Three weeks before the diagnosisāwalking a pioneer path in Portugal, unaware of the road ahead.
The Liminal Space
by Deanna Bergen
I do not know what waits ahead, The path is veiled, the signs unread. The road behind still feels so dear, And whatās in front is not yet clear.
The sky is gray, the map is tornā And still, I do not feel forlorn. No burning bush, no parted sea, Just quiet steps where faith must be.
This is the land of not yet known, Where seeds are sown but not yet grown. Where prayers are sighed, not shouted loud, And hope is stitched from tattered shroud.
You are the God who threads the line Between unseen and the divine And though I walk with trembling pace, You do not rushāYou walk with grace.
And hereāyes, hereāYou meet me still, Not with the fire, nor wind, nor thrill, But in the hush where hearts grow stillā Your whisper breaks the fearsome chill.
So I will not demand the why, Nor chase the sun across the sky. Iāll stay within this sacred seam, Held by the hands that weave the dream.
Deanna’s Journey to Healing
Left āFirst day of chemoāgrace meets us at the gate. Right āStrength and serenityāsteady in the healing chair.
On Thursday, Deanna officially began her chemotherapy.
On the bright sideāwe get free parking at the hospital. Several people had told us that small silver lining in advance. When we attended the Chemo Prep Class earlier in the week, one of the PowerPoint bullet points actually read:
āRemember to bring money for parking.ā
So, anytime we found ourselves in a doubtful moment this week, weād smile and say:
āWell, at least the parking is free.ā
The medicine itself, however, is on the cutting edge. Some of what Deanna is taking is so new, even the pharmacists are double-checking protocolsāitās their first time using it. Dr. Chan, our family doctor, reassured us that medical science is advancing rapidly with the help of AI.
Weāre deeply grateful. This same system extended my fatherās life by decadesā¦ it sustained our grandchildren through 66 days in intensive careā¦ and now, God is using it againāto help Deanna.
Left – A backyard mealāDeannaās people gather close. Right – Held in loveāsurrounded by prayer on the journey.
After her first chemo session, we had an impromptu family supper. Anni made noodles, Tim barbecued ribs, and the babies brought joy. It was a lot for that first chemo dayābut this is exactly why we came home.
Deanna ā Pray for a clear report from her upcoming bone scan, and for healing, hope, and peace to saturate this season.
Rick ā Iām in many Zoom meetings right now. While I prefer face-to-face, each format has its place. Pray for discernment and clarity.
Transition Year ā This year (2025) marks a shift toward a more global scope of training and coaching. Churches and movements often fracture at the relational levelāwe love to help bring healing before that happens. Please pray for discernment and open doors.
Mission Property ā Weāve been planning to sell the mission property in MarabĆ” for several years. Now thereās movement. Please pray for wisdom, unity, and a smooth, fair sale that blesses all involved.
You ā Weād love to pray for you. Just hit reply.
Love in actionāDeanna cares for her dad after his bike fall.
Deanna’s People
The day before Deannaās chemo, her 88-year-old father, Harold, went for his usual e-bike ride. While pausing at the top of a steep, rocky embankment, he hit a small rock and tippedāfree-falling sideways into the ditch.
āIād visualized what Iād do if I ever fell off thereāso as I was in the air, falling toward the rocks, I relaxed my body.ā
Providentially, a 74-year-old farmer was passing by, on his way to check his cows. He stopped to help, giving Haroldāand his bikeāa ride back to town.
Deanna was so grateful to help someone she deeply loves right before submitting herself to the help sheād soon need at the cancer clinic.
Harold has learned how to be content in every circumstance. After a lifetime of passionate global mission work, his greatest treasure is visible in the photo behind him, on their wall.
āThey all love Jesus. They all talk to each other. And that is an amazing blessing.ā
On the edge of that photo are Deannaās brother and sister-in-law, Ross and Karinādear friends and fellow workers who served with us for 14 years in Northern Brazil, helping pioneer the church-planting movement there.
The joy of legacyāGrandpa Rick and the newest generation.
The Path
People ask how I (Rick) am doing. Surprisinglyā¦ Iām thriving more than ever.
Even here in Abbotsford, God is using me in the work in Brazil, across the Americas, and beyondāthrough mentoring, mediation, and new pioneering opportunities. Naturally, we would never have chosen this part of the path. And God knows that.
But as I study the lives of Joseph, David, Daniel, Jesus, and others, I see that some of their most fruitful seasons happened in exile.
That gives me courage.
It reminds me to be the right person, all the timeāto carry Godās presence for as many meters around me as possible, wherever I am.
And it truly feels like thatās happening.
Thank you for walking with us.
Baka, in the blessing below, is not just a dry place. It is the valley between homesāthe ache of exile, the silence where hope learns to sing.
