"What ever this day and this year holds, He has allowed it"


                 Reading back through old posts and came across that line. 2016 has been one of the craziest years I have had so far.

      February and March found me helping at Loloma MH as one of the missionaries there was sick and on her death bed. I stayed as long as I could, returning the end of March as the only permanent missionary nurse at Chitokoloki. She passed into the presence of her Lord in May

In May, another missionary also was called home. She had returned to Canada for furlough with her husband, was diagnosed with cancer and 6 months later was called Home. About the same time as our friend in Loloma

April, May and June found me focused almost entirely on hospital and managing things there along with our two doctors. And visiting nurse, Alison, wrapped up her two year stay the end of April. The end of June brought Kait and JR back to the hospital, along with visiting doctor Gayle Wallace.

June also brought a missionary from Chavuma MH to our hospital for a palliative procedure to help discomfort. The surgery went well, and the next day he seemed to be making a recovery. And then he crashed. And a couple hours later in theatre we watched him slip into the presence of His God and Father.

Shortly after that, our visiting doctor and one of our other missionaries had a head on collision on the motor bikes and both suffered from head injuries. Scary stuff! But we are so thankful that both have recovered and there seems to be no lasting effects.

August was camp, of course and also managed a trip out to Katombi. Was supposed to also include a village trip, but that was cancelled on the day I was travelling. So Mama Margie and I enjoyed a quiet few days in Kato instead of racing out for mtgs to the village.

The beginning of September brought another missionary to Chitokoloki. This one with a severe stroke. We cared for her for nearly two weeks before she too was called Home.

And in October, one of our staff members, having worked at the hospital for 16 years, was killed in a freak accident went a branch of a tree fell and smashed his skull. Unbelievable! And so terrible for the family; still with several small children. The saddest thing tho, there is no known confession of Christ as Saviour. Where is he spending his eternity?


And all this around our normal work routine, and marathons and regular expectations. No wonder I'm tired. But, like I said in that post from before is still true. He still gives more grace. It is still by His power that we have been able to keep working, keep serving, and even more difficult, keep joyful and rejoicing.

This year has started off a bit slower. The doctor has a problem with his feet and lower legs- he's not sure what, but as most doctors are, no one would know better than he. We are praying for him, for hims recovery. But we are also enjoying finishing work earlier, 14 to 16 instead of 18 to 20. We are grateful also that the usual stream of patients seems to have slowed just a bit to help us accomplish this. God is good.

Hopefully will be better this year with the updates. He still gives more grace.