JULY WALKER NEWSLETTER

 

Hello!

I hope you all have had a wonderful 4th of July celebrating our country. While the government, in the past several years, has turned a long way from the reason why America was founded to begin with, I'm thankful that we still have religious freedom today. God is moving in an awakening amidst bursts of revival among the younger generation across the country in answer to prayer. I'm so thankful that despite circumstances, we can experience revival ourselves.  It's not the preacher or evangelist or singers that bring revival. All we have to do is begin praying and searching our own heart before God.  The same God that brought sweeping revivals in the past, is the same God today!  All we have to do is ask and obey. Whether anyone else around us is revived or not, we can have the revival spirit burning within.

Here in the TN mountains, we are experiencing hot and humid weather up in the 90's like usual. The only difference this year is that we still are having summer storms every week that often knocks out our electric for a bit. It's nothing unusual for the electric to go out in our neck of the woods.  I remember, years ago, after Dawn got married and moved down to Nashville how surprised she was that the electric didn't go off whenever there was a bad storm or someone ran into a pole like back home.

The weekly rain has really given the summer flowers a boost and right now the roses, multi-colored lilies, double pink, bluish-lavender, white and burgundy Rose of Sharon bushes are all blooming madly while the chickens and the duck peck around in the dirt. This year, I am also really enjoying seeing the lightning bugs flickering all over the lawn when I walk out to the front porch in the dusk, after the temperature begins to drop a bit. I love being able to walk out on the porch in the early morning or evening when it’s cooler.

I'm still not able to sit upright- for some reason that seems to flare up my hip- or go up and down stairs yet, but I'm so thankful I can get up and around more than before. What joy! It's been a long year since I got down with my hip that totally changed my life. I won't ever take sleeping in the bed, getting dressed, combed, showers, and a million other small things, that I used to do before without thinking, for granted. Through it all, God has been with me. He is my Rock!

I finished hand-sewing and quilting two of my mini quilts for the backs of my two recliners: Victorian Melody and Irish Chain. I'm working on a basket quilt now. I've been able to do homemade rolls again, with Dwight's help, and fold laundry in the recliner. My fingers itch to do a lot more but I am trying to behave, under Dwight's watchful eye, so my hip doesn't flare up like zillions of times before. Dwight finally allowed me to get my own snacks, breakfast, and supper now. It's enough to want to make me kick up my heels. Hopefully, soon, I will be able to go up and down the steps where I can then progress to walking out the driveway to get the mail and walk around the yard. Meanwhile I have to focus on strengthening my hip and becoming stronger.

Dwight is back to being able to work on his knives more, now that I have become more independent, which makes me happy. He recently finished and sent a large pocketknife over to a guy in England, who was so impressed with the knife Dwight crafted and designed that he showed the pocketknife and talked about it on his U-tube audience. I'm so proud of my talented son! One other fellow- somewhere here in the states- sells Dwight's knives (usually within a couple hours of getting a knife) and keeps asking for more.

Dawn, Randy, William, and Katie had a safe flight back to the Philippines without any mishaps this time. It has rained enough that their well has filled back up, so Dawn is able to do their laundry at the house instead of having to wash all their clothes by hand, like she has for the past six months. Such a blessing! When I talked with Dawn last, they are all doing well- just getting adjusted to the high temperatures and humidly that comes with living closer to the equator. It will be another year or more before we get to see them again. So, I appreciate your prayer support for them living in primitive conditions without the luxuries we take for granted, surrounded by all kinds of what Dawn calls “the Philippine diseases” that they experience, that she can’t find a name for, as they minister around the world to those who have never heard the gospel before.

Meanwhile, I’m thankful for the modern convenience of air conditioning that we here in America are blessed to have during the summer months- remembering years before when everyone lived without central air.

I’ll hush up now, so I can get this out in the mail.  Stay cool on your end.

Until next time~

Dorcas

MAY & JUNE WALKER NEWSLETTER

Hello!

Summer has arrived with its hot and humid weather after a spring that burst more with color this year than in the past. It seemed like the flowers were bigger, more vibrant, and lasted longer with all the rain and storms that we got- and still are getting here in the TN Mountains. My views of the weigela (pink and pink/white), white mock orange (that was my mother's favorite scent), and the multi-colored azalea bushes ranging from white, pale pink, dark pink, to lavender, standing on the front porch and looking out the windows were breathtaking.  Every week, Dwight brought in blooming flower bouquets for me to enjoy. Now Dwight is bringing in roses that are blooming and smell so heavenly.  I just noticed from my porch this morning that the lilies are beginning to bloom. I'm sure there are others flowers I'm unable to see.

This year we were plagued with thousands of noisy cicadas/locusts that come out every seventeen years and swarmed everywhere on the trees and bushes leaving holes in the ground. They have made quite the racket and have killed some of the leaves on the trees. Thankfully, they only are around for about a month.

I lost two aunts this spring as well. My mother's only sister, Auntie Mae- that has been like a second mother to us after losing our mom years ago, and recently my father's youngest sister, Aunt Dorothy both up in PA. It's sad to see so many of the older generation of friends and family leave, but I am so thankful for the blessed hope that one day we will be reunited with them again forever.

My life is still up and down with my hip. Next month will make a year that I have been down.  Just as I begin walking without the walker and try doing something light like: walking too much too soon without the walker, getting my pocketbook down from the closet shelf, trying to water my plants, and last week losing  my balance getting out of the shower and twisting my hip (thankfully  my walker was close so I didn't hit the floor) set me back- because I am weaker than I like to admit- and I have to start all over again being able to put weight on my left foot. I haven't given up! I'm still determined to get back up on my feet again. Dwight keeps telling me that I have to use the turtle mindset instead of a rabbit. So, once again, I am inching along doing shorter walks with the walker to build up my strength under Dwight's eagle eye. I told him that after all this he could hang up his shingle as a physical therapist. I'm very thankful to feel more like myself, not to be in pain so, I don't have to be popping pail pills, and able to sleep at night

I finished crocheting a soft gray/sliver shawl for Dawn that I made up with my own pattern and ended up being quite complicated- you know me.  I also finished hand-sewing three small quilts together that I am now quilting by hand. I have one more to go, have been writing on my books, researching, and reading to keep my brain cells active. I can't stand sitting around doing nothing.

Meanwhile dear Dwight has stays busy keeping the house going, taking care of the animals, and me. He has been able to slowly get back to working on some of his knives.

The biggest news though is of my daughter and grandchildren. Dawn, Randy, William, and Katie had quite the time coming back home almost three weeks ago from the Philippines. After getting up at 1 am to travel four hours to the island’s airport, they found that all flights were canceled due to a volcano erupting in the flight path. They were able to reschedule a flight out the next afternoon- not an easy task for four. They got another overseas flight that evening and landed in CA around 10:30 pm.  They were hoping to catch a flight to Nashville but weren’t able to by the time they got through customs and to the gate way across the huge international airport. They ended up spending eleven hrs. in the airport, on the floor with their luggage, until they could get a flight to Nashville the next afternoon, only to discover in the delay of flights that their entire luggage was missing. Is my daughter related to me or what? Thankfully, it happened here in the US and not over in the Philippines.  The airline routed their luggage through Atlanta, GA, since there wasn’t another Nashville flight until the next day and brought their luggage to them by 11 pm that night. Instead of a quick two-day flight, it turned out to be four days total. The first thing they did was jump into the shower after having to wear the same clothes for four days straight. Talk about completely worn out!

They are only here for a month before they fly back. So, Dawn, Randy, William, and Katie plus Annette, Curtis, and little eighteen-month-old Ellie came up for a visit. It was great having all my children and grandchildren back home together after three years. My house was filled with lots of chatter and laughter. They could only come for a quick visit because…

The very next week, they all packed up Randy’s 82-year-old mother’s house and moved her up to OH to Randy’s brother’s place, so she wouldn’t be alone because…

This past week, they moved all of Dawn & Randy’s things in storage up to PA along with Annette and Curtis’ stuff to PA close to Curtis’ parent’s place, so he can help his dad take care of his mother. Curtis and Annette, after much prayer, resigned the home church to help his folks.  This is quite a big adjustment for all of them moving out of state, but it worked out to do this while Dawn and Randy were home to help as Randy’s name was on his mother’s house, which is getting sold, etc. And we also found out that Annette is expecting a little boy close to Thanksgiving this year! I told Annette that she takes after me too much.

We never know what twists and turns life will bring. Little did I dream forty-five years ago, when I moved with a week-old newborn from PA to NC to pastor a little church in the south that one day my daughter and granddaughter would end up moving back up to PA, only thirty minutes west of my sister. Talk about my family making a complete circle! Ironically, now I and Dwight are the only ones left of the family here in TN. I’m just so glad it was all of them moving and not me. I’m blessed to have my little house here in the mountains where I plan to stay.

Say a prayer for Dawn and her family as they fly back to the Philippines the 16^th of this month for a safe journey back to their island.

Until next time~

Dorcas