Thanksgiving and Blessing for Mom Speirs

Friends, I don't know how it is possible to take in so many events back to back. A colleague of mine said that they did their graduation, wedding, and ordination all in one month. That's kind of what this feels like. Again, friends, family, and neighbors came to help us thank Mom Speirs for all that she has done for us. Honestly, we could have never made it through this time without her. She flies back today with Richie and Lori. Thank you, everyone, for showing your love and gratitude towards Mom Speirs.

On top of it all, it seems that everyday and every interaction is like living in the wake of a miracle. People ask, 'What is Bob's status.' And I say, 'His liver failed, and now it is completely healed.' And the response is usually, PRAISE GOD, IT IS A MIRACLE. And just as the extent of Bob's illness came to me after the worst of it, so it is with the miracle too.

Yesterday, our dear friend Magdi from Cairo, Egypt came to campus. I'm finding a family picture and will blog on his family who became such close friends to us when they were here. Complete with a never-forget trip to the Wisconsin Dells. Imagine how we felt when in his talk he said that he and Heba got down on their knees and prayed for Bob the minute they had received the news about the liver. More about their amazing work in a future dispatch.

Anyway, just trying to come down a bit from all of this. Like Richie said last night at the Service, You think you're alone, but you're really not. And like Colombo, Mom Speirs will be back.

With love, T

P.S. During the ceremonial handing over of the laundry detergent and butcher knife, which Marc so brilliantly orchestrated, I'm wondering how many other people noticed the determination with which Mom Speirs grabbed the blade side of the big knife.