All Sorts of Visitors

Our front doorbell kept ringing non-stop. I hurried downstairs as fast as this old body could take me.  I unlocked the door and Gary quickly leaped into our small foyer.  He gasped, “I almost stepped on a skunk in the driveway!”  I am not sure what both of us would have done if this unwanted visitor had sprayed him.  Thankfully, it didn’t happen and so one potential problem was diverted.

Do you remember the huge snowfall we received the day before Christmas Eve?  It was so bad that the 401 highway was shut down around London for a couple of days. Our daughter Sara’s friend, Heather was expecting an exchange student to fly in from Germany.  She couldn’t make it from Chatham to pick her up at the airport that night.  Sara asked if we would take Johanna in. She finally arrived at 2 a.m. via Uber.  The poor girl had to enter our house and find the guest room on her own as we were sleeping.  We met each other in the morning, and she participated in our Christmas Eve family celebration. Heather couldn’t pick her up until Christmas morning.  Recently we received a lovely thank you note from her for our hospitality which reads, “… It’s not easy for me at home and this Christmas was the first one I ever celebrated with a family … it was the first Christmas I ever really enjoyed so thank you … You are a lovely family and are so lucky to have each other.  Never let go of that and always remember how much love you have for each other, even in difficult times … .“ What a happy ending for this young German visitor!  She will be returning to Canada this summer; her story is not finished.

We have been able to raise enough funds for Thomas in Myanmar to purchase wood for making double bunkbeds for the boys’ and girls’ rooms in his orphanage he is building.  He still requires funds for digging a well and kitchen appliances. He is planning to find children in the third week of April.  I am not sure how he will pick and choose but these orphans will at first come as visitors before they all bond together into a family unit.  We will keep you posted on his progress for your prayers. (https://MyanmarOrphans.ca)

Again, we are very grateful to be able to hold our Hillside Sunday services at the Swiss Chalet in Milton.  The general manager has been exceptionally welcoming.  All we need is visitors to attend.  Scott Lockhart’s health has not been good for the last few weeks; however, he finally learned last week that the reason for his constant stomach pain for a very long time is the result of bacteria in his small intestine.  He is now on heavy antibiotics which hopefully will resolve this problem for him and give him more energy as the days go forward. Hillside’s future does look bright, so please keep praying.

It hasn’t always been easy for me to be welcoming to visitors or strangers in my home or my church; but when I do reach out, I’m always glad I did, similar to our experience with Johanna.  The Apostle John in the New Testament commends such activity, “… you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers and sisters, even though they are strangers to you.” (3 John 1:5). But I do draw the line at skunks that might be living under our front porch even though strangely enough, Gary does like a light scent of their smell!  We must get a light bulb rigged up in there somehow since they don’t like lights.

Happy Easter!

Wendy   

Wendy.carter@kainos.org