Christmas Day. Last night we celebrated: Church service, dinner, and gift exchange. Life is good. Yesterday the article came out in the Daily Herald. I think she did a good job with a few mistakes on details, but then the interview was entirely by phone while I was at school writing lesson plans. I'm generally good at multi-tasking, but trying to direct Bismarck with storing Christmas decorations and fill Tony in on lesson plans while talking to Lenore on the phone is a bit much, even for me! I think I did a few quantum leaps while talking to her.
http://www.dailyherald.com/community/zonestory.asp?id=135617&zone=elg#

Rachel called and said her Aunt saw us on news. NBC never did call, but I guess they did the story. I tried to find it online but couldn't.

I still need to pack my suitcase. It's sitting here waiting for me. But I have three days left before check in time! I still have this incredible peace. Bob and the boys seem to have it too. I'm praying for those around me. I know some people are rather anxious. I guess my greatest concern is that if for whatever reason I don't survive, my family will be left to deal with...life...disappointment...questions. I'm so convinced that this is of God that whatever comes, I know a greater purpose will be served. My prayer is that those around me will be able to understand that, not just in head knowledge, but understand with a whole heart.

I talked to my Dad today. He's very anxious, but then it is his nature to be anxious. This has to bring up the spectre of my mother's death for him. There are some parallels: it was about this time of year. (The fire was December 28th; she died January 13th) There was a sacrificial element to her death: she was saving my sister and I. While I had inevitable (and some not so inevitable) difficulties being a teenager without my mother, somehow I always knew that there was a higher purpose in her death. I was angry with God about it for a long time, but God was well able to handle my anger. (If you don't believe that, read through the Psalms. David ranted at God at times.) God is well able to confront us at our weakest point and still provide comfort and direction.

One outcome I would so like to see if for Americans in general to repond by advising family members and signing their driver's license as donors. If all of us (at least those who have no religious objections) donated organs upon death, this shortage would not exist and people like Victor would not be placed on long waiting list with little hope of reaching the top before an organ becomes available. But it does mean dealing with mortality. If one is to leave instructions with family and sign a license, it means having to think about and talk about one's own death. Many just don't want to think about it. Yet death is so inevitable. Time marches one.

However, for me, I'm planning to use my new pink suitcase (Christmas present from JCC) for a trip to Nicaragua next summer. The children at the dump are hungry. I'm still looking for donors (money, not organs) to sponsor children who live in incredible poverty, filth and hunger. I visited Puerto Vallarta, Mexico last summer also and was able to assist a bit with the feeding program that Pastor Saul Gonzalez has initiated at the dump there. It's absolutely incredible the job that he has done with volunteers and local resources. Of course, in Managua, Nicaragua there are not the amount of local resources that exist in a popular vacation spot like Puerto Vallarta, but doesn't my father own the Cattle on a Thousand Hills? And doesn't he keep count of even the sparrows? We must find the resources. As you can see from the picture above, the conditions are unbelievable. I must admit that it was so muddy and nasty that day that we didn't even get out of the truck. I took those pictures from the clean, safe environment of a vehicle. God is not finished with me yet!! Nor with you!

For additional information see: http://www.jccelgin.org/liver