"24 is no big deal...its sorta like an in-between number that is a stepping stone to 25...now THAT is a number...25 is cool."

These are the words of my daughter who turned 24 last week. Oh, to be 24 again :) They say youth is wasted on the young but not in Heather's case. In her case, youth and time are being used to its maximum. Heather was conceived and born as a result of my Mother's illness. 25 years ago my Mother was dying of breast cancer and after raising three daughters she was ready for the next stage in her life and so, naturally, being an over achiever, I wanted to give her a grand baby and a reason to fight for her life. And I did, only she didn't live long enough to meet her but let me introduce YOU to her.

"Romania",  not a word ever spoken in our home. Yet, one morning my daughter came to me and proclaimed that God had spoken to her and wanted her to live in Romania to care for the young Mothers and their babies. She was 14. Really? How is it possible that at 14 a person hears their calling so clearly? In an age of wandering and confused young people my daughter decides, with the greatest of clarity, that her life is to be lived out in Romania when she isn't even old enough to drive yet. I have to admit, I hated the idea. She is after all my only daughter and I couldn't bear the thought of her living 5,000 miles away in a country that I knew nothing about. I had dreamed of living my life out alongside my daughter, sharing in her life and being a part of the family she would eventually build. But that didn't matter, she had decided to follow her calling.

Over the course of the next five years, Heather found her way to Romania many times including a full year between high school and university. After graduating with a Social Work degree from a great Christian school in Michigan, she packed up and moved to Romania last spring to fulfill her dream and serve God in a way that only she can do. Our daughter is a loving, compassionate young woman with a very strong calling in her heart. She fills her days with caring for young women and teaching them the skills they need to be good Mothers.

There are no words to express how proud we are of our daughter. She is an amazing human being, at the ripe age of 24, who dedicates her life to missionary work. We don't know when (if ever) she will come home to us but in the meantime we Skype every Sunday and try to stay close and involved in her life....at this point it's really all we can do.

Even though the two most important women in my life never met, they are forever bound by their relationship with me and I am privileged to be in the middle of two generations of such strong resilient women.

~Jo-Anne