everything seems to go wrong...............................Just P.U.S.H.
When the job gets you down...........................................Just P.U.S.H.
When people don't do as you think they should................Just P.U.S.H.
When your money is "gone" and the bills are due............Just P.U.S.H.
When people just don't understand you...........................Just P.U.S.H.
When the job gets you down...........................................Just P.U.S.H.
When people don't do as you think they should................Just P.U.S.H.
When your money is "gone" and the bills are due............Just P.U.S.H.
When people just don't understand you...........................Just P.U.S.H.
P = Pray
U = Until
S = Something
H = Happens
"Though no one can go back and make a brand new start,any one can start from now and make a brand new ending."
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
it's been HOW long?
Today, I wondered how long it has been since I last saw Ronel (Okay, I know that may be a weird thought for some of you, but I've been missing Ronel ALOT lately, and while knowing exactly how long, it also makes it a little better - I don't yet know the end date, I do know that it is now 264 days closer than it was last December when I boarded the plane.
Saturday, August 18, 2007
the wedding
The wedding was great today! The Catholic church where it was held was beautiful - and so was the wedding! Both the bride & the groom were gorgeous and J - the bride's son who attends our daycare was adorable! He is a great kid and he was so excited to see us all! As was his mom! It is so great to have relationship with the families we work with! We took our photo with the whole family but I don't have them on my camera as well as photos of the 4 of us girls from work but will post one when I get it! J now gets to head off to Kids Camp for the week while his mom & new stepdad head off for their honeymoon! We know that J is going to love camp and it is also great timing so his mom won't have to worry about him!
Now off to Shona's 30th Birthday party!
Friday, August 17, 2007
memorial service
Today was the memorial service for Joanna. It was a great celebration of her life and while it was a bit awkward with the format and some confusion between who was doing what with the leading of the service, it was a nice time to be able to remember her and share memories with other friends and family. I got to see some friends and teachers from my bible college days as the service was at my old bible college. I had a nice talk with one of my old teachers and we both commented on how we know that Joanna would have been glad we were all there celebrating her life, however short it was. Joanna and I both shared our favorite verse - Jeremiah 29:11 and that was talked about today, how Joanna really held on to that verse, even when it became clear that she wasn't going to be able to beat this. It was great to hear that even in the midst of battling cancer, she still knew that God had a plan for her and that plan was full of good.
I got to talk to Joanna's mom for a bit and we both just remembered all the times I spent with Joanna and the family and Jolande (Joanna's mom) said she had been looking at a photo of Joanna & I on their couch and she thanked me for being such a good friend to Joanna and how she was sad that I hadn't been able to visit with Joanna but that she just didn't have the energy at the end to do much of all, and visitors had just been too much. I started to tear up when she thanked me for being a friend to Joanna, cause I had been upset at myself for not keeping in better touch when I moved to Haiti and Joanna left our church. Joanna and I had been so close during the last couple years in high school and also in bible college and even for a while afterwards, but once a little distance separated us, we both let our friendship slip. Events like this really make you look at your life and rethink things like that! The friends I have now, I want to keep, no matter where life takes us!
Okay, so it is now late and I have been working like crazy since I got home on Wednesday. I have been helping with preparations for our Lower Mainland Foursquare Kids Camp and I have put in 12-13 hours both yesterday and today and my body is starting to complain about the lack of rest and tomorrow is also a busy day, with both a wedding and a birthday party! One of our daycare parents is getting married tomorrow and she invited all the staff to come to the ceremony and then we have a party for a friend's 30th birthday and I still have some prep to do for the decorations for the stage at camp! Oh, I can't wait for school to start, life will be a little less hectic once school is in session! (or atleast I am really hoping that it is!!!)
Goodnight,
~~ and look 3 posts in 2 days..... I don't know if I can keep up with this pace, but hopefully I will be posting more regularly!~~
I got to talk to Joanna's mom for a bit and we both just remembered all the times I spent with Joanna and the family and Jolande (Joanna's mom) said she had been looking at a photo of Joanna & I on their couch and she thanked me for being such a good friend to Joanna and how she was sad that I hadn't been able to visit with Joanna but that she just didn't have the energy at the end to do much of all, and visitors had just been too much. I started to tear up when she thanked me for being a friend to Joanna, cause I had been upset at myself for not keeping in better touch when I moved to Haiti and Joanna left our church. Joanna and I had been so close during the last couple years in high school and also in bible college and even for a while afterwards, but once a little distance separated us, we both let our friendship slip. Events like this really make you look at your life and rethink things like that! The friends I have now, I want to keep, no matter where life takes us!
Okay, so it is now late and I have been working like crazy since I got home on Wednesday. I have been helping with preparations for our Lower Mainland Foursquare Kids Camp and I have put in 12-13 hours both yesterday and today and my body is starting to complain about the lack of rest and tomorrow is also a busy day, with both a wedding and a birthday party! One of our daycare parents is getting married tomorrow and she invited all the staff to come to the ceremony and then we have a party for a friend's 30th birthday and I still have some prep to do for the decorations for the stage at camp! Oh, I can't wait for school to start, life will be a little less hectic once school is in session! (or atleast I am really hoping that it is!!!)
Goodnight,
~~ and look 3 posts in 2 days..... I don't know if I can keep up with this pace, but hopefully I will be posting more regularly!~~
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Seattle Trip
~~~~Update continued from previous post~~~
Then, this week my mom & I went to Seattle for 2 nights & 2 days. I had two days off in a row from work and I wanted to go to the Woodland Park Zoo & the Seattle Aquarium and so my mom rearranged her work schedule and we went together. My mom is into letterboxing and so we also did a couple boxes on our trip. And the best part of going to the US - SHOPPING! We made stops at multiple Wal-Mart & Target stores, mainly in search of supplies for my kids at work but who can resist doing some personal shopping! I got my nephew, C some really cute school clothes for his birthday as he just turned 5 and is starting Kindergarten in Sept, and I got some onesies for Audrey for her baby shower in Sept.
Tuesday we started off at the Seattle Aquarium at Pier 59 in Seattle. It is quite a cool aquarium but different than what I am used to. It doesn't have the larger animals - like orca whales, dolphins, belugas, etc that I am used to from the Vancouver Aquarium. But what it does have that I enjoyed is more of a look at Pacific sealife which is what is all around us but a much closer view. Their newest exhibit is called Window on Washington Waters, a 120,000 gallon exhibit with a 39' X 17' viewing window. It is very cool and gives you a very up close and personal look at what is beneath the water around us. There was also an exhibit which showcased the birds of the shore and how they interacted with the sealife.
They have quite a few touch pools where you can reach in and touch the various creatures. My mom was braver than I and reached in and touch a few of them but they were a little too slimy for me!
One of the many touch pools - this one was full of various types of sea stars
My mom really like the stamp they used for their re-entry mark
They stamped it on the inside of our right wrist. It was kind of cool as it didn't wash off with the first time you washed your hands!
One of the really cool exhibits was the underground dome where you were in a huge glass dome where the fish were all around you, above you and it was just so neat. Even as you walked down into the dome, there were panels in the "roof" which allowed you to see into the tanks overhead.
this photo was taken on the way into the dome of the school of fish that was overhead.
After we finished at the aquarium, we headed over to Pike Place Market, which was celebrating their 100th birthday this week, to grab some fresh fruit and ended up also getting some mini doughnuts and stayed to watch some of the fish throwing - tried to get pictures of them actually throwing the fish but it all happens so fast!
After we finished up at Pike Place, we headed over to West Seattle so my mom could go to Lincoln Park and check out some letterboxes. After we finished with that, we headed out to Saltwater State Park and walked the beach a little and then settled into our campsite to spend the night.
Wednesday morning we woke up and I headed out to have a shower at the campground - it was the HOTTEST shower I have ever had! I actually had to wait before I could step in and first figure out how to cool the water down! The shower was operated by tokens which you got 4 for a $1 and a 3 minute shower was 2 tokens. The tokens were quite neat -
and while it was a quiet and small campground, it was quite nice. The campground was a "self-serve" site where you had to fill in an envelope and put your fee in the envelope and then drop it into a deposit box on site. After both Mom & I were ready to hit the road and we had had our breakfast, we headed north towards the Woodland Park Zoo!
The Zoo was great! I love zoos and have always wanted to go to the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle and have always been totally booked on trips to Seattle or alone and didn't want to go by myself to the zoo. A great vacation for me would be to just travel and visit zoos all over the US and Canada.
When we got to the zoo, we headed first into the Australian section (where there was a letterbox hidden) and then started our way around the zoo going through all the various sections except the Northern exhibit which held bears, foxes, eagles, and other animals which are found up North and which I have all seen many times here. At the end of the day when we got near that exhibit, my feet were killing me as I hadn't worn my sneakers and orthotics for a couple of days and so my feet didn't like being made to conform to something not natural for them! We were at the zoo for 4 or 5 hours walking the entire time and while I truly enjoyed it, it was very tiring! Their exhibits are all more about the animals then the visitors, they all have HUGE habitats and at some, more than one type of animal share the habitat, just like they would in nature. For example, the giraffes, zebras, gazelles, ostriches, and hippos all share the same African Savannah habitat. They all have their own "barns" but during the day they all mingle together in this large habitat made to resemble their natural surroundings. The elephant habitat is another amazing one! It is absolutely huge and has many different areas, including a 60,000 gallon pool with a waterfall that the elephants can bathe in! The gorillas and the orangutans also had really great habitats with lots of room both outdoor and indoor and many high swing and seats made out of woven canvas. I have LOTS of photos from the zoo and haven't been able to go through them all yet but will get some up here soon!!
Then, this week my mom & I went to Seattle for 2 nights & 2 days. I had two days off in a row from work and I wanted to go to the Woodland Park Zoo & the Seattle Aquarium and so my mom rearranged her work schedule and we went together. My mom is into letterboxing and so we also did a couple boxes on our trip. And the best part of going to the US - SHOPPING! We made stops at multiple Wal-Mart & Target stores, mainly in search of supplies for my kids at work but who can resist doing some personal shopping! I got my nephew, C some really cute school clothes for his birthday as he just turned 5 and is starting Kindergarten in Sept, and I got some onesies for Audrey for her baby shower in Sept.
Tuesday we started off at the Seattle Aquarium at Pier 59 in Seattle. It is quite a cool aquarium but different than what I am used to. It doesn't have the larger animals - like orca whales, dolphins, belugas, etc that I am used to from the Vancouver Aquarium. But what it does have that I enjoyed is more of a look at Pacific sealife which is what is all around us but a much closer view. Their newest exhibit is called Window on Washington Waters, a 120,000 gallon exhibit with a 39' X 17' viewing window. It is very cool and gives you a very up close and personal look at what is beneath the water around us. There was also an exhibit which showcased the birds of the shore and how they interacted with the sealife.
They have quite a few touch pools where you can reach in and touch the various creatures. My mom was braver than I and reached in and touch a few of them but they were a little too slimy for me!
One of the many touch pools - this one was full of various types of sea stars
My mom really like the stamp they used for their re-entry markThey stamped it on the inside of our right wrist. It was kind of cool as it didn't wash off with the first time you washed your hands!
One of the really cool exhibits was the underground dome where you were in a huge glass dome where the fish were all around you, above you and it was just so neat. Even as you walked down into the dome, there were panels in the "roof" which allowed you to see into the tanks overhead.
this photo was taken on the way into the dome of the school of fish that was overhead.
After we finished at the aquarium, we headed over to Pike Place Market, which was celebrating their 100th birthday this week, to grab some fresh fruit and ended up also getting some mini doughnuts and stayed to watch some of the fish throwing - tried to get pictures of them actually throwing the fish but it all happens so fast!
This is the fish market during a quiet time
After we finished up at Pike Place, we headed over to West Seattle so my mom could go to Lincoln Park and check out some letterboxes. After we finished with that, we headed out to Saltwater State Park and walked the beach a little and then settled into our campsite to spend the night.
Wednesday morning we woke up and I headed out to have a shower at the campground - it was the HOTTEST shower I have ever had! I actually had to wait before I could step in and first figure out how to cool the water down! The shower was operated by tokens which you got 4 for a $1 and a 3 minute shower was 2 tokens. The tokens were quite neat -
and while it was a quiet and small campground, it was quite nice. The campground was a "self-serve" site where you had to fill in an envelope and put your fee in the envelope and then drop it into a deposit box on site. After both Mom & I were ready to hit the road and we had had our breakfast, we headed north towards the Woodland Park Zoo!
When we got to the zoo, we headed first into the Australian section (where there was a letterbox hidden) and then started our way around the zoo going through all the various sections except the Northern exhibit which held bears, foxes, eagles, and other animals which are found up North and which I have all seen many times here. At the end of the day when we got near that exhibit, my feet were killing me as I hadn't worn my sneakers and orthotics for a couple of days and so my feet didn't like being made to conform to something not natural for them! We were at the zoo for 4 or 5 hours walking the entire time and while I truly enjoyed it, it was very tiring! Their exhibits are all more about the animals then the visitors, they all have HUGE habitats and at some, more than one type of animal share the habitat, just like they would in nature. For example, the giraffes, zebras, gazelles, ostriches, and hippos all share the same African Savannah habitat. They all have their own "barns" but during the day they all mingle together in this large habitat made to resemble their natural surroundings. The elephant habitat is another amazing one! It is absolutely huge and has many different areas, including a 60,000 gallon pool with a waterfall that the elephants can bathe in! The gorillas and the orangutans also had really great habitats with lots of room both outdoor and indoor and many high swing and seats made out of woven canvas. I have LOTS of photos from the zoo and haven't been able to go through them all yet but will get some up here soon!!
Saturday, August 11, 2007
another crazy update
So, life has been busy since the beginning of the month and I really can't believe that it is the 16th of August already! The long weekend camping trip was great, it was lovely weather and it was wonderful to just be able to relax and not worry about much of anything! We had the best of both worlds as we were camping in a beautiful setting but had all the amenities close by.
When I got back from the camping trip to Kamloops, I went straight into house sitting for the week. It was nice to see the two girls again and one of the girls was quite happy to see me as well. The other girl was getting ready to head back to Korea for a visit before coming back in September for another year of high school here. On Friday, the 10th, I got a call from Nicole saying she needed to talk to me. Since I was only 2 doors down from her place, she came over and told me that Lottie, my pastor's wife, had just gotten a call (she was visiting them) saying that Joanna had just passed away. Joanna is a long time friend of mine, we became friends when we were in high school, went to bible college together and also interned at the church together. Our birthdays are only 8 days apart and so we always did something fun together to celebrate. We drifted apart my first year in Haiti and when I came home after my first year, she had left the church and we didn't keep in great touch after that. A couple of years ago, while I was in Haiti we reconnected on MSN messenger and kept saying that we should get together when I was home. When I got back from my honeymoon in December, I found out from friends that she had been diagnosed with cancer. Now, Joanna had Chrohn's since she was 6 years old and had many health issues growing up. Apparently she had collapsed at her apartment and her mom found her when she didn't show up for work and someone called her parents. She spent a couple of months in the hospital with many problems, and was released in January, after the removal of most of her intestines. She took each day one at a time and was re-admitted to the hospital a couple of weeks ago. At this time, I tried to go and see her ( I had tried to go in January but she had just been discharged and didn't return my calls or emails wanting to get in touch) and I called the hospital and was told she wasn't up to visitors. While I have been preparing myself for this news since I first heard about her diagnosis in December, it still doesn't make it any easier. Especially after my healing! I have been praying for Joanna's healing for years and just prayed harder after I found about the cancer diagnosis. As a good friend of mine told me, my prayers were answered - just not in the way I had wanted! The memorial service is tomorrow (Friday) at the bible college we both attended. I know that it is going to be very tough but I want to be there to support her family and let them know how much Joanna has meant to me over the years. I have lost family members and friends, but they have all been much older than me and losing someone who is my own age makes you look at life a little different! You never know how long your time here is and you better make sure that you are doing what God has planned for you and you also better enjoy each day to the fullest!
When I got back from the camping trip to Kamloops, I went straight into house sitting for the week. It was nice to see the two girls again and one of the girls was quite happy to see me as well. The other girl was getting ready to head back to Korea for a visit before coming back in September for another year of high school here. On Friday, the 10th, I got a call from Nicole saying she needed to talk to me. Since I was only 2 doors down from her place, she came over and told me that Lottie, my pastor's wife, had just gotten a call (she was visiting them) saying that Joanna had just passed away. Joanna is a long time friend of mine, we became friends when we were in high school, went to bible college together and also interned at the church together. Our birthdays are only 8 days apart and so we always did something fun together to celebrate. We drifted apart my first year in Haiti and when I came home after my first year, she had left the church and we didn't keep in great touch after that. A couple of years ago, while I was in Haiti we reconnected on MSN messenger and kept saying that we should get together when I was home. When I got back from my honeymoon in December, I found out from friends that she had been diagnosed with cancer. Now, Joanna had Chrohn's since she was 6 years old and had many health issues growing up. Apparently she had collapsed at her apartment and her mom found her when she didn't show up for work and someone called her parents. She spent a couple of months in the hospital with many problems, and was released in January, after the removal of most of her intestines. She took each day one at a time and was re-admitted to the hospital a couple of weeks ago. At this time, I tried to go and see her ( I had tried to go in January but she had just been discharged and didn't return my calls or emails wanting to get in touch) and I called the hospital and was told she wasn't up to visitors. While I have been preparing myself for this news since I first heard about her diagnosis in December, it still doesn't make it any easier. Especially after my healing! I have been praying for Joanna's healing for years and just prayed harder after I found about the cancer diagnosis. As a good friend of mine told me, my prayers were answered - just not in the way I had wanted! The memorial service is tomorrow (Friday) at the bible college we both attended. I know that it is going to be very tough but I want to be there to support her family and let them know how much Joanna has meant to me over the years. I have lost family members and friends, but they have all been much older than me and losing someone who is my own age makes you look at life a little different! You never know how long your time here is and you better make sure that you are doing what God has planned for you and you also better enjoy each day to the fullest!
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