Note to Supporters

Dear Faithful Partners in the Work

Happy New Year! As we start this new year let us remember that His mercies are new every morning and great is His faithfulness, no mater what we have come through and what lies ahead that is a solid truth that will sustain us and encourage us. 

I don’t know how many of you are aware of the fact that due to my rheumatoid arthritis, back in 1998 at the age of 18 I had both of my hip joints fully replaced.  The Lord used this surgery to radically change my life from being in a wheelchair to being able to walk and eventually move overseas to serve Him among the U people.  At the time of my initial surgery doctors said that the replacement joints would likely last anywhere from 18-20 years.  I have always known the day would come that these artificial joints would wear out, but I was shocked recently to find out that day is already upon me. 

In late November I had an orthopedic surgeon appointment.  I figured since I go for an hour long walk each day, the doctor would be pleased with how well my 23-year-old hips were doing.  After a quick look at x-rays, however, he declared both hips were bordering on ‘catastrophic failure’- the technical term for the wearing through to the replacement joint.    Despite how well I appear to be doing, he felt it was imperative to plan surgery for the beginning of 2021, before ‘the joints deteriorated past the point of them being able to operate’.  The doctor said I was ‘lucky’ to be home in Canada when this happened and not in some far-flung part of the world.  My team leaders in Central Asia, who have no faith in the local medical system, totally agreed, but saw it all as the hand of the Lord. 

Before leaving my doctor’s appointment that day I was already signing release forms to allow for surgery.  The doctor’s hope is to schedule my case sometime mid-February, but it is hard for hospitals fighting COVID-19 to accurately predict when they might be able to treat all non-urgent cases.   Depending on the amount of surrounding bone damage the doctor discovers while operating, he may need to do one hip at a time, meaning my year could consist of surgery, several months of rehab only to do it all over again four months later.  Praise the Lord that all of this will be covered under OHIP since all Canadians who returned home during covid were automatically regranted government health insurance. 

Over a year ago I left Central Asia with a carry-on suitcase in hand. Knowing another long year of displacement loomed ahead, I had to make some serious ministry related decisions.  During lockdown I have been able to help with a few online projects like seeing book of “Numbers” transliterated into a different U script.  The U language can be written with four different alphabets, our hardworking translation team focus their attention on the most common, but there are still segments of the population whose heart better comprehends the Word in a different format.  This work is not hard, just time consuming and often falls through the cracks.  Over the next year I will be partnering virtually with our U Broad Sowing team who seek to use social media and other forms of communication to make sure the U Bible is distributed.  I will not only continue to work on transliteration of the Scriptures, but will also help post and respond to comments on our U Bible reading FB, Instagram and YouTube accounts. Like so many people this year my job has switch from in person to online, for drinking tea to typing for the Glory of God.

These team changes mean that fellow workers in Central Asia will be packing up my apartment and, for the time being, I will officially be located here in Canada. I see this as a temporary reassignment due to health constraints.  Lord willing, after surgery, I will physically be able to repursue my heart’s desire to once again live in a U populated area. 

As friends and ministry partners I am so grateful for your faithfulness in both giving and praying throughout all of this year’s uncertainty.   I wanted to you be aware of the changes that lay ahead, I know a ministry of Scripture transliteration and internet proclamation is very different from relationship building with neighbors, but I hope you will continue to prayerfully and financially partner in this work.

For His glory,

Karen.