Monday marked three weeks since my surgery, and each day I have seen a little bit of progress. My daily walks have been getting a bit longer and bit quicker, and lately I have been tackling some hills! I was able to attend church with my family these past two Sunday mornings, and last week I managed a trip into downtown by streetcar and subway. I still feel a bit weak in certain ways, but for the most part I have felt that my recovery was going well.

That impression was confirmed last Tuesday, at a follow-up appointment with my surgeon. He reviewed a new chest X-ray, and showed me how things have changed since the day I left the hospital. Even to my untrained eye, things are looking a lot better in there! I will meet the surgeon again for a final follow-up appointment in mid-April, before we return home.

Our family has settled into a rental house here in Toronto, where we are slowly building a daily rhythm of schoolwork and other activities. My sister and her kids arrived last week from Northern Ireland, so there are even more cousins around! Next week, we are looking forward to a rare moment when all of my siblings and their families will be together.

While I was in hospital, Joanne shared an update about our fundraising effort. I'd like to repeat one point from that note: we have finished fundraising! We don't have a final bill from the hospital yet, so it is hard to be precise, but it is possible that after all the bills are paid we will have some money leftover. That sounds like God's way of providing (John 6:12)!

From the very beginning, I have wanted to make sure that we handle all this money in a way that honors God. I am thankful for our deacon Stan Liao, who has been helping to plan all of this, and reviewing our transactions. Eventually, we will be able to share a final accounting, but in the meantime Stan and I are available to answer any questions.

Now that the rush of the surgery is past, we are settling into a period where we need the spiritual fruit of patience. We still have a fairly long road ahead, but it is good to be heading in the right direction.