The “Final Countdown”

by Laurie-Ann Copple

​When L-A sees the words of the title of this blog post, she thinks of the 1986 song “The Final Countdown”  by Europe.  It’s a song that we would post on the white board at Algonquin College’s radio-broadcasting department at the end of the semester.   We have been counting the days to return to Canada, and yet also wanting to stay here in Worcester at the same time.  Would that we could have another year in South Africa!  We have loved our time in Worcester with the children and teens.  We got to know so many wonderful friends and colleagues.  We loved on inmates, Hospice patients, and those in Homeless Church.

Laurie-Ann’s art has continued to bloom and blossom, both as an art teacher and an artist.  We are excited about the first of many colouring books to come.  Since South Africa awoke L-A’s sleeping gift of art (during our extended outreach near Robertson), South Africa is the country that gets the opportunity to see L-A as a published author/artist.  While the print run is small (due to us leaving not long after publishing), there is more to come for Colouring with Jesus 2.

During March, we will enjoy our last month, but we are busy!  L-A is teaching prophetic art at Worcester Christian Church’s Kinderkerk (February 23, March 8), and a workshop with Avian Park kids on March 25 at 9 am (Avian Park library).  We were to have other workshops, but they were never confirmed.  Since we’re also active in ministry (prison, hospice, teens, school learners, kids clubs) and media (CWCP, Ways to Grow in God, our website and Facebook pages), as well as arranging our exit (moving, moving again, arranging cars, places to stay and travel), it takes time!  More time than you can imagine!   L-A continues to heal up from the effects of chemo and peripheral neuropathy. These are still big in her life right now.  L-A uses a walker, and in one of her activities, the Touching Hearts course, she has to be helped up two series of steep steps to get into my friend’s house.  She is thankful for the help, and have made dear friends that have reached out to love me.  She loves them in return.

Our last Iris Western Cape family gathering is March 8th in our South African home.  As well as hosting, we've been asked to share some things we've learned along the way.  Tony is excited about sharing some wisdom.  L-A will let him take the show. We will continue with our Legacy Relay learners until the 17th of March, since the following Tuesday is the autumn break between the summer and fall terms (we might be able to come the 31st but that is when we are cleaning out our newly-emptied South African house for inspection).  Our good-bye party with the Riverview kids’ club is on March 18th, when they will colour in a drawing that L-A did of Jesus with many of them.  Our last board meeting with My Father’s House Worcester is on March 20th (we’re not sure who is taking the minutes, but it will probably be Laurie-Ann).  Our last Monday with the Mailbox Club may be March 30, but since we’re moving that day we will see.  Our last Saturday with the teen girls will be March 28th.

Our last Hillsong Sunday will be March 15th, where we will see a few friends that we connected with over two years of monthly visits.  We hope to again visit CapeGate Oncology Centre for a last goodbye, as well as bring a few copies of the colouring book to share/sell.
L-A’s colouring book launch will be at Worcester Christian Church on March 22, after the 9:15 am service, although we will also sell the book at our good-bye send-off service on March 29th.  We are sad to leave but we’ll always be connected.
   
We’re sad to be saying goodbye, especially when we don’t know when we will return.  When/if we can return, we don’t know if it will be for another long-term season, or a 3 month visit (Likely the visit).  We will see how Holy Spirit leads. First we have to re-settle, re-group financially (since the cancer treatments took a LOT out of us, as well as other things), and be re-planted in Ottawa.
 
We won’t move back into our Ottawa condo immediately. We are being taken in first by friends that we got to know through the Alpha Course.  Then we move to a new friend’s farm in Beckwith Township, near Carleton Place, Ontario.  We hope to be back in the condo for early Fall.   By Christmas 2020, we should be settled in our condo again, with L-A’s old library-office made into a studio as well as an office.

We will continue running this website, even though we won’t be Copples in Western Cape anymore.  We’ll be Copples in West Ottawa, but our hearts will remain in the beautiful Western Cape.  We fly out April 2nd towards the UK, where we will see Tony’s sisters in Stroud, Gloucestershire.  Then we arrive Easter Weekend in Ottawa.

So that’s our “final” countdown. Rather than looking at the ticking clock or the calendar, we are focused on getting things done, one by one.  We also have the last of L-A’s cancer treatments, the PET scan on March 11th, the oncologist visit on March 19th.  But it’s all good. We will treasure the moments with the friends who have become family.  
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