Wednesday, October 12, 2011

So, we've known for seven days or so now and just today, have stepped out of the 'denial' stage.

In November 2009, Dan and Sandy Thiessen braved the North to visit us and bless our small Oasis Fellowship for a few days. Sandy kept the kids occupied while Dan took Koos and I apart piece by piece and read us both like books. She taught us 'Pairs', made tie dye t-shirts and introduced us to the world of Webkinz.

After Dan did a number on us, in the most loving way of course, Sandy encouraged us and built us up. She read us too, but didn't mess with our heads as bad as Dan did. Kind of like the 'bad cop', 'good cop' couple of Christian counselling. Then they took time out of their lives to talk with quite a few friends of ours from Hay River and pray for and encourage them too.

So, then we moved to Duncan. Dan kept calling us and making our lives miserable, in the most loving way of course, and then we'd get encouraging, cheerful, uplifting emails or blog comments from Sandy. Then, they decided to hop the ferry and come for a visit. Just to check out the Island and see how we were making out and settling in. That time, Sandy taught us Dutch Blitz and a dice game.

Just this past September, only 39 days ago to be exact, we hung out with Dan and Sandy and some of the Xingu Mission / Xtreme Mercy crew in Abbotsford. The kids got to add some more tie dye t-shirts to their collections, I can see the bird houses Sandy gave them to make outside my window right now as I am typing this and she fed us freezies and puffed wheat squares. And just generally, she made us feel good about ourselves. That's what she does.

And then we got an email. A short email, but one that kind of stopped our world. But we couldn't stop. We had a 'holiday' to go on. I was celebrating a new life and had to work hard to shove the possibility of the end of one of my favorite ones to the back of my mind. We had a fantastic visit with my brother and my sister in law and my neph
ews, but there was a cloud looming just over the horizon.

Now we are home and the storm has hit full force. This is real. My first question is this: How can you hang out with someone a grand total of three times and feel like you've known them your whole life? No answer, but it happened. Second question, How can someone influence your ten year old so quickly that a comment like this comes out of her; 'I love being around Dan and Sandy, it is like having Grandparents who are Christians like us!'? No answer for that one either, but it happened too.

How did we go from puffed wheat squares to chem
o in 39 days, exactly? Can someone play that over again please? I missed something somewhere.

So, denial has passed and anger has arrived. And that's about all I can blog because any more would be just a big long string of inappropriate words. Like the giraffe in the quicksand.

Some of you would have met Dan and Sandy in Hay River and you know what I am talking about. Here is the link to their daughter's blog to keep you updated: Foment of the Moment. Jen Snell has some updates too: Snells in the Amazon. She seems a little more calm and in a reasonable state of mind than I am right now, so for the facts, go to those blogs. For a rant, read this one again.

About one thing, there is no question, we love Dan and Sandy. They have had a big effect on our lives in a small space of time. That is for sure and for real. The rest of this **** would best be only a short, ridiculous nightmare.


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