Friday, January 30, 2009

Welcome - "First Family Homes"

I’d like to welcome on board to the Dash First Family Homes of Chatham Ontario. http://www.firstfamilyhomes.com/

First Family Homes has been an award winning home builder for Chatham and surrounding areas for may years, but most importantly has been a partner with Christian Horizons (since before I came to the South District)

Their partnership has allowed us (Christian Horizons) to serve people with excellence by providing excellent, well built homes that people with sometime very unique needs are proud to call home. They have also been an intrgal part of helping us to repair, maintain and renovate existing homes.

First Family is coming on board as a sponsor. Details are just being worked out now, but the draft plan includes giving me a place to rest my weary feet as I walk through Kent county (and I understand it’s not a tent in their front yard, although I’d be ok with that too!) They will let my team that is with me stay there too, but I won’t say they will be resting their weary feet, perhaps their weary one foot, cuz it is hard to drive a van at very low speeds behind me! J I can’t imagine the pain they will be in! Poor guys! :)


And…. Some fundraising events in Chatham including a silent auction and possible fashion show… stay tuned for more info as that gets developed.

Ed, Henry, Carol….. Thank-you so much for partnering with us all, These are some amazing projects that will impact the many many lives of people at risk.

Saturday, January 24, 2009

An Amazing Story! Read On.....

This has been an exciting couple of weeks!

I will fill you in on the details in another post, but for now read this.

Nancy (and her Husband Terry, are from Aylmer and own the Kuma Cafe and Bakery), They are partnering up with the DASH in a big way, and below you will find out How and Why..... All I can add is.... God is Good!

What a Blessing Obedience Brings About

Wanting to participate in Dave’s District Dash is really a result of wanting to celebrate God’s goodness in bringing about a couple of miracles that took place in 2008 first, the opening of “Ashley’s Home” in Aylmer and second the healing of my foot, then to give back.

My mom, Mary Harms has a passion to support families who have members with special needs as she knows the value of this support from firsthand experience. My sister Ashley was born with brain damage and requires 24/7 supervision and care. After doing her research she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she wanted Ashley to have the opportunity to live in a Christian Horizons home. So after recruiting some help from a friend, Ann Walters, and together with some others they were able to form a team that worked hard and were able to bring their dream to fruition within a matter of months! Ashley’s Home has started out as a respite home meeting a great need in the area with the goal of becoming a permanent residence for some special people! What a blessing this has been and will continue to be.

On June 4th I stumbled/fell down my church steps, thinking I was on the bottom stair and in so doing caught the toe of my flip-flop sandal causing my foot to hyper-extend tearing muscle and ligaments on the top of my foot. This caused some minor bone fractures but mostly a fracture dislocation of the main joint in my left foot from which all mobility stems. The medical term of this joint is the Lysfranc joint named after a French doctor who diagnosed this injury back in the days of Napoleon when this injury became common from people falling off horses having their foot caught in the stirrup. Amputation of the foot was the doctor recommended treatment plan of this injury as the foot would degenerate, arthritis would set in along with perpetual pain, needless to say walking next to impossible. Praise God for medical advancement!! My foot has not been amputated but rather put back together with the aid of 4 screws.

Immediately following my fall, while writhing on the ground in excruciating pain, I had this sense that there was a purpose in this, and so the journey began. It took just over two weeks before I was able to see the surgeon at which time he informed us (my husband & I) that it would be 3 months before I would walk following surgery, to give the main ligament, which keeps this joint in place, time to heal. Needless to say this was a dose of reality since we are self-employed and gearing up for the busiest 4 days of the summer and have a very active 20 month (at the time) little girl! Somehow in the meantime God gave me this incredible peace knowing that He was still in control! Surgery happened on June 27th and was successful. I was determined that surely I was mature enough to follow doctor’s orders to the letter so as not to jeopardize my healing/future mobility of my foot..... but God had a different plan.

Missionaries to Australia, Dave & Cheri were home for a time and leading a class on “Hearing God’s Voice”. Dave was about to wrap up his second class (July 20th) when in no uncertain terms God spoke to me with instructions to ask them to pray for healing of my foot. My first instinct was to ignore this prompting but it was so strong and consuming that I could not ignore it and so I asked for prayer. Immediately they, along with the class, circled around me and began to pray for healing and then thanked God for healing. It was a beautiful time of praise and worship! During this time I was praying in my spirit that if this was really God at work that someone would take my cast (removable Air-Cast) off. A short time later, a lady sitting on the floor by my foot said that she felt like they should rip the cast off my leg and so Dave asked how this witnessed with me and I told them of my prayer. They proceeded to take the cast off at which time I stood up and people began to read scripture that was being revealed to them intermittently while still singing. At one point Dave turned to me and asked me how I felt said that it was up to me as to my next action. I began to walk around the room with him beside me. It was clear that it wasn’t a full restoration but I was walking. It had been approximately 6 ½ weeks since I had bore weight on this leg during which time it had shrunk down to half it’s size. It was very weak.

That next week was a journey of faith for me realizing that although I had symptoms, God had healed my foot!! My actions now needed to match what I knew in my heart and believed. By spending time in prayer, reading God’s Word and listening to Him speak to me I knew that I should be walking. So late one night, not being able to sleep from the excitement welling up within me, God was telling me to get my socks and gym shoes on and so I started walking around the house! Hallelujah!

My final visit with the surgeon was on October 9th at which time he looked at my x-ray and declared that my foot was perfect! He then asked me what I had been doing to which I answered we had prayed for healing. He thought that maybe more people should try that! He asked me to walk for him at which time he informed me that in 3 ½ months I was at a one year recovery rate!! Hallelujah, Praise the Lord!!

I ran into Dave in August, still hobbling, at which time he told me of this walk he was doing! I immediately committed to walking with him, 18 km. One km for each year of my sister’s life. I have further committed to raising $18,000. $1,000 per km. God has restored my foot and I can use this God given ability to praise Him by participating! All glory to Him!

It is inspiring to see Dave’s act of obedience in responding to the call of this walk. What amazes me is how many other people are being blessed as a result! God is good and so worthy of our praise!

See you on the road!!

Nancy



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Nancy, Thank-you so much for your Obedience and for your commitment and passion for this! And thank you for sharing your story!

Blessings..... Dave


ps. click on leave a "comment" below and leave Nancy a thought or two! (you don't have to register just leave an "anonymous" comment. it's quick and easy

pps. Check out the Christian Horizons Global (CHGlobal) web site www.chglobal.org

+++++++++++

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Update on the new shoes



with the walk coming quick, I decided to spend some time walking today. but not outside, it's way too cold. Ok maybe not Winnipeg cold (going down to -33 this week), but southern Ontario cold, being a born and bred prairie boy, I can't believe I just said that..... Anyway... it was a good day to stay inside.

So... I walked for 2.5 hours on the treadmill at the gym and did about 7 miles ( 11+ kms). Unfortunately I hoped to go longer, but the new shoes just are there yet. I know it will get better.

as I was poking around the internet for treadmill pictures I found this. Not much to do with anything, but I'd never seen anything like it... Interesting, A treadmill bike? . http://www.bikeforest.com/tread/

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

HELP WANTED !

Hey Everyone! This is a copy of a request I sent out to the South District of Christian Horizons today. Basically.... I need your help to make this walk happen successfully...

PLEASE CONSIDER HOW YOU CAN HELP IN ANY OF THE COMMUNITIES I WILL BE WALKING THROUGH OR ALONG THE WAY.

I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU....

THANK-YOU AND GOD BLESS!

DAVE


=================



Thank-you to each of you for your support of Dave’s District Dash, I have received such incredible encouragement, support and partnership commitments from so many people across the district for the upcoming DASH (330+ kms walking across the South District in May 2009)

While I don’t have an official count handy, I believe that there is over $25,000 pledged so far. This is an amazing start and will go a long way towards the life- changing projects we are doing this for. (Guatemala, Ecuador and respite in Ontario! – see my blog for more info… www.davesdistrictdash.blogspot.com )

So many people have expressed an interest in this event and now I’d like to invite you to help make this happen.

We are in need of people that will help to organize this event as we walk through the district. This could mean many things,
Ø organizing a local celebration.
Ø update and communicate with the local community.
Ø networking with local businesses for sponsorships
Ø See the back of this page (pg 2) for more ideas…



If you are interested in volunteering your time, skills and talents, It would be greatly appreciated!

Please contact the Global Team (Rick and Thanh) or myself ASAP with your particular interest. We would like to set up a local information meeting within the next few weeks to help each region get organized.

Thank-you and God Bless!

Dave Petkau
(519) 650-0966

Dave Petkau = dpetkau@christian-horizons.org, x.170
Rick Kirschner = rkirschner@christian-horizons.org, x.180
Thanh Campbell = tcampbell@christian-horizons.org, x.420


Volunteer Opportunities

· Host a BBQ when the walk comes through your community….

· Volunteer at an event

· Walk with me – get pledges

· Help plan the route

· Host a garage sale

· Help the team communicate to the community

· Arrange some accommodations……

· Pray

· Help others get involved.

· Do a silent auction

· Finale in Windsor – Help plan it!

· Stuff envelopes

· Register participants

o And Much Much More…..

Monday, January 5, 2009

Action and Happiness


Got in this morning from a few days away for the holidays, started up the computer and found this quote in my In box.

"Action may not always bring happiness; but there is no happiness without action." Benjamin Disraeli (1804-1881, British Statesman, Prime Minister)


It is particularly relevant this morning as I am in pain, I decided to up the workouts a bit this weekend and this morning, More Intense, More weight, Endure longer... After all it is only 132 Days to the DASH and I have a long way to go yet! Thus the Pain, stiffness and, well, Lack of "happiness". While I didn't expect my action to bring happiness, I know that action is required to reach the goals ahead....

Have a great day everyone and a Happy New Year!

On another note: my one and only pair of runners finally gave out over the holidays, they served me well, but have now been replace. I'm still breaking in the new ones, I'll keep you posted on whether my decision was a good one or not.