life is precious...

I went to visit my friend Shirley at the hospital today. When I got to the room she shares with two other patients, there was a little asian man occupying her space. Needless to say, I was a little worried. I hadn’t been to visit her the previous weekend and not being as medically astute as might be helpful, I didn’t know what could potentially happen in a two-week span for a stroke patient. With a bit of trepidation, I asked the nurse at the station if she knew where Shirley had been moved to.

“I think she has been transferred to TCU. Let me just check.”

TCU! What’s TCU? That doesn’t sound good. That’s kinda like ICU. Let’s not jump to any conclusions…

“Ya, she’s been moved to the Transitional Care Unit… She’ll be there until they find her a place at another facility. It’s in the West building, room 420, bed B.”

O good, TCU is a good thing. Relatively.

I found her and her cute new roommate, Nellie. I had a nice little chat with them both, together for a while and separately while they got their diapers changed. Nellie is so sweet with her English accent, her constant apologies for forgetting and her “I’ll have to get back to you on thats” when she can’t answer a polite conversation question because she just can’t remember.

And Shirley, with her “Do you see that spider? Do you see those eggs? Ed (her husband) kidnapped us last night and got arrested.” She has arachnophobia and according to her allegedly arrested husband, has some delusions as a result of her stroke. I’m not sure what to believe anymore. But that’s ok.

I hope it makes Shirley’s days better when I go to visit her. It sure makes me appreciate my health and my family and friends more. A reminder that this moment is all that is guaranteed and sometimes even it is cut short.

Shirley told me today that she’s claimed me as her daughter and that she tells the nurses that’s who I am. I’m ok with that. Whatever makes today easier for you, Shirley.

So I’ll continue to visit her when I can and feed her thickened water with a spoon and join into her delusions with her. It’s one of the better ways I spend my time really.


Oh and some day soon, Shirley, Nellie and I are going on a picnic at Stanley Park. Shirley said I can carry all the food and stuff. I thanked her for the honor.

destination = philippines!

at the end of last year, jonathan got asked by the church we planted with his dad and 3 other pastors - church of god makati - in the philippines, to come and do a conference this june as a part of their 10 year anniversary.

then jonathan's dad asked if the kids and i would like to come too, as he had airmiles for us all.. so we are!!

in fact, we leave TOMORROW and are all very excited about it!! our flight on the ever satisfying asian airline, CATHAY PACIFIC, leaves actually 1am on monday..so we'll be at the airport tomorrow night! we have a few mini trek's planned, (boracay and then subic bay) along with some stuff at the church while we are there. we even get to stay for the afternoon/evening in hong kong so it will awesome to take the kids thru there!!

if you go to my personal photo blog while we're away, you will see that i am posting photos and snippets from our trip every day we're there! so bookmark it and check it every day!

tracey's photo blog

bon voyage!
the heppner's

lochdale teacher's luncheon

we had the priviledge to host a luncheon for the teachers at lochdale community school, where our kids go, on their pro-d day, last friday, may 16th.

they were completely overwhelmed that we would serve them; they are used to do so much work and to have them being seated and serve them...i think it was just what the doctor ordered!!

they are all so amazing and fun!
we gave each teacher a gift with this attached to it:


A teacher is like Fall,
With methods crisp and clear,
Lessons of bright colors
And a happy atmosphere.

A teacher is like Winter,
While it’s snowing hard outside,
Keeping students comfortable,
As a warm and helpful guide.

Teacher, you do all these things,
With a pleasant attitude;
You’re a teacher for all seasons,
And you have our gratitude!


To the staff of Lochdale Community School,

We, as Mission Burnaby, wanted to put this luncheon on for you to thank you for choosing a vocation that is fulfilling and life giving yet, at times, hard. Thank you for living with your hearts as you teach and interact with our children and the children of this community. This community that we & many others have called “home”, is filled with children who have had people, namely you, in their lives everyday, partnering with us, as we grow them into the citizens of tomorrow.. citizens who will be able to change the world around them.

We simply can’t thank you enough.
Let this be a small token of thanks for the sacrifices
each one of you makes every single day. 

Our hearts,
Jonathan, Tracey & the team at Mission Burnaby

so here's some pics from the luncheon.. enjoy. :)

Getting to Know Me...

I figured, it's been a while since I have written on here, so for those who read it here was my wknd:


I just had an amazing weekend. A weekend of eyes being opened, dreams being stirred, hearts being encouraged, purposed being awoken. I went the this conference in Surrey called Life Women Conference. There were amazing speakers there such as Helen Burns who pastors at the Family Victory Church in Surrey/Vancouver, also Bobbie Houston was a speaker who along with her husband pastors at the Hillsong church in Australia, then the amazing Charlotte Scanlon-Gambill who with her husband pastors at Abundant Life Ministries in England.
There were about 1000 women attending the conference, all with one purpose, to hear from God. To hear His voice through the worship, through the speakers, through the Holy Spirit pulling on our hearts, what a beautiful atmosphere. I know I left that place wanting to rise up with purpose.

I've been in this funk lately, this lazy, purposeless funk... I've been distracting myself with stuff, consumed by working and sleeping with little or no time for anyone else. In this funk I've been thinking... i guess whining is the word, a lot about what am I going to do with my life? How is this little life of mine gonna be worth it. I'm 22 years old and I've been on mountaintops and I've camped in valleys, I've felt cradled by God and so far away from God, I've been a dreamer and I've been a doubter, but I am not satisfied with what I have had or where I am now. I want more. I was created to want more. I think that's a good place to be... wanting more, but only when this hope and desire is brought to and met by God. Where I've been at these past few months these wants and desires have been empty complaints. They haven't been given or tucked away in prayer, I haven't offered them to my Father. I've held them, and I feel like they're stealing life from me.

Yesterday Charlotte spoke on 1 Samuel 25. A story I can honestly say I had never heard. The story of Abigal, Nabbal and David. Go read it. It's amazing. The basic outline of the story is that Abigail and Nabal were married, not the best match, Nabal's name means "Fool" and Abigail's name means "Joy of her Father". David had been watching over Nabal's land and flock's. One day his men went to Nabal's door to inform him of some news. Nabal with no respect tore into them and offended David. The men told David about this and David's first response was "Men, grab your swords!" That's where women step in :) A servant ran to Abigail to tell her about what has happened. She shared David and his men's cause then said, "can you see what you can do?"

Next it says wasting no time Abigail grabbed loaves of bread, cakes, wineskins, grain, and loaded up her donkey. She took off to go find David, when she found him, she lowered herself and blamed her husband's actions on herself. David responded saying, "Thank God he sent you to me so quickly, you have saved me and others from much bloodshed."

That's all paraphrased of course. But wow... "can you see what you can do." Abigail didn't respond like her servant likely expected... These men were coming to kill all of them, she didn't respond with a sword, she responded out of what she could do. Cakes. Wow. And she saved lives by doing it.

How often do we place our own gifts so low on the totem pole and place so little importance on them and try to do what everyone else is doing and completely miss the mark. God has placed something so specific inside each of us. Something that will change our own life, and save others. The next thing that happens in the story is Abigail goes home and her husband has dropped dead. David then comes and proposes marriage to her. Holy smokes. By being obedient to God at what HE has placed inside of us, he will change our situations, He will bless us, He will turn evil into good.

I was just really challenged by that, by so much more as well. I want to be exactly who God has created me to be, I want to make room for my gifts to grow. I'm tired of crowding them by trying to plant in myself gifts that other people have. I'm tired of pushing the gifts He's given me back in because they look different or I dont have time for them. I want to fully live! Fully for Him! Because even if this weekend was just a glimpse of hope for me and my future, and the life I could be living, I want desperately to walk into that glimpse. I only have one life on this earth. One chance. It's time to get moving... It's time to be me... as He created me..