May 23-Sat.-Susan went shopping with her Easter egg money. Lynney took Susan, April, and Charity out to Lynchburg. Susan got many cute t-shirts, 3 pairs of pants, necklace and earrings (pistols) and a chicklet belt. I went out to Farmville and ran some errands and met with May birthday friends at a Mexican Restaurant. Betty, Alice, Carleen, Carol, and I wrote prayer requests on a sheet of paper and then pulled names out of a pink Mexican hat. Our gift to each other this year will be a year of prayer. Carleen and I pulled each other's names
May 24-Sunday-Went to church. The comfort of friends goes far. They are God with skin on. Came home and went to my chapel and took a nap, wrote some thoughts, and read some Psalms. Blogged. Need to pack for tomorrow's trip and everything in me is avoiding it. Played Farkel with Phil and Susan. Philip is with his Harvest friends and Michael and Freeman went to the movies.
Happy Birthday, brother Abe. I am so sorry that your namesake is not here. May next year's birthday be a better one. Abe (Abie) is my oldest brother. He's around 57 years old I think.
He has no gray hairs. He is cheerful and selfless. He is one of my heroes. Somehow, he holds our family together with his wise and loving ways. I love you, Abie. ( Mother calls him her rock.)
May 25-Left Va. around 10:45;arrived at Weaverland Mennonite Church at 4:45. Changed into dress clothes. Viewed Abie's body. Ate a meal the church prepared for the family. Visited with the viewers and looked at power point presentation of pictures of Abie's life. He knew how to live and make the most of each opportunity. I wish I knew him better.
Went to Mom and Dad's with Susan overnight. Boys stayed with Joe and Karen. Paul, Linda, Katie, Jim, Debra, Jordan stopped in to see us. Micah was there as well.
May 26-Tues.-Boys stopped in at Conestoga Christian School to see their former favorite teacher, Mrs. Horning. Security was high and although the boys in their black suits and probably dark sunglasses were disappointed that they were denied entry (no one knew them there) we were impressed that the school kept the students safety in mind, and sorry that the world has come to such a place as this. The boys left her a voice mail and complained. I guess she will just have to come down to the Pig Roast.
Abie's funeral service-I feel inadequate to describe it. I will try to describe my own personal highlights.
-Amos Stoltzfus sermon-(Rom. 8:18-28)-Amos told four stories including Abie's and said, "What a tragedy! What a tragedy!" after each illustration. One of the stories was about Jim Elliot and the other men who were killed by the Auca Indians in 1956. Amos told some of the 'rest of the story' of three of his illustrations. Steve Saint, the son of one of the men slain by the Auca's, was later baptized by one of his father's murderers. He shared other points of God's redemption and ended up saying, "What a story! What a story!" We understood that although life is full of tragedy, it is also full of God's redemption, and we have yet to see the redemption of the tragedy of the loss of Abie's life, but we will, and we will say, "What a story! What a story!"
-Uncle Paul (my mother's brother) read scriptures. I am not sure if it's the words he reads or if it is the sound of his voice that provides the most comfort. I have always loved his voice.
-The pastor of their church, Brian Martin, read numerous e-mails written by professors, colleagues, and friends. We got quite a picture of Abie's life through their words.
-My favorite, and the hardest thing, was Annika's letter to her brother, Abie. Makes me cry again. It was full of memories and thankfulness. It was full of missing and longing.
-It was nice to see Eugene and Loretta too, good friends of mine from high school. He shared as Abie's pastor from Rockville.
-The songs they chose were 'Savior, like a Shepherd Lead Us', 'He Hideth my Soul,' and 'How deep the Father's Love for Us'. I will blog the words of the last song.
-A precious thing that happened-Jim (Rosalee's husband) has a brother who had major heart issues 3 weeks ago. Jim never expected him to come(6-8 hour drive?) but he did come and it did Jim good. I could have kissed him for coming but it's probably good I didn't.
-Katrina, Abie's youngest sister, hugged me hard a number of times, and said, "I love you."
Philip and Freeman were pall-bearers. I think that is an honorable, difficult job.
Abie was willing to work for free for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Huron, S.D.(Just to get the experience.)
He was studying the value of certain geographical areas-potholes-naturally occurring small ponds in the prairie and vital to the duck population. The purpose of this study is to assign a value to different areas so the government can purchase easements on particular properties to ensure the perpetuation of a good viable duck population. (Phil explained this to me.)
As others said, the young man who loved to study every part of creation is now looking into the face of the Creator of the things he loved. I imagine God is happy to have someone beside Him who is as excited as He is about the world He created.
We are so sorry that Abie's co-worker, the other passenger in the vehicle, died a day after the accident.
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