Mortals make elaborate
plans,
but God has the last
word.
Proverbs 16:1 (MSG)
Although I’m not usually a big fan of the Message translation of the Bible, their phrasing of this verse made me laugh. Although my July prayer letter was supposed to be my final regularly scheduled prayer letter, God had other plans.
I waited quite a while to tell you about the residency in BC, Canada, because I wanted to be sure everything was finalized. Apparently, I didn’t wait long enough. Due to the slow processing times in Cananda, there was no way to get the work permit in time to start my residency (current waiting period was >17 weeks) so I’ve had to drop out of that program. It was incredibly disappointing to be unable to start the residency after having been accepted.
I made my elaborate plans, but God’s plan was different. Thankfully, after a few initial tears, the Lord has brought me peace. Psalms 112:7, speaking about the righteous man, says “He will not fear bad news; His heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.”
One good thing about not moving to Canada is that I can stay closer to my parents for the next year and be involved in some favorite local activities like the Skagit Highland Games (I volunteered there last month) and the Skagit County Fair (I entered some photographs and crochet).
For now, I will continue on with veterinary relief work and I have already been able to fill my schedule though October. The business is up and running as Quam Relief Service, PLLC and I’ve dropped off letters and business cards at many of the local vet clinics. I would appreciate your prayers that the Lord would continue to bring enough local shifts for me to be able to support myself without having to travel down to Seattle.
My new home for the year is a brand new 2-bedroom townhouse in Sedro-Woolley and the boys and I are getting settled in. It is nice to have our own place again. You can find my new address at the end of this letter.
Next year, I will go through the application process again for residencies in dermatology and I will only apply for those in the USA (no more Canada for me!). I will be sure to let you know how things turn out!
