How do you spell R-E-L-I-E-F?

     It is all finalized!  The kids and I have our passports in hand with the beautiful, yellow visa sticker in them!  We are now cleared to live and travel back and forth (if we want) out of the country!  I am super excited to have this major step completed and out of the way!  We had two months to spare and not even a hiccup or anything went wrong!  Wes' company paid and did most of all the leg work for us, which I am very thankful for.  Back in 2002, when we were preparing to leave for a year stay in PNG (we did 9 months total) the visa process was a horrible experience!  It was full of drama...hmm, there was stolen money, lost papers, high priced middle men, hijacked passports, and talk of getting lawyers and state Senators involved!  It is a fun story to tell now but, wow, it was not fun then.  How do you spell r-e-l-i-e-f?  Why its spelled...VISA APPROVED!

     I also know another way to spell relief.  Its spelled...MASSAGE, FEVERFEW, MEDICINE and PRAYER!

     A week and half ago I believe I hurt my back while packing up the kitchen.  I don't recall "hurting" it, but I assume I strained it.  I was walking into Lowes to pick up more packing tape and all of a sudden I had shooting pain that radiated around my kidneys and shoot up my back!  Every step was painful, but I figured it was from hours of bending over cardboard boxes that morning and afternoon.  By the evening I had a severe migraine as well!  I think it was brought on by the pain.  I used to have migraines all the time, but my friend, Mrs. Aldridge introduced the herb Feverfew to me and it helped prevent an attack for about 10 years.

     I was disappointed because this all started on the first evening of our Bible conference and I wasn't going to miss it since this would be the last conference for a long time!  I took some migraine medicine, drank lots of water and put a smile on my face everyday so no one would know I was feeling horrible.  The headache lasted 8 days!  I finally called my mom, Joyce Rasmussen, 5 days into the migraine begging for a massage and relief from the pain.  She is a certified massage therapist.  She happily came and did a three hour trigger point massage in the evening and then did a three hour massage the next day!  Mrs. Aldridge also rushed over more doses of fresh Feverfew as well!  I felt spoiled by all the love and help in trying to get rid of the pain.  Its terrible to go to sleep and wake up with blurry vision and a throbbing headache.  But, with all the amazing treatments and prayer the headache finally dissipated!  Relief is also spelled...PAIN FREE!

     Needless to say, I did not get much packing done in those 8 days!  But, I am now going to go full throttle again!  I can't wait until I spell relief another way.  Soon, I will spell it, FINISHED!