Death and Life

We had the most unusual Easter ever. We spent the day at a funeral. Normally Easter is upbeat and full of celebration. The hope of life after death is really something to cheer about, and cheer about every day. But this year a father of a dear Japanese Christian friend was dying in the hospital during Holy Week. Also in the US our dear friend and former mission leader, John Marrs, had been in a terrible car accident and also lay dying in the hospital. Both these events tempered and gave new meaning to the anticipation of Easter. The funeral for our friend’s father was scheduled for Easter Sunday morning. Knowing it was the right thing to do we planned to attend. The entire family was so overjoyed by our presence and we were able to comfort the wife, daughter, granddaughter and others of their family. After we left them we knew we did the right thing. They were surprised, blessed, and strengthened by our coming. When we arrived back at home, we heard that John Marrs had gone to be with the Lord. Holy Week and Easter reminded us that our lives and ministries are a matter of life and death. We are so glad we can be in Japan to serve Japanese with the message of eternal life.