Dear Friends,
Mum is buried today at 1030, this morning. We had three nights of services for mum. Many friends came to send their condolences and we are all very grateful to the support and prayers we have been receiving. Right now we are all tired.
Dad hardly ate the past three days. He misses mum very much. There is nothing we do that will be right for him right now because he is grieving and everything we do will be compared to Mum's standard. So I will have to bear with this for a few weeks.
We all did our best to make it memorable for dad and for each other.
Mum was brought home in a casket for burial on Sunday morning at 11am. We all cried when we saw her body, still but rested and peaceful. Dad cried uncontrollably and so did my little Theodora. Later, we ordered flowers for mum and by evening all four came. Subsequently over the other two days, more flowers came from relatives, friends and work.
The first afternoon, Joshua, Yifong, Shaun and Melvin came to visit. Then my colleague Mrs Seck came. In the afternoon around 5pm, Pastor Andrew and Deaconess Deborah came and told me that I had to share tomorrow night. Each night we have different messages.
Richard shared on Sunday night. He was brief and to the point. The second night, I shared. I couldn't find what to say because the whole of Monday, I hardly have time to think about what to say.
I must thank my ex boys for the sharing I had on Monday night. I asked that they helped me design a wallet card for all those who attended my mum's burial. At the same time, I requested that they do up a powerpoint presentation about my mum to be shown during Monday night. That was before I was told I had to share about my mum.
The whole of Monday morning, I was very busy with people visiting with us. Then I went up to check my mail and to talk to Yifong about the presentation. He showed me and then I played it. I found that the presentation was fitted with appropriate verses about my mother I didn't ask them to use. I found out later that Joshua provided the verses and he took it from Proverbs 31.
The night service was about to begin. My friend Siew Lian came. Soon I was asked to speak. I was told not to cry as I shared in Mandarin. I stood up and still thinking how I should put my thoughts together. I began to read Proverbs 31 in Mandarin and then began sharing about how my mother came to know the Lord and how unless she made a commitment to follow Jesus, she stuck to it through thick and thin. There was never a complaint about the pain. All her qigong friends that came were saddened by her passing.
We prayed for fine weather today so we could bury mum. The Lord is good. There was a light drizzle but nothing too heavy. After the burial we served lunch to all those who came. Then I went to see a chinese physician because I sprained my right knee and left ankle while I moved mum around. The physician did relieve some of the pain but the pain is still there.
This afternoon when I returned, I found my dad up and about. He is tired but he just won't sleep until late afternoon. His moods are better after the nap. Please pray for him that he will be strong and that the Lord will protect him when he drives on the road. There are many things we need to adjust to. Pray that these adjustments will not cause too much worry.
The Lord is good and He is with us all the way.
