A few years ago, our family was finishing up a meal at a restaurant. My husband and I were visiting our eldest son who had just started a new job at Adult and Teen Challenge, which rehabilitates those struggling with drug or alcohol … Read more
Some years ago, my husband received a phone call from a social worker in a neighbouring province: "Could you take your mother in?" I had recently returned to our home in rural Alberta, Canada, after visiting my mother-in-law in hospital … Read more
At the YWAM (Youth with a Mission) base near Tijuana, Mexico, where my husband and I volunteered this winter, one of my assigned areas of service was with the Hope Zone. This ministry is situated on a narrow, undeveloped lot in a rough … Read more
Some years ago, my husband and I and a friend explored Camp Columbia on Thetis Island, off Vancouver Island, Canada. The camp had just been permanently closed — the end of an era for thousands of campers. As we wandered over the grounds, … Read more
Last month, my husband Terry and I volunteered at a YWAM (Youth With a Mission) base near Tijuana, Mexico. One of our main responsibilities was called "hospitality". This included cleaning up the dining room after a meal, cleaning and … Read more
Last month, my husband Terry and I arrived at the YWAM (Youth with a Mission) Base at San Antonio del Mar, Mexico, on the Pacific coast just south of the American border. We had flown down to volunteer, doing whatever needed to be done … Read more
Many years ago, I began my first full-time teaching job with high hopes that I would be able to use and enjoy my gift of learning languages easily. My new assignment in the far north of British Columbia, Canada, was a tall order for a new … Read more
As children, my brother and I had been excitedly anticipating a circus in town. It was a hot summer's day, and finally, we arrived at the fairgrounds in Port Alberni, British Columbia, Canada, where we grew up. The two of us lined up by … Read more
It was the week before Christmas, and our young family was asked to take in a foster child, a two-week-old infant. He came with a bare minimum — a grubby bunting bag with a small bottle of milk dampening the corner into which it had been … Read more
One of my dad's favourite Christmas carols was "O come, O come, Emmanuel". O come, O come, Emmanuel, And ransom captive Israel, That mourns in lonely exile here Until the son of God appear. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O … Read more