Thank you so much for your prayers, emails and encouraging notes to me. Good news is that my surgery was very successful. It was even better than last time when I had my right knee replaced. The doctors and nurses at St. Michael’s hospital were excellent, professional and caring. I was impressed with them! The meals were also very good which is not common in a hospital. They even gave us an evaluation sheet to fill out about the meals. My only request was more fresh fruit and Asian food!
This time I did not have a private room but shared a room with three other women who all had knee or other surgeries. I actually enjoyed it more as we had time to talk and share together. One lady named Nancy had always been healthy and was suddenly struck with MS. She believes it was brought on by stress when her daughter was in an abusive situation and ended up in divorce. Yet, she is a very positive person who is making the most of it. I did encourage her that prayer is so important and Marie from Czechoslovakia agreed. Marie not only had a knee replacement but later must also have her ankle fused. Her husband is 82 and can’t help her at home. Instead she needs to help him. Maria was very interested in our mission work in Thailand as I shared a little with all of them. We had a rousing Australian woman who also quite talkative and assertive. One of my nurses was from Tibet. When I shared that my late husband Daniel came from nearby Tibet, in Putao northernmost Myanmar, she was very interested. She shared about the suffering in Tibet and then took extra good care of me in the hospital. So, my four days in the hospital went well, despite the pain. I know that God was watching over me through all your prayers on my behalf.
In my last email, I expressed concern for where I would go for rehab. I didn’t qualify for government funded rehab this time. However, I found a retirement home called Pine Villa that takes in short term respite care. It is close to my daughter Elizabeth’s place and they were willing to help me out in every way. They upgraded me to a lovely suite with a bedroom, living room and bathroom for the same price as the studio apartment. I didn’t realize it was a Jewish retirement home until I arrived here! It is quite humourous to me that I am living with 80 and 90 year olds and a few who are a hundred! My last time in Canada I was living with 20 and 30 year olds at Tyndale! I believe God wants me to relate to all ages! Some at the retirement home are still fairly active but some have dementia. A few have very bad tempers when they don’t like the food or the staff! I told the staff here that they must be very patient to do this kind of work. Most are Filipinos or Caribbeans with several Eastern Europeans working here too.
The nurses and staff have been wonderful and are willing to come and help me anytime I need help. I am trying to be as independent as possible and not bother them too much. During my devotions in the morning, I prayed that I would be a light for Jesus here and for God to direct me to whom I should talk. I was placed at the dinner table with an elderly (92 year old!) Jewish gentleman and a younger woman neighbour who helps take care of him. She tells me all about the people residing at Pine Villa and some are very sad stories. Several lived through the holocaust in Europe. On Friday, we had a Sabbath meal with matzo soup, the bitter herbs and fish and halal (egg bread). Before eating that, one elderly man (perhaps he was a rabbi, sang a Hebrew prayer and blessed the meal. Elizabeth’s son Marc, my grandson, attends a Jewish day care and I am in a Jewish retirement home! We are in a very Jewish district of Toronto. Actually, my grandfather on my mother’s side was a German Jew. He immigrated to Canada in 1920.
One of the unexpected blessings here is that the retirement home not only has plenty of activities in the day but also performances at night. It is a very small place with perhaps around 50 residence. We had a young Jewish man who played guitar and sang on Tuesday. He also moderates a television show. On Thursday, two men played lovely classical music as well as Irish and Jewish tunes on the flute and piano. My Aunt Shirley visited and attended that performance with me. I have to admire these performers willing to play for elderly people, some who listen attentively but several who look like they were almost asleep!
I am progressing well and can now walk with my walker around the building at least 12 times up and down the hallways. Next week I hope to venture outdoors. Thankfully, Pine Villa has a physio therapist who will work with me twice a week. I do my knee exercises every day despite the pain. “No pain, no gain!” is my motto for right now! I hope to progress to two canes perhaps sometime next week and then one cane in a week or so. Please pray for the pain to be more bearable, that I can sleep at night, and I will recuperate completely.
I will move to Tyndale Seminary the last week of July and continue my recuperation there until September. I will enjoy the library, friends and staff of Tyndale, Wednesday chapel services, lectures and the bookstore etc. Being more mobile, I will be able to visit family, friends and churches from that time onward. I have already been asked to preach in August at the Myanmar Christian Church.
I will be at Pine Villa two more weeks and would love a visit from any of you who can come. The address is below. For my American friends – do not send any cards to me by mail as Canada is having one of their “famous” postal strikes. An email card or note will do for now!
My address right now:
Pine Villa
1035 Eglington Avenue
Toronto, ON
M6C 2C8
Canada
Please also remember to pray for our FLC staff, evangelists and Barefoot Doctors and for the safe and successful completion of Bay Yai Sai village church building.
May God bless you and grant you a wonderful summer and quality time with family and friends,
Beverley
