The Thomsons- When my parents first arrived here in Edmonton in 1975 as refugees, a group of people from Beulah Alliance Church went to meet them and help them adjust to their new lives. My parents bonded with two particular people who I have always known as my Grandpa and Grandma Thomson. Grandma had been a missionary in Vietnam for some time and was fluent in Vietnamese. My parents came to know Christ through them because of the love and care that Grandpa and Grandma provided during this time of transition. Through the years, the Thomsons have remained a part of our lives- they have been incredibly supportive during the many obstacles that have come up over the years. The last time I saw my Grandma and Grandpa was my wedding. Even my parents lost touch with them after they moved, and then my parents moved. This past Sunday, instead of attending the Vietnamese Church where I grew up, we went to a church with my friend, Binh. As it turns out, Binh's husband, Neil, accepted a new job a few months ago as Pastor of Young Adults at Beulah Alliance Church! We wanted to come and see what church is like there now. It is definitely a megachurch with lots of people! After dropping off our kids at "KidZone," we headed towards the sanctuary- the first person I saw was my Grandpa Thomson!!!! Isn't that crazy?! I immediately ran up to him- it was so exciting to see him. Church was starting so we decided to catch up right after the service. Interestingly, the sermon was all about Vietnam and the guest speaker was a missionary from Vietnam. It felt very surreal to me, as I sat and reflected about all things Vietnamese! Afterwards, I was able to introduce my kids to Grandpa and we spent some time catching up. He informed us that Grandma is now in a home and that if I went to visit her, she would no longer recognize or remember me. I felt such sadness to hear this news. Anyway, I am thrilled that I was able to get back in touch with him again. He is just as I remember- warm and loving.
Suzan- My good friend from my university years... She has been so good about keeping in touch with me despite the distance. I love getting together with her every year and catching up about our lives (I'm bummed I forgot to get a pic of us)
Binh and Neil- We got to spend a lot of time with them this visit! Whereas there are a lot of friends that I try to see while I'm here, Binh and Neil are friends of both Jason and mine. I'm so glad!!! They had us over for dinner two times this week. Yum- it was such a treat to have salmon rolls! Our whole family loved this meal!
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