Cindy

Cindy died this past Tuesday at 3:30 in the afternoon.  It was a very sweet and precious story, because one of our pastors was reading Isaiah to her, while Don (her husband) was holding her hand.  At one point, she opened her eyes wide, and smiled at Don, and then took her last breath.  

Friday was the funeral.  The church was very full, and the service was one of the best funeral services that I have ever attended.  Two of Cindy's relatives sang, "O the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus" and "It is Well With My Soul."  It was just beautiful.  The congregation also sang "Smitten, Stricken and Afflicted" and "I Greet Thee Who My Sure Redeemer Art."  Sonja played every so beautifully, and Rodney and Chuck did an excellent job.  Most of us just wept all the way through, knowing that Cindy is perfect now, and glorified, and happy, but sorrowing so deeply for the family, and for us.  It is so hard to manage the surge of emotion that rises in both joy and sorrow, side by side, for such a good friend -lost to us and to her family, and found in Jesus.  

Probably the hardest thing to do was to walk by the casket at the end, and see the sorrow of the Fryes.  The agony of losing wife and mother is so very deep.  The comfort and hope in Christ will fill them, and that is our comfort and hope.  

Please continue to pray for them.  These next weeks and months are tremendously difficult.  

Cindy

Cindy had a tough night last night, but they were able to give her some morphine, which calmed her down and let her sleep some of the night.

Please continue to pray for Don and the family. These days are really tough days.

We look to our God for all strength and comfort.

Kyrie Jo's Birthday

Happy Birthday Kyrie! You are 18 today!

My good friend, Cindy Frye, has been admitted to hospice today.  Susan and I will go and visit her tomorrow.  She hasn't swallowed much for four days.  Our tears swell for the suffering of our good friend.  Please pray for her, and for her family.

Also, my brother and his wife were 20 weeks pregnant, and they lost their son this past week.  They named him Immanuel Christian Keister.  Please pray for them, too.  

Such great sorrows of this world, but with the precious comfort of our Saviour, we are able to yet serve Him another day.  

He is risen, and He is faithful.  

Thursday - April 2

I am so thankful for my hard-working husband, who will work until 3 in the morning every Wednesday night for our family. Last night he was sick with a bad cold, but he worked anyway.

Jathan is doing well. Every letter we get is positive and encouraging. He obviously doesn't have lots of time, but he loves getting all the letters that he has gotten, and is very thankful for that. He seems to be doing very well in the military.

Kesse is loaded with projects this semester, and apparently received a concussion of some sort. She is supposed to go to the doctor on Friday and have it checked out. Until then, she is wrestling with headaches and some vision issues. Please pray for her. She wrote a wonderful letter recently that just let us know some of the things the that Lord is teaching her this year at Bryan. We are thankful for all the Christian influences that she is blessed to have. She has great friends who love the Lord and encourage her to live for Christ.

Kyrie Jo continues to be busy at Grove City. I am hoping that she got to hear Derek Thomas this past weekend when he went up there. Derek was speaking on John Calvin and would have been great, I am sure! Kyrie is always very busy, but loves Grove.

Kayren had a super trip to Grove to be with Kyrie. She noted that Kyrie has wonderful Christian friends there, and a good church. All that is very encouraging! Kayren is chomping at the bit to get started. Slow down - girl! She has a couple of years to go!

Lorien is enjoying Grandview as usual, and is starting a Bible study/prayer group at lunch with a group of girls there. They just decided to start one on their own. They are going to try and help each other.

Aleya is probably too busy for her eight-year-old self. She is very social and likes doing things with her friends from church. She seems to be growing up so very fast.

I sat with Cindy last night. Debbie Smith and Susan Lynch were with me, and we just visited together. At one point, we sang some hymns together. Cindy used to love singing. After one favorite of hers, she smiled. It was such a blessing. She seems to be in pain sometimes now, and is really struggling to eat, and she is so very thin. We are thankful for the time that we get to spend with her.

Well - I need to get to work.

Friday -

It's Friday, and I am glad. We have a busy weekend ahead of us, but it is a different kind of work.

This morning, Tom will welcome the washing machine repair man :( - to fix our washing machine. Then, he will be taking Aleya to a friend's house for the day (and night). Then, he heads for work.

We are cleaning out our stuff for spring cleaning this weekend (yea!), and putting it all on the curb Monday night.

Tom is working on Sunday School tomorrow.

Kayren is in Grove City visiting Kyrie Jo.

Jathan is doing well, though the church service isn't very good on base and he isn't allowed to leave base. Please pray for him spiritually as he seeks to be constant without a lot of encouragement from the base church.

We are trying to make Jathan's graduation (May 15th). Anyone who would like to come would be welcome. It will be at Ft Knox. If you want to come, please let me know. I need to send you a copy of the letter that allows you to get on base for it.

Our Lord is faithful and gives us strength for the upcoming day. I am very thankful for that!

Tom left yesterday morning for presbytery in St Louis.  They traveled until 4 or 5 I guess.  They were able to attend a conference last night on John Calvin.  Tom said that it was excellent.  Mr. Vennema gave it, and Tom was so encouraged by his balanced view.  I guess Mr Vennema pointed out that Calvin wasn't perfect, and gave lots of history about him.  In the end though, Tom said that you appreciated Calvin's example as well as his writings so much more because of some of his struggles.  Today, the men start with the presbytery business.  They work from 8:30 in the morning until 9 at night with two short breaks, and one lunch break.  Sometimes it sounds like it would be a vacation, but I think not.  It is a long meeting about important things, so dozing off in the middle isn't kosher.  Anyway, we are praying for Tom today.  

At home we are tying up the loose ends of spring break projects.  I'll be making a trip to Goodwill, the bank, the post office, Faith Academy, and then around town to return children to their homes.  I also need to go grocery shopping.  Hmm.  The list is building in my mind.

School starts back on Monday, and our schedules will return to normal.  Normal is nice though.  It seems easier sometimes to be in normal mode.  

Please continue to pray for Jathan at boot camp.  Write him, too, if you get the chance!