Thursday, August 21

I passed the baton to Debbie for blogging but I don't think she picked it up! Anyway, I made it home to Prince George and everything was just the way I left it. It has been a busy week working at Cedars to put things together for a new year. I have a new VP this year - Winston Price, and it has been great to get to know him again and have him bring some really great ideas to the leadership of the high school. We're encouraged about a new year with many, many new students.

Debbie has been busy with Sam in Vancouver. They went for blood tests and yesterday Sam required a transfusion because his counts were so low. Then he felt really sick from medication as well. He was pretty wiped last night. Today he's feeling better.

We're not sure about the trip home for Sam and Debbie. The doctors are still working it out and are a little worried about him traveling if his blood counts are so low. He basically has no immune system right now so any infection can be life-threatening if not caught immediately with very strong IV anti-biotics. It was a bit discouraging to think they may not be able to come back to PG for awhile. We'll have to wait and see what next week brings. We should know by Tuesday or Wednesday.

Tonight Kate invited me out to Ness Lake Bible Camp to watch her work with the high ropes course. I was anticipating the adrenaline after seeing all the pictures which Tony Romaine had sent Sam about his 2 weeks at NLBC as the Camp Grampa. Tony was so gracious in sending Sam all his pictures so that Sam could see what was going on at camp this summer while he was in Vancouver.

It was exciting to see Kate so confidently leading the others through the difficult course. She is really amazing. She isn't at all scared, 40 feet in the air, walking along a tiny cable.

I was able to speak with Randy Carter for a while as well. It was so good to see him again. He was our speaker last year at Cedars for our Spiritual Emphasis Week. He was outstanding and it was great to see him working with kids again this summer at camp. They all encouraged me to go up in the trees so I strapped on the harness and climbed up.

The girl who was belaying me looked like she knew what she was doing. I asked her, "Should I climb the ladder or the wiggly pole?" She said, "Oh, the pole, its not that hard."

About half way up the pole I had no strength left in my arms and was nearly stuck. I shouted down, "I thought you said it was easy!" She said, "Well it looks easy when the little kids go up. I've never actually tried it myself!"

Needless to say by the time I got up to the tree tops, 40 feet up, my arms felt like rubber and I could hardly grab onto the platform! Paul Bailey came over to guide me through the first section. Three years ago, he and I worked one full day on putting together a video for a proposal to a foundation to build a high ropes course for NLBC. Last spring they gave the money and this summer kids are using it. It was exciting to see a small bit of work one afternoon turn into a spectacular tool for reaching kids at camp.

The first element is a cable with poles going up. You have to walk along the cable holding one pole, then reach your hand out for your partner who grabs your hand and helps you keep your balance as you shuffle along the wire to the next pole. Paul kept saying, "Just grab my hand and let go of the pole and walk... you can do this." There are a whole lot of word pictures for what we've experienced at Children's Hospital with Sam, in this adventure in the tree tops. Letting go is difficult. Trusting everything will work out is even harder.

We made it to the next platform and then I went across an impossible bridge platform very ungraciously as my daughter laughed at my complete clutziness. Laughing, she said, "I've never seen anyone do this element quite like that before!"

I said, "You're enjoying the fact that you are WAY better at this than me, aren't you?" She said with a smirk, "I certainly am..."

Then she and I locked hands and walked along two separate wires which got wider and wider as we walked along. Eventually, there was no place left to go and she fell off the wire. It was incredible.

The final event before it got dark was the trapeze jump. I had seen a girl hysterically crying at the thought of this event just a few minutes before. They lowered her down with her sobbing.

Paul got me into position. It is a tiny platform on the tree from which you jump straight ahead to catch a trapeze bar which is suspended 50 feet from the ground. If you miss, you fall with the belayers catching you from below.

I jumped and caught the bar on the first count. It was amazing.

Then I got to watch Kate do it as well. She was so graceful and athletic and had no fear. What a kid. It was quite an evening. It was so great to see her. We've all missed her so much this summer.

Sam had a better day today. Pray that his blood counts get better so that it works out for him to come home next week.

Good night.

Ger