Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity, Jig

Dear Ones,

I got to go home to Oregon for the Passover break. It was a nice treat. I so miss worshipping at a church with other folks so that was a special blessing to get to be home for Easter. I got to visit with my folks and some of my family which is always nice. I also got to go with a friend while she had an ultra sound. She is about 12 weeks pregnant. The ultrasound tech told us that the baby was about 2.5 inches long. It was so amazing to be able to see the fingers and toes, the little heart beating, the eyes....what a miracle. It was especially cute to see him/her stick the thumb in their mouth and suck on it. How sweet. The baby is healthy and everything looks good so far - we're all so thankful!

Later my friends Paul and Sheila Gunderson came by for a visit. It was so good to be able to catch up with them. We realized we haven't seen each other since their son was 4 days old and he's now just a few months from being 2 years old. They are getting ready to head to Indonesia with New Tribes Missions in July. It was such a blessing to be able to visit with them and hear about their plans and the adventures they're having as they get ready to go.

Also during this time, my friend Connor Ratzlaff finished his last chemotherapy treatment for acute lymphocytic leukemia. Yeah! Yippee! Yahoo! I'm so thankful for him and his family and the beautiful witness they have been to so many during this entire ordeal. We're all praying that the treatment lasts and that any side effects he's been having will soon disappear and he and his entire family can relax and enjoy life without chemotherapy, spinal injections, and ER visits.

I also had time to visit with good friends, play games with family, and just plain relax. It was a much needed break. This year has been good but very tiring. There's a lot to do and think about right now.

The trip home was a different story. Some of you know it took me five days to make a 1.5 day trip. I bought a stand-by ticket thru a friend who works for the airline. Usually that's no big deal and it's about 1/3 of the normal cost, but this time, everyone and their dog was travelling...I guess for the Easter holiday. I got stranded in Medford the first day which wasn't a big deal because I got to stay home one extra day. Then I got stranded in Salt Lake City for a day. Then when I made it to Atlanta I got stranded there for a day. I was sleeping on the airport floor and woke to the sound of the news announcer stating that there was a tornado alert in Atlanta! I finally ended up buying another ticket which took me to Toronto, Canada, then Frankfurt, Germany, and then finally Tel Aviv. What an adventure! I'm home now and getting unpacked. I'm so thankful my luggage made it with me and I'm all here in one piece. I did find though that my bag of coffee beans came un-ziplocked during the trek so I have a suitcase with lots of coffee beans in it and clothes all smelling like coffee. I'll have to tackle that before long. They should make a perfume that smells like coffee - I love it! :)

Now it's back into the routine of hospital rounds, lectures, and studying. We have an exam next Thursday the 30th of April in neurology. I would really appreciate your prayers for this as it's one of my weaker subjects.

Well, that should catch you all up on the life and times of Peggy. Hope you all had a wonderful Easter. It was so nice to see many of you. May you continue to remember the miracle of His resurrection.
Blessings,
peggy