It was forty years ago today that we walked down that isle and promised our life-long love to each other. It has been quite an adventure...with lots of memories!
It started with the wedding, then the honeymoon, then finishing school, then off to France to study... then on we traveled to "the dark continent."
Pretty soon the boys started to arrive, one at a time...
...until there were FOUR!
We loved raising them in the wilds of Africa...
They grew into fine young men...
And one by one, they have gotten married and started families of their own.
We have been blessed beyond measure with family and friends, both near and far.
Because forty years is a long time!
But we've loved every minute of it!
And now, on a very different note, but also in this week of remembering...
We watched this little boy grow up in Africa. His parents were not only our closest neighbors and friends, but they were also family--Jim's cousin, Cam, that he grew up with, then worked closely with for many years in Africa. In African terms, they were indeed brothers. Their youngest child was this cute little guy named Jay.
Jay grew up and graduated from school, then felt the Lord calling him into training as a pilot. Many and far between were the years that our families were together after the kids grew up.
But a year ago, we had the privilege once again of re-connecting with Jay. By now he had married and started a family of his own-- two sweet little girls and a lovely wife whom he had met while attending missionary aviation pilot school. Last year, when he came to visit us, he shared with us his love for the Lord and his passion for flying as a missionary pilot.
Last weekend, we heard the sad news that Jay and his wife were killed in a plane crash while serving as a pilot for a mission hospital in southern Africa. The two little girls are now orphans.
Over twenty years ago, this young man's uncle, aunt, and little cousin were killed in a car accident while serving in Cameroon as missionaries. So many memories of that event have come flooding back to the surface once again. It has been a hard week for our family, once again remembering the great cost of discipleship. Our family roots go deep into the heart of Africa. We have now buried nine of our family members in its soil, in three different countries.
Are we as a family sad? Yes, but we mourn only for ourselves, we who are left behind.
We rejoice in the fact that those who died, loved the Lord and are now safe in the arms of Jesus.
For more information on their work and lives see
http://www.chitokoloki.com
1 comment:
Our deepest sympathy to your extended family as the grieve the loss of these two dear ones! Praying for all of you and the children.
On a side note Marilyn, you look no different then the day you got married. Aside from a different hair do! :) Thanks for sharing these great memories, and the strength of serving these 40 years of marriage together.
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