Update on my Dad

There are 2 people in my life that I'm the closest to (not counting Jesus or my kids). My wife and my dad. I have many other close family members (Cindy - my stepmom, uncles, cousins etc) and friends that have played significant roles in my life, but my wife and my dad are the two that have always been there. As many of you know, my biological mother and brother were killed in a car accident on Interstate 80 near Atlantica, Iowa, June 1980. I was in the vehicle with my dad right in front of them. I remember it like it happened yesterday. Through not only that trial, but many other circumstances, I've always looked up to my dad and respected him more than any other person on the planet. He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last August and it's been a roller coaster since then to say the least.

He had a stroke on Sunday, May 13th, 2012, and would never be the same after that. Mother's Day.


That Sunday was a beautiful day and we were all in good spirits. We would be heading down state for an afternoon picnic with Jenn's family. I'd never make it. I had about 5 missed phone calls on my phone. It was my mom. I went straight to the ER.

It is interesting that his stroke was on May 13th. Yes, he had a 1/30 chance of having it on the 13th, but this number (13) is significant for Jenn and I. It pops up periodically in our marriage and it has from the time we started dating.

• We were married on Nov 13th, 2004 , and the pastor joked we'd have 13 kids
• The pastor who married us preached from 1 Cor 13
• My dad's voicemail at his work was #13
• When we went through IVF the first time, we parked in Lot 13
• When I woke up from the IVF procedure, I was in Bay 13
• This is stretching it, but our names (Mark Bettinger and Jenn Bettinger) has 13 letters in it and our last name starts with a "B" which is a "1" and a "3" put together. Stretching it, I know...
• My locker at Christie Clinic was #13

You get the point. But the #13 has always been a reminder that God is in what we are doing. So, when we were looking for a new house, we looked for addresses that had the number 13 in it. Finally we moved into 801 Chickory Drive. So much for that theory.

So, for my dad to have his stroke on May 13th, was a reminder that God is still in control and leading us. Dad was never the same after the stroke. But, we had really enjoyable times together and I was able to share everything on my heart with him. He always wanted a football team and a cheerleader (12 total kids). I always joked, "Well dad, at least you got your cheerleader."

A Chance Encounter...with God

I received an urgent call from Pastor Ron indicating that I was needed to sign some papers on the church mortgage re-fi at the bank. As the deacon council secretary, it was necessary for me to sign the paperwork along with the senior pastor. They needed to be signed that day, so I hurried back from the business trip that I was on, and arrived with only a few minutes to spare. The activity at the bank only took a few minutes and so Pastor Ron and I drove back together to the church. He invited me into his office and we sat and chatted for a few minutes. Pastor Ron asked me about Africa and the adoption process and how things were coming along. During our conversation I brought up the vision I had at the Men's retreat Aug 28, 2010 regarding Johannesburg, South Africa (see previous post) and with that he leaned back in his chair and smiled. He told me that just that day, he had penciled in some missionaries from Johannesburg, South Africa that he knew from his church back in Des Moines and that they were coming to speak on Sept 23rd at Meadowbrook. He gave me some literature on Dr Jim and Beth Blessman of Blessman Ministries Inc. I sensed immediately that there would be more to this story. I ended up emailing Doc Blessman that day and he returned my email on May 7th. Here's what he wrote:





Hi Mark,
Please let me know more about you vision for Johannesburg. We are busy opening a new distribution site in South Johannesburg. We have a big warehouse and donated space in that for food, shoes and we use the building to do optical outreaches.

Looking forward to seeing you soon.
Jim and Beth

www.blessmanministries.org

My heart leaped out of my chest. I sensed God opening up a door and confirming the vision for Jo'burg I had had a couple of years ago. I was really looking forward to meeting them later on in the fall. I forwarded the message to Jenn and we started praying...in earnest.

The Launch of Plus One Minus One

Plus One Minus One Jewelry

A couple of weeks before Mother's Day 2012, Jenn started making hand stamped aluminum necklaces and key chains. The name of her business is Plus One Minus One Jewelry. Simply put, it means "Plus One member to our family and Minus one orphan." She can design anything that you'd like or you can choose from designs that she's already made.

Check out her Etsy page to see all of her designs and prices:
Plus One Minus One Etsy Shop - www.plusoneminusone.etsy.com


If you're on Facebook, check out her page there as well -
www.facebook.com/PlusOneMinusOneJewelry

She also sells in 2 retail shops called "Frogs and Fairies" in Urbana, IL and Bloomington, IL

Frogs and Fairies Boutique Website

All proceeds from the jewelry goes towards serving orphans and ministries in Africa. It will also help to bring our little guy home from Ghana.

Thank you to those of you who have purchased jewelry already!