Going Home!

Well the day has finally arrived and I must say with mixed feelings, Laura and I leave Canada today for the return to the D.R.  This trip although unexpected has brought us closer to many of our family and friends.  We have thoroughly enjoyed the hospitality of family and close friends in each city where we stayed.  A big shout out of love to my family in B.C. who endured the hardship of family loss with us, God bless you all!  I know that you rest in the comfort of the Lord and He has our backs as we leave you again for a time.  Our extended family in Alberta is also huge in our hearts as we again are reminded of how strong is the bond that ties us together with John and Denise McNeil, may the Lord keep you and your household strong blessing you with good times and a calming presence.  (I know you need that because of those little angels who bless you daily!)  Thank you for putting up with us as we moved in and out of your house several times over the past three weeks!  We extend another prayer for our good friends who put us up in Lethbridge, feeding us and praying with us while we reconnected with supporters in L.A.  Be blessed James and Sylvia for the Lord knows your hearts and He is pleased.  We pray for a blessing over them as they support us from Lethbridge, they are our anchors while we are away and we ask that they be held up in prayer while they walk out the mission with us.  Pray for protection over them and God's provision, we love you guys!  Laura and I were blessed to be able to meet with so many supporters while we were in Lethbridge for the week.  I apologize if we could not meet with many others who support us as we simply ran out of time.  It has been an amazing time of rediscovery with many of you about the mission God has given us and what has been happening with us so far.  Many times I felt my voice straining to keep up with my mind as we shared our experiences with you.  I know my wife says I talk too much but I can't help it, I have to tell of the work He is doing with us in the D.R.  It is a glorious opportunity for us to be able to share with you all that we have seen and done so far.  Thank you all for your time, your hospitality and your love towards us.  Laura and I look forward to the day when we can return the blessing to each of you when you visit us on the mission field in the D.R.  We will soon begin to build our Mission House and then all of you are invited to journey with us more closely, sharing in the experience of seeing God at work with us in the D.R...with His people.
Finally we wish to thank our parents, each of them in turn have been absolutely inspirational to us, my B.C. mother Debbie, who now stands on the rock of the Lord, bless you as you continue on without my father, I know you will miss him as will I, but I know we are stronger today for how he enriched our lives...no more suffering.  To my mother and step-father in Huxley Ab. keep the faith, for I look to that faith in you as inspiration for myself.  The light of the Lord shines bright in Huxley, thank you for all you are in my life.  Lastly but certainly not least, our parents in Windsor, Laura's father and step-mother, from whom I can say I received good Godly counsel, amazing blessings and profound love.  The Spirit of the Lord is the center of Dearl and Annette's life, this we know.  Bless you all our
earthly parents, bless you all our families extended, bless you all our friends and supporters and a heartfelt thank you for all you do for us!

Dios los bendigal!

Mike and Laura Boisclair

Remember

Today I visited with an old friend from high school.  I called Chris after I arrived back in my home town of Oliver B.C. to see if he could meet up with me for breakfast.  Chris immediately said yes and then gave me his condolences for the loss of my Dad Charlie Boisclair who passed away suddenly on September 6.  While we had gone to school at SOSS Chris had not always been in Oliver, he arrived at the school at the beginning of the Grade 10 year for me.  Chris was big and tall and full of personality, played basketball and was labelled "a jock".  Certainly not the crowd I hung around with.  I guess you could say I was a "wanna be jock"  but was too small and slight to play that serious paced game.  Neither did we have a football team, like it mattered.  We ended up in several classes together and became friends as we often studied together.  What an unlikely pairing, but we became stronger friends and he offered me a summer job through his father.  I accepted because money was right up my alley as a teenager, I mean food was pricey!  What followed was several years of friendship that continued even as I moved away and began my adult life.  My father and Chris always had a great relationship and Dad even helped Chris start his first business when he was in grade 12.  It was great and I know Chris always had a great respect for my Dad throughout the following 30 years.  Even as I returned to my hometown for visits from time to time, Chris was always a welcome part of our family.  So solid was that bond.  When the news of my Dad's passing came to the family of course shock and sadness ran its course.  Each of us facing the news with different but similar circumstances.  When I had received the news about his passing I sat and stared at the email and read it again.   Slowly I began to realize that I would never again be able to talk to him, hug him or just sit with him.  Never again would I be able to jump in the truck and race up McKinney to see how quickly we could get to the power line and settle down for an afternoon hunt.  Oh how he loved that part of his life.  It seemed that throughout the years of growing up that was all he ever did.  All his brothers ever did, even some of my aunts embraced the overwhelming desire to provide for their families in this way.  It seemed that even when hunting season was not on we were always up the hill cutting firewood to ready ourselves for the winter.  Dad even turned firewood into a small business as he hauled truckload after truckload of wood down the mountain for us kids to split and chop for resale customers.  As I sat at the computer reading the news the flood of emotion came over me like a wave, welling up from inside and filling my depths first and then moving quickly into my head.  My thoughts raced to how everyone was reacting to this shocking news and the floodgates opened onto the desk.  I gasped and sobbed uncontrollably for a few minutes and then suddenly, as if a tornado had suddenly ceased, calm washed over my body.  Peace came into my mind as I knew suddenly that God had taken him now for a reason.  His suffering was over, time to go home.  His family must stay behind and continue on without him but surely not in pain.  Some of us might continue to grieve that he is gone but the peace I felt of God's will was overwhelming.  God took him to ease all of our suffering.  Dad had endured over 10 years of progressive illness through Alzheimer/Dementia.  An extremely debilitating disease that traps people in their minds and traps the families that have to watch their loved ones suffer.  Enough God said.  Enough.  Chris said to me confirming words of what I knew God was doing.  "It is truly a blessing for Charlie and the family that God has released everyone from the burden of this time"  he said to me this morning.  Chris Jentsch is not a Christian.  But God uses people all instruments of His will, even when they don't even know Him!   Chris continued to comment about my Dad as we sat there and listened to his reminisce about all the times he had spent with my Dad.  "That man had the biggest brain in any man I know!"  he said, "I mean he was so quick with a comeback or a joke and he always had a smile on his face!"  "I wish I could come up with the quick retorts or have the witty little jokes that made people laugh!  Chris spoke for quite a while about the way my Dad was around people.  He was absolutely right, confirming for me that my Father raised me up to appreciate and respect those around me.  That he in turn respected my relationship with y friend so much that now my friend could edify all that my Dad was to all of us.  Charlie Boisclair was loved by all, not a fighter, not mean.  Level, strong and always sure of what he did and who he was.  I knew that, so did my brothers and sisters, all of his brothers and sisters, all of his friends, anyone who met Charlie knew he was alright.  Chris knew it and still does. Thank you Lord for the gift of friendship in a man who I have known for more than 30 years and can still call me brother at the same table.  Your confirming presence is gratifying to me that I am still to continue working for you the rest of my days.  Thank you Lord for your continuing presence in my family, for your peace and love to them as they seek solace in each other and in you.  "Blessed are those who mourn" Jesus said "for they shall be comforted" Matt 3:4. Thank you Lord for your Holy Spirit who comforts all of us when we rest in you as we mourn.  Charlie Boisclair lived his life and now he is gone, but his legacy lives in all of us who were touched by his spirit.  Pray Lord that we never forget him and help us celebrate his life.  Amen