Christmas 1994

“Forget the former things, do not dwell on the past.  See I am doing a new thing!  Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?  I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland” Isaiah 43:18,19

                                                                                                                                  Christmas 1994

Although it’s only November my heart already thrills at the prospect of Christmas.  A season when we energetically focus on Jesus and on showing our love to Him and to those he has placed around us.  A time to celebrate Jesus – to worship Him as we listen to carols, wrap gifts, bake goodies and prepare for his “birthday party”!  It’s a blessing to have kids around the house to share this exciting message with.

Once again, I have much to be thankful for as I glance back over 1994.  God continues to show His faithfulness to me 0 although at times this journey of life is less than “comfortable”.  I have found that God’s purposes are much greater than just giving us a comfy ride through life!  And I am so grateful that I have Him as my Companion and as my ultimate Goal!  But before I start talking about heaven, I’ll get back to the blessings that God has already surrounded me with, a little bit of heaven one earth…

Ron and I started out the year with a little “getaway” and we boarded a jet for Jamaica!  The amazing thing about the trip was that it almost didn’t happen.  I was astounded at my ability to forget which day it was and to miss our flights entirely.  Wonders never do cease!  And I used to consider myself quite organized and on top of things.  This aging business is hitting me a little earlier than I thought it would.  However the Lord graciously rescued us from my blunder and we were soon on our way with new flights at no extra charge.  We had a lovely time exploring the island with a good friend of mine who is there on missions.  Unfortunately somewhere along the line I acquired a nasty little intruder on my bottom (otherwise known as a pressure sore) so I came home from my trip and had to spend a number of weeks “relaxing” in bed while it healed.  It’s the first time I’ve had a close encounter with a pressure sore and I truly hope it will be my last.  It’s one thing to go on a holiday willingly, but these forced retreats can be a little unsettling. 

The spring brought Patrice’s 3^rdbirthday, which she enjoyed.  She continues to be an energetic, curious, bright, noisy, delightful and often very aggravating child.  (Have I covered all the bases?)  I believe I am receiving just retribution for any difficulties I put my mother through when I was a young child, and perhaps even more. I have now discovered what it is to have a strong willed child.  However, we truly do enjoy our little princess and I believe that we will have a very helpful and kind girl once all this energy is harnessed and channeled. As my sister says, “Once she gets in shape she’ll be just great!”  (Yes, I’ve gotten several of James Dobson’s books and other good “How to Parent without losing your Mind” books”).  

Ron and I have decided that we previously have been far too quick to pass judgment on other people’s children.  Smile…  We are learning a little more about grace, patience and laughter.  And we are so grateful for all the laughs our daughter brings into our home.  The other day I heard her singing in the back of the car “thank you Jesus for my sins”.  I of course tried to correct her, but somehow I have the feeling that sometimes she really does feel that way!  Some of the activities that I would classify as “sins” probably brought her great delight at the time.  (For example, finger painting on the bathroom wall with Vaseline or doing some creative writing on her sheets and carpet with a black crayon…)  Patrice also really enjoys preschool, dance class, and playing with her big brother whom she adores!

Daniel just turned 8 in October and he has had a full and fun year.  He’s much quieter than his sister, but still a lot of fun.  Ron and I thoroughly enjoy him!  He has continued with his violin (which he would definitely NOT classify as a fun activity) and he is doing quite well at it. 

His favourite winter sport is snow mobiling with his daddy and he was eagerly awaiting the arrival of winter even while it was still summer so that he could pursue the sport!  Spring and summer activities included biking, swimming, playing kick the can and of course, his other favourite, baseball.  Ron decided to try his hand at coaching this year and he turned out to be very good at it!  Daniel’s team ended up winning first place and the final game just happened to be on coach Ron’s birthday so we had ourselves a fun celebration in the park with all the kids.  Daniel is now in grade 3 and he has a wonderful Christian teacher.  I think his bible knowledge is almost better than mine was at 12^thgrade.  I’m so grateful for the opportunity to send him to the Christian school. They have also implemented a physical education program that gets the kids running on a regular basis.  Daniel came home proudly announcing that he had run 14 km’s one day. The boys tend to get a little competitive at times.  I only wish I could benefit from all that running.

As a family we traveled down to Calgary in the spring to be at my brother’s convocation.  He received his degree in Social Work and we were very proud of him!  I also made a couple of trips to Vancouver with my Mom and the kids to see Elsie. She’s doing really well and the kids always love to spend time at her place.  My father has done a lot of work in making her place accessible for me and I enjoy having her home as a little holiday destination.  I am incredibly grateful to God for giving me the family He has.  They are all so good to me – another little taste of heaven…

We are also very thankful to have Ron’s family in town.  His mom continues to keep the kids supplied with beautiful sweaters and our table supplied with cinnamon buns!  Unfortunately she broke her ankle at work this fall so that slowed her down a little, but she still accomplishes more than most women half her age.  The kids love playing with their cousins who also all live in town.

  As I write I have to smile, my life almost sounds like something off “Little House on the Prairie”.  Winter cabins, cinnamon buns, home knit sweaters, brother’s working together, family gatherings… Maybe I should start my own series…”Ron and Karen in the Little valley” or should I make it “Little Ron and Karen in the Big Valley?” You can write in with your suggestions!  (How’s that for getting you to write back?)

There’s been a little time lapse in my writing and it is now Dec. 10^th.  Ron and I just returned from a “Renewal camp” at the YWAM base in Kona Hawaii.  I decided it was finally time to go back and face the scene of the accident and Ron agree, somewhat unwillingly.  (Although it’s a little difficult to be unwilling to face Hawaii!”  The blessings far outweighed the tears that were shed as we went back to the place that holds so many memories for us.  We met many wonderful people there and were incredibly ministered to by the times of teaching, worship and prayer.  The Lord did a healing work in our hearts and we are so grateful to Him.  The verse at the start of this letter was given to Ron at the Camp and we are believing God for continued healing and times of refreshing!  (Even at home here in snowy Kelowna!).  It was an extra bonus that my brother Vic and his family were also at the YWAM base in Hawaii where they are taking a Crossroads Discipleship training School.  We had fun times snorkeling and sightseeing with them.

We pray that your Christmas will be a time where you will focus on Jesus and feel His presence as you worship Him.  Many blessings to you in the Name of Jesus!

Christmas 1993 - Year in a Large Nutshell

 The Word became flesh 

          and made His dwelling among us...

Tis the season to be jolly, and that means 'tis also the season to remember each one of you dear ones with our annual Christmas letter!  So here I sit at the computer wondering how I can encapsulate the entire past year onto a page.  It's a blessing to look back over the months and to once again see the faithfulness of God in our lives.  He became flesh and made His dwelling among us - what an awesome truth!  What a wonderful reason to celebrate!! What I desire to learn more and more is to live in that truth - that the Spirit of God came down to dwell in me and in my home and I can share that incredible gift with those I come in contact with.  The only gift that will last throughout eternity...wow!

Well, I didn't mean to send you a sermon so I"ll get back to the life and times of the Engel family.  We decided to do the "family thing" and bravely packed up Daniel, Patrice, my wheelchair, swimsuits, the video camera, Oma and Opa, Tante Hilda and Elsie and headed to the Hawaiian Island of Maui.  I guess Daniel thought we were going off to some foreign land because he asked "do you know how to talk if we go to Kondolulu?"

Well, we did now how to talk "American" and we had an adventurous holiday there. We enjoyed the sun and the surf, (can you believe I even tried snorkling??) watching the whales which were often breaching in the ocean in front of our condo and the lovely scenery of Hawaii.

 However following this experience I can't say that I would recommend travelling with an almost two year old.  Somehow between her sunburn, ear infection and boundless energy, she managed to leave all of us feeling slightly unrelaxed and unrested.  Maybe next time I'll be smarter and listen to the advice of those older and wiser than myself. (Who have lived through more 2 year olds than I have...)

We arrived home to enjoy a wonderful meal prepared by our nanny Josefina.  She was an incredible help around the home and with the children and she stayed with us until the end of April when her 2 year contract with us ended.  At that point I felt ready to try to manage the home-front on my own again with someone coming in to do the cleaning.

 Little did I know the adventures that awaited me... Some people may say I'm brave to try to keep up on my own, but I'm beginning to think that I"m bordering on crazy.  I don't think I've ever been so exhausted in my entire life! But exhausted or not, I would never trade my kids for anything.  They are truly a gift from the Lord.

Daniel has always been a relatively easy child to look after and he continues to be a delight and joy to Ron and I.  He has had an eventful year between learning to read and write in grade one, doing well at swimming lessons, playing road hockey, biking to his heart's content, winning the church fishing derby on his first fishing trip with Daddy, going to soccer camp, watching the Blue Jays lose TWO games in Seattle (we sure picked a couple of lousy games to watch!) and growing in his faith. 

He's always been quite a serious little guy and in the spring he was watching some people get baptized in our church when he decided that he wanted to do the same.  I initially discouraged him, saying he should wait and that we would do some more teaching.  However, as I thought about it, the verse came to me where Jesus tells us "Let the little children come to me" and I felt that since Daniel had already accepted Christ as Saviour, he was also ready to follow in the next step. So in the summer when our church had a worship and baptism service down at the lake, Daniel bravely went forward and was baptized by one of our pastor friends and Ron.  It was a very special time and I pray that Daniel will never forget the significance of what he did that evening.

As a remembrance gift for the occasion Daniel and I went to pick out a Bible for him.  As we were looking Daniel informed me that he wanted a "holy kind of Bible" and he was very certain that he wanted one with no pictures.  At one point when I showed him another beautiful children's bible he said to me "this is the last time I'm telling you that I don't want pictures in my Bible!" So we came home with a real Holy Bible with NO pictures.  It blesses me to see Daniel diligently reading the book of Genesis and getting excited over things like "Sarah lived to be 127 years old!"

Meanwhile, if Daniel makes me think of a quiet afternoon of fishing in a canoe, Patrice makes me think of a wild roller coaster ride in an amusement park.  Lots of laughter, screaming, jokes, dancing, singing and fun.  Our home will never quite be the same but we love our little bundle of energy like crazy!  She turned two in March and she has learned to talk very well, was easy to potty train, loves the water, is ready at any moment to dance and "worship and praise the Lord' and is a real social butterfly.  Ron calls her our little blonde bombshell. That can be interpreted in any number of ways! Often the house does look like a bomb hit it after Patrice has worked her way through a few of the rooms.  I don't know if we could have had two more different children, but we love the flavour that each little personality adds to our family.

One of the really delightful things about having a two year old around is the incredibly funny lines that she comes up with.  Recently Patrice gave Ron and I a good laugh when she informed us "because I'm a lady I should have a monkey". Now, I don't know if she was looking for a date but she'll have to be a bit more flattering if that's the case! I've found that most men won't stand for that kind of talk.  She also seems to have a slight mental block when it comes to naming musical instruments as she calls the piano a "panio", the guitar is a "ticar" and the violin is a "vio-in".  And of course our favourite is the "dice-a-nor", meaning of course, a dinosaur.  We don't dare correct her as we enjoy these refreshing little changes to the English language.  

This fall Daniel entered grade 2 which he really enjoys and he has a wonderful teacher.  He also chose to learn the violin so he and I are taking lessons together and the house is filled with screeching that at times causes Ron to roll his eyes and disappear to a quieter place. The teacher says that Daniel's musical ability is good, but he lacks a little in the technical end of things so we've got our work cut out for us. It's neat having an activity that the two of us can participate in together though.  Someday maybe we'll even sound good.  

This fall also saw Ron give up Real Estate as he didn't find that he enjoyed the pressure involved.  We've still got the apple orchard which keeps him busy though and recently he's been doing some construction work with his brother. Play time for Ron involves hockey once a week and snowmobiling whenever he gets the chance. We recently bought a tiny and very "rustic" cabin by a little fishing lake which will be good for year round family outings. We're excited to start using that.

Our families continue to be a joy and blessing to us as well.  Ron's parents are doing well and they kindly provide us with lots of dried fruit, apple juice, hand knit sweaters for the kids and delicious home-made buns and bread on a regular basis.  We're blessed!! 

We also see a lot of my parents as they live so close by.  Patrice and Daniel have worn a path to their home with their frequent trips over there.  I can't thank God enough for the wonderful family he has given to Ron and I. The older I get the more I realize what really counts in life and know that family is one of the richest gifts we have.  On that note I will close this letter and wish you  a Christmas and New Year which is full of the presence and blessing of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Christmas 1992 - Year at a long glance!

 The Christmas Season is upon us once again! 

Today is the First Advent, and asI look out the front window I cn see Christmas lights and snow on the ground so it seems to be a fitting time to write our annual newsletter.  In fact tonight I was able to carry on a tradition that my mom began when I was a child, of lighting the advent candle and gathering around as family to sing Christmas songs.  Daniel joined in quite eagerly ow that he knows the songs and Patrice danced to the music and uttered a few unintelligible phrases, enjoying the occasion.  

As I watched my children I felt such a thankfulness in my heart and I know Ron feels the same.  They have definitely been the highlights of this year for us and we are grateful to God for placing these little treasures into our lives.

Daniel turned six in October and he is now learning to read and write in Grade One.  He can't say with great enthusiasm that he enjoys school, as he finds it really cuts into his playtime - but I know that he would miss it if he had to stay home.  His favourite "subjects" are Gym and recess which I imagine he does really well at.

One day I asked hi what he was learning in Math and replied that they had to put crayons in their box.  The things they teach kids these days must be really advanced...

For awhile there Daniel was coming home and saying that the teacher said he was bad but he really thought he hadn't been bad.  So one day when my mom picked him up from school and he was complaining about this dilemma again she said that maybe the teacher just made a mistake.  Daniel obviously agreed and he figured that "maybe she just doesn't know Jesus well enough yet." Since then I have talked to Daniel's teacher "who really does know Jesus haha) and she informed me that he's a bit of a dreamer and therefore he doesn't always respond quickly enough to instructions.  Apparently there is some improvement in this area as his "warnings" from the teacher have decreased.  His favourite activities this past year have included swimming, learning to roller blade, biking, floor hockey and of course table games.  He is a delightful, quiet boy and we really enjoy the age he is at. 

Patrice is another story altogether... 

Even though she is much younger and smaller than Daniel, she can exhaust several large adults in a very short period of time with her ceaseless motion, energy and activities.  Her little hands are busy reaching whatever they can possibly read and then she runs as fast as she possibly can with the treasures she has discovered before someone can dislodge them from her amazingly strong little grip.  

Thankfully in the midst of all of this flurry she has a very delightful temperament and she brings joy and laughter almost everywhere she goes.  We're still working on "socially acceptable" behaviour for her and one small problem area that remains is her attraction to the toilet.  The other week Ron extracted her and several washcloths out of the toilet and much to his dismay it had been previously "occupied"... 

We're hoping that soon she will realize that most bathrooms have a tub and a toilet for two very different reasons.  she's got quite a big vocabulary already but she prefers to use one word at a time at this stage of the game.  If she manages to answer the phone before one of us gets it she does manage to speak in phrases, however none of us understand that language yet.  

For Ron and I it has been an interesting year... We started out by going to Anaheim in January to attend a Conference and have a little holiday.  We enjoyed the change of scenery and had fun going to Disneyland, touring Beverley Hills and doing some shopping.  

In March Ron discovered that he was having the urge to add one more "profession" to his list so he bought a 10 acre apple orchard (about a 15 minute drive from where we live) and he began the awesome task of farming.  We've decided that it's probably not a good way to make money but it is certainly a good time consumer!  My father pitched in and spent a fair bit of his summer out there as well.  

He began with the most important task that he could think of and that was erecting one small "out-building" which I've dubbed "John's house".  He is quite willing to share it with anyone that has the need though!  Ron enjoyed driving his small tractor through the orchard mowing the grass and keeping things looking tidy.  This fall we were able to enjoy the fruits of our harvest and we have enough dried apples and apple juice and apples stored away to supply a small army.  Ron is eager to build us a home out there, but I'm procrastinating for now as I love living so close to everything and having family within walking distance. 

This fall after the apples were harvested Ron and I took a little trip down to Spokane with the kids and we just enjoyed being together, swminning, shopping and eating out. on the way home we were shocked when we hit and killed a small deer.  I was afraid that Daniel would be upset by this so I immediately prayed and thanked God that none of us were hurt. However I realized that Daniel was more concerned about our freezer being full than he was about the deer when he said "now we'll have good meat to eat...".

Since harvest, Ron has been able to concentrate once again on Real Estate and he has done remarkably well at that.  Hopefully he'll be able to keep busy with it this winter as well.  I have been able to keep busy with a variety of things and I'm enjoying the freedom I have while I still have our nanny/housekeeper.  I'm very grateful for her help, especially with Patrice being such a busy little girl and it's nice not having to struggle to keep up with the housework.  Our nanny Josefina has been with us for about 1.5 years and or contract with her will in in April at which time I'll be looking for some part time help.

Our families are doing quite well.  My parents are healthy and it's an absolute blessing to have them so close by.  I realize what a wonderful treat it is just to pop over there in the evening and watch Daniel play games with his Opa while Oma enjoys watching Patrice.  And Ron's parents are never too far away either and the kids are always happy to go over there for a visit too.  

Ron's father has been having some trouble with his blood pressure and other health concerns have "allowed" him to retire.  He still manages to fill his days with all kinds of activities though.  Ron's mom is as busy as ever knitting all her grandchildren sweaters for Christmas and working at the Capital News.

So, as life continues to move on and we all go through our various experiences some enjoyable and others painful, I am coming to realize more and more the importance of my relationship with Jesus and the incredible source of hope and stability He is.  And I will lose this letter with a Psalm which I pray will become a reality in our lives and yours...

"One thing I ask of the lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.  For in the day of trouble, he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock."  Pslm 27:4,5

Christmas 1991

Every good and perfect gift is from above
Coming down from the Father of the Heavenly lights
Who does not change like shifting shadows…" 
James 1:17 

Christmas Greetings!                                                                                  

It is with much joy that I look back over the past year and share with you all the good things that the Lord has brought about in our lives.  He is so incredibly faithful and true to his word – I’m so glad that we are able to celebrate the true meaning of this season and glorify the great KING who came to bring LIFE to us!

This is the fifth Christmas since the accident and it seems that each year just keeps getting better and better.  This past year started off with the birth of our daughter Patrice Naomi on March 20^th. The labour and delivery was an incredibly joyful experience despite the numerous IV’s and machines I was hooked up to. 

Patrice has been a very special gift from the Lord and she was an answer to prayer for Daniel as well.  He had requested a little sister and was happy when we brought her home. 

After we brought baby Patrice home I managed on my own for a month before our nanny, Josie arrived from Singapore to help out.  She was a direct answer to prayer and I have been very grateful for her help around the house and with the children.  She’s a cheerful, hardworking girl who really loves the Lord.  So our family grew from 3 to 5 in a very short time! 

Daniel is now a big boy of 5 and he started kindergarten this fall to his great delight.  He loves the activity and the fun of having other children to interact with.  One of his favorite times is “show and tell” and the other week he sang “O Canada” solo from start to finish as he proudly held his Canadian flag.  He also taught the entire class a special prayer song, which they often sing before snacks. This boy is obviously not shy! Some of his other activities this past year included learning to ride his 2 wheeler, taking swimming lessons (he loves the water) and he even tried his hand at baseball which he enjoyed despite absorbing a hit with his face rather than his glove.  I even got that on video and he now finds the episode more amusing than he did the first time around!

Daniel really loves his little sister Patrice and he gets big smiles and lots of laughs from her and she in turn gets him laughing harder than I’ve ever seen him laugh!  She’s good medicine for our whole family.  She gets all of us laughing and she’s a smiley little girl who loves attention and finds life pretty amusing.  

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed watching her grow and develop, especially as I missed these months with Daniel because I was in the Rehabilitation hospital. Presently she’s 8 months old and is busy crawling around investigating whatever she can.  She just started pulling herself to the standing position and she finds my wheelchair to be a handy tool to help her stand up and then she gets right down to the business of teething on the wheels!  Not too sanitary, but she hasn’t complained yet. She was carried so often by our nanny that Oma wondered if she’d ever learn to crawl so she came over in the evenings to give Patrice crawling lessons.  They obviously worked well and Oma is proud of her success.

Meanwhile, while all these goings on were going on, Ron was busy studying real estate and as of October he became a licensed realtor with Hoover Realty. He’s enjoying his work and he already sold his first house, and recently got his first listing so he’s flying pretty high.  Some of his hobbies include hockey and breeding exotic birds.  If you ask me, those are about as unrelated as you can get, but this man of mine likes to keep his interests diversified.  

I have been keeping busy as well and having someone to help me with the housework and childcare has enabled me to do some fun things this fall.  Since the accident I have barely played any piano at all due to the awkwardness of it, but Ron bought me a synthesizer so now I don’t have an excuse anymore.  So I’m taking piano lessons from a gal at church (Angela) and it has been a lot of fun.  In fact, I’m now leading worship with the synthesizer in the home group meeting we host at our place every week.  I guess Ron doesn’t want to be left behind so he bought himself an old bass guitar and we practice together.  Even Daniel likes to get into the action and he sets up his “drum set” (a large selection of metal bowls and kitchen utensils) to make sure that Ron and I don’t get off beat! Patrice is in charge of the tambourine, but she can’t figure out yet whether she’s supposed to eat it or play it.  I figure we’re good enough to get onto “America’s funniest Home Videos”, but we’ll practice a bit more first so we’re really polished.

We continue to see our parents quite often and we’re so glad that they all live fairly close by.  I thank the Lord so much for the incredible blessing of a loving family.  It’s extra special that Daniel and Patrice get to enjoy being with their grandparents so often.  In fact jus the other night we invited all of then over to celebrate the first advent and we had a nice time singing some Christmas carols together.

Along with the great joy I feel in reflecting on my wonderful family and the Lord’s grace on our lives, I am also very conscious of the darkness surrounding us in so many forms.  I want so much to keep my eyes on the Shepherd, the author of light and life. I’m grateful that I KNOW the Christ of Christmas and I pray that He will fill your celebration with His light and hope!

Christmas1990 Yearly ReCap

“Give thanks to the Lord, 
for he is good.  His love endures forever.”       
                         Psalm 136:1

It’s a joy to be able to write another Christmas newsletter this year and to focus on the many good things the Lord has done for us over the past months.  He truly is a good God and I am so glad that this wonderful Christmas Season is here once again.  Lately I’ve been listening to Handel’s Messiah and I am so blessed by the words and music. What an incredible reason we have to celebrate!

This coming February it will be 4 years since our accident in Hawaii and I must say that I am very glad that the initial years of adjustment are behind us.  God has been so faithful to provide for our needs, to encourage us and to care for us, but now we feel more able to reach out and look a little bit to the needs of others, which is a nice change!  We are hosting a home meeting during the week at our place (which makes it easier for me to attend) where I lead worship and play guitar.  We are studying the book of Philippians this year both at church and in our home groups so we’re getting a good dose of teaching on rejoicing!  Regardless of circumstances our lives should be characterized by the joy of the Lord.  

As I look back on this year I can see that the Lord has truly given me an abundance of reasons to rejoice. Near the beginning of the year I had surgery once again to reduce my muscle spasms and that has made life much easier for me.  I’ve even been able to go completely off all of my medications!  Then in February Ron and I flew down to Anaheim California to enjoy a conference on Holiness.  The teaching was excellent and it was an awesome experience to be able to worship together with about 3,500 other believers.

Daniel is another one of my greatest sources of joy.  He’s been at a delightful age for many months now (turned 4 in October) and he’s also a real help to me.  Quite a responsible little fellow!  He’s still doing well with memorizing Bible verses and it’s a pleasure to hear him pray.  Lately his concern is very much for poor people, but as he was praying for them the other day things came out a bit scrambled.  He said to the Lord,  “Please take care of the poor people, and send US more money”.  I’m sure the Lord knew what he meant!  It’s fun watching him learn new things and I’m enjoying teaching him about creation and how to write his letters.  This year he has also done well in his swimming lessons and now that it’s winter Ron is teaching him how to skate.  I can’t thank God enough for this precious little boy!

Another reason for celebration this year was Mom and Dad’s 40^thAnniversary.  We had a special evening with some close friends at a restaurant nearby where we enjoyed a delicious meal and had a good time of singing and visiting.  And Vic was able to come down to Kelowna to surprise Mom and Dad for the event, which was an extra special treat.  Mom and Dad continue to be an incredible blessing to all of us kids and I am so glad we live close enough to see them often.  (Plus it’s an added bonus that Daniel frequently finds his way over there to visit with his Oma and Opa while Mommy rests!) Elsie also moved into her new house nearby which is great so we see lots of her too.

We’re also privileged to have Ron’s parents living in town and Daniel loves to go visit them too. Grandma is always baking some kind of treat or a batch of buns for us, plus we are regularly supplied with beautiful hand knit sweaters made to fit perfectly! Ron’s Dad has had a tough year though as he was diagnosed with cancer, but now that he’s had surgery and is done his treatments things are looking better.  

Ron, of course, continues to keep very busy.  At the beginning of September he put away his electrical tools and he is now working with a good friend Luke under the name of Hannon Management.  This involves contracting out services such as accounting and setting up businesses for interested clients.  He also works for this same friend at the Society of Hope to help single parents find housing and work opportunities among other things.  It’s quite a challenge but Ron is enjoying the change and the opportunity to learn many new things. He also really likes the fellows he works with.  

Now it’s hard to say that I’ve saved the best news for last because I’ve mentioned so many good things in this letter, but we’re pretty excited about the latest development that God is sending our way!  Most of you have probably already heard the news, but according to Daniel, “there is a baby in my mommy’s tummy!”  God willing, we are expecting the arrival of a little brother or sister for Daniel at the beginning of April.  I’m generally feeling very well (other than a heart rate that hits some  phenomenal highs and lows on occasion) and I’m VERY much looking forward to having another baby.

So, as you can see, we really do have a lot to thank the Lord for, but most of all we thank Him for His presence in our lives and for the gift of salvation through JESUS!  

Christmas 1989 ReCap

“The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us… In Him was life and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness but the darkness has not understood it.”          John 1

Once again I have the joy of sending out a Christmas newsletter and as I look back over the past year I can see that there are so many things to thank God for.  He is truly the Light that dispels darkness and gives us hope. 

This year has been a full one and I am continuing to get stronger as time goes on. Early this year I had an operation to sever some nerves in my back to help decrease the very strong muscle spasms I get which interfere with many of my daily activities.  It worked quite well initially and made life much easier for me.  The spasms have returned to a certain degree, but I am coping fairly well. As it is, I manage to keep busy around the house caring for Daniel, sewing, visiting with friends and going out to church activities or shopping.  It’s good to have more energy and to be enjoying an active life once again.

Daniel sure knows how to keep lots of activity in our home, even if he makes Ron and I sometimes feel a little lazy!  He just turned 3 in October and he has been the source of incredible joy for us as well as a source of aggravation at times.  The age of 2 was a breeze with him compared to some of the power struggles we are going through right now.  At any rate “this too shall pass” and we still love the little guy like crazy!  He enjoys all kinds of activities, but his hammer (“bang-bang”) probably ranks as his all time favorite toy.  It has even accompanied him into bed on occasion.  He has also been busy memorizing a bunch of Bible verses this year!

We had a good summer and enjoyed lots of picnics and family activities.  We even went on a “campout” with some friends and Daniel had a great time playing on the beach while Daddy went out and won the golf tournament on his birthday! (We won’t debate whether they just let him win because it was his birthday or if it was his phenomenal judgment and skill at the game…).  Daniel spent many of his summer hours playing in his sand-box, splashing in his wading pool and taking swim lessons with Daddy.

Ron has had a lot of good experience working for his brother’s electrical company this year.  He has done a wide variety of jobs right from managing the office to running a job at a large apartment being built here in Kelowna.  He did very well at that and will be starting another one shortly.  Some of his leisure activities include hockey, volleyball and squash.  And of course his all time favorite summer activity – golf! He’s also involved in a singing group at church for Christmas.

We are continuing to enjoy the church we are attending.  Presently we are studying the book of James in some depth and there is a challenge out to memorize the entire book!  So far I’ve managed Chapter 1 and Ron isn’t far behind on verse 4.  It’s an excellent book to study and hopefully I’m learning to “consider it pure joy…when I face trials of many kinds!” At any rate I am asking God for the wisdom which He promises to “give generously” as I attempt to be a good mother and wife.  At our home group meeting I am leading worship along with a friend and it’s a good opportunity for me to play guitar again.

I’m having so much fun preparing for Christmas this year and I’m really enjoying Daniel’s enthusiasm about Jesus’ birthday!  

Christmas 1988 Yearly ReCap

JOY to the world, the Lord is come!  “…to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace…”        Luke 1:77-79

Christmas Greetings!

As I look back over the past year I can see there are so many things to be thankful for!  Ron and I have been in our new home for almost a year and it’s a pleasure to be in a house where I can be so independent and things are set up so well to accommodate the wheelchair.  It’s also fun being in our own place so I can do Christmas baking and preparations again.  What a marvelous time of the year – to celebrate the birth of our Savior.

My health has improved over the past year, in terms of gaining back much more of my energy and independence.  Of course I have days where I face frustrations, but God’s grace is sufficient and I praise Him for, "His mercies are new every morning!" I still go for physiotherapy once a week, mostly to help me maintain the range of motion in my lower body. I still have to lay down every afternoon to rest my back and stretch out my muscles, but it’s a good time for me to spend in prayer and reading.  Thankfully Daniel still generally has nice long naps in the afternoon, which allows me to have my quiet time!

Daniel continues to bring us a lot of joy, although he’s changed from a baby to a little boy in the past year!  He just turned two in October, which adds a few challenges to this business of parenting.  We have a lot of fun though despite the trials of potty training and a new spirit of independence. 

 He talks a lot now and it is so sweet to hear his little prayers.  No wonder God said we are to become like little children.  Daniel keeps busy building with his blocks, hammering a wide assortment of objects, and “fixing” all kinds of things.  Nice to have such a handyman around the house…  We continue to be so thankful that God spared his life in the accident!  What a joy to watch the little guy grow -  he truly is a marvelous gift from the Lord.

Ron resigned from his job at Home Hardware and is presently working along with his brother doing electrical work.  He is also anticipating getting into some kind of book-keeping/accounting business in the future so he spends a fair bit of time on the computer trying out all kinds of different programs.  We’ll have to see which doors open in regards to his future career.

We changed churches this past summer and are now attending the New Life Fellowship Baptist Church.  The style of worship and teaching were more along the lines of what we were used to at YWAM.  I have found it a tremendous encouragement and have really grown in my walk with the Lord.  It seems a revival is happening here and it’s exciting to be a part of it and to see so many new believers on an almost a weekly basis!  

I keep quite busy with the daily activities of running the home, attending church meetings, looking after Daniel and visiting friends.  It’s such a blessing having Mom and Dad living so close by.  They often look after Daniel for me when I’m out and help out in numerous other ways.  Ron’s family help out at different times as well so we’re grateful for all the family and good friends we are surrounded with!  I’m able to do much of the housework but I have a girlfriend come in and do the bigger jobs for me such as vacuuming and washing the floors etc.  Those things can be a bit tricky in a wheelchair.

I hope this letter help to bring you up to date on what’s happening in our lives.  I can testify to God’s faithfulness even when circumstances aren’t always easy!  Praise Him for sending Jesus to save us and give us a reason to live for His honour and glory!