Sunday, May 13, 2012

Special Visit!

Several weeks ago I had the privilege to visit the home of Ana Lucia's parents. She is one of the principals of one of the AMG schools in the city.  Her mom had passed away and we were invited to attend the wake at her parents home in a small village on the outskirts of Guatemala City. Her mom had been ill for some time and the family knew that she was passing from this life. She was in her late 80's and had been very frail. I went along with a few others from the AMG office to pay our respects to the family and spend some time with them. It was a special time. It is interesting that funerals can be special even though there is much sorrow and heartache.  We had the privilege of sitting with Ana Lucia's dad who is a frail old man in his early 90's.  He spoke endearingly of his wife and their marriage of 70 years.  He said that the love of a wife is far better than the love of children. They had 12 children as a couple, and although he loves each of his children and is loved by them, this love is not the same as that which he shared with his wife.  It was refreshing to hear such words, especially in a culture where infidelity and divorce is so common. We spent several hours with the family and had the chance to share God's word of comfort and also pray with them. Ana Lucia's family is very religious and strongly Catholic and this was also evident at the wake. However, several weeks before passing away, Ana Lucia's mom put her faith and trust in Jesus. Ana Lucia's father is also quite frail and has been sick for some time. The family had expected him to die before his wife, but that has not been the case. Please pray for his health and that he feels the presence of God in this trying time in his life.