Alexandra Isobel Margaret Whyte

Alexandra (whom I knew as Ali, but who reverted to her full name after she moved to Toronto from London UK in 2006) was a colourful character whose wacky sense of humour and cheerful manner often masked a heart broken by a painful start in life, and much misunderstanding and rejection in adulthood, sadly much of it in the Church.

I am thankful that Ali was such a faithful prayer partner and friend to me for over 10 years before her sudden death, a few months after she had realised a dream she never knew she had - of living in Toronto ON, and particularly of being baptised and becoming a member of TACF, a wonderful church that has been in continuous revival since January 1994.

Ali grew up in England, but never felt at home here. It was my enthusiasm for the ministry of TACF that prompted her to visit there twice in 2005 - with mixed feelings until her plane touched down at Toronto Airport, and she immediately felt at home in Canada. It turned out that her father had been offered a job in Toronto when Ali and her twin brother (who sadly died at birth) were in the womb, but her mother did not wish the family to relocate - but she did not know that until after she had come to Toronto!

In May 2006, Ali packed her bags and flew over to Toronto for the third time - trusting God to make a way for her to settle there. She received a lot of emotional healing through the gentle and encouraging ministry of John & Carol Arnott, Mary Audrey Raycroft and others at TACF - and I enclose a photo of her during those radiant final months. She was hoping not to have to come back to the UK when her visa ran out, having given up her job and flat in London.

The next I heard, through two mutual online friends in Australia, was that Ali had died unexpectedly but peacefully in her sleep, a few days before Christmas 2006. She had suffered from hormonal and other health problems, but nothing that led anyone to expect her to die at only 42. The cause of death was cited as pneumonia and heart failure - but I like to think of it as being that Jesus wanted her in Heaven, rather than her having to come down to Earth with a bump after those marvellous days in her spiritual home of Toronto!