We love you

Ben's Grandma Esther passed away peacefully this morning. There aren't many words to explain how one feels in a time of loss, but we know it is a part of this blessed life we've been given by our Father God. Painful, yes, but part of it all the same.

Grandma Esther was a beautiful woman loved deeply by her family and friends. Always had a good joke or story to tell of some kind or another. I am so thankful to have known her and I praise God for the relationship we developed. Her banter with Grandpa Larry (her husband, not my Dad) always cracked me up inside (and sometimes I couldn't suppress a giggle or two). She was quite feisty! I imagine that's part of the reason he fell in love with and married her those 50 plus years ago...

She loved her home in Iowa and enjoyed the perks of the flourishing town. The yearly fair was one of her favorites...as well as Arnold's Park and a nice ride on the Queen 2 on Lake Okoboji. Travel was another of Grandma Esther's favorites and she thoroughly enjoyed living "vicariously" through us as we have journeyed here in South Africa. She specifically liked our animal photos...especially the zebras. Know why? She said she always thought it would be fun to have a zebra as a riding horse. Now she would certainly stand out mounted atop a zebra, riding through town!

There are many things we love about Grandma Esther and I know we all miss her dearly. As we heal, we are blessed to look back on her life and recall so many beautiful memories of such a beautiful woman.

"Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken. My victory and honor come from God alone. He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me. O, my people, trust in Him at all times. Pour out your heart to Him for God is our refuge." Psalm 62 vs. 5-8