i stood there on the chair and watched you pray
In Winnipeg, we have something called New Life Ministries, run by a guy named Harry Lehotsky. Harry is a New York state native who misspent part of his youth doing some hard living, but changed his ways when he woke up one morning in the gutter (literally).
Now he’s a pastor who works tirelessly to improve the West End of Winnipeg. New Life buys up condemned apartment buildings and houses and renovates them into clean, safe, affordable housing in a neighbourhood where you might get the last thing, but not the first two. Last year New Life renovated a derelict movie theatre and adjacent building into a performance hall and restaurant. Now bands and movies play at the theatre and the restaurant is a bright, friendly room that serves tasty and well-priced food.
Harry Lehotsky works the system, lobbies City Hall, fights off massage parlours and spends his time trying to make life better for the people of the West End. He and I aren’t on the same page when it comes to certain issues (he ran as a Conservative in a provincial election a few years back), but no one can deny this guy is a positive force in our city.
Today Harry Lehotsky was diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer, which, as you may know, is pretty much the worst cancer you can get.
My dad knows Harry through all the pastoral things; my mom’s friends with his wife; my brother and I are friends with one of his sons.
So on a personal level, this whole thing is distressing because you know Virginia and Brandon and his brothers Jared and Matthew are going through hell. I know what it’s like to sit in the waiting room in intensive care while your dad on the ward. It really freakin’ sucks.
But then there’s that other level, the fact that if we lose Harry, everyone in Winnipeg does, too.
I know a lot of you reading are praying people, and if that’s the case, now would be the time. I personally always expect the worse when it comes to these things. Sometimes people are healed. Sometimes they aren’t. But you have to hope.
UPDATE: He’s out of the hospital now, but the doctors have given him two weeks to nine months.
May 16th, 2006 at 9:55 pm
Holy Crap, that’s sad! Two weeks to nine months?! I wonder how doctors figure that stuff out.
May 16th, 2006 at 11:30 pm
Having just experienced this with close friends… we know it’s a painful time for everyone involved. I am not one of those “praying people” you mention Jenny, but I can right now at this moment say a prayer, asking God to be with this man and his loved ones… to grant them peace in the midst of a very difficult and anxious time. And for those of you surrounding him and his family… that you might be a shoulder to lean on and an instrument of grace in their lives….
May 17th, 2006 at 9:41 pm
There’s no real science to this… my mom just got her six-month prognosis last week. Neither my wife nor I am optimistic she will make it that long. After almost two years of dealing with this I almost don’t know what to think of it.