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God
helped me accomplish those work goals. And, He kept me well and lifted me up
emotionally after some tough times with my mother in August. It was a
blessing to me to be part of the family life of Brian and Val Hodgkin and
their girls. Their home is a very good base for me and they take good care
of me. I’m never lonely! So, God gave me a very satisfying visit to PNG. I
arrived back in Dallas well aware of His goodness. Thanks for praying.
My feet only touched the carpet at home for
three days. My mother had another recurrence of melanoma and needed her
third operation of the year to remove lymph nodes on the other side of her
neck. She has had a hard time and faced it bravely. However, she did
brilliantly and has accepted the new debility after surgery. I was with her
in England for two weeks after she came home from hospital.
You’ve heard a lot about my 93 year-old mother
this year. It’s been quite a year. Within the space of 15 months I’ve needed
to go to England to help her seven times for at least a week, sometimes two
or three. God has provided frequent-flier-miles flights for free and cheap
trips, thankfully. And I’ve been able to go, but to be honest; it’s taken a
toll on me. I’ve kept up with my work and managed several long visits to
Malaysia and Papua New Guinea. I’ve managed to stay sane—just—but my
physical health has suffered. I haven’t kept up with letters as much as I
wanted, and this is a burden to me. I’m sorry—you’re a key part of my life
and I haven’t thanked you often enough or kept our link as alive as I’d have
liked.
My mother’s prognosis is not good. I don’t know
her spiritual prognosis but I’m very concerned about that, as you know. I’m
thankful for my Christian friends who so unselfishly help my mother. Their
concern is a powerful witness. If only the Holy Spirit would open my
mother’s eyes…
Sadly, I can’t help her. As she becomes more
fragile, and less able to reason, she ridicules and criticizes all the more.
Again and again she tells me to “go home’, that I am “useless with the
sick”, and too “religious” for her. Oh dear! This lady is in a lot of pain.
Me, too. I’ve done all I’m able at this point. Being there seems to make
things worse. She decided not to move into sheltered care, and is grimly
clinging to a fragile “independence”. I feel right now I have to go on with
my life and work and wait for the next crisis. Do please pray for her and
that I will, by God’s grace, continue to show her love, even when it’s
rejected or forgotten. I need His help so much in this relationship.
Hey, this is Texas and as I write it is turning
white outside. Snow! Yesterday the temperature was in the mid 60s Fahrenheit
and today it is low 30s…
So, my New Year resolution is to keep in better
touch with my dear friends. That’s you! Please hold me to it. I’ll be
sending out letters in January, so you’ll hear more news then by snail mail.
I’m with Karen’s family in Oregon for five days over Christmas; that’ll be a
treat. Then I’ll continue with a whole bunch of medical appointments. I have
to see a chest specialist because my lungs deteriorated after I dealt with
the mold/mould in my mother’s mobile home and foolishly used very strong
chemicals to do that. I now wheeze like the old family dog! So I’m getting
some help before heading out to Papua New Guinea again in the early part of
next year. God willing and the crisis with my mother not developing too
rapidly!
God bless you and give you a wonderful Christmas
with loved ones, and a happy New Year…
Much love,
June |
