If you would like to be notified as news on Lorinda is posted, please send an Email to lorindastewartupdate@yahoo.com.


Dear Family and Friends of Lorinda,

My name is Denise Kalinske, and Lorinda has been my closest and dearest friend for the past 26 years. I live in Yuma, Arizona, which just happens to be only three hours from Tijuana, Mexico. Therefore, I was fortunate enough to be able to drive over and spend two days with Lorinda this past week. I would like to share my experience with all of you who love Lorinda.

First of all, it is common knowledge for tourists visiting Tijuana to NEVER drive over the border….there are several parking lots on the U.S. side, and shuttle busses take tourists over the border every 20 minutes or so. Lorinda and I had it all planned out that she would take a taxi from her hospital to the border and walk over, and I would park my car and meet her at McDonalds on the American side. It all seemed very simple, but in my excitement to see Lorinda combined with my inexperience driving in that area, I completely missed the exit shortly after the very large, “LAST EXIT BEFORE ENTERING MEXICO” sign! I found myself on a crowded freeway in Mexico with seemingly no way to turn around, and I drove around a huge traffic circle that dropped me off in downtown Tijuana! Of course, all of the traffic signs are in Spanish, which was of no help to me. Luckily, a very nice taxi driver told me which way to go, and I eventually made it to the end of a very long line of cars trying to get back to San Diego. Luckily I still had cell phone coverage, which allowed me to call Lorinda. I reached her just before she crossed the border, so she exited the line of hundreds, in which she had been waiting, and attempted to look for me. If you can imagine twelve lanes of bumper-to-bumper traffic miles long…finding each other seemed next to impossible. But, with the use of landmarks, cell phones, and helpful Mexican vendors, we did it. Or, I should say, she did it! The vendors walk right across the freeway weaving in and out of the stopped traffic to try to sell you souvenirs, and walking right along with them just as calm as can be (and very out of place with her long blonde hair) was Lorinda! She looked beautiful (of course), strong, healthy, and pregnant! Anyway, she hopped in my car, and we proceeded to the border. I guess typically it can take 3-4 hours to reach the border, but thankfully we made it in less than an hour. Then, we did the standard procedure of parking and taking a shuttle into Mexico and then a taxi to her hospital. When we arrived at the hospital, Lorinda’s nurse, Maggie, was very relieved to see her back safely. Usually, she can leave the hospital for a couple of hours each day to get fresh air and exercise, but then she needs to resume her treatments as described in Rod’s letter.

Our little adventure is just one example of Lorinda’s remarkable bravery. Although her doctors and nurses are very competent, professional, and kind, the hospital conditions are very different than what we are accustomed to in the States. Being the positive person that she is, Lorinda has made the best of things, and has turned her room into a cozy little temporary home. She has also made several friends despite the language barrier. Like anyone that ever meets Lorinda, it is obvious that the staff has grown very fond and attached to her. For example, one of her nurses, Carmen, brought a friend and her husband to meet Lorinda, and then the couple returned on their own to visit her and brought a gift. Also, there is a friendly young man that cleans Lorinda’s room each day. In addition to only understanding Spanish, he is deaf. But, through sign language, dramatic gestures, and lots of laughing, they have found a way to communicate. Lorinda told me the funniest story about him. He had offered to take her laundry to a local laundromat for her, and when he returned with the clean laundry, he came to her room and pointed for her to look out the window. Lorinda looked out into the hospital parking lot only to discover her clean underwear, and all of her other laundry, hanging from makeshift clotheslines! She covered her face in embarrassment and he covered his eyes and peeked out with a big smile on his face. She has many stories to tell - many are comical, and all are inspiring.

Lorinda’s bravery and strong faith in Christ are sustaining her through her healing process. Dr. Bernardo, whom I met, is absolutely certain that Lorinda will beat this invasive disease, and deliver a healthy baby boy in just a few short months. By the way, Baby Thomas is growing rapidly, and I had the pleasure of seeing him kick several times. It is truly amazing to see the power of God’s gracious love working in Lorinda every minute of every day. He brings her a peace and comfort that is indescribable. In one of the many talks we had, Lorinda reminded me of something we heard recently at a women’s retreat and that has proven to be true for her: “It is only when Christ is all you have that you realize that He is enough.”

Lorinda will be leaving Mexico Monday, November 28th to continue her treatments in the comfort of her own home. She is counting the minutes until she can be back with Tom and her girls!(her dogs, Precious and Princess). Lorinda is overwhelmed with the outpouring of love, kindness, and generosity that all of you have shown her. She is doing better every day, but please continue with your prayers and support.