Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Hay!!! its been way too long!

Hi,
It's your friendly neighborhood, past excellian (I don't think that's a word), teammate! It has been a long time since we have all reconnected and updated our lives. So I figured I'd be the first :). well, in the past four years I have graduated from Bible College with a bachelors in Biblical Studies, and a certificate in music. Now working on a associates in music and in the coming spring will be attending a technical college for a shot at getting my CNA! I am still single, which for as busy a schedule as I have is not a big deal. I am working at an independent pharmacy as a clerk. I also deliver to a couple of nursing homes for them. that I enjoy the most. I have been able to witness to a couple tenants and get encouragement from others:). I have recently started helping on Sunday afternoons with the nursing home ministry that my church has! That has been great! We sing for them, with them, and the young men preach a short sermon to them. I also have been crazy as usual each summer traveling all over doing bible clubs in Natchez, MS, my town, and Baton Rouge, Doing youth mission camp with the Navajo Indians in Cortez, CO, and VBS in both my church, and for a homeschool convention in Baton Rouge. I am an aunt of 2 going on three children, and an honorary aunt of 11 going on 12! I also had a blessed opportunity to go to Delaware and win my 86 year old great uncle to the Lord, who than went home to be with the Lord only 2 & 1/2 months later! Of all the things I've been through these past few years 2 things stick out the most.

     One, is a little Girl I met at the Navajo Camp. It's official name is Camp Christa, in honor of my pastors daughter who was murdered just a few months before I came to Excel. Her name is Deandrea. a now 13 year old Navajo girl, who has a life no one could compete with. I had the honor to lead her to the Lord last year. She has been coming to camp since she was 9 or 10 and hasn't missed a camp until this year. she but in her short life it would almost seem as if she lived a longer one than you or me. she was taken away form her parents are alcoholics and due to the circumstances began using drugs at a very young age. she attempted suicide once and since than has been on anti-depressants. she suffers form cutting herself due to her depression and because of recently her family was evicted from there home started doing it again. she has been forced to go into therapy which is why she was not able to come this year. I was sad to not see her, but was glad to hear that her spirits were up. she got to help with bible clubs for a few days before starting therapy, and informed the missionary's wife that she knew it wasn't right for her to be taking the meds forced on her (she actually did better without them) and that therapy wasn't the answer, the bible was. She still knows she is saved but needs prayer for her to get better. She has been such a wonderful blessing in my life. and she does hope to attend next year. that is if they find a place to live by than. (pray for them, as far as I know they are still living in there car).
     The second is my mom. for the past 5 years I have practically been her home health nurse. She was diagnosed with c.o.p.d. and congested heart failure after my grandma died 5 yrs. ago on top of about 12 other illnesses (no exaggeration) she also suffered from degenerative arthritis which cased her to have knee replacement surgery of both knees two years ago. they did one at a time, and the first one went great, she healed wonderfully. The second one however, though it went well at first, they sent her home too early and the morning after fell and broke her ankle on the first leg, and popped a tendon on the new leg all the way to her thigh. now anyone who knows about knee replacement knows it is vital that your legs continue motion this stops blood clots and keeps the knee from stiffening up. In the predicament, however, she was forced to keep both knees immobile for 3 months. when she finally came home she was practically bedridden. she could not stand for more than a few seconds and the pain was worse than before her surgery. I had to take care of her 24/7. In December last year she was the worst. so bad in fact, that I had to cut back on work stop school, piano lessons, and even church. She started developing blood clots, one even burst in her lung, and needed her back massaged regularly because of the pain of staying in bed. Being obese didn't help her situation any. In February of this year I went one night sick with a migraine. I slept on the couch because I shared a room with mom so I could take care of her. She listened to the tv usually at nigh and I needed dark and quiet. the next morning was a work day and I was late waking up. I rushed to work not even checking on her and went on like a normal day. My dad called me that afternoon after he woke up and could not find momma any ware. he always slept in because he works a late shift at Wal-Mart and doesn't get home till midnight. He finally realized she had fallen in the bedroom behind the table she made jewelry at. She died early that morning of a blood clot. passing through her heart. thankfully it was quick, the firefighter on scene was a close friend and he said that even in a hospital with perfect health and all the right equipment would it be the same conclusion. That's how quick it is. I'm still getting over it. My dad and I still are amazed that it's real. But God taught me so much in that time and still now. It took patience, diligence, love, and faith to get through what I did for her, and just as much of each after she passed. God was so gracious to allow me to have her in my life. even through the hardest times I would not be ware I am today if that progression of events didn't happen first. To quote Fanny Crosby, she is now "Face to Face with Christ her Savior". At her funeral one of the songs sung was surly one that described her life and mine. the I will leave you with the words to the chorus and hope to hear from the rest of you soon. :)                               Love,
                                                                       Heather


God's been good, in my life,
I feel blessed beyond my wildest dreams, when I go to sleep each night,
And though I've had my share of hard times,
I wouldn't change them if I could,
Cause through it all,
God's been good.

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