We arrived back home to Costa Rica safely and I wanted to express how deeply grateful we are as a family to have received such kindness from you all this past week as we said good-bye to my Dad. Thank you for your prayers of comfort and support, for the many notes and kind words, for the tangible acts of support that ranged from making phone calls, to rearranging work schedules, to providing transportation, and for physical presence.

We felt blessed to walk alongside of family and to receive the outpouring of God's grace through you all. The Schellinger-Gutierrez family, fellow IM missionaries to Tijuana, were able to drive up to San Bernardino, CA to be with us the day of my Dad's memorial service, a real gift to my weary soul. Judson Baptist Church enveloped us and took care of many logistical details which spoke loudly of God's care for my whole extended family.

We enjoyed a beautiful service to honor my Dad's life with every grandchild participating in one way or another. Jamie sang Amazing Grace and Micah read scripture. Gary spoke in a way that gave voice to the many feelings and dynamics that surround our loss and it was a life-honoring and life-giving gift to me to have him present and participating in the day.

Here is a link to the eulogy that I wrote and shared with the family and friends gathered so that you too may know a bit of the story behind the man whose life we celebrated in this last week. www.internationalministries.org/pdf/eulogy033.pdf Thank you for the way you have shared in our pain as a family as well our deep gratefulness as a community that believes in a God who transforms brokenness into beauty.

Blessings,
Mylinda