Heaven came near.... an unwanted good-bye

We had a very sad week. My dear sister, Aimee, unexpectedly passed away last week. Words cannot express our grief.



Memories of her even in this past year fill our minds:
- She met me at the airport w/ my other sister, Genevieve, when I flew back from Ukraine to be rediagonsed w/ cancer
- went with me to all those initial doctor appts.
- was the family hostess for the holidays of our northern family
- met Josh in Sacramento on his field trip
- flew down for Josh and Mark's birthdays
- came down to visit me w/ Genevieve
- gathered the birthday and Christmas lists from Ben and Josh and bought everything on the lists for them!
- came down w/ Gen and Mom to celebrate my birthday
- called on the exact date of our birthdays and sang "Happy Birthday" to us
- always kept in touch thru e-mails and phone calls
The list goes on. She leaves a big hole for many.

If you look at my last blog entry, she is the one who left a comment. Now she is in that place - Heaven - enjoying our Lord and Savior, for it was thru her that I became a Christian...
"...and thus we shall always be with the Lord." 1 Thess 4:17
"...depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better." Phil 1:23

Smoke - Filled Vision

We woke this morning to a smoke filled sky and ashes on the ground.
...9:00am

...ashes

We are still quite a distance from the roaring wildfires that have scorched So. California over the weekend. It has been the worst fires since 1961. Around 1,000 homes have been destroyed, 20,000 acres scorched and tens of thousands evacuated and it is still roaring. What words come to mind watching the newscasts?... loss... compassion... and all the emotions that go with that... a huge loss for many.

I have been so blessed by updates from a dear man with SEND International who has Lou Gehrig's disease. He writes: "...outdoor activities such as camping, fishing, canoeing, boating, jet skiing, bicycling, motor cycling, etc, etc. Well…almost all of these activities and joys have come to a halt. So I have been divesting myself of ‘my toys’... A keen awareness of Matt 6:19-21 has been growing in my heart,
"Stop storing up treasures for yourselves on earth,... Instead, store up treasures for yourselves in heaven,..."
With my mortality staring me in the face daily, I have been thinking a lot more about life beyond this arena in which we are now living. What is beyond? What is Heaven like? ...Here are a few gems from Alcorn's book 'Heaven': [460]
“If we build our lives on the redemptive work of Christ, we should all be optimists. Why? Because even our most painful experience in life is but a temporary setback. Our pain and suffering may or may not be relieved, but they will certainly be relieved in the next.”
... thanks for clearing the smoke, Don!

Test Results...

I had a check up with my doctor yesterday.
Mark's update:

"The news from what results the doctor had available yesterday was good, but other results that came in just this morning were not what we hoped for because they indicated that Bonnie's cancer could again be active. Her numbers are now barely in the normal range and moving in the undesired direction. She's getting checked again in 6 weeks instead of the 3 month schedule we were on. We're clinging to the Lord and appreciate your prayers."

My reaction: In 6 weeks, it will be right before Christmas... (sigh)... I need Your perspective on this God...
"...I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands..." Isaiah 49:15,16

Oбще язык...

Our dear friends Anatoly and Galyna Prokopchuk (President of Kyiv Theological Seminary) just left after having visited with us for 4 days. In Ukraine, we always felt like we shared "Oбще язык" - understood each other - "spoke the same language". We couldn't have survived without them. We love them and miss them already.


On their way to the airport back to Ukraine... til we meet again.

Ukraine on our minds...

Mark is in Ukraine right now teaching in the Talbot program, so the topic of our dinner conversations have been:
"Lucky, Dad - eating in the seminary's cafeteria every day..."
"Yesterday he said he ate there twice! Dinner was картошки (potatoes) with meeeeeat sauce."
"Remember their борщ?(beet soup)... ohhhhh and their котлеты!" (meat cutlets)
"Remember the пампушки (filled biscuits) in the рынок!" (outdoor market)
Mom: "In June when we go to Ukraine, we might stay at the seminary."
"Yes! I can't wait to eat there!"
"Are we going to 'Два Гуся'?" (a restaurant in Kiev w/ Ukrainian food)
Mom: "Anatoly is coming in 1 1/2 weeks."
"Is he going to make us his плоф?" (rice pilaf)

Yes, Ben and Josh are their stomachs... but they don't just miss Ukrainian food. We have also reminisced about riding the метро (subway), Шевшенко Park, Уман, various people, and their days in their Ukrainian school - I didn't know that during break time, Ben wrestled w/ the other boys and threw Misha down once! They vividly remember their first day in their Ukrainian school as you see in the photos:

Sept 1, 2000
Sept 1, 2004

Oct. 19, 2008 - Ben carrying the Ukrainian-type flag in our church's mission's flag parade last Sunday.

How Young...?

A birthday fit for a Queen...


...with family. Thank you for driving down Mom, Aimee and Genevieve..
..and Bob and Nancy!
...The Royal Shiroma Ladies having a queen's brunch at her favorite restaurant.


A surprise from the king...

...2 days in Santa Barbara..

...a perfect gift - thanks hubby.
High Tea with a faithful friend - Thanks, June!


...and a bouquet of Plumerias waiting in Her Highness' garden from her Creator and Heavenly Father.
Lord, thank you for all the thoughtful friends and family... and bouquet of Plumerias!

Saving fuel + absentmindedness = only good intentions

Our 3 men are doing their share in saving on gasoline a few days a week...


Ben bikes 3.6 miles to school... (calling us on his cell upon arrival and departure)




Josh rides his scooter .8 miles to school... (Mom walks -to and from- half way w/ him)

Mark bikes 2.7 miles to Biola...

Yes, we are the "savers", except when absentmindedness sets in...

This morning when Ben arrived at school, he called - he forgot his bike lock... so Dad drove to his school to deliver the lock. When Josh arrived at school, he realized it was picture day... so Mom quickly drove to his school delivering him a nicer shirt and money... then was told Josh needed to bring homemade playdough today, if not, he would get a lower grade... so Mom drove home to make it and realized we didn't have white flour, so drove to the market to buy some, drove back home - made the playdough and drove back to Josh's school to deliver it.

Well, so much for saving on gasoline today ...we had good intentions.