I think you all know that I have been in Australia again for the last couple of months. I arrived June 21st and was due to go back on Mondays the 21st of August. I will explained why I am am still here as of September, and the plan now, is to leave for Israel on the 16th of October.
It has been great, the amount of work I have been getting and it has all been in the Emergency Dept of a local hospital, night duty and 10 hours shifts. I had not planned to do night duty (I thought those days were well gone for me) but I am grateful for this work. I was spending all the spare hours I could with mum and catching up with friends, but mainly with mum. She had been so much better this visit and I was able to take her for a walk to a local cafe and sit with her and have latte and cake. She was able to come out with us to a restaurant another time, and generally she was getting into activities in the hostel more.
On the Wednesday before I was due to go back to Israel (Mon) she was complaining of pain in her stomach and that night she started being sick. I was not well myself and although I briefly saw her on the Thursday, Friday I made the decision to not go so as not to pass on what I had to her. She was still vomiting apparantly. Saturday I went to her in the afternoon and they were getting a relief doctor to come out and see her again as she was still being sick. That night I was called at 1215 to say they wanted to send her to hospital and by 1230, she had passed away while they were on the phone for the second time to me.
It is funny but I had actually prayed that night that if the Lord was going to take her, then, would He take her before I left, and it was then I got the second call. There had been something different about her that Saturday. It was all totally unexpected and a shock for all of us, but I have really felt the Lords grace and comfort and strength through it all. I have never had to organize anyones funeral before or their affairs, and it has been a steep learning curve. Someone likened it to a wedding with all the arrangements, but needing to be done in a few days, and at a time when it is the last thing you want to be doing. I think they are right, there is the venue (when will it be available ?) who will officiate, who will speak, who will sing, what songs, what will she wear? The flowers, the invitations (letting people that need to, know), the order of service, the financial aspects, the organisations that need to be made aware that she is gone, etc etc etc.
For mum, her pastor spoke, two of my brothers and I spoke, my third brother played the piano. We had the shofar blown at the end to declare Gods victory over death and I and one of her grandsons who had travelled to Israel with mum to visit me, sang in Hebrew, the Shmah which simply declares that the Lord is God, He is one and bless and honor his name and kingdom for ever and ever. Through everything that was said, faithfullness, was the word that came through, concerning mum, but also, and especially, in relation to Gods faithfullness. He had promised me 4 years earlier that He was look after her and He did exactly that, from the place He found her in All Hallows Home, to making it possible for me to be home in December for her 80th and for when she was so sick and then to have me come home again .... just at the right time !!! He is faithfull !!!!
There were so many people that came to me and to others in my family and said that it was the best funeral they had been to because it was uplifting. That is exactly what I wanted for her, and for the Lord. I even had someone tell me that someone had said they had decided to go to church after they heard about the funeral from someone that had been there.
The Lord has been so good to me in so many ways during this time, in providing a quiet haven in my nephew and his wifes place while they are away, financially (in miraculous and humbling ways), work, friends and family, here and also in Israel, UK and the States that have been there for me. Please continue to pray for me. I really appreciate your love and support. Keep in touch and I will write again soon. lots of love - Jenny