LABOR DAY WITH A LARGE EXTENDED FAMILY...that's how we spent our Labor Day afternoon yesterday. We had an indoor picnic with a large family (originally seven children) who now have five living. One attendee was the daughter of their daughter who died at age 26 of colon cancer. This child (who was two at the time) is now grown and married and preparing to leave for West Africa to be a missionary. One of the things that were done was to look at photos from her aunt, of this girl's mother all through her growing up years until the newspaper obituary. After discussing various details/stories about the pictures, they put all the photos in a big envelope and gave them to the young woman to put with her valuables that will be left here in the US while she goes overseas.
The aunt who passed on the pictures knows a lot about being on that side of the good-byes. She and her husband spent many years in Colombia, South America as missionaries with Wycliffe. Even though they can't live there anymore, they still work on the translation projects for their people. About a year or two ago, the New Testament translation they had spent their lifetime working on, was completed. Yes, they live in IL now, but they still work with the Wayu people when they can...and have a son working with street children in one of the major cities in Colombia.
I am always challenged as I visit this family, to see the godly fruit that these parents' lives and examples have borne with their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. To God be the glory!