藍姑娘 2009年請安函

Dear Sek Iong Lim and Friends of TCCCNA:

Sorry I am so long in thanking you for your thoughtful Christmas gift. I misplaced your letter and needed to have your address in order to reply. I truly appreciate all the concern the Taiwanese friends show towards me each year. It is always good to meet some and do keep some contact in Toronto area. All the news you shared with me was exciting and have gone on the website a couple of times. Continue to keep Taiwan and the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan and all my friends and the people of Taiwan in my prayers. I try to share any pertinent news with my church and others churches and groups I visit , Be assured of their prayers and interest as well.

I was not able to return to Taiwan in November for Changhua Christian Hospital Staff Homecoming as concerned for my brother that I live with as was having special examinations regarding his heart problems. He is to have a defibrillator implanted soon and so I need to be here to help him. But look forward to going to Taiwan later this year, God willing.

I will enclose my Christmas Newsletter but allot of it tells of my family and the various activities I am involved in.

I do keep busy in my retirement and thankful for all God's goodness to me so I am able to do all of this.

May God continue to bless everyone that continues to serve in the various ministries and outreach to others in North America.

In His Love,

Joy M Randall

 

Christmas 2009

Thinking of you especially at this Advent and Christmas time.

A special prayer that our Saviour who gave us this day

Will brighten your Christmas and gladden your way,

Will lovingly guide you and bless all you do,

not only at Christmas but all through the year.

I may have written to a few of you at Thanksgiving but usually send more at Christmas.

I will share a few of our special times together with family and friends.

It has been a busy but wonderful year as I continued with many responsibilities. It is also great to share many special times with friends and family and will be looking forward to being together at Christmas.

My brother, David and Marlene and their family Jason and Shandelle with their son Cole who is 2 and a half and Jordon who is now 6 months bring us all great joy. Jordon’s Christening was in Nov and we were all there as a family. They will be with us for Christmas Day this year and then they are all going for a few weeks to Aruba where Shandelle’s parents have a home We also enjoy Kay, Marlene’s Mom, as she is with us on special occasions and I usually visit her and play Scrabble. We will include her in things here while they are away. Andrew is still in Toronto and probably won’t be home at Christmas. He still uses his talents with music on special occasions there.

My brother, John and Brenda’s son, Jonathan, will be home for Christmas Day but busy with his various jobs. We are thankful he has just moved into a new condo in Toronto. John and Brenda were to Las Vegas in the Fall for some holidays.

Richard, my youngest brother and I live in our family home, continues to do well and enjoys all the gardening and working around the house. He had a storke and heart problems in 2007 and has improved greatly .His cardiologist is pleased with him but concerned about his arrhythmias and referred him to another specialist. He had a MRI for his heart and another electrophysiological study done the end of October. He needs a defibrillator and this will probably be inserted in the new year. So please pray for him at this time. He still enjoys singing at Trinity Church, president of Lakeshore Genealogy and member of Cobourg’s historical society with responsibilities for volunteers for the Cockburn Room and now on the Committee for Victoria Hall’s 150th Anniversary in 2010.

Joy, I have had a busy year but rewarding and meaningful. I was moderator of Lindsay Peterborough Presbytery until Sept of this year and I continue to be president of the Peterborough Presbyterial WMS. This has involved more meetings but also many opportunities to visit our churches and share the concerns they have and also continue to share our journey of Mission together. There have been some joys and sorrows involved in this but thankful for the continuing witness for our faith in a challenging world today. I continue at St. Andrew’s as an elder and as of Sept became the clerk of our Kirk Session. I help with pastoral visiting and we hope to start a Pastoral Caring Team in the coming months. I sing in the choir and member of both Wmen’s Association and Women’s Missionary Society.

In October, WMS had the “ Circle of Sharing’ in Toronto when 6 Taiwanese women visited and we visited church and saw Niagara Falls, Evangel Hall, Embro Presbyterian Church, and Oxford County to see where Mackay lived before he went to Taiwan. Then I was a commissioner to our CNOB Synod meeting at Crieff Hills when our synod became partners with the Synod of Northern Taiwan and several Taiwanese ministers came Wilma became the moderator of Synod this year too.

I was not able to go to Taiwan for the CCH Home Coming in November because I was concerned at being that far away while Richard is waiting for his defibrillator. I have heard from a couple of friends who were there but not many of the details yet. I was sorry to miss that but hope I will be able to go to visit everyone sometime next year.

I hear from some of my friends in Taiwan and a few of the nurses at the hospital. Susan Chang, the director of nursing, writes sometimes and phoned a few times. They continue to be busy with all the hospitals- the medical centre, 3-4 branch hospitals and several smaller ones that are part of the system. Last year the new Psychiatric Hospital was opened in Lu Kang for long term care as we also have the Lu Kang branch hospital there. Er Lin Branch Hospital celebrated 45years since it opened. Thankful that Susan Chang and a few others nurses were baptized last year and a few others are still in the process of making that final decision. Please continue to pray for them.

The political situation in Taiwan is also of great concern particularly to the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan and they asked for support to write to President Obama regarding his trip to China. We continue to pray for democracy and the future of Taiwan. There were many changes after the typhoon because of the lack or the way they did or did not show their concern for the people, especially the aboriginal areas of disaster. Many say the situation was worse that the terrible earthquake in 1999. Please continue to pray for the people of Taiwan.

A 10,000 Villages store opened in Cobourg in August – I continue to do volunteer work there each month. It is a busy season right now. Try to help when I can. Previously I helped with S.A. Kettles at Christmas and I am still doing a few shifts there before Christmas.

In closing, it is always great to hear from you. Appreciate your continuing friendship, love and for your prayers for these many concerns.

God bless and keep you in God’s care.

Love, Peace and Joy

Joy Randall.