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Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Thank you for your sympathy and prayers for me and for my family during our time of loss. We are deeply touched by your words of condolences and encouraging scriptures as we try to come to terms with our mom’s passing.

My mother, Lilly Papabathini passed away on January 18th, 2017 at 2PM.  She was 78 years old.  My family decided to lay her to rest the same day at 7PM.  With just hours notice of her passing, over thousand people attended the funeral to pay tribute. People from different walks of life; Commoners to politicians, educators and pastors alike shared their testimonies.  Many of them I never met before.  They shared memories of my mother’s prayers and many sacrifices for them that I never knew nor heard from my parents. Everything they did, they did it for the Lord.

My parents’ journey to serve Christ began in the 60’s after my father’s conversion from an atheist to a Christian through the unceasing prayers of my mother.  All the people that shared had exclusively expressed one thing in similar: My mom (and my dad who passed away 6 years ago) dedicated their lives to serve Christ and shared the Gospel of Jesus to people from all walks of life.   They boldly proclaimed the Gospel primarily in communities that severely persecuted Christians and even killed people for sharing Christ.  I have always known this to be a fact about them.  However, I did not really comprehend how many people’s lives were touched by their life’s work for Christ until I heard the testimonies at my mother’s memorial service.  Millions heard the gospel and thousands of house churches came to Christ through their life’s mission work.   Interestingly, they did this without the use of the internet!

A bishop who spoke during the ceremony looked at me and my 9 siblings and said, “Now it’s your responsibility to carry on their legacy and good work on this Earth to today’s generation.”  Even though I am deeply saddened by my mother’s passing, I am grateful to God for my parent’s rich inheritance to me and my siblings.  Such inheritance not made of gold or money, but the life-giving testament and the gospel of Jesus Christ my Savior.  

I hope and pray to heed to the words of the bishop and continue to walk in my mother’s footsteps, follow the example of her Faith, and live a life totally for Christ.

Once again, thank you for your continued prayers and love for me and my family.  May God bless you.

In Christ,

Edward & Irma