There's a lot about publishing that I don't understand. I spend most of my time dealing with the articles that go into our newspapers and the people who help us produce them.

But there is much more to the business than that. There is advertising space to sell, orders to take, subscription lists to manage, equipment to purchase, invoices to send out, deposits to make, accounts to pursue, office supplies to replenish, vacation schedules to coordinate, dishes to wash... and the list has only just begun.

I am very grateful for the people who do this important work. Without it, the newspaper would not be published and none of our precious stories would reach readers.

Late last month the crew at ChristianWeek bade farewell to a person who over the past five years has been looking after many of these details for us. Happily for her, Heather Kroeker, whose latest job title was office manager, got married and moved away. As I type these words, she and her husband, James, are finishing up their honeymoon and settling into their sweet new home in Alabama (which is a bit far to commute). Thank you, Heather, for looking after so many things for us at ChristianWeek.

We never really used the word "replacement" here in the office, but it's amazing the way things are working out. First, we talked to editorial assistant Naomi Biesheuvel about picking up some of Heather's regular duties, and managed to work in some training. And then one of ChristianWeek group publisher Brian Koldyk's friends said that a young woman he knows was looking for a place to work for the summer before entering a pre-journalism program at the University of Winnipeg.

A few days later Julienne Isaacs was in our office for an interview. I liked her resumé, especially the stated objective: "My goal is to acquire experience working in a journalism-related environment in which I can achieve practical skills and enhance my organizational and creative attributes." Now that is a fit.

Julienne began less than a week later and hers is the voice you're most likely to hear first when you phone our office. She is already hard at work, entering data into computers, channeling the mail to appropriate desks, fielding inquiries and perusing periodicals. Over the next few months she'll be learning many new things and performing many important tasks.

In the meantime, we're very pleased that God keeps sending us good help and meeting all our needs. Heather has headed south, but with workers like Naomi who adapts to new tasks and Julienne who is eager to pick things up, ChristianWeek continues.