Hello everyone, I'm Chris and I am very excited about this R.E.S.T. Intensive.
I heard about it through Lindsay on her podcast and the interviews that she had with Ashley.
And I watched the foundational series and it was excellent.
So I am really looking forward to meeting you all and being on this journey with you.
I wanted to talk a bit about where I'm at at this moment in time and why I really wanted
to take this class with you all.
I'll just start off with a bit of background.
My passion is cross-cultural ministry.
I was a missionary in Japan for 17 years, came back in 1998, and from there I got working
in the medical field, working administrative type in medical groups.
So right now I'm working for a medical group in their IT department, which, you know, I
didn't grow up with computers so this was quite a challenge.
I had been hired by this company and was working in the quality department and then
it came up they were going to change to a different EMR, electronic medical record system.
So anyway, I passed a test, got the training back in Wisconsin.
I live in California, by the way, in Pinole near San Francisco.
Anyway, so I have been doing that job for about two years and it has been very challenging
because I don't have an IT background, but it has been very good and it has taught me
to really rely upon the Lord for everything, even, I mean, it was kind of a challenge to
think that God wants to be with me in my, quote, secular, unquote, job, but where sometimes
it seemed impossible to figure things out, either there would be a person that would
help or God just showed me, you know, how to do it.
Anyway, so I've been doing that and it is very time consuming.
If we have meetings and all, I might work 10, 12 hour days, work on the weekends sometimes.
So that has been going on and then God opened up the door to ministry in India on Zoom calls.
I have one Zoom call actually to Bible school in India talking about missions, the heart
of missions.
So I was going to be doing some more talks like that.
And then in August, I was diagnosed with breast cancer for the second time, 17 years ago,
I had breast cancer and it has showed up again.
And at the end of August, I had surgery and it seems to have gotten it all, but I still
need radiation therapy.
And then after that, there's hormone therapy.
So anyway, at the beginning, I was really at peace in the Lord.
There were a lot of people praying and, you know, I was really at peace.
And then I went in for the first, well, not first surgery, for the surgery turned out
to be the first try.
And I had, I don't know what was going on with me, but I ate something too late beyond
the time.
when I was supposed to eat something.
I got the times mixed up.
So I couldn't have the surgery that day
and wound up having it on August 31st.
And it was just kind of rattled me.
And then my, I've had Stanford healthcare.
So I had an excellent surgeon.
And then my health plan didn't renew
or Stanford didn't renew their contract
with my health plan.
So then,
anyway, I'm trying to get this situated, right?
Anyway, so I've had to get another primary care doctor
and I have an appointment on Thursday
and I need referrals to get the radiation therapy.
That's kind of been held up a bit.
So I don't know how,
I've been trying to put into words how I've been feeling,
but it's really, I don't know.
I get really emotional sometimes and I feel resistant.
I really love the Lord,
but like you would think cancer is like a wake up call.
So you would start eating right, drinking your water,
all that, but I'm not.
And getting lots of sleep, but I've been binging on TV,
not always eating what I should be eating.
And just, I don't know, in the last month or so,
just feeling sad, grieving, I don't know what it is.
It's difficult to put into words, but just feeling emotional
and the reason why I, I mean, I think,
I mean, somebody might say,
well, you're going to be having radiation therapy.
Maybe this isn't a good time
to go through the rest intensive,
but actually I think it is probably the best time.
I may be tired or I'm not sure when it's going to start,
but I just, well, I want a closer,
more intimate relationship with the Lord.
And I read the song of Solomon in the Passion Bible,
Passion Translation, and it really spoke to me
how my prayer, what I do really affects him.
And that's kind of amazing to me.
But anyway, I'm wanting to experience my union with him
and live out of that.
I've experienced that, but it's not consistently.
And I would just like to live in that union
and that intimacy with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
And that is kind of where I'm at at the moment,
just kind of feeling I'm resisting what I really want,
what I really want to do.
I'm not reading my Bible as much as I should.
I'm telling myself a lot of shoulds these days.
And I guess what I'm doing is,
how I'm coping with the cancer
and my challenging job.
I have a technical support gal,
the company that has given us the, not given us,
but the software is called Epic.
And so I have a support person and she's known
about the cancer and what's going on at work.
And she said, one of them would be enough to deal with.
And I love my job.
So it's not like I don't wanna do it, but it's challenging.
And I'm 72 and here I am working in IT.
And I mean, I love it, but it is challenging
and very, it's pressured.
But I love the people I work with and I wouldn't change.
I don't wanna do another job.
And I think you're probably seeing my roof a lot in my car.
But anyway, I'm looking forward to meeting you all
and getting to know you.
And anyway, I put off doing this video for quite a while.
And I'm finally doing it.
I think it's really important to share,
like Ashley talks about being vulnerable.
I know it's really important to share what's on our hearts
and then God will be able to really work.
And I really want a closer relationship with him.
And I want to be able to share him with others,
especially cross-culturally and with Indian pastors,
missionaries and Bible school students.
So I'm just looking forward to what God has for all of us,
and prayers for all of us.
Thank you, bye.