Our beautiful daughter was declared CANCER FREE today!  The oncologist gave the optimistic news that the CT scan and all bloodwork showed no presence of melanoma at this time.  He was also careful to not promise anything for tomorrow and we are under no illusions that there will NEVER be another issue.  But for today we celebrate and thank God for a clean bill of health.  God has tomorrow in His hands.
In a couple of months, Caylea will see a dermatologist.  In six months, another visit to the oncologist.  In a year, another CT scan.  For the next three years, Caylea will continue to be monitored and must be vigilant about any unusual or prolonged health issues or concerns.
Relief, joy, concern, praise, gratitude...all emotions we are experiencing.
We cannot live in the shadow of worry but must dwell in the shelter of the Almighty.

So much has been happening this month and I knew November would fly by!
We had a missions conference weekend in Nipawin at the Bible College.  Jason and Anita Boucher represented NCEM while Kelly and Nancy Morton represented Healing Hearts.  So Walter and I could float, connecting with the college staff and other folks we knew, while we had our other reps manning the booths in the gymnasium.  The speaker for the conference was the Canadian director of IJM (International Justice Mission).  His challenge to us was something we have been indirectly involved with (justice issues) and yet our focus has always been on ministering to the emotional and spiritual needs.  In the past year, we have seen a couple move to India to work with IJM in the legal end of bringing charges against brothel owners and child traffickers.  Our eyes were opened much more to the new generation of millenials and their passion for getting involved in missions with a justice component. Really made us think...
With a one-day turnaround, we flew off to Victoria for five days. We participated in the One Hope Canada national conference, where Walter taught a seminar on ministering in camps with a First Nations emphasis.  It was a worthwhile time of encouragement for us, with time to rest and enjoy some downtime.  The Westbay Walkway was a lovely path for walking along the Victoria Harbour. If we crossed the bridge, we were on the Wharf area across the street from the Empress Hotel.  We felt so pampered spending some time there.
Again, Walter had less than a day to repack and fly to Toronto.  We decided I would stay home while he had meetings in Durham with the leadership of Ethnos Canada.  NCEM and Ethnos are partnering in a church planting initiative among First Nations and Walter met with these leaders to solidify the relationship and make some more specific plans.  Many organizations working in Canada are seeing the need to bring the hope of Christ to a people group who have either been overlooked or mistreated when it comes to a genuine and healthy ministry.  We are very excited to see this growing interest and action being taken to reach out thoughtfully and prayerfully in light of the dark past of the Gospel being brought to the indigenous people of Canada.
Oh, that the Lord would bring about a wonderful spiritual healing work to reconcile our nation under Jesus Christ!
This past week, we had five days of meetings with all the coordinators and leaders of NCEM held in Prince Albert.  I mostly took notes, giving input as we met with each leader and then catching up with some Personnel administration.  My brain was mushy by Thursday and Walter still had a meeting with the Board of Directors on Friday!  God gave grace for Walter to engage with the Board.  At the 8 month mark of our journey with NCEM, the Board affirmed us as being the right people for the position and they prayed for us and encouraged us to keep going in this direction.  Although completely spent, we left Prince Albert with full hearts.  The Lord has shown us favour as we have taken on the challenges of two mission organizations and has raised up faithful ones to serve alongside us. 
Looking ahead, we have a short week in Prince Albert with an early Christmas party and a day of administration, then back home to go to Caylea's last oncologist appointment.  She will have the results of her last blood work and CT scan.  We pray for God's healing to be made clear in these test results. 
As the prophet Habakkuk said, "Yet I will exult in the Lord, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation." (3:18) 

To keep my devotional life active and alive, I've been reading books on the disciplines of the quiet time and prayer.  It's not that I have lost interest in the Lord or find my times boring; it is that in our new routines and ever-changing weekly schedules, I am very challenged to find the time to seek the Lord!  So to keep my motivation up, I found some books that have small reading portions and lots of questions that get me digging into the Scriptures.
As we drove from Nipawin to Regina - following an exciting and busy missions conference at the Bible College, I mentioned to Walter that I missed how the Lord would give us Scriptures and insight into our initial weeks serving with both Healing Hearts and NCEM.  Almost daily God would reveal something very relevant to our new areas of responsibility. So I was wondering if I wasn't hearing from the Lord, or maybe we were to just continue to serve as His Word had already shown the path we were to follow.
Then this morning as I turned to the next chapter in my study book entitled "Intercessory Prayer", the author focused on Ephesians 6:10-18.  Ever since I first read and memorized this passage back in 1985, it has been very meaningful to me.  That summer, I was serving for 6 weeks in a small village near The Pas, Manitoba (Young's Point) and our supervisor assigned this Scripture as part of our training and experience in the Native village.
When I began to read it today, I immediately saw how it applied to a couple of situations we have been praying for recently.  The question was "What is the armor of God?" and my answer was "It is the spiritual protection that God provides through Jesus' victory on the cross and over the grave."  Suddenly, I could envision the individuals I was praying for arming themselves to battle each other, instead of battling the real enemy, Satan!  Disagreements, divisions and disunity are all instigated by the invisible arrows that the devil aims at us.  But he deceives us into thinking the arrows are coming from each other and then we launch our counter-attack.  By our words, attitudes, avoidance or all-out offense, we might attack our friends, family, co-workers, even our spouse.  And the armour of God doesn't protect us when we engage with warfare that we aim at flesh and blood. 
I am so, SO grateful that the Lord heard my wishful longing yesterday as I voiced my desire to hear from Him.  I experienced a renewed vision and vitality for prayer this morning.
"...and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication."  (Ephesians 6:17 & 18)

Do you ever feel like time just flows, sometimes slow and lazy, sometimes standing completely still?
When Caylea was first diagnosed with melanoma almost 18 months ago, it felt like the world stopped.  The sun stood in one place and life was freeze-framed. 
Waiting.  Tests.  More waiting.  Surgeries.  Recovery. 
We stepped back from our normal routines and others stepped in to fill our empty spaces.
Camp.  Conferences.  We took a trip to Cuba.
In the midst of this, suddenly time picked up speed and we found ourselves on a river rapids.
Caylea's treatments became part of the current; our commuting to Prince Albert also part of the rushing waters.  Soon for our daughter, at least, the stream of her life will grow wider and smoother, hopefully where she can navigate the future without the weight of cancer on her shoulders!
Sometimes I'm not sure if we are in a raft, a canoe or a speedboat.
This journey seems to take me along and I don't always know if I need a paddle or if I should just hang on for the ride!
I am so thankful that Jesus is my lifeline - cheesy analogy and all - and I trust in Him.

I gazed out over the congregation as I adjusted the shoulder strap on my guitar.  Feeling nervous and mentally scattered, I strummed the strings to make sure the sound man had turned up the volume.  How would I introduce the song?  Was this the right song for this service?
This weekend, Walter and I had two missions conferences to participate in - 'tis the season for fall mission emphasis weekends!  Friday evening, we joined the Parliament Community Church family as they had invited several of the missionaries they support to give reports and set up displays representing their ministries. How blessed we are to have caring folk ask how we are doing, how is your daughter, how is the ministry?  Sitting in small groups, we prayed for others and they prayed for us in our various ministries.
Saturday morning we drove out to Weyburn to the Silver Heights Bible Church's missions conference.  Walter was the keynote speaker and their planning committee had asked me to share some music.  Just a glitch - I had left my guitar up at the chapel at the NCEM headquarters in Prince Albert.  And my music binder.
So that's why I felt more nervous and unprepared as I used my secondary guitar and borrowed my daughter's music binder.  But somehow, only one song seemed to come to mind and I couldn't sing it for all three services in the conference!  I felt so inadequate.
I made it through the morning and evening services. But I prayed for wisdom to know what to share and the heart preparation to minister for the Lord on Sunday morning.
Hosea 6:6 was a verse I had read in a devotional book a day or two ago.  I came back to it this morning before we again jumped in our car to drive back to Weyburn.  Walter had his message prepared and was running some of his main points by me.  I kept praying for his sermon and my music to be from our hearts.  The verse says: "For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings."
Walter suggested I use the same song from Saturday morning's service and have the words projected for the others in the congregation to join in.  I liked that idea!
I felt less nervous to lead a song than to "perform" a special number.  The song was "By Faith" by the Gettys and I found the words to be especially suited for a missions focus.  All that we do as believers is by faith and our ministry efforts can only be fruitful if done by faith. 
So I gazed out on congregation - with more in the pews than the night before, but I felt the Lord giving me peace and confidence as I led the song. 
It was a blessed weekend. Ministering to our support team is an offering that the Lord will accept as we know it is done in deep gratitude for their prayers and sacrificial giving.

The day was unseasonably warm as we started the engine and pulled away from the NCEM headquarters parking lot.  With only a hoodie and light windbreaker, I felt toasty.  I basked in the heat from the sun and looked forward to the drive...
Walter revved the engine and got the feel for the open road.  The new-to-us vehicle rode well and handled the bumps and unexpected turns with ease.  A grin brightened his face as the powerful four-wheel drive picked up speed and he veered for the sand trail.
THE SAND TRAIL?
"Adventures with Walter" continue as we went off-road on our newly acquired Honda Quad ATV! 
Just before noon today, a friend delivered his used quad to us and we made the transaction.  No sooner had our friend pulled away from the lot, than Walter said, "Let's go!"  I ran into our suite and put on an extra layer before climbing up on the passenger seat.  Walter straddled the machine, turned the key and pressed the ignition button.  It growled to life and we wheeled - okay, maybe we just accelerated  gradually - as Walter got the feel for it!  I gripped the handles and rested my arms on the padded armrest.  As the wind blew my hair back, I pulled up the hood of my bunnyhug and raised my face to enjoy the fresh breeze.  What a glorious day!
The trails north of the headquarters compound outside of Prince Albert lead into a maze in the forest.  We have walked along various trails and have met folks on ATV or dune buggy contraptions back there over the summer.  A brown and gold sign at the beginning of the main trail informs adventurers that it is "Wildlife Management" land.  We have seen a deer or two but that's about all.  Today we followed the familiar trails until we came to the farthest point we have made on foot...but would we  "boldly go where no Selke has gone before?"
For sure!  We followed the trail around a curve and found ourselves winding through some trees to a sudden descent.  Walter hesitated before slowly manoeuvering the rutted path down to the river.  I think it is the Shell River that winds through forest, golf course, under a bridge and towards the North Saskatchewan River towards Prince Albert. 

Tracks took us along the shoreline a ways, then abruptly stopped at the water.  With only four to six inches flowing in the river this fall, Walter steered into the lazy current and we went across to the other side, where more sandy shoreline wound. Soon we came to where beavers had attempted to dam the flow and decided to turn back the way we had come.
Up and away we flew, finding new paths and following the basic direction of the river.  Certain areas had washed out at some point this year and new side trails could be seen that we opted to take.  Up, down, around and northwest we drove.  We stopped at a scenic to take pictures.

Although the quad ran well and handled fine, we didn't take too much risk, but stayed on well worn trails and kept the sun's location in mind.  We spooked a deer ahead of us.  We heard a raven call.  Otherwise it was a quiet and beautiful ride alone among the birch and pines. 
Just when I began to wonder if we knew where we were and if we would meet up with that main sandy trail again, we did!
I felt a little guilty as we entered the parking lot.  It is a Monday afternoon and the office staff and printshop guys and Tribal Trails crew were all diligently tending to their work.  Walter and I were taking a day off!  The sense of guilt turned into thanksgiving as we looked at each other's wind-reddened and smiling faces!  God has provided an ideal opportunity and a modest machine for us to enjoy the amazing autumn day. 
THANK YOU, LORD!

Slowing down...
Walter got hit with a nasty cold and he had no choice but to slow down this week.
He would rally to make it to the morning chapel, drag himself to the office to deal with some emails and phone calls.  He coughed and sneezed his way through and finally would give in and go back to our suite a few yards from the office building.
In support of Walter's healing and need for rest, the office staff posted a sign:

Tough love is hard to take, but eventually Walter got the hint and took a couple afternoons off!
In the meantime, I had some new things to learn and a full-day meeting to be engaged in as I learn the role of Personnel Coordinator for NCEM.  The previous person retired about 8-10 months ago and we've had no replacement until I stepped into the role in September.  Walter put in place a candidate coordinator who is new to that role, as well and I will work with Andrew to manage the paperwork and process from the office.  (Andrew and his wife live in Alberta and can do much by email and phone in connecting with inquiries and new applicants.)
It was a busy week for us, in spite of sickness.  I had made a pot of chicken soup Tuesday and someone gave us homemade borscht Wednesday, so Walter was well taken care of in the soup department!  We had plenty of fruit and orange juice, so Walter loaded up on the vitamin C in his diet.  With some echinacea tea in his mug, Walter nursed that cold until Thursday afternoon he finally felt it break.  I was so glad to see him looking more perky and energetic.  We decided he needed some fresh air and took a lovely walk off the headquarters property on the amazing forest trails.

Apart from a residual cough, Walter is on the mend.  Just in time for the trip he and the other two gentleman on the Executive Team, Jason and Bob,  who will fly together to Spokane for a leadership coaching time.  I am praying my dear husband will not have sinus/ear pain when flying and will be healthy and alert to take in all he can at these sessions on leadership.

On the home front, Daniel is gearing up for the curling season.  His new team looks promising and eager to practice.  They will begin league curling soon - they've already thrown some rocks to get the feel for the ice and to gel as a team in new positions.  Daniel is skip and in his quiet way is a strong, confident leader.  We know one teammate but not the two new additions, brothers Daniel had connections with through the University of Regina back when he gave Business Administration a run!
Mark and Amy are skirting their mobile home and mouse-proofing before they move in.  Amy has already begun piano lessons and has a dozen students, I believe.  "Selke Studios" is even on Google maps, so the country location can be found more easily!
Caylea had the opportunity to speak in chapel yesterday at Nipawin Bible College.  We had thought about going to hear her, but on second thought, felt she would be more free to share from her heart without her parents present.  Her friend, Hope sent us a picture of Caylea speaking, and our friends messaged us that they heard Caylea's testimony and commented, "She had us laughing and crying...love that girl!"  We're so proud of her, being willing to share what God has done through her cancer journey.  We know He is not finished yet (Philippians 1:6).
God is good!  If nothing else is learned in our own journey of parenting, ministry, sickness and leadership, we have grown in our experience and understanding that GOD IS GOOD!  He does not change, He is faithful, He is loving and gracious...He is just in ALL His ways.  The Bible says so and we haven't been disappointed by His promises, ever!
Have a good weekend, my friends.