Wednesday
On Wednesday of last week, my father called to let me know that a dear friend of our family's had lost his struggle with depression and taken his own life. Kevin moved to Columbia, TN when he was a college grad and I was in junior high. He had been hired to be a sports writer for Columbia's paper. He instantly became "youth minister #2." He was athletic (which the guys loved!), encouraging, patient, genuine, and funny. When he asked you how you were, he genuinely wanted to know. Kevin always wanted to have a family, and a year before Ryan and I married, Kevin met and married the love of his life, Denise. :) They had two boys, Reed and Cannon. Please pray for the family and ask for healing.
Thursday
My friend Angela moved to the big city of Memphis in 2004 when she didn't know a soul. In many ways, she "paved the way" for Ryan and I to move here. She genuinely cares for people and is forced to do many things on her own because of her choice to be here. On Thursday, Angela called to let me know that she had been in a one-car wreck which totaled her car. A car swerved into her lane causing her to over-correct. The bad news was that two weeks prior to the wreck, she had let her insurance lapse. Because she was driving un-insured, her car was impounded by the city at the charge of $30 a day, it was un-fixable, and she had no form of transportation. God is good, and things are working out, but how much stress can a woman take?!
Friday
Ana (left) and Gloria (right) were good friends of mine when Ryan and I were at the Spanish-speaking church. They were both very patient with my Spanish and called upon me to help them with different "translation tasks." Ana called me when Isabela was born (on left) and Gloria asked me to go and interpret when her son was having cleft-pallet surgery (on right). Since this picture, both have had additional babies--one boy, one girl--and they were born in the same month (September). On Friday, Ana's baby girl died while at childcare. The cause of death is still unknown and the police are investigating. The funeral is tomorrow.
Sunday
On Sunday afternoon, Ryan and I finally put our Christmas stuff away. Ryan took down the outside lights with the help of two boys from our neighborhood, Jaquez and Kion. After they were finished, we invited the boys in for a snack. When Ryan and boys headed back outside, someone had stolen Jaquez' bike! Within a 5 minute time span! We felt awful, as did he. SEVERAL things have been stolen from the outside of our home since we moved here, but to steal a kid's bike?! HOW LOW CAN YOU GO?
There is a lot of brokenness in my world. A lot of sadness and despair. With the Lord's help, I am trying to come to grips with how to comfort those that have lost loved ones, be supportive to those without support, and demand justice for wrongs done on this earth. Trying to be His hands and feet. I am so glad that this is not my home...
