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Monday, 22 December 2008
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"Californian December" Update
Hey everyone,Yay for winter! How's the weather for you all? hehehe. I sometimes wonder why every email has to start with a regular weather update, but hey, it's interesting! lol. Right now as I look out the large family room window towards the now-covered swimming pool, I see a fast, steady, fine rain. It's pretty wet today. And very cold the last few weeks. A few mornings we woke up with frost on the ground, and at least once with a tiny bit snow! Believe it or not, people get pretty excited around here when we get snow.Actually, just north of Redding, where you drive up into the mountains, it's big and official on signs that all vehicles will be checked to make sure they have chains on the tires. They won't let you drove further without them.I figured it was time to write another update to you all, but I couldn't think of what exactly had all happened that would be exciting enough to write about. So let's see if I'll get ideas as I start writing....On Dec. 6 was Dylana's 15th birthday, so we went out to celebrate by going to the Shasta Caverns. It was kind of fun, because we drive way up and out into the back, north of Redding into the mountains, by Shasta Lake. Shasta Lake is famous because its water level has gone down at least a hundred feet just this summer alone. It's water level changes very drastically from season to season. This summer it was so much farther down, that we had to take a bus down to the water, so that we could go with a boat across. Our tour guide was a newly married Christian youth pastor, and we were his only tourists. So it was really a pleasant experience, hearing things like "around 200 years ago" instead of the normal balony about the two hundred million years ago and all that concerning caves. :DOn Sunday (the 7th) we had a birthday party for Dylana. So that was a good opportunity to make new friends, because we invited girls we didn't really know. So that was good. It's good to finally make some connections here and start having a little more of a feeling of belonging. Even Dylana is starting to admit enjoying it! Thank God! :)I had my last Spanish class this Friday, and I'm not planning on enrolling for that again this semester. I do want to graduate yet sometime! hehe. It was taking up a few hours twice a week, so I decided that I'll go without it for next semester.Christmas break is officially upon us! My parents' school is over for this year, and will resume again on the 6th of January 2009. Every weekend, every break (Thanksgiving, Christmas), my dad always says he can't wait for school to start again. We're not going home for Christmas, and nobody is coming here to visit us for Christmas as we had hoped in the beginning. So hopefully we'll still find something to do. As for me and Dylana, we're planning to just keep right on doing schoolwork. Maybe we'll take two days off, like, the 24th and the 25th or something. The one thing we are planning for sure, however, is inviting our neighbors, the Hofers, to our house for Christmas dinner. We're not sure yet which date.That reminds me. Out here in the United States, Thanksgiving seems to be a much bigger celebration than we're used to from back home. Our wonderful neighbors the Ron and Karen Hofers (remember, the ones I said we found out we're related to on the Dueck side) invited us over for Thanksgiving. It was a lot of fun. Their inviting us sure made it feel like we had family here after all, which was good.Okay, my email is jumping back and forth on topics, so here we are back to Christmas. Last weekend we had the Christmas Musicals that my sisters have prepared for, for so long! And it was more than well worth the effort! The first time I watched it (I watched it all four times), I was so touched and I'm absolutely serious, my life has NOT been the same since. My eyes were opened, more than ever, to the reality that King Jesus is alive and among us. The Kingdom of Heaven is real and tangible, all around us, and when we pray, God answers! The story was about a family who are about to be evicted from their house because of a two year drought the area's had. But when Lani, the main character, realizes and makes use of the gifts and blessings God has given her, it begins snowing! There's much more to it, obviously. We have the DVD of it, so if you are interested in watching it, let us know!Well, those are the only events I can of right now to write about. However, I could not think of sending out an update without adding at least one testimony of what God is doing out here! I believe it was this last Friday night service when the pastor shared this testimony, so I'll do my best to remember the most important details:God is powerful and He does need to make people spend thousands of dollars to come to a certain place to receive healing. As happened this time, God healed a woman of deafness over the phone, on the other side of the world! This woman has a daughter who goes to school here at Bethel. The daughter told this pastor at Bethel that her mother is completely deaf on her right ear, and she was wondering if they could still pray for her healing even though her mother was in Scandinavia! The pastor said, "of course." He told the daughter to bring her computer to the Healing Room on Saturday morning, and they would call her through Skype (that's a program over the internet that allows you to make phonecalls). So that is what they did. The daughter brought her laptop computer to the Healing Room, and she and the pastor called her mother on Skype. They prayed over the phone, and guess what? She said she had never felt God's presence before, but now she felt God's sweet presence all around her, and especially touching her ears. And then she realized that she could hear from her ear that had een deaf before! And to top it off, her husband who was not a Christian, was watching her! As a result, he gave his life to Jesus as well!God is so wonderful! Jesus means so much to me, and even more so since we've come here. But it is not just because I'm lucky enough to be at Bethel. Jesus is as much God where you are as where I am. It takes a hunger for Him. You must desire His fellowship more than anything else in life. When you search for Him, you WILL find him. I did. He will reveal Himself to you. God really truly is there, right beside you. He wants to have a relationship with you! I speak with experience. I used to not know what it really was like to live in close fellowship with God all throughout the day, where I could just speak with Him and He speak with me at any time. Do you believe the Bible is true? Remember the part where it says, "Jesus remains the same yesterday, today, and forever"? Let that sink in. Jesus is the SAME powerful, the same loving, the SAME GOD that He was in the Bible times!That's really been on my heart lately. I really really want to spread that message of hope to everyone I love back home. Jesus Christ, my King, love you. He is amazing. He is your Healer, your Provider, your best Friend. Nothing is impossible for Him! Just open your heart to Him! And I am speaking to YOU, even if you are already saved. I've been saved for quite a few years. But for every Christian, there must be growth. Even Jesus did. It says in the Bible that Jesus grew stronger, he grew in favour with man AND with God, he became more filled with wisdom... etc. If he grew like that spiritually in his childhood, how much MORE do we need to grow, even though we've been saved for years?Well, so much for now. :D I hope you very seriously consider what I've said. And I hope you have a very merry Christmas, filled with more blessing than you thought possible! God be with you. And, as always, I very much love getting feedback from whoever cares to write! :) Love you all!
~Crystal~
Currently
United We Stand
By Hillsong United
None But Jesus
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Crystal DueckThursday, 16 October 2008
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A Journey from Canada to the USA
For those of you who do not get my occasional updates on our trip to California, I decided to post my archive of letters here. I will start with the oldest letter... so that you can read it like a story. Enjoy.
Saturday August 23, 2008 9:06 AM
Hey everyone,I thought I'd just drop you all a line that we are safe and sound and still on our way to CA. We are in a hotel in Idaho Falls, Idaho right now. We'll drive through Idaho today and hopefully enter Nevada yet and go well through that yet. We were hoping to already be able to go to church in Bethel in CA but I don't know yet whether that'll work or not. We'll see.So far the trip's been good enough... the scenery's great, especially Montana. We've had a big lightning storm (got some great shots of that!) as well as a good old fashioned western dust storm. That was almost freaky, and very mystical.. hehehe...Anyway, we're taking a lot of pictures and I've gotten lots of good shots of lots of things, so some time when I am able I'll upload pics to facebook.Gotta go then.... pray that we'll be protected and that we'll have only good attitudes while traveling together!Love,Crystal DueckSaturday August 30, 2008 4:50 PM
Hey friends!How's it going? Our family reached our house in Redding, CA, Sunday evening. The house is large, and the back and front yards are big for city life.We have many fruit trees, including pomegranates, grapes, almonds, white peaches, apricots, plums, and a couple more that I have no idea what they are. The grapes taste amazing and so did the plums (they have finished by now), and the almonds, it's the real thing, and I get to pick em right off the tree!! like WOW! heheh. The apricots are not quite ready, but they already taste good (don't tell anyone i ate one already! lol). As for the white peaches, apparently the "white" kind is very special, rare, and more delicious than the normal peaches. So i can't wait till those are ready, cause I LOVE peaches and we've got a big tree of em!!!Also in our backyard is a large swimming pool. At the shallow end it's four feet deep, and at the diving board it's ten feet deep. It's AWESOME... I've swum in the pool almost every day... well minus a few, but lots already....And the temperatures are around 100 F. (maybe that's around 35-40 degrees, not sure, in C)You may all have heard of the earthquake they had here in CA just before we came... wonder if we'll have one yet while we're here? freaky thought...lol. But did I ever tell you about the forest fires we're having around here? When my parents were here a month ago, three weeks before we moved, the forest fires were so bad that they never until the end of the week realized there were mountains all around Redding because of the smoke.Well, I think it was Wednesday, there was a forest fire ten houses down the road from our place. An evacuation was called. All of us besides Daddy and Cameron were not at home (in town shopping), but Daddy let us know that we could shop as long as we wanted cause the roads had been closed after getting the people evacuated. Lot of people's backyards and their trees were burnt, and also one camper trailer and barn and house were burnt a little (not TOO badly, but burnt nontheless). Daddy stayed home cause we don't have a phone yet so they didn't call us, and Daddy enjoyed watching the helicopters fly over our house (said the water had dripped on him while they flew overhead, lol) as well as how they scooped up the water out of the river near our house (we live very close to the Sacramento River).We have friendly neighbors. Some of them have already come over to meet us and bring us cookies and offer if we need anything to just let em know. Nice people here!I've been to one youth doing already, on Wednesday. It was really good, had great worship time and message. And I met three girls that could potentially become good friends of mine (there were like about 50 people there). One girl asked "So where are you from?" I said "canada" and she just kinda kinda screamed "woohoo!!! no way you're kidding!!" She hi fived me. "I love you now! I LOVE Canada!!!!!" she said. heheh so not every american dislikes canadians lol.We've also been to church here already, on Friday evening (yesterday). I LOVE the church here! It's so alive and FILLED with God's Spirit.....miracles happen as a normal part of their life! it's incredible!!! You have to experience it to know what i mean....it's just great....Well anyway... that's i think about it for updates. Oh, well, besides that my sisters started school and are taking ballet classes.... and my parents' school begins Sept. 16. Dylana and I began our schooling on thursday.Right now it's 95.0 F outside now (about 34 C or so i think... not as warm as usual).Well then please write me!!! If you want phone numbers or address please email me. I love yoU! And I miss you!Love,Crystal...Friday September 19, 2008 4:58 PM
Hey everyone,I think it's been a while since I've last written you, so here we go again.It's still warm and we would not think of wearing jackets outside, but it's not hot anymore. Or maybe it's just this week that it's been cooler. But the temperatures have dropped to 77 deg. F (25 C)... that's what it is today. Probably mainly because it's very cloudy now. Rainy season for us is supposed to be in December... but who knows what it will do between now and then.Before this week though, I remember saying to Dylana "It's amazing how steady the weather is here. Day after day, you know it will be hot and cloudless, basically without exception - whereas in Canada, you could never know from one day or week to the next whether it would be sunny, rainy, cold, or blistering hot."Dylana, Andrea, and I have been going to youth doings on Wednesday nights. It's good there... but it's hard to get to know people there cause there's 50+ people there. Andrea, however, has school friends there and immediately joins them every time.I would like to give you all a testimony of God's love and faithfulness in my life. As some of you know, my first few weeks here were difficult because I'd left all my friends at home and had no friends to come to out here. Now, I know that it's to be expected not to have new friends before you've been at a new place for a while. But I'm the type of people person I need friends, I love being with friends and having people to talk to and socialize with.Well, on my third week here on a Sunday evening, I met a Canadian couple at church. She offered to pray for me. I accepted. She prayed as God revealed to her what my needs were and what it was He was promising me. She prayed that I would make lots of friends and not feel left behind because of my homeschooling and not having so much chance to connect with people. Then she specifically said, "And God, I ask that within the next one week Crystal will meet and connect with people, and she will KNOW that it is you who set her up with them to have lasting friendships!"I wholeheartedly agreed that friends in the next week would be awesome, but little did I know how to the dot exactly God would OVERFLOWING-LY answer her prayer for me! Oh my God thank you!Let me tell you, that very night I connected with two girls, and the connections just kept being made through the rest of the week....EXACTLY one week after that evening, I counted all my friends. TWELVE. Yes you heard me, TWELVE friends! I was so astounded! And so touched I just wanted to dance and sing! My heart just overflowed and late at night I ran to my parent's room to tell them the good news!Now obviously, I'm closer to some of them than others. I think at least 6-8 of those twelve will be lasting friendships. I am so grateful to God for answering the cry of my heart and blessing me with such special favour as to give me so many friends in our first few weeks here.Mommy and Daddy's school started on Tuesday. They enjoy it! Of course they haven't gone long enough for me to know very much to write about it yet.... Cameron loves school too! It's actually a Preschool thing similar to daycare. Me and Dylana stay alone at home and home school with A Beka curriculum as usual, while the other girls go to Bethel Christian School. Andrea, Jocelyn, and Terrilee are loving their ballet classes. Andrea was at her first volleyball practice yesterday (apparently this team is a travelling team!) Andrea is also a vocalist in the grade 7-8 worship team.I will go to the Bethel Missions Language school, taking the Spanish Intermediate. This starts on Sept. 24, which teaches Spanish for ministry. I'm really looking forward to that! I am also getting involved in Core Groups, which is a tiny gender specific group with three people under the leader. It's basically for spiritual training/growth together as a group.... And for me, it's partly also to get to know a couple more girls!Today the girls have Minimum Day, which means school's out at noon. So Jocelyn has her best friend Marissa over. They're having fun!Oh yeah, you may find this interesting: As you know, there's like 800 or so people from all over the world here now for first and second year training at the Bethel School of Supernatural Ministries same as my parents. Well, obviously, that means that not everyone has room in the sanctuary all at once. So all the first year students (making up about 700 out of the 800 people) are rotated on schedules as to which services they can go to. My parents will be able to go to Sunday 8:30 AM morning services and the Friday night 7:00 PM services until January. Now, because the church gets so full, being there half an hour early is NOT early at all! That's when the doors open after people have lined up in front of the closed doors like people waiting for a concert. Obviously though the early morning service is not as full as the later morning service at 10:45 AM. But my parents' Revival Group has to always sit in the overflow room, affectionately known as the Bethel iMax. After that, in January, my parents are scheduled to go to the Simpson church services (9:30 AM) and Sunday night services (6:00 PM). You see, Bethel sends a team to Simpson University 1 mile from Bethel to have services there, starting I think this Sunday or something. Clarice, I thought you would be interested in hearing that.I am still debating whether I want to go the same ministry school as my parents are going to or if I want to go to Simpson next year. One of my friends here go to Simpson..... We'll see where God leads me.Okay well that's all I can think of right now... So until later... God bless you all!Missing you,~Crystal~Sunday October 12, 2008 2:34 PMHey everyone,I hope this email finds you all warm and joyful! :) I must admit, here in Northern California it is very Canadian-like in weather - today it is 17.7 deg. C ! Cold wind... brr... But the sun is shining and it's not snowing... hehe. In spite of how cold it is today, Terrilee and her friend Amy from New Zealand went swimming in the pool today (only for 5 minutes, I might add!). Nobeody's gone swimming for like at least two weeks. I always wear my hoodie when going anywhere. Not a winter jacket, no; but a hoodie, just enough to keep warm.I am sorry to miss Canadian thanksgiving. Me and Dylana are certain that we will definitely have our own Thanksgiving Dinner on Monday! Guess we'll have to wait for November to celebrate with the Americans.Today after church we took some pictures at church to send to friends and family. I'll put those on Facebook. We took family pictures by the Alabaster House, which is basically a prayer house that is open 24/7 so anyone can go inside for quiet time with God. Outside the Alabaster House are lovely trails and gardens, with benches and even a foutain/pool (on which is inscribed Pool of Bethesda) It's really peaceful and beautiful, and I love going there. I took some pictures of the Canadian flag along the driveway up to church! You see, all along the LONG road up to church are flags of many different countries - they call that road The Avenue of the Nations.Our backyard is completely fenced in, so we do not have Chomperz in a leash. But he's always desperate to come out. He's escaped three or four times already. The first time he escaped, he ALMOST got hit by a semi. That's when Daddy hurt his leg from running against the curb while running after our dog. The times Chomperz ran away after that were easier to catch him though.I am taking Intermediate Spanish at the Bethel Missions Language School. It's basically learning Spanish with the goal of being able to go out on the streets and minister to the Spanish speaking people. I really enjoy it.My parents are enjoying their first year of BSSM (Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry). As part of their training, they have to choose an outreach. Mommy is doing Community Outreach, and Daddy is doing Treasure Hunts/Pastor on Call.For community outreach, they make food in Bethel's kitchen for the poor. Mommy's group takes that food and goes out to the city and goes to motels where the poor live and give it to them, pray with them, and build relationships with them. As for the Treasure Hunts. That's a special missions, where Daddy's group will gather to pray to God for guidance, and then go out to wherever the Lord leads them, and there they'll find people and pray for them. It's really amazing the things that God does during those times! The other part of Daddy's outreach is Pastor on Call, which is basically a ministry to the public schools. As a pastor on call, Daddy will be there to talk and pray with junior high students in public schools.I went to my first Core Group last Tuesday, and I'm really excited about that. A Core Group is a small group of 4 to 8 people (in my case, just girls) and we get together every week and get to know each other. We make connections and grow in the Lord together and hold each other accountable and pray for each other. Actually, today I'm going out with one of the girls in my group. Her name's Britney and she's 18. I'm thinking we'll become good friends... I hope so. God is good for providing me with people from week to week with whom I can be with and talk to.Okay well, I hope you have a great weekend! I love replies, just so you know! Let's me know you actually read my email appreciate the update! I wonder what would happen if I said I'd only keep those on my mailing list that replied? hehehe. I won't do that, but... think about it.I love you!!!!! And I miss you!!!!~Crystal~PS: The photo I attached of myself is one we took today at the Alabaster House.
Currently Reading
Redeeming Love
By Francine Rivers
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Saturday, 24 May 2008
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May 2008 Photo Update
Okay people, let's say this is the one hour photo tour of my life for this month. LOL. One. Two. Three. GO.
Okay these pictures above are from Jo's camera just so you know they're not "my copyright." In case you don't recognize me even though you should've seen me in short hair by now, I'm the one in the white hoodie.. LOL. Oh yeah, back to what's going on in these pics, this is at a youth thing we had this Friday.
My brother Cameron after we got snow after we'd been having warm weather for a while.
As most of you know, my dad went through an excruciatingly painful experience and was hospitalized for close to a week (6 days). Thanks for your prayers, he's back to normal health. He got a big gift from Profab which he's unpacking in the last two pics here.
I should have mentioned this is called "the random tour" cause this is truly random. But I thought these breads looked like they could have been baked by the angels themselves so perfect they look! My mom seems to have mastered the technique! ahhh and they taste as delicious as they look!
Here I was attempting to sell my jewellery I made at a yard sale.... only sold two sets... Oh yeah, and my brand name, just so you know, is called CRYSTAL'S
Soccer season is in full swing now! I play in team Arborg 1, and we call ourselves "Red Bull" which is a famous energy drink that to my opinion tastes really good. I'm the one in the pink. Imagine our team's consternation on our very first soccer game when we realized that the opposing team's color was also red! Ahh well it was a good game anyway (we played against Teulon).
Mommy weeding the tulip garden to make it look pretty for when the tulips begin blooming. She loves flower gardening. I sort of do too.
Cameron thinks his legs are long enough to drive the riding mower! He has spent quite some time already driving around with this thing. It's really funny seeing him stretch his leg to the gas pedal... hehehe.
And last but not least, what would you name a planet if you discovered one orbiting the sky near your house? Hahaha. This beach ball has done some "space travel" over our house lately.... seeing as it's summer and the kids need something summery to do. So I got this brilliant brainwave about a unique "photo-opportunity" so I kicked up the ball and quickly took the picture. PERFECT. lol.********************************************************************************
Now here's the hike me and Clarice and Lily made last Sunday. I won't have captions. You think of them yourself. Enjoy.
That's all folks. Have a good night.
Currently Reading
Living Free in Christ
By Neil T. Anderson
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Saturday, 19 April 2008
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Hair...and the Lack thereof...
Everyone who knows me or has seen knows one thing about me: I love long hair. A couple years ago I made a goal of protecting my hair, not damaging it, and then seeing how long I could get it to grow. It took me about two years. My hair was waist length. Mission accomplished.
Fact is, now the hair at the bottom was old, two years old. I decided to start over. The fact that it was really hot in Belize with my hair really helped with that decision, of course. So mentally I was preparing myself for the time where some time soon I'd cut my hair, I kind of tried to release my attachment to my long hair.
I never got around to cutting my hair in Belize though. However, now being back in Canada and summer approaching, I made a hairdresser appointment.
On Thursday I went to Jan's Hair Salon. Jan asked me if I'd like to donate my hair. I immediately agreed, that sounded like a wonderful idea (make use of the hair that would otherwise go to waste). But when she showed me how short it would have to be cut for it to be sent in as a donation (12 inches, a WHOLE FOOT), I kind of quaked at the thought. That was a couple inches shorter than I thought I was planning to get it.
"I'm not pressuring you, but just to put it into perspective," Jan said, "Imagine the little girl who is suffering from cancer, how she will feel beautiful again when she gets to wear your hair." Awww, that's such a special thought, really. Honestly, imagine a little girl getting to wear YOUR hair. Without it, she feels ugly and naked. With it, she feels like a real girl again.
So I did it.
And now you might not recognize me right away. I have short hair, really short (at least compared to what you're used to seeing on me!). So if someone says to me, "Why did you do that to your hair?!" Or "What ever made you do such an ugly thing with your hair?" I'll confidently answer, "I gave it to a little girl with cancer, so she would feel beautiful again." I know how important a girl's hair is to her self-esteem.
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MORE pictures of April 2008
Dylana also got her hair done. Oh, and see the tan? Yeah, we were in BZ.... lol.
Finally home, Cameron gets to play with his special toys again!
All of a sudden the weather turned warm. It's spring! So here Dylana's barbquing us a meal in the +22 C weather!
This is proof that it's spring. The Canadian Geese are returning to Canada!
That's me sitting with the food... well what? I'm hungry!!!
One thing I really missed while we were gone was our Reimer family gatherings. Here the Reimers are in our living room.... My uncle Ray is playing with his newborn son Keaghan Graeme Lloyd Reimer.
KEAGHAN GRAEME LLOYD REIMER - the newest member of the Reimer clan.
Currently Listening
My Savior Lives
By New Life Worship
Promises
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Thursday, 03 April 2008
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Home Sweet Home
Hey everyone!!!
I'm back home in Canada and it's cold! LoL. I knew it would be so actually it's not bad. I can't say I missed the cold, but it sure does feel "at home." So what's the news everyone?
I was at my first youth doing here now that we're back. Was great seeing some of my friends again! And I can't wait for Sunday to see the rest of em! Ahh what would this world be without those dear precious people we call friends? I love you all !!!!
Well I can't put any more pictures on here today for you because they're still all in the laptop that we had along on our trip, so maybe more will come later. MAYBE. If not, go to my facebook site. www.facebook.com/brilliantlypure
Love,
~Crystal~
Currently Reading
Nothing Is Impossible With God
By Kathryn Kuhlman
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brilliantlypure
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- Name: Crystal
- Gender: Female
- Member Since: 1/11/2007
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About Me
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I enjoy writing, drawing, reading, taking walks in the woods, photography, and so on. I love Jesus my Saviour - and want to tell the whole world about the peace and freedom I've found.
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I've moved from Canada to California. We're here for ministry training, and we'll be back for summers. TTYL!
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God, would you please show my just how far the east is from the west?..."From one nail-scarred hand to the other..."-Casting Crowns
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God is the Healer of all pain. God, I believe that! Take my pain from me Lord! Thank you for being with me to comfort me...........
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