Finding faith from Kristen

Kristen Fersovitch had a beautiful voice, a beautiful life and so much else going for her. She also had kidney cancer: inoperable and terminal. When she was diagnosed in the summer of 2009, she was given 24 months to live.

She was full of life and had so much going for her. She was married with three children, was a successful mortgage specialist and had many other interests, one of which was being a member of the Singing Christmas Tree. She even released a CD of inspirational music called Songs from Home.

Under such tragic circumstances, it took many people aback that she had such a deep sense of spiritual peace during her final months and days. Rather than retreating, she remained public and even found a sense of purpose at the prospect of the end of her life. She even signed up to be the main speaker at a spiritual retreat for the Edmonton Dream Centre. She also co-wrote a ballad that she performed at the Singing Christmas Tree’s performance in 2011.

It’s now been two years since she died in October 2013. Robert Jones, her friend and pastor at the North Pointe Community Church on 167 Avenue, has now compiled a book of stories called Ornament: The Faith, Joy and Hope of Kristen Fersovitch.

He knew her since she was eight years old, singing in King’s Kids, the church’s children’s choir. She later was part of the church’s youth group, joined its main choir, and even went on missions.

“I watched her grow up, saw her as a teenager. She was gorgeous, vivacious, fun to be with … and stubborn. She could speak her mind. She had a lot of good friends, long-term friendships.”

The kidney cancer, he said, took many people by surprise and shock. It was removed when she was pregnant the following year but six months later, she was told that it had spread throughout her body.

It’s the story of how she was able to face death with such light and hope rather than overwhelming despair and anguish that has helped others to find peace and joy in their own lives, Jones said.

“So many people marveled at how Kristen was able to maintain her composure. She was unflappably happy. That affected pretty much everybody who knew Kristen. They would often comment, ‘How does she do it? Where does she find her strength?’” he continued.

“One of the things of the focus of the book was to help people have the same kind of inner strength that Kristen had, the idea of how to be at your best when life is at its worst.”

He suggested that it was important to share her story but it also helped him to deal with his own grief over her passing. The title, he said, comes from how Kristen’s life and illness were on display for all to see. It also related to how much she loved Christmas.

“Every chapter is about a Christmas ornament that was on her tree. It just helped tell a story about Kristen’s life. There was a wooden rocking horse that was on her tree. Every year it fell off and they had to keep fixing it. That became an illustration of resilience in her life.”

The book is getting its St. Albert launch on Friday at the St. Albert Public Library. The program runs from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and attendance is free. Call 780-459-1530 or visit www.sapl.ca for more information. Copies of the book will be available for purchase at the event. It can also be found at the bookstore at the church located at 14025 167 Ave. in Edmonton.

There will also be an Edmonton launch that will be held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Nov. 19. That’s at the Kaasa Gallery in the Jubilee Auditorium, 11455 87 Ave.