2022-23 Hwang Family Newsletter

Julie is happy and healthy living in Toronto. She has grown 2 companies: aurummedicine.ca with a busy integrative health clinic, free online health articles, and a fun App coming soon, and fruitstudio.co, a health food company with sustainably- sourced açaí in homes and restaurants across Toronto. She looks forward to the 2023 ski and snowboard season where you’ll find her in the snow! Happy Holidays!

Amy, Matt, Teo and Indie Lee had a fun-filled 2022. For the first time as a foursome, they traveled to catch up with family & friends in Cancun, California (Disneyland & Legoland), Ottawa, Algonquin, Bruce Peninsula, Ohio, and Belleville. Teo and Indie, 5 and 3 now, are best friends and fellow foodies, sharing a love of cars, hiking, biking, scootering, bowling, and anything else high-energy. Matt and Amy, in between working in real estate and aging research, have been busy on little home projects and planning their 10 year anniversary next year. Time flies!

Pauline and Ben’s year was saddened by the loss of Ben’s father Todd Postance in July (see photo).  A humble, quiet and generous man, football coach, community volunteer and loving father and grandfather, Todd is sorely missed. Since then, they have resumed farming (organic eggs, beef, lamb and hay) and renovating their farmhouse to accommodate Pauline’s Chinese medicine clinic. Their family has expanded to include Otto, a 2 year old Great Pyrenees farm dog, whose antics and snuggles bring laughter and cheer. 

Irene, Stephen, Benjamin (8.5) and Madison (6.5) Yang had a nice 2022, finally able to enjoy a memorable vacation (to Florida and Disney World with Christine’s family!).  Both kids can now swim independently, rock climb, do martial arts, play beginner piano and really enjoy math. Madison has a good start in French Immersion and loves creative and sporty play with friends, dance gymnastics at cousin Mia’s old studio, baking and Roblox games. Benjamin is advancing quickly in piano lessons and skating, and has a world ranking in PS5 Astro’s Playroom game! The kids also enjoyed attending their first Toronto Raptors NBA basketball game. Stephen and Irene both changed roles in 2022 but continue to enjoy working from home; they jointly take kids to/from school most days. 

Christine and Anthony Herrera enjoyed another busy year of adventure with their growing family. Mia, 17, is in her senior year (12th grade) of high school and recently got her driver’s license. Marcus, 15, plays for the varsity lacrosse team in the spring months, and still enjoys basketball in the winter. Adam, 11, is now in middle school and has recently taken up theatre, animation, and drumming lessons. Mia and Adam performed together in a community theatre production of The Never-Ending Story in Ohio. Marcus had his first job selling roasted corn husks at a busy local farm in the fall. The Herrera’s hosted a lovely exchange student, Lucia (from Madrid, Spain) until June, and enjoyed travelling around the U.S. with her - visiting Charleston, New York, and the California coast. They also enjoyed trips to Cancun, Florida, Savannah, and Arizona throughout the year!

2022 had begun as an average year, with Wai Chin’s birthday in January, Chinese New Year in February, EAEEG meeting in New Hampshire in March, and Concordia Homecoming for Loyola’s 50th Reunion deferred 2 years to Sept. in Montreal. In January and May, Wai Chin had 2 Orthopedic surgeries: L.hip replacement in Dec. 2021, and R.knee replacement in May 2022, taking 8 months for rehab. Paul had gone to a men’s retreat in October but suffered GI bleeding and was hospitalized for a week. Then in November, the unthinkable happened: both Paul and Wai Chin were injured in a major car accident, in ICU for two weeks, and hospital for another two weeks. Paul is finally home now, slowly getting back his strength, but Wai Chin is still in St. John’s Rehab Hospital given initial post-accident spinal surgery! We hope for Christmas at home and are looking into retirement homes too.

This is the most unforgettable year of Wai Chin’s life. It was about one year ago that I had an emergency hip replacement at North York Hospital, one that I thought  finally ended all the chronic pain in my left leg.  That did not work. Instead I was inflicted by more pain, this time from my right knee. The pain could sometimes become quite distressful. 

I was hospitalized for most of the year. One night, as I was sitting by the Hospital window, looking out into the dark starless sky, with tears in my eyes, feeling sorry for myself and imagining a tragic end to my Life, my hand landed on the Bible next to me. I flipped the pages and found myself looking at Psalm 23, one of my favorites.  I read it slowly, many times. I felt something wonderful was happening to me. Green pastures, refreshing streams, the sadness was gone.  A deep sense of peace descended upon me.  I began to sing as I remembered it. “My soul he doth restore again, and me to WALK doth make…My table thou has furnished in presence of my foes..my cup overflows.  Goodness and mercies all my life, shall surely follow me.  And in God’s house forever more, my dwelling place shall be.”  It surprised me that I could remember the tune of the whole song.  Now I added all the lyrics and committed them to memory.

I consider my encounter with the Lord that evening was a turning point in my life.

I took on a more positive outlook, looking outward, my heart is lighter, my voice is clearer. I greet everyone with a broad smile.  I made friends easily, even with people who never seemed to notice me before.  I bear no heavy burden because I laid it all at Jesus’ feet.  

I was in that state of bliss when the big crash happened.  Paul and I were in a very serious car accident coming home from our cottage in Minden.  I suffered from all 14 frontal rib fractures, plus lower spinal cord fracture that required emergency surgery.  Paul had 9 rib fractures and a severely collapsed lung that required him on ventilators for more than  a week.  Our Lexus was burned beyond recognition.  Hardly any one would believe that the two passengers would survive.  But survive we did!  Praise to the Lord for a team of excellent and dedicated trauma workers at Sunnybrook Hospital, and an army of prayer volunteers all over the continențs, petitioning on their behalf. Now a month after the accident, Paul miraculously recovered and is doing a convalescent at HOME.  Wai Chin, on the other hand haș to remain at an in-patient St. John’s Rehab Centre for further strengthening. This accident has brought the family much closer together!! Wai Chin and Paul were amazed to see how all five daughters and their son-in-laws coordinated and worked together for their benefit. Praise the Lord!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND BEST WISHES FOR 2023!