SHINING THE LIGHT OF CHRIST IN THE DARK TIMES OF A LIFE-THREATENING ILLNESS
About Us
The Ministry
To date 100% of the operating capital comes from small individual donations. No one who works for the ministry is paid a salary. Everyone is a volunteer. The ministry was created in January of 2010 and became a 501c3 organization the next year. We incorporated in August of 2012. For ten years WJM taught educational support groups in the Portland Oregon area using original workbooks and leaders’ guides. Training material was also created. Recently the co-founders wrote a book entitled, “Where is God in the Turmoil of a Life-threatening Illness.”
The Founders
Karen Haren Ph.D.
Karen has over 20 years’ experience as lay prayer pastor, counselor, hospice worker, Stephen Minister, and program director. Karen did her undergraduate work at Pitzer College, majoring in psychology. After completing a masters in Applied Systems Management, she started her 17-year career in Telecommunications. The death of both her parents in 2003 opened her eyes to the very difficult journey so many people experience. She decided to take early retirement to go back to school and learn more about how to help. She attended Trinity College of the Bible and Theological Seminary and completed her Ph.D. in Biblical Counseling. She wrote her dissertation on how Christians can make biblically-founded end-of-life decisions. Karen is also a Certified Christian Life and Bereavement Coach. She continues to be active in her church–Mountainview Christian Church in Gresham, Oregon.
Sue L. Frymark BS, RN Retired
Sue passed away on June 28, 2022. She was a graduate of Columbia School of Nursing in Milwaukee WI and earned her Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Administration from Concordia University. She focused her 30-year career on cancer care and hospice. Sue was the first nurse in Oregon trained in Hospice Care by Marin County Hospice in 1977. She continued to help establish hospice in Oregon as well as to develop a nationally known program of Cancer Rehabilitation. This interdisciplinary team helped those with early cancer to those with advancing disease. The teams early training came from the pioneers of hospice and palliative care, Dame Cicely Saunders PHD, MD from St. Christopher’s Hospice London England; as well as Dr. Belfour Mount of the Montreal Royal Victoria Hospital’s Palliative Care Program. Sue received many awards, became published, and became nationally known for her contributions to Cancer Rehabilitation, hospice care, quality of life and end-of-life awareness, and program development. As a Christian, Sue felt the burden of not being able to share her faith with her patients. She could see the difference in the ability to cope between those with a strong faith and those with none.
After retirement, Sue spent her time with family and was active in her church, Faithful Savior Lutheran Church as a Stephen Ministry Leader and coordinator of Health Ministries. She was a Master Trainer in “Powerful Tools for Caregivers” and “Living Well with a Chronic Illness.” Those of us at WJM will miss her deeply.
