Press Release: Thirteen months after the death of her husband, April Yamasaki’s publisher asked if she might be ready to write a book about her journey with grief. As a pastor for twenty-five years at a local church, April had walked with many grieving people. Now as a grieving spouse, she had a new and more personal experience of loss, and as a writer, she hoped that sharing her story might help someone else feel less alone.

Now three years after the death of her Dearheart, April shares what she’s learned in her new book, Hope Beyond Our Sorrows: Learning to Live with Life-Changing Loss. She says, “I sometimes think of it as the book I never wanted to write about a life I never wanted to live.” Yet even in the depths of her sorrows, she found comfort and a new way forward.

A book launch event is planned for Tuesday, June 24, 7:00 p.m. at Valley CrossWay Church/Calvin Presbyterian Church, 33911 Hazelwood Avenue in Abbotsford. All are welcome to hear April share from her book, with special music by Mel Bowker (piano) and Lorin Friesen (violin), door prizes, and light refreshments. Books will be available for purchase.

Whether you’re grieving the loss of a loved one, a job, a marriage, a church community, or a dream, Hope Beyond Our Sorrows invites you to journey with grief, find a new way forward, and live with faith and hope beyond your broken dreams.