I write to you with very mixed feelings, to let you know, that the decision for me to step down as Associate Director of Sacred Arts, may seem like a surprise to some, but it has truly been a God honored process, with conversation taking place between myself and the church for more than 6 months as we discerned what was the best for me and what was the best for the church. My last Sunday will be May 2. This next year will be spent regaining my health. Much beyond that I don’t have a clear sense of what it will look like; except that I'll be partnering with my surgeon, to coauthor journal articles on Primary Immunodeficiency patients needing joint replacement, as there is NO information on the subject. God has gifted me with many artistic, administrative, educational gifts that will likely allow me to return to some sort of professional life in the future, if my health returns. However, the next 6 months to a year need to be spent regaining my best health, and beginning to come to terms with the loss. This is where GoFundMe can truly help in bridging the gap between employment. God brought me here for a reason, even if it's still not abundantly clear. Something good will come from this!

Each step of the way during the discernment period has been been filled with love and compassion from a supportive community as I transitioned from full isolation back into a professional life. However, It has been unfortunate timing that a year after accepting my dream job here in 2018 at FPC, I was diagnosed with a disease that no one can see, it has no cure, is only managed, which then unfortunately intersected with a world pandemic. Fighting two diseases you can't see for the past 15 months, with 6 of those months in complete isolation and without hands on medical care, has fast forwarded many medical issues, including the now urgent need for hip replacement surgery that has been postponed until now due to risk factors. The difference now, is, one disease has been eliminated with recent vaccination. However, I'm still in the highest risk category for infection; but if surgery is not done now, I will be in a wheelchair for life. Making a calculated risk, surgery is scheduled for Tuesday, May 4.

As my job position is specialized and technical, it is very difficult to find qualified substitutes, particularly now that other SWFL churches have reopened. Thus, leaving FPC in the *lurch for 6 weeks or potentially longer.

I am filled with optimism as I know this is God's plan, even though he's requiring that I take the biggest leap of faith. It means that I must fully surrender all expectations and allow God to do the conducting. Stepping into this new, as-yet-to-be-defined, post-pandemic society, we will all enter as new versions of ourselves. This year of change and trauma will not disappear when the pandemic ends, and bringing the lessons and hardships of it into the future will just be a part of the journey. Thank you for your support.