From Imagination to Sight

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The seal on my freezer door no longer seals.  So the job that used to be delayed for 3 months, now demands defrosting attention every month.  A job I have always procrastinated on, but even more so  the last 3 years.  I can no longer do this icy job without remembering Bob and the day his plane crashed and he died.  Memories that I would rather not remember and reality that to this day is painful for so many, including myself.  Defrosting my freezer is what I was in the midst of doing when the crash happened. Today, once again, I realize that I can procrastinate no longer.  The freezer must be defrosted.  As towels are laid on the floor and the ice begins to thaw,  I reflect again.  My reflecting jarred me into realizing that I need to tell you what is happening right now….because of Bob. 

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Bob’s older sister, Verna and her husband are HERE.  Here in Papua.  They are here to help build a church in Okyop. A remote tribal village, accessible by bush plane only.  Gary, Wendy, Cherise, Darron and they all flew into Okyop on Monday.  Okyop was the last village that Bob worshiped in before his fatal crash.  Darron and he were together.  A short little video that Verna saw about Bob and Darron’s time in this village, inspired Verna to come and help build this place of worship to encourage the people there.  This is no small undertaking, nor for the faint of heart.  Hopefully they will finish the jungle chapel, worship with the people in Okyop on Saturday and fly home on Sunday.94C60B94-B35B-4DF6-A1C7-BDF07ACC8BC2

The few times I have chatted with Verna she is so so appreciative to be seeing all of the things that she imagined and prayed for while Bob and Jan served here for over 20 years. The aviation campus. The school next door.  The town.  The stores.  The lake.  And the remote tribal villages.  Verna is putting together all the pieces and words that she poured over/ prayed over/ and pondered over for the last quarter of a century. Bob was faithful at writing weekly emails to update family and supporters to what was going on.  During all of those years Verna formed pictures in her mind as to what things looked like and how things were.  Now her imagination is shifting to actual sight.  Often Verna speaks with sparkle in her eyes, mingled with tears.

This is only a glimpse into this precious story, a story that is not really mine to tell…….

All the ice is melted and the shelves have been dried.  The food is all stored away, until it is time to be used.  I’ve got one month to not worry about the freezer and then I will need to face my task and remember again. Meanwhile,  I’m so grateful for hope, for healing, for work going forward, for the people of Papua, and for imagination and sight.

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