Ms. Ann

An old family friend died this week, and I'm reminded of the influence she and her husband had on my family.

Her husband challenged my father who at the time was a young man searching in his life for faith with a question similar to this: "Why not right now?" in response to Dad's answer of "Some day I will accept the Lord." Dad apparently said he would and began his walk of faith.

John and Ann mentored my parents during their engagement and early married life. I'm sure my parents learned a lot of building a relationship that has lasted for almost 53 years.

John and Ann helped my parents develop a burden for missions and lead to my parents moving to Alabama to work with our church's local churches there. The ways this changed our family are innumerable.

John and Ann introduced my parents to Christian education. As a result, I graduated from a Christian high school and college and then taught in Christian schools.

Ann was always encouraging to me as a young woman. When I lived in Illinois I met her for lunch several times. She insisted we meet the day after I came back from a church mission trip to the DR to hear all about it. I'm sure her excitement about missions was a big factor in my wanting to return to the DR for the summer.

I didn't write Ann often, but when I did I always got a handwritten letter with some cutout of a poem or saying from some piece of literature.

Practically, Ann was a good cook. I remember the first time I had real potato soup that she made. I didn't know that potato soup was anything other than leftover mashed potatoes heated with milk and chunks of Velveeta cheese before that.

When an older saint like Ms. Ann dies, I often think about the spiritual void left on this earth and wonder who will pick up the pieces that made her a spiritual giant and continue on.