God of Surprises – March 29, 2026

Dearly Beloved,
The article below was submitted to a local newspaper, as they had asked. However, the newspaper did not use the full version of the article. Therefore, we are taking this opportunity to share the full article with you.
Once again, we are reminded that we can make a difference if we work together in unity and harmony. It does not matter how far or close we are to tragedies of life.
I am grateful to my sister, Eleanor Glenn, for having this vision and seeing it through. And grateful to the Trinity United Church congregation, which is always ready to extend a helping hand.
Blessings to you on this Palm Sunday and Always,
Because of Grace,
Rev. Takouhi Demirdjian-Petro

Local Author, Local Minister, Local Congregation and the ‘God of Surprises’ Work Together for Tumbler Ridge

by: Eleanor Glenn

Local author, Eleanor Glenn was born, raised and has lived most of her life in Smiths Falls. In 2011, Eleanor self-published her first book and she has gone on to self-publish nine more. Every one of her books has been a local project from start to finish; a fact her many loyal readers really appreciate. All of her books are formatted and printed by Smiths Falls’ Impression Printing and bound by Smiths Falls Bookbinding.

In the year 2018, Eleanor published, what she considers to be her most important and successful book to date. The book is entitled, “How Love Continues: Recognizing the Afterlife”. It is a healing book of comfort and hope for anyone navigating the pain, sorrow and often overwhelming agony of grief.

In 2023, to mark the book’s five year of success, Eleanor celebrated by publishing an ‘Anniversary Edition’ of the book. This special edition contains ‘all’ of the material from the original book, plus ‘bonus material’ gathered from Eleanor’s second interview of updates from the persons who provided the stories for the original book.

Until the publication of this article and previously known to only a handful of people very close to Eleanor, since 2018, Eleanor has quietly sent multiple copies of her healing book to families of school mass shootings in the United States, such as the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. (Eleanor, herself, is a retired school principal.)

She also sent books to the Canadian families of the hockey players killed in the bus crash in Humboldt, Saskatchewan. (Both of Eleanor’s sons, Brian and Ryan Haining, grew up playing hockey for years with the Smiths Falls Minor Hockey League.)

Eleanor states, “Now we find ourselves in 2026. I myself, wake up everyday more proud than ever in my lifetime to be Canadian. I cannot be the only Canadian asking the question, “What can I possibly do for my fellow Tumbler Ridge Canadians?

“Might there be a way, rather than me sending these books solely as the author, that I might be able to help a large number of people share in the experience of having indeed, “done something” for Tumbler Ridge?”.

Eleanor then texted Rev. Takouhi, current minister of Trinity United Church, Smiths Falls, as well as being Eleanor’s very dear friend since 2009.

With Eleanor’s permission on Sunday, February 15^th, Rev. Takouhi read Eleanor’s text verbatim, to the congregation, announcing Eleanor wished to send a box of her books to Tumbler Ridge on behalf of “Eleanor Glenn, Author, Minister, Rev. Takouhi Demirdjian-Petro and the entire congregation of Trinity United Church, Smiths Falls, Ontario, Canada.”

Upon the conclusion of the service, Eleanor says “the congregational response was overwhelming! I was inundated by members of the congregation reaching out to shake my hand and pass me folded bills while saying, “Please put this money toward your postage costs”. (In my enclosed letter to Pastor George Rowe, of Tumbler Ridge Baptist Church, Rev. Takouhi asked me to enclose a copy of her book to Pastor George, as well as “pocket prayer squares,” hand knit by Trinity members, to be distributed by Pastor George to whomever he wished.

Two days later, at Trinity’s ‘Shrove Tuesday Pancake, Pot Luck & Praise Supper”, Eleanor announced, due to the congregation’s generosity regarding the postage, the books would be arriving “three days later in Tumbler Ridge! (One would think this story of positivity ended here….but Eleanor says that God was just getting started!)

On Sunday evening, February 22nd, Eleanor opened an email from Canada Post. The bottom immediately fell out of her ‘joy and optimism”. The parcel was “now in transit”! The books were out there…somewhere. Eleanor arrived at the Smiths Falls Post Office, at 9am Monday morning with her tracking info. Postal worker, Yvonne, verified:
• the NEW expected arrival date was Tuesday, February 24^th, 2026
• most importantly, all express post packages are guaranteed a full refund when the original delivery date is not upheld! Yvonne gave Eleanor a 1-800 number through which to make her claim.

Returning to her car, Eleanor sat and immediately dialled the 1-800 number. She waited on hold less than two minutes. Representative, Jack, verified that she was indeed entitled to a full refund.

Eleanor states, “As I pressed the ‘call-end’ button on my phone, I experienced the dawn of realization and the words tumbled from my mouth, “Eleanor, God has just paid the entire amount of the postage fees!” The biggest miracle is every single one of those generous monetary donations from the congregation will be joyfully returned, along with this message for yourself and all others: God, truly is “The God of Surprises!”

Postscript: Eleanor received the refund cheque on March 2^nd. The books safely arrived in Tumbler Ridge on February 24^th.