Birthday Bash

I'm a few days late getting this posted but we had a great birthday bash for Arlene, Rose, and Elsie -- what a day that was for God now wouldn't you say!!

Little Richard Craig - Son of Gloria and Sam -- Newest Partner in Hope

Candy Girard Funeral

If you have to go to a funeral, that's the kind to go to! I remember thinking that years ago when we gathered in the Salvation Army building at First and Commercial to celebrate the life of our friend Jack. That was certainly the case again on Saturday for those of us who gathered to say good-bye to Candy.

These are just pictures from a phone so they're not great but for those of you who couldn't attend, they will share a bit of the event with you.

Happy Birthday Lloyd

We've known Lloyd for many years and he's been a great volunteer in the food co-op for past couple of years at least. He knows exactly what to do with the fruit and veggies for the boxes on Friday mornings. We're happy to celebrate Lloyd on his birthday.

Sunday Afternoon Stars -- The Question Is - What Kind of Show?

A month later and here are the pictures from the yard on Sunday afternoon the 27th of July. These were there "before the water hose came out" shots. Remember the hot Sundays!!! Remember Rose and Frank and that sly Gordon with the hose!!! I learned a lot about who i could trust with what kind of water and who makes a fantastic team member -- the more devious the better when it comes to water fights!! :)

I also look at these pictures and I see all the events that happen in our lives in the space of one short month. Some of these folks are now in detox and we are so thankful for that. Others have struggled in hospital with diabetes, cancer, MS. Mom's had her eye surgery (yesterday.)

Roger's been to Malaysia and back. Winnie is back on the East Coast getting ready for her final year of school. We've been to a couple of funerals (none for those you see in these pictures). Lorna's been on the edge a couple of times. Our lives touch one another's in so many ways.

One of these days when life isn't quite so hectic (start counting my gray hair now) I'm going to do a retrospective with pictures. Don and I were laughing about the "flaked out on the couch pictures" I have of him through the years. I think I have pictures back to 1997 so look out folks!! We've watched kids grow up and all of us get a little older. We've hung together for a lot of years, many of us. That says a lot to me.

There were many things I didn't know about what life would look like for me when I came to Vancouver in 1994. I knew God wanted me to be here. I knew He had many precious people to meet and that our lives would make a difference for each other. We think about programs and things we need to do, but what you see here is what Partners in Hope really is for me -- people doing life together like family.

I have enormous gratitude to the folks you see here and to the many faces that didn't get to the camera that day or are captured on other days. My life is so much richer because I've known all of you and we've tried our best to love each other and take care of one another through the struggles. Yeah God! Your plans really are great!