project thessalonica: the day lowell went home
For those of you who don't know, I'm in Thessaloniki, Greece on a
missions trip with Tim and Karen, Dan and Brandi Jones, and Rachel.
We'll be here for two weeks helping out missionary Brent Logan and his
family with... whatever they need help doing! I'm supposed to be posting
these updates on the official website, Project Thessalonica,
but sometimes there's a delay between my posting and the website's
administrator getting the posts up. Aaaand... I know we have peeps at
home waiting to hear from us so I'm posting here as well. No delays.
These posts are a journal. You'll be getting as much detail as I can
remember. Also, we have a friend back home, Bro. Lowell, who really,
really wanted to be able to come on this trip, and has been praying for
this project ever since it started. But he's really sick with cancer and
wasn't able to make it. So these posts are mostly for you, Bro. Lowell!
I hope you enjoy reading all about Greece!
Bro. Lowell died today.
We got an email: "Lowell is shouting as he's passing thru the air "Farewell, farewell, sweet hour of prayer."
He really wanted to come to Thessaloniki. Sometimes I felt a little bad about coming here when I knew how much he wanted to come himself.
This project, missions, was his heart. He prayed for the Logans and Angelo and the work here more than anyone I know. It's people like Bro. Lowell that keep projects like this one going.
But we came and he stayed home. And it's been like, what we've seen, we've seen for him, and the people we've talked to are the people he would've talked to if he could've. He would've loved Philippi!
And when we took pictures it was like, Take a picture for Lowell! And when we saw stuff it was like, Oh, Lowell would love that. And now we have a whole week left and he's not here.
We're bereft.
But here's the good thing, the wonderful thing: Yesterday, Lowell struggled to breathe, and his suit coat hung really loose on his shoulders, and he could hardly see, and couldn't speak. But RIGHT NOW... right now he sees just fine and his clothes fit and he just stuck his hand in God's and I pretty much wish I was there too.
At first I thought, Well, betcha Lowell's up there telling God about Project Thessalonica. But no, I don't think he is. Because if I was where he's at, and my hand was in my Savior's, I wouldn't be thinking about anything but Him. And what a day that will be when we see Christ. Today Lowell got to actually look right into the eyes of Christ. Can you just imagine the love there?
So friends, we're going to have to pick up when Lowell left off. And we're going to need to pray harder and more often for missions. Because we should and because Lowell isn't here to do it for us anymore.
And Thompson family, Toni, we love you. We're praying for you all. And we wish we were there with you.
Love,
All Us
Bro. Lowell died today.
We got an email: "Lowell is shouting as he's passing thru the air "Farewell, farewell, sweet hour of prayer."
Bro. Lowell with his family
He really wanted to come to Thessaloniki. Sometimes I felt a little bad about coming here when I knew how much he wanted to come himself.
This project, missions, was his heart. He prayed for the Logans and Angelo and the work here more than anyone I know. It's people like Bro. Lowell that keep projects like this one going.
But we came and he stayed home. And it's been like, what we've seen, we've seen for him, and the people we've talked to are the people he would've talked to if he could've. He would've loved Philippi!
And when we took pictures it was like, Take a picture for Lowell! And when we saw stuff it was like, Oh, Lowell would love that. And now we have a whole week left and he's not here.
We're bereft.
But here's the good thing, the wonderful thing: Yesterday, Lowell struggled to breathe, and his suit coat hung really loose on his shoulders, and he could hardly see, and couldn't speak. But RIGHT NOW... right now he sees just fine and his clothes fit and he just stuck his hand in God's and I pretty much wish I was there too.
At first I thought, Well, betcha Lowell's up there telling God about Project Thessalonica. But no, I don't think he is. Because if I was where he's at, and my hand was in my Savior's, I wouldn't be thinking about anything but Him. And what a day that will be when we see Christ. Today Lowell got to actually look right into the eyes of Christ. Can you just imagine the love there?
So friends, we're going to have to pick up when Lowell left off. And we're going to need to pray harder and more often for missions. Because we should and because Lowell isn't here to do it for us anymore.
And Thompson family, Toni, we love you. We're praying for you all. And we wish we were there with you.
Love,
All Us
Thank-you Sunny!! Thank-you Thessalonica crew!!
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