Catching Up

Wow! Where has the time gone? I don't want to believe it has been over a week since I last posted. It's not that I don't have anything to write about. I probably could go on forever, but it's late so I'll keep this short.

Jefferson's wake and funeral were a real blessing. We stayed at the wake until 12:30am when they were starting a time of singspiration. Mind you, wakes and funerals are different here from what we're used to at home.

Darrell preached for only 45 minutes instead of the 3 hours he was told he could take. I'm sure he was told that with tongue in cheek as a way to tell him he could take as long as he wanted, but I'm also sure people would have been disappointed if he had made it too short. He preached from Isaiah 40:12ff about how big our God is, including the fact that He is big enough to know how to take care of the empty spots left by Jefferson's departure.

Many tributes were given both at the wake and funeral testifying to the impact Jefferson had on many lives, young and old. One of the saddest parts was when the orphans--28 of them--got up to sing and we all knew they had just lost their "daddy." And then a group of students from the school sang, some of them singing their hearts out with tears streaming down their faces. Believe me, I had tears streaming down my face too!

The funeral was scheduled to start at 10am--probably started more like 10:30--and went until about 2. I couldn't see everyone there since many--maybe most--were seated outside under canopies, but when they filed past the casket at the end, the line kept coming and coming and coming. I asked later if anyone knew how many people were there and Jefferson's sister-in-law said they planned for 1,000. I'm sure there were at least that many there which is another tribute to the impact of Jefferson's life.

After the burial we went back for a feast of rice and soup. I can't imagine cooking for that many people, but they did an excellent job. It was a good end to a day honoring Jefferson and the God he served so faithfully.