Hello!
I can't believe that
two months have passed by already since I sent out a newsletter. My life has been in one upheaval after
another, even more than usual. Hopefully smoother days are ahead. I'm so
thankful to have God to lean on when our world is turned up-side-down.
Meanwhile I know I can trust Him. What a
blessed assurance!
The week after I sent
out the February newsletter, I went to my local doctor to get some of my
prescriptions filled. A couple days later, Dwight had to take me back to the doctor
as I was sick. I realized it wasn't an ordinary head cold/flu when I started
having trouble breathing. My doctor
tested me for strep throat and influenza, which were negative, gave me two
shots & two prescriptions, told me to get a covid test, which also was
negative- so much for the accuracy of that-, and to watch my oxygen level as it
had dropped. I was quite sick for two weeks having to sleep elevated to help me
breathe. It took me another two weeks to regain my strength back, with
relapses, as I slowly got better. Dear Dwight took over taking care of the
animals, cooking, and cleaning. I told
him he was doing such a good job, I'd hire him as my housekeeper. For some
reason Dwight declined my proposal.
While I was getting my
strength back, Dwight was hunting down a mid-size car for me to replace the
Durango, which drank gas like water, was way too big for what I now needed, and
wasn't in the greatest of shape. I'm very color oriented so while Dwight was
concerned about the motor under the hood and things like that, I was more
worried about the color. I turned down a black, white, and tomato red car
telling Dwight I needed something more me.
He found a gold car and asked me if he brought it home if I felt up to
taking a ride to check it out. So, I bundled up and Dwight drove me down the
road. The car was just my style. It was a 2004 Buick Century, one owner that
didn't drink or eat in the car so it still looked like new, and got 30 mph to
the gallon. Best of all it was in the low price range of what I could afford.
Talk about a major answer to prayer! Dwight bought it, a fellow helped him get
it home, and that evening Dwight sold the Durango and it was gone- all without
me even lifting a finger. Three days later, I finally got to drive my car- with
Dwight sitting beside me, as he wasn't convinced I was up for driving yet.
The beginning of March,
my sister and I found out that my brother, only a year older than me, was
terminal in stage four with a fast growing cancer. It was quite a shock. Every
six months or more, out on the road while driving truck long distance, my
brother would call me. I had tried to be in more contact with Nathan over the
years, but every time I called, he was usually too busy to talk. Sadly, after
Nathan graduated high school, my brother rebelled and left home. He married and
has an adult daughter still living at home. I called and prayed, but realized I
ultimately had to leave my brother in God's hands. Two weeks later we got the news that Nathan
had died. It was a lot to process realizing how quickly life can change and end
as we mourned the loss of our brother.
Halfway through March,
feeling stronger and more like myself, on a warm sunny spring day, I went
outside to paint my four Bluebird boxes. I was up and down the ladder doing
just fine, until walking over a dirt pile to reach one birdhouse- left over
from the other summer when Dwight was digging new line for the sewer- I tripped
over a root and fell flat on my face again. I couldn't believe it. By evening,
my shoulder was hurting me and my left hand had swelled back up again. So back into the recliner with ice packs I
went again.
The
next week, Dawn and her family came by for a quick visit on their way up to IN,
to say good-bye as in two weeks they were heading to the Philippines. It was
thrilling to hear how the Lord had opened so many doors where they were able to
rent a one bedroom apartment over a store in a small town from a sister here in
the states- which gave me peace of mind knowing they would at least have running
water and electricity- and also another lady from the Philippines, who now
works in a bank helped guide them through the financial end of things. All too quickly I was requesting prayer as
they flew out from Nashville on the 30th of March down to GA, and
then for fifteen hours to South Korea.
From there they got another flight down to Manila arriving in the
Philippines 24 hours after they left. We
are thankful that their entire luggage arrived with them. I was so relieved to
hear Dawn’s voice calling me from the hotel to let me know that they were
there. This past Monday, they flew from Manila down to the island of Negros,
where their final journey was a two hour bus drive to the town of their
apartment. They are still battling exhaustion
from the time change- our daytime is their night- and adjusting to the culture
shock of being in a foreign country. We know that God will continue to lead
them and open the right doors needed. Randy took Dana’s sermons and told me he
plans on preaching some of them while over in the Philippines. Randy will be
preaching and Dawn will be doing children’s work. It is so wonderful to see
another generation following us in the ministry. Our granddaughter, Annette, who got married
this summer and is helping her husband pastor their home church, is taking care
of the finances for Dawn and Randy while they are overseas. She is now playing
the piano at church (fourth generation) and doing children’s work like I and used
to.
I ended up missing a month of church. It was
so good to get back this past Sunday and worship with my church family playing
the organ and singing. I still have to be careful with my shoulder and hand not
to overdo it, but at least I can use them.
Meanwhile
here in the mountains, spring has definitely arrived despite some cold days and
snowstorms in the month of March. Birds are busy building nests; already I’ve
seen some butterflies, the round masses of froggy eggs in the pond are getting
larger- soon tiny tadpoles will pop out.
This week I was out in my garden in the dirt planting potatoes, beets,
brussel sprouts, and sweet peas. The
next warm sunny day I plan to plant peas, leaf lettuce, and spinach. The daffodils, crocus, forsythia, cherry, and
pear blossoms are mainly over while wild violets, pansies, phlox, and tulips
are beginning to bloom. I love the bright spring green of tiny leaves unfurling
as the grass greens up dotted with dandelions.
Yes, spring has sprung.
Wishing
you a blessed Easter Season!
