It is with great joy and mixed sorrow that we announce that on Monday night, March 31st at about 8:45 pm, Debbie went home to be with the Lord. We cannot begin to express enough thanks to our Lord for all that she meant to us and for the strength of character that she displayed because of her faith in Him. We know the days ahead will be very difficult; we certainly grieve, but not as those who have no hope. We know that to be absent from the body is to be present in the Lord, and that precious in the sight of the Lord are the death of His saints. Those scriptures are certainly true for us in Debbie‘s death. But even more, we count ourselves especially blessed by God as he granted her many more years than any of her doctors ever thought possible. And we are grateful for the prayers and encouragement of friends who sustained her and us through the 12 years she battled with cancer.
Many have asked me, what they can do for us at this time. Obviously, and most importantly, continue to pray for us. We know that our greatest days of grief are ahead as her absence from various events will bring renewed sadness for us all. Please pray that we can continue to give a great testimony to the sufficiency of God‘s grace in those times of difficulty.
Others have asked about tangible helps. I hesitate to be specific, but know that I have often also desired to know how I could help others specifically in their troubles. We know that God who has met all our needs in the past will continue to do so in the future. But here are some specifics to be praying about in the coming months. First, due to a very limited income and large medical bills through these 12 years, we still have an enormous amount of medical bills to pay. Because Debbie was diagnosed with cancer at a fairly young age, we were able to get any major life insurance coverage for her, since no company would take such a high risk person. We have only a small policy that will help with the funeral and some medical costs, but not the large amounts we owe. It would be permissible, you any feel so led by the Lord, to send a contribution to Teaching Resources designated for Medical Expenses. We will pay them as we can and intend to pay them all as long as it takes us, but your prayers and gifts in this manner would be helpful.
Second, please pray for some increase in regular giving for Teaching Resources in terms of Salary. Since last Spring, I have been receiving a part-time salary from the Bible Church. This has not been difficult because we live basically debt free and we have also received $1035/month from Debbie‘s S.S. Disability. Please pray with us that other will become regular supporters of Teaching Resources so that we can offset that loss of income and continue to minister without great difficulty.
As noted earlier, we have see God‘s sufficiency in providing for us throughout the years and we remain confident that He will care for us in the future. Thanks for praying for us in these matters.
Below this announcement, we have also included three other notes related to Debbie‘s death. The first is a letter from our family to you. The second and third links are essays that Debbie‘s daughters, Joy and Meredith, wrote a few years ago, reflecting on their mother‘s faith and life. We pray that all of these will be an encouragement to you as you pray for us. Thanks again for your prayers. His grace truly is sufficient for our greatest need!
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