Lena

As a child, Laura desperately wanted a dog. We never thought it was possible - we lived overseas, and when we moved to the US, we lived in a house without a back yard. In 1997, our friends the Stalsbrotens adopted a guidedog. Laura wanted one too! We investigated, read books -and Terry one day confessed"Actually, I would really like to have a dog..."

So we applied with Patty Taylor, a puppy raiser for Guidedogs for the Blind, to adopt the yellow lab she was raising - if she failed to make the grade as a guidedog and became available for adoption. We had a home visit and interview, and were approved. And we waited. And Laura prayed for that dog.

One day in December of 1997, Patty called and asked to talk to Laura. "Do you want a dog?" she asked? Laura burst into tears. The next day, we met Lena. She was a gift from God, for Laura, for our family. For me.

She was Laura's friend, her doggy-girl They went to 4-H together, to the County Fair, won ribbons with their teamwork. She was mellow and not terribly smart. She made us laugh. She was well-behaved -except for one thing - she would eat everything that was accessible that was even remotely imagined to be edible. A ball of twine. Whole peaches with the pits. A half a bag of the neighbor dog's food. A chocolate cake. Two whole pounds of See's Candy. She was a familiar visitor to the vet's office. Yesterday she went there one last time, looked into my eyes for reassurance while Dr. Testerman gave her the injection, laid her head on her paw as she always did, and went to sleep.

I miss her. She was always so happy to see me, and I liked that. It was so strange and lonely to walk into the house and not have her greet me. She was a good dog and I give thanks to God for her.

A Prayer (for when you don't have one of your own.).

Grant me, O Lord, to trust in You with all my heart.
for as you always resist the proud who confide in their own strength,
so you never forsake those who make their boast of your mercy;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives
and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God,
now and forever.

An Update on Laura

The summer of 09 ... doctor bills, insurance forms, hours on the phone with all my new friends at Blue Cross, the hyperbaric chamber, middle of the night massages and reading aloud to my sleepless girl, prescriptions and supplements and trying to find nourishing things that she can eat. Maybe its best not to ask me "So! How was your summer?"
Laura is back in Spokane now, ready to start school - and we are hoping and praying for the best. (Her condition, by the way, is called Undifferentiated Spondyloarthropathy, a type of arthritis that causes inflammation of the tendons around the joints. She has had it since she was 16 or so - but it is only this year that it has flared up with this severity.)It has been up and down for her with pain, nausea and fatigue. She seems to be a little better at the moment. She is taking medication that suppresses the immune system - and the H1N1 flu, mild for most people, is dangerous for young people with suppresses immune systems.
I am thankful for good doctors, for insurance coverage (if she hadn't gone back to school in January, she would not have been on our insurance. So far this year: $10,000 worth of medications), and for the mercies of God. And I appreciate your prayers.