This morning, we went to the provincial health insurance (OHIP) office to apply for our missionary health cards in preparation for returning overseas. Yes, OHIP actually has a category specifically for missionaries, something that was instituted around 2000-2001. Prior to that, all our health insurance coverage had to be purchased privately (we got ours through a Wycliffe group plan), and it was not cheap! Now, however, if you meet certain residency requirements and have a letter from an Ontario-based organization that is sending you overseas to do missionary work, OHIP will cover your health costs overseas to the same degree that they will in Ontario. Of course, this does not cover everything. We still have to get private (group) coverage, but it significantly reduces our premiums!
We can’t complain about the cost of our private coverage, though. Between my medical evacuation to Paris and subsequent surgery for a strangulated hernia (nearly $25,000 total!), and Josh’s operation for his broken arm and finger several years ago following a motorcycle accident ($7,000), we’ve gotten more than our money’s worth, and are only too happy to continue paying our premiums!
Anyway, we still qualified for the missionary status, and had no trouble getting new cards once we filled out the necessary forms and presented a letter from our main sending church in Toronto.
Then we got into some serious packing. Moving day is coming up fast! This afternoon, I went to reserve a U-Haul truck for Saturday. I was glad to see that they had lots of vehicles available. However, today happened to be the day that they closed at noon! Every other day, they’re open until 5 p.m. Just my luck! I’ll have to do it tomorrow.
We’ve been taking stuff to the Salvation Army and Goodwill in order to clear things out a bit here in the house. But it seems that these places are getting too much stuff already. Are they ever picky about what they’ll take now! So we’re starting to look around for other groups that are more receptive (or desperate) for stuff. One that we discovered is “Bibles for Missions”, which just opened a Barrie store late last year and is eager for donations. They’ll even come and pick up larger items. Great!
We’ve got some things we want to take to Josh’s place in
Kitchener, but wondered how we were going to do that since they were too big for our car. Last night, a friend from Orillia called to say he was headed down that way today and would be willing to take the stuff in his trailer. A real answer to prayer. Thanks, Brian!
We can’t complain about the cost of our private coverage, though. Between my medical evacuation to Paris and subsequent surgery for a strangulated hernia (nearly $25,000 total!), and Josh’s operation for his broken arm and finger several years ago following a motorcycle accident ($7,000), we’ve gotten more than our money’s worth, and are only too happy to continue paying our premiums!
Anyway, we still qualified for the missionary status, and had no trouble getting new cards once we filled out the necessary forms and presented a letter from our main sending church in Toronto.
Then we got into some serious packing. Moving day is coming up fast! This afternoon, I went to reserve a U-Haul truck for Saturday. I was glad to see that they had lots of vehicles available. However, today happened to be the day that they closed at noon! Every other day, they’re open until 5 p.m. Just my luck! I’ll have to do it tomorrow.We’ve been taking stuff to the Salvation Army and Goodwill in order to clear things out a bit here in the house. But it seems that these places are getting too much stuff already. Are they ever picky about what they’ll take now! So we’re starting to look around for other groups that are more receptive (or desperate) for stuff. One that we discovered is “Bibles for Missions”, which just opened a Barrie store late last year and is eager for donations. They’ll even come and pick up larger items. Great!
We’ve got some things we want to take to Josh’s place in
Kitchener, but wondered how we were going to do that since they were too big for our car. Last night, a friend from Orillia called to say he was headed down that way today and would be willing to take the stuff in his trailer. A real answer to prayer. Thanks, Brian! Got our passports back today, complete with visas for Burkina. One more thing to stroke off our list. Now if only those plane tickets would arrive!
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