Monday, July 12, 2010 WOW-Zine

WOW'S Woman of the Week is none other than Nathalie Middleton!
You've seen Nathalie and her warm smile gracing our church for a number of years, but now it's time to get to know her a little better. She and I sat down after church Sunday to visit.

Sherrie: First things first, Nathalie ... what's your favorite candy bar?
Nathalie: Everyone already knows my favorite is Reeces!
Sherrie: Okay, then we'll go with your second favorite. (She tells me, but it's up to you to figure it out and leave your guess in the comment section of this blog. The first person to guess correctly, before next Monday's blog is posted, will win Nathalie's favorite candy!)

Sherrie: I know you're from Alabama. How did a nice southern girl like you end up in Oregon?
Nathalie: Intel brought us here 9-1/2 years ago. Actually, I was escaping the South and running from the "oops" of my past.
Sherrie: I like the way you put that!
Nathalie: Tony and I got an apartment in Beaverton and lived there for a little over a year before buying our house in Forest Grove and getting married.

Sherrie: So if you lived in Forest Grove, how did you end up attending Wapato Valley Church in Gaston?
Nathalie: Kathy Daugherty was (and still is) my next door neighbor. She and Tami Engel invited me to Wapato.

Sherrie: I know something about you that not everyone knows, and that is that you were in a terrible car accident when you were a teenager and experienced a traumatic brain injury. Can you share about that?
Nathalie: Sure, how much time do you have? I'll give the condensed version. I was sixteen years old when it happened. I actually died and they brought me back to life. I was comatose for 2-1/2 weeks. I spent a total of two months in the hospital and rehab. I never forgot how to talk, but I did have to learn how to walk and swim again. The left side of my body was really hard to use.
Sherrie: How did your friends respond?
Nathalie: Tons of them came to visit while I was at the hospital and in rehab. They were always around.
Sherrie: Did this accident change in life?
Nathalie: Yeah, it slowed me down. I stopped sneaking out of the house at night! Once I was out of rehab my friends didn't seem to want to hang out with a brain injured person any more. I felt like I was an outcast. Only one friend, Erica, stayed by my side. She always has.

Sherrie: What are your hobbies?
Nathalie: It used to be crocheting, but I haven't done that for a long time. I guess now I'd have to say it's doing housework!
Sherrie: Yes, it's pretty hard for the mother of two young children to have extra time for hobbies, isn't it?

Sherrie: How did you come to know the Lord?
Nathalie: I've met Him in different ways different times through the years. I became a Christian after going through a study of the book Classic Christianity with the two women who invited me to church. My favorite verse is Romans 10:15 where the Bible says, "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!"

Sherrie: Your husband is not yet a believer. What kind of challenges does that present for you?
Nathalie: Well, we used to argue a lot about God, but we don't do that any more. But Tony will post comments that are against God on Facebook and I make comments back on Facebook where I try to post truth with grace.

Sherrie: Is there anything else you want people to know about you?
Nathalie: I think my arm is broken. Does it look right to you? I fell on it.
Sherrie: You're right, that arm doesn't match the other one. What are you going to do?
Nathalie: I think I'll go to the doctor Monday!

Candy Contest Update: Last week's interview with Donna Ryan sparked several guesses of what her favorite candy is, but, alas, no one got it right, so no prize will be awarded. (It was Hershey's Dark Chocolate Bar.) By the way, Donna is moving to California this week. Our love and prayers go with you, Donna. You'll be missed!

This Wednesday's Event: A Walk on the Wild Side
Where: Tillamook Forest Center, Highway 6 near milepost 22 on the way to Tillamook.
When: Meet there at noon
What: Bring a picnic lunch. There's a lookout tower to climb, a fascinating movie in theVisitor's Center, a creek, and walking trails that we can explore after lunch.
Who: You, your kids, and your friends. (Feel free to invite enemies too!)

Upcoming Events:
Wednesday, July 21st--Spend the day at 5Rock Ranch. Kids invited.
Wednesday, July 28th--Forest Grove Farmer's Market, featuring music by Nicole Chan. (It was so hot last week that people didn't attend, so we're doing a do-over!)

Next Monday, look forward to what I'm sure will be a scintillating interview with Chrissy Tuning!

Sherrie Ashcraft, Women's Ministry Director sherrieashcraft@yahoo.com
971-285-6699