April 2025: Buying and Selling and Connecting and Grieving (with hope) and Celebrating

 April 2025 will be a special month for me and my wife Lynne for many years to come. It started with my 56th birthday (yay!) and it continued with some exciting developments. On April 8 we signed the final papers for our new home in Abbotsford, BC and on April 10 I picked up the keys. Here's a picture of that moment...

Later in the month, we got the good news that we had an offer on our current home in Sherwood Park. Conditions were cleared on April 28 and we'll hand over the keys to this place at the end of May. We've lived in this home since spring 2004...it's the longest I've ever lived anywhere. We'll miss this home with all its great memories and moments. Here's a picture of Lynne and I celebrating!

Here's another picture with our wonderful real estate agent and good friend Tim. He's been an important part of a team of people who have helped us with this move so far. Great stuff!!

So now we are focused on getting the new place painted and getting the flooring replaced there so we can move in soon. We are also making plans to finish our packing in Alberta and get our things moved down to Abbotsford. It's been a busy couple of months but we're so thankful to have things getting completed. I was hoping we could do this all before my busy summer with LAMP gets going and it looks like we'll make it.

In addition to buying and selling houses, April has been a month for me to continue making and building connections on LAMP's behalf. Meeting with the local pastors and church workers at our circuit conference continues to be a highlight (I'll need to connect with the workers in my new circuit in BC soon). I also managed to connect with some local church worker friends over coffee / lunch. I was honoured to serve as a guest speaker at the seniors group at my church (they call themselves the "Recycled Teens") for their monthly meeting in April. It was also good to spend some time meeting with fellow deacons online for our monthly meeting. I enjoyed spending some time in Canmore with the attendees of the NALC (North American Lutheran Church) Study Conference there. In honour of the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicea, we spent time discussing the Nicene Creed and the canon of the Bible. It was good to see old friends and meet new friends in such a beautiful place. Check out the lunch views!! I also took some photos of my new LAMP display and a picture of the group as the North American LC Bishop addressed the conference.  

                       

April was also a time of grieving lost loved ones. On a personal level, I was sad to hear about the passing of my friend and former coworker Ann N. I was also so sad to hear about the passing of my former youth group member Bobbi B. Bobbi was a young man who faced a lot of challenges in his life with great faith and great strength. I grieved to hear about the passing of longtime family friend and fellow church member Betty Ann K. I was thankful to be able to attend Ann's funeral online and Betty Ann's funeral in person. I'm making plans to attend Bobbi's funeral as well. Here's some pictures of my friend Ann (and her husband Russ, another dear friend and former professor), Betty Ann, and Bobbi. I thank God for each of them and I'm praying for their families and friends in this time of sadness. I'm also thankful for the hope and promise represented by Jesus and the celebration of Easter.

I was also thankful for the opportunity to attend the Celebration of Life for LAMP founder Rev. Dr. Les Stahlke. He passed away in late March and it was good to gather with his family and many from the LAMP family to celebrate him and remember. Here's one of my favourite photos of Les!

I also want to acknowledge the passing of Pope Francis. As a young Lutheran boy growing up, I didn't know very much about the Catholic Church. I remember hearing about Pope John Paul II and Mother Teresa...two important leaders in our world and in the culture at that time. Pope Francis has been such an inspiration on so many levels...I have appreciated the chance to read some of his writings and to follow some of his leadership choices. I especially appreciate his efforts to meet with and listen to the indigenous peoples of Canada in recent years...an important moment!! We remember our LAMP friends in the Catholic Church at this time and we grieve...with Easter hope! Here's a favourite picture of Pope Francis and also a cartoon that captures his leadership so well. 

I want to end with a LAMP celebration...Nathan S, one of our LAMP missionaries, has completed his seminary training and will be shifting in his role at LAMP to Missionary Pastor! Congratulations, Nathan, on this wonderful achievement. I appreciate working with you and look forward to doing that for many more years. Here's a picture of Nathan with LAMP's Executive Director Steve S and his District President.