Monday, November 23, 2009

Thanksgiving with Janelle

My brother-in-law, John Hertzler, passed away on July 24, 2005. He and his wife, Janelle, were serving as missionaries in Thailand. Their son, Micah, was just a little guy. He's 5 1/2 years old now. Johnny was on his way to a joint church meeting of believers in Palenchai. He was riding a motorcycle. A drunk man, driving a truck, hit him head-on. Johnny died of multiple injuries. He was on his way to preach his first sermon in the Thai language: "The Good Shepherd Lays Down His Life for His Sheep."

Janelle and Micah flew back to Pa. and moved in with her parents. Micah would search through the house, crying. He couldn't say the word,"Daddy," but we knew who he was looking for. His daddy played with him all the time. Janelle took a video of the two of them the day before Johnny died. Johnny was pushing him on a swing and saying some Spanish words to him as they played. Janelle showed Micah that video and some others when they were down here one summer.

The mission board encouraged Janelle to take someone back to Thailand with her to help bring some closure to her time there and to go through her belongings and pack up what she wanted to bring home. She asked me to go and Phil looked at me and said, "You should go." A long time afterwards he let me know how difficult it was to let me go. He was aware that he could lose me as well.

So Janelle and I went to Thailand, three months after Johnny's death. We spent Thanksgiving Day with the Tobins and the YES Team and Janelle and I have spent all but one Thanksgiving together ever since then. Janelle and Micah will be with us tomorrow evening and we'll have a few days together. We'll go over to Tom's for Thanksgiving. Another part of our family, The Bantons, will join us there.

While Janelle is here, she wants to interview some folks we know for a class she has. She has requested chocolate and movies and Micah has requested pizza and time together at the river to make our traditional miniature village. We even dig a hole about 6 inches deep and 1 foot wide and build a miniature fire. I hope we have some warm afternoons.

When I think of Thanksgiving, I think of Thailand.
I think of Johnny and Micah and Janelle.
I can't wait to see all of them again.

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