I was hoping this Tuesday letter would be full of wonderful tales from the Pacific Northwest… of tide pools with sea creatures beyond imagining… of foggy beaches with striking monoliths rising up out of the water… of rainforests hung with moss and trees with holes large enough to walk through… of mountains that dwarf our Eastern foothills carpeted with an array of wild flowers… of the cool touch of glacial snow and a quick dip in glacial waters… of family games and shared meals and granddaughters playing together… Today’s letter celebrates all those wonderful experiences on our family vacation, but if you want details you will need to ask the family because I missed all those adventures last week.

Surprised? Me, too! My plan was to be in the middle of all the fun… on every hike… in every game… helping to prepare every dinner… posing for every picture along the way. Many of you know that I am a hard-driving, get-the-job-done, never-say-die, just-one-more-thing, bethere-no-matter-what, juggle-all-the-balls kind of person. So, no surprise, our family vacations are non-stop adventures. Why rest when one can explore one more thing? Slowing down has never been my style and STOP is definitely not in my vocabulary, until I ran into a brick wall. Granted, my family saw the brick wall coming and had advised several strategies for avoiding the collision. But I pressed past all those cautions, sure that I would be able to outrun what was coming as I have always done. Until I could not… That brick wall landed me in the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle during our family vacation. Five days of medical care… just long enough to get me stable to fly home where my Dr. has taken over my care.

I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis in 2018 and have managed that condition easily with diet and medication, allowing me to press forward with no guardrails. Until this spring, when my health began to turn, and summer when the demands increased, and suddenly what had been a manageable nuisance became a run-away train. But still I was sure that I could rally for the adventure that we have been planning for 7 years. Until I could not… I am still waiting for the full treatment plan, but what I do know now is that I need rest… lots of rest… to allow my body to heal. I know this health challenge will not be forever, but if I do not attend to this now, I face much longer lasting consequences. By God’s grace, we have an amazing team at Lenape Valley… staff, Elders, Deacons, Parish Visitors and a strong Care Team. They have already picked up the balls and are running with strength to keep our ministry flowing smoothly, allowing me a quiet August. The goal: a strong start to the Church Has Left the Building experience in the fall.

I know your heart… you are already wondering what you can do to help. Right now, all I need is peace and quiet… and your gracious prayer cover. I am blessed with great family care, and wonderful doctors. So, join us in prayer for God’s good healing path. Before we know it, I will be back among you, sharing in what God is doing in the world.

With you in prayer,
Anita