Spring is in the air

You can't imagine how wonderful it is to feel the sun on our back, see the snow melting, the

crocuses blooming and hear the robins singing their hearts out. It's the time to rejoice and be glad for the new season. We leave for Brazil on Sat. March 15th. so there won't be any new entries on this blog until May, but I'll make it up to you by giving you lots of news about our trip.Lynn and Dwight will be meeting us there too, they come to attend our Annual General Meeting and represent the interests of Sam Ministries.They are also keen on establishing a good working relationship with the Mount Horeb

mission in Brazil. All missionaries planning to go to Mozambique must first go to Brazil to learn the language. We also look forward to some special family time which we get little of. We plan to stay 6 weeks at which time I'll be coming home, hopefully with Luke in tow & Earl will be going back to Mozambique with Lynn & Dwight to help with the many projects he has going on down there, which he thinks only his father-in-law can do. Besides knowing how to do just about anything he can also fix just about anything & has the added advantage of being able to communicate with the locals. Dwight always tell him he's worth 10 men, how can you say no when you get those kinds of compliments & from a son-in-law nonetheless.

Luke just finished getting his medical exams & criminal reports off to the Canadian immigration and we're hoping to get a positive answer within a month. We can hardly wait for him to get here & do a whole lot of work for us which these days requires all this marvelous technology which we don't simply seem to be able to master. He will be coming on a work permit which will give him legal status & besides helping SAM Ministries he will be able to apply for a second work permit for another job as well. He really wants to be an asset to the ministry & not a liability, & more than anything else he wants desperately to come to Canada & make it his permanent home.

The grandchildren are doing just great. Russell is in his 3rd year of engineering & is working in Lloydminster through the co-op program at the U of A. He's liking his work & is getting some valuable hands on experience at engineering. Amanda is almost finished her 2nd year in their Bio Chem honors program & is pulling in wonderful grades which makes us all very proud of her. Ruth & Royden just got back from a much needed vacation in Costa Rica and are back at their jobs. Recently Ruth has been having trouble with her thyroid & she is being monitored by her doctor & seeing a specialist. She has the beginnings of Hashimoto's disease which can take from one month to 10 years to kick in completely. We hope & pray that she will recover & that her thyroid & autoimmune levels will normalize as they are wanting to begin their family.

Our Pat had a rather serious back operation in October & has been on disability leave from work ever since due to complications involving her right arm. She also picked up a nasty virus & it settled into her bronchial tubes & she coughs alot & has wheezing spells like an asthmatic, & has completely lost her voice so we haven't heard a peep from her for 3 weeks. We're also praying that the Lord will touch her & restore her health. Until next time, don't eat too much, sleep more, enjoy the Lord & your family & friends.