Receiving News of My Father’s Death
I could scarcely hear Gene above the din in the dining room: “Your dad passed away thirty minutes ago.” It wasn’t unexpected, but the news still carried a blow.
I’m wife to Gene aka “Sailor-Man,” mother of three married kids, grandma to thirteen of the planet’s cutest little people, and co-director of a missionary sending agency called International Messengers Canada.
I could scarcely hear Gene above the din in the dining room: “Your dad passed away thirty minutes ago.” It wasn’t unexpected, but the news still carried a blow.
My digital camera, my notes for all my speaking sessions, my toiletries…..gone. So, I filed a lost luggage claim and whispered a prayer for the bag’s return.
We’d entered another part of the world in which nothing was familiar. But it was an adventure, right? And who doesn’t love a great adventure?
I never want to slip back into comfortable North American complacency, content with having my needs met and forgetting about those who struggle to survive.
At midnight, the WV staff returned to pick us up and drive us to the train station. Now THAT experience was another story.
They ushered us into a makeshift outdoor meeting area… They gave us seats of honor and presented us with marigold leis and floral bouquets.
I wanted to pick him up and give him a big hug, but I had to restrain myself because that might have been his undoing.
In all honesty, I learned that my understanding of WV’s work was very limited indeed. In fact, our finances benefit the entire village.
It took four hours to reach the region where our sponsored child lives. I’d never seen so many people anywhere. Even the rural bazaars were crawling with people
I couldn’t understand a word but I could understand the joy that flowed from their hearts… I just closed my eyes and joined them in spirit.
I was delighted to see the ladies freely share their thoughts about how they’ve grown in their spiritual journey.
Today we flew from Kathmandu to Delhi, arriving in time to find that our connecting flight to Lucknow would be delayed for two hours. Oh well.
We started the day by meeting with several men on the Board of Directors for an NGO whose goal is to rescue and rehabilitate women sold as sex slaves into India
He stole my heart in an instant, and then we had to say goodbye. Sometimes I wonder why life seems so unfair, especially to these innocent ones.
K. lost her husband five years ago when Maoist rebels killed him during a major countrywide political upheaval. Yet, she chose to make life better for others.
She said she cried for a long time in the days leading to Shanti’s departure, but that she chose to give her up because she wants a good future for her.
The afternoon took a turn for the better when I began making phone calls to folks whom we’d networked with by email prior to this trip.
I had precious little reserve to count it all joy while wondering if I’d ever see my belongings again. It was as though the Lord said, “Do you hear Me, Grace?
My, oh my, what a day this was! It began in India when we woke up at 4:00 a.m. and ended nearly 20 hours later in Kathmandu, Nepal.
The day ended with dinner at our Indian travel agent’s home. We had a delightful time together enjoying a true Nepalese banquet prepared by the agent’s wife.
The road snaked above the clouds. Finally we rounded a bend and were greeted with a colorful bazaar located on a pristine lake.
We completed the first class, and then the women decided they’d like to have a class about keeping their marriages healthy. I quickly shifted mental gears.
These women sounded like an angelic choir singing in the Sema language. I sat in silence, humbled by the passion with which they sang.
The women entered the room and smiled shyly at me as they took their seats. Some wore blue jeans; others wore traditional dress made of woven fabric.
Gene and I are having a grand time using our Nepalese language again. After more than two decades not speaking it, the words return with surprising ease.
The road wound through tea plantations and a wildlife sanctuary where homes stood on stilts. “This keeps people safe from elephants,” explained the driver.
She dressed me in one of her own saris, a purple silk creation. Then she gave me a pearl necklace and earrings, gifts by which she wanted me to remember her.
Minutes after our arrival, our hostesses served us a meal of rice and lentils. That’s when I learned I’d be speaking at a women’s conference the next day.
End of content
End of content
GRACE FOX MINISTRIES
PO Box 11022
1945 McCallum Road
Abbotsford, BC V2S 0E4
Canada