A NEW APPLICATION OF TRUTHS FROM PSALM 40!

I'm sure each of us can remember times when a verse or chapter from God's
Word seemed to jump off the page at us, as we see a familiar verse in a
whole new way. Isn't it a marvelous truth that "the Word of God is living
and active..." (Heb.4:12)? This has been my experience with Psalm 40 over
the last few weeks. A few weeks ago I found myself needing an "attitude
adjustment." The "dailiness" of things was really bugging me: a steady
stream of Samburu visitors at the gate needing things (usually when I was
right in the middle of something, of course!), the pressures of
homeschooling and keeping after the boys on different issues, the daily
grind of fixing all the meals from scratch, the needs that always surface
when Eddy is away doing ministry (gas running out on both the freezer and
the stove on the same morning, and then the electricity going out for an
extended period of time...), and the list goes on. As you read between the
lines, you can see my sour, ungodly disposition that needed a rapid change!
In my morning time with the Lord and His Word, I began reading Psalm 40. One
short half verse just jumped out at me: "I delight to do Thy will, O my
God;" (Ps. 40:8a). I had always seen this verse as applying to the "big"
callings, like becoming a pastor's wife, becoming a missionary to Africa,
etc. But, this time, I knew God was reminding me that this verse applies to
ALL aspects of life, including the daily tasks and interruptions, which are
all a part of God's will for me in this day. He was asking me, "Amanda, do
you REALLY DELIGHT (find my joy and satisfaction) in My daily will for you,
no matter what it is; even in the "dailiness" of life???" Ouch! I had to
fall on my face before the Lord, ask His forgiveness, and ask for an
outpouring of His grace to renew my attitude. Since then, I have found
myself repeating "I delight to do Thy will, O my God!" many times each day,
as I felt the old irritation rising. Slowly but surely, I am being
transformed by the renewing of my mind and heart. I thought He was finished
teaching me new things through Psalm 40.
I was wrong! Last week, Michael, the Samburu man who had walked Eddy,
Josiah, and Seth through their first exposure to the Samburu circumcision
ceremony, came to the house. As always, we had our windows open, so I could
hear Michael and Eddy's conversation on the back porch. He was inviting Eddy
and I to participate in the next step of the circumcision ritual, which
involved slaughtering and preparing a goat for the boys who had been
circumcised (the other members of the manyatta would eat parts of the goat,
also). He was telling Eddy how important it was for us to see how they
slaughter the goat, and especially for me to see how the parts of the goat
are prepared for the different age sets of the Samburu. Then I heard him
tell Eddy that the mamas prepare all the parts of the goat (and I mean ALL),
and the mamas get to eat the choice parts like the intestines, liver,
stomach, etc. Well, I'm a "mama", so I knew what that meant for me! I
immediately began crying out to the Lord for strength and grace to be a good
witness for the Lord in the upcoming situation, and that all I would say and
do would be culturally appropriate and bring glory to the Lord. Psalm 40:17
was so appropriate: "Since I am afflicted and needy, Let the Lord be mindful
of me; Thou art my help and my deliverer; Do not delay, O my God." True, my
life wasn't in danger like David's was when these verses were written, but I
was truly being stretched, and was in the midst of a "crisis of belief"!
When the big day arrived, again the Lord encouraged me through His Word.
With His grace, I knew Eddy and I would make it victoriously through the
events of the day.
We arrived at the manyatta, greeted everyone, and were led to a table
and chairs outside, positioned next to a large, bleating male goat tied to a
tree. As the man came to sharpen his knife on a stone, the goat
instinctively knew what was going to happen, and he began to get agitated.
The cat, dogs, and chickens all began to gather round, anticipating a good
meal. "OK, Lord, this is a first for us!", I thought. The prayers flew up in
earnest as the men gave the knife to Eddy and said, "You will cut the goat's
throat." I knew this would be a terribly hard thing for my wonderful,
soft-hearted husband. They positioned the goat on its right side with the
head facing the north (because that's where the goats are believed to have
come from, so his ancestors are that direction, we were told). Then, Eddy
was told to slit the throat. Unfortunately, he had to cut 3 or 4 times
before the goat died. They told Eddy that meant that he will live a long
life since the goat wouldn't die. (I think Eddy would have happily traded a
few years of his life for having to kill that goat, though! :-)) We watched
as one of the men skinned the goat and cut out the entrails. The dogs ate
the blood of the goat and its private parts. The men carefully showed us
which parts would be prepared for which group of people. The liver and
stomach was rushed off to the old mama to be prepared for us as an
"appetizer" for our lunch. We were soon brought a bowl full of these parts.
Of course we ate some. Actually, the flavor was pretty good, because they
used some Arabic spices in the cooking process. But, after a few chews, I
could feel the gag reflex starting, so I was able to discreetly remove the
meat from my mouth and drop it next to my chair where the chickens were
pecking around. While the meat was boiling for the circumcised boys, we got
to watch the men burn the skin off the goat's head and scrape it clean,
removing the horns. Then, the head was opened and the brains removed, in
preparation for boiling it all night long. The next day, the old men would
gather and eat the meat off the skull.
When the boys' meat was ready, we got to go in and sit with them where
they were eating, which was a real surprise for me, because women aren't
usually allowed to talk with the newly circumcised boys. We got to talk
with them and sample their goat meat, which was very plain, as they are not
allowed to eat seasoned food. They wear headdresses with ostrich feathers
in them, and with dead birds hanging from it. This is the period where each
boy is trying to kill as many birds with their bow and arrow as possible.
They keep the dead birds until the next ceremony, when they "throw the
birds" and are officially pronounced morani (warriors). After meeting with
the boys, we ate a very good lunch with Michael that included very tough
goat meat.
After lunch, the mamas summoned me to a mat on the ground, on which they
had placed the intestines of the goat. The main delicacy the mamas get to
eat is the intestines. They were anxious to teach me how to prepare it.
One young mama began massaging the intestines, moving all the waste toward
one end, which she cut open and drained on the ground. Oh, the smell! Oh,
the swarm of the flies around us! It was my turn to try. I was able to do
it, but it takes great strength and coordination, and my hand soon tired.
The mama finished that part, then began to show me how to cut open the next
section of intestines to remove the waste that had been processed more (I
just don't know how to describe all this, except I had quite the biology
lesson on the progression of food through the different intestines!). I
used the knife and removed these pieces for awhile. Oh, the smell! Then,
she washed the intestines in water and hung them up to dry a bit before
beginning the cooking process. The old mama asked what we did in America to
prepare the intestines of our goats when we slaughtered them at home. (Boy,
how do I answer that question tactfully??) One question kept coming to my
mind (although I didn't voice it, of course!): Why would anyone want to eat
something that you have to remove poo from??!! Before the intestines were
ready, we had to leave because Eddy had agreed to take someone home from the
hospital at a certain time. I was grateful! :-) But, we made it through.
The Lord had really helped me to smile and persevere. He was so faithful!
I knew it was His will for us to be there that day, and, as much as was
possible in this culturally new situation, I was able to delight to do His
will. Praise Him for His grace, help, and deliverance! I pray you will find
Him faithful today as you "delight" to do His will!

Seeking the lost until they're found,

Amanda

July 23, 2005               Charles and Sandra Daniels

TURNING POINTS

Sometimes a turning point is a slow, subtle curve in the road that sneaks up
like a serpent in the highway of life. Sometimes it is a sharp, harsh angle,
which cannot be missed. This month has, to me, been a definite turning point
in our ministry among the Samburu.

We have been privy to more deaths than I would like; and we have also
celebrated new births among our family of friends here. The cycle of life is
very close and real in this part of the world. Within the last several
weeks, our yard worker (also a Baptist pastor) has had a new son and buried
his oldest brother. There was another man living nearby who passed away in
the same week. He was the father-in-law of one of our very faithful Baptist
ladies. Charlie was very involved in helping both of these families during
this time. He was also asked to name the new baby. Thinking of it, the lady
who lost her father-in-law had given birth to a daughter just a few months
ago. Both families experiencing life and loss within a short time; both
asking Charlie for baby names and burial assistance. And then, there was the
community who sent over a dozen people to the hospital, sick from eating bad
meat. This only after a small child had died from the same cause.

And too, there are the ceremonies. Charlie has been gone for 2 days to the
circumcision ceremony at Sononi. He has been invited to others and asked to
“catch” (sit with the boy) at another. At Sononi, they have given land and
built a house for us. All of these things are evidence of the great
acceptance Charlie has gained among these very traditional people. It marks
a time of great opportunity to share the gospel with people who have never
heard. It helps us understand the way they think and the traditions and
culture, which are a part of their everyday life. It is the teacher’s job to
understand the student, not the other way around; only in this way can he be
the most effective. And it is also in this way that we can communicate that
we really do care. We do have something very important to share. The reason
we are so passionate to share this news of God is because the love of God
has been placed in our hearts by Him…and this love is for the Samburu
people. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”
John 3:16 NAS

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June 30, 2005               Eddy Simmons

“Just another day at Kemsee”

Arrived a little late,

children greet us at the car,

I struggle to hear their words and to answer in their tongue,

they make signs on the car in the dust,

a glance of a child to see herself in the mirror, a laugh,

waiting under a tired and thorny tree,

red dots in the distance, people coming,

ten or twelve mamas, bunches of kids,

two old men join our group,

cloudy skies, no rain

shades of green, but mostly brown,

sheep, goats, cattle everywhere,

storying begins,

babies crying, mamas nursing,

singing to Nkai,

“Who will lead this week’s songs?”, mamas giggle,

“ache(a-sh-ay) ache ache Nkai Baba”,

chorus ends, mamas sit, some in shade, some in sun,

men on my left, mamas on the right,

I find a rock and have a seat,

my turn, so soon, I practice my Samburu,

mamas and mzees (old men) clap,

seated again,

Joshua and the battle of Jericho,

3 weeks since we were here, review begins,

one mama tells the story well, others whisper helps to her,

dogs whirling in battle nearby, sheep baahhing,

Jackson sings the story,

mamas clap,

little children playing in the dirt,

snotty noses,

one boy plays with round rocks, imagines they are his cows,

a baby cries,

repeat, repeat, one mama gets it quickly,

“Come again, sing it again”, the mamas plead,

sunny, hot, windy,

Just another day at Kemse

- poetic sketch of a day in ministry by Eddy Simmons.

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July 11, 2003               L'chenei

God changes lives with His Word and the Samburu are testifying to this fact.  Working chronologically through the stories of the Bible, today I told the story of Moses at L'chenei. After the story, an old man began to tell what has happened to him.  

I don't even know how to read these words you have said today, but now I have heard them and I feel different. What is making me feel this way?  Since you have come, you have brought us this message that we do not know.  Many of the wazee (elders) in the area are confused. They have gone today to get food from the other church.  That is why they are not here today.  But you have brought us a different kind of food, the food from God.  The food that you have given is more important than the food that the other church is giving.  Your food changes the way I feel inside. I have heard this word and I have a feeling inside, a feeling I cannot describe. I feel different.  What is this feeling?  Since the last seminar, my eyes have been opened and I see things I have never seen before and my family seems different to me.  They say that I am different.  What is this?  How is it that by hearing this word it makes me feel this way?"  

I tell him that it is Roho Mtakatifu (Holy Spirit) and that the words that he was speaking today, came from God.  That the Holy Spirit of God has come into his heart to do work there, to change him.  That the Bible tells us that Jesus waits outside the door of your heart and asks hodi, hodi (may I come in)?  But you must tell Yesu, karibu (you are welcome to enter) and that when you do he comes inside.  He will never come in uninvited.

In the meantime the disciples were begging Jesus, 'Teacher, have something to eat!'"  But he answered, I have food to eat that you know nothing about.

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May 17, 2003

Today, Charlie  met an old man who wanted to know why Charlie had come to his village. He said Charlie should be bringing tobacco for the old men and sugar for the women. Our friend, Eunice told how Charlie brings vitamins for the children and has bought water for their tank, etc. The man asked again why he came there. Charlie told him that he came to bring the news of God, the good news. This man said he prays to God every day, all day, pouring out milk as an offering every morning. What was this news Charlie could have? Charlie began to tell him how God created man in the beginning and how they were friends, walking together.  Then man sinned and was separated from God. The man agreed this was true. He asked if the man knew of the Bible. The man said yes, it is the word of God and that he believes it. Had he heard of God's son, Jesus? Yes. Did he know that God does not want sacrifices of animals, milk or water any longer, but that He sent His son, Jesus, to be the sacrifice for all men? No. The man had never heard that. The man said he prayed every day and asks Him to forgive his sins. Did the man know that God had made a way for his sins to be forgiven?  "No, you must tell me this news. I have never heard it." Charlie shared that Jesus had paid the payment for sin with His death; that he had come to earth and His people had killed Him, but that sacrifice was to be the payment for sin to all who would accept it. And to those, God would restore relationship with Him, once more. The man said He wanted this, but Charlie must pray and ask God to help him understand. He said Charlie must keep coming and telling this story and others from the Bible. He said he has heard many stories, but he can't read the Bible, even though he believes it is the word of God and is true. He says he will hear it and put it in his mind so he can remember it. As they prayed together, Charlie asked God to help this man understand the words he had heard.

You see why every day is important. God had put the desire in this man's heart to hear and understand. Even though some of what he was told goes against what he has been taught all his life, God has pricked his heart to learn what the Bible says and he asks God to help him understand. Another old man Charlie met yesterday said he has been going to the Catholic church here since the 70's, but has never heard these things that Charlie was telling from the Bible. He also was so eager to hear what it says. Not what a man says is true, but what does the Bible say?  This book we cannot read, will someone please tell us what it says? We have never seen such a hunger from people just to hear the Word of God. It is the only thing we teach, day after day, week after week. It is enough.

Please pray we will be able to continue to reach those whom God is seeking and who are seeking Him.

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HUNDREDS HEAR AND ACCEPT THE GOSPEL

May 10, 2003

We can do nothing but be amazed at what God has done this week among the Samburu wazee. Blaine and Deloris Anderson, along with 2 Maasai pastors who are elder men themselves, came specifically to preach the gospel to our old Samburu men this past week. We had been told to expect a big crowd at one of the locations. This meeting was for old men only and we provided the goats, rice and potatoes for them. By the time our men arrived on Tuesday, word had gotten out that Maasai men had come to bring important news. Over 400 men were in attendance.  Some had walked as far as 25 kilometers to hear this news. They gathered in groups on a hillside to listen. As the Maasai began to preach, God began to work in a way we had not expected. 

What we did not know, was that generations ago, a curse was placed on the Samburu by the Maasai. Apparently, there had been talk that the Maasai had come to lift this curse. The story is that a man had 2 wives. One named Maasai and the other, Nasamburu. Maasai had many children, while Nasamaburu only had a few. Because of her jealousy, Nasamburu began to kill the children of Maasai. The men met to decide what to do. They decided to build a large boma with one gate on the east and one on the west. Eventually, they chased these descendants of Nasamburu out to the west and put a curse on them, which the Samburu people believe has followed them to this day. This story is widely known among Samburu and Maasai, but none of us missionaries had ever heard it before. God used these Maasai pastors to relate to the Samburu in a way we never could. When the Maasai pastors heard that some thought they had come to remove the curse, they tied this story to the gospel. They told how there was a curse placed on men by God, because of their sin. They told how God sent His own Son to remove this curse and that today they could have freedom from the curse of God. They told them that God says you must believe in your heart, not just with your head. Over 350 men prayed to God to save them. Our men say the sound of all these hundreds praying at once was awesome.  Over the next 2 days, at other locations, there were approximately 90 in attendance and about 80 who prayed to receive forgiveness of sin through faith in Christ.  PRAISE THE LORD! HE HAS DONE A GREAT THING!

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UNINVITED GUEST AT BAPTISM

January 27, 2003

Last Sunday, we had scheduled a baptism for new believers from Soitpus and Ltungai. We were meeting them at the Baptist church in town and then driving to the reservoir. Not many were able to come. Most have moved temporarily because of drought. Instead of the 20 or so we expected, there were only about 5. No matter, we proceeded on. After getting permission (again) from the guard at the office, we were stopped by a man in flip flops, red jogging pants and a sweater. Okay, it was a military sweater, but the rest of his "uniform" gave no appearance of authority. After we explained our business, he allowed us to continue. We went to the specific location as instructed, where we were told "no one would bother us." As usual, there were several people at the reservoir, watering their cattle, sheep and goats. As the cows bathed in our "baptistry" (which is also the water supply for our homes), and the sheep bleated loudly nearby, we noticed a long, thin, green snake had also decided to swim here. We were assured this one "does not have disease", but still decided a good snake is a dead snake. Sam and Charlie joined with the other boys in a game of Stone the Snake. This went on for about 15 minutes. Charlie never hit the snake, but one Samburu boy was quite a good shot. In the end, Sam says he killed it by skipping a sharp stone which landed on its neck. I'm not sure it was completely dead, but it was at least stunned into a state of unconsciousness long enough to baptize 5 new believers.

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CEREMONY AT LOROOK

December 31, 2002

We brought rice, potatoes, tea and sugar and they killed a cow.  We arrived early in the day for this ceremony for a new baby, by which time the slaughtered cow was already laid out on a bed of leaves in the middle of the manyatta. It had already been skinned, but was still intact. Charlie was asked to take a woman who had been bitten by a snake to the hospital, so he left almost as soon as we arrived. Her ankle was swollen and she was in a lot of pain. Had we not been coming that day, they would have had to take her by donkey the 2-3 hour walk into town.  It turned out, actually, that it was not a snake bite at all, but probably a bad infection on her leg from complications of a bad sprain.  James went with Charlie, while the rest of us remained with Eunice as our interpretor.  After chai, Sam and Travis busied themselves playing while Eunice and I settled into peeling all those potatoes.  It was during this time someone approached and said something to which Eunice translated, she says the mama wants you to give the baby his name.  At first, I thought they were kidding. I couldn't imagine letting some stranger name MY baby, but after about the 3rd request I realized they were serious.  My first choice was John, for the disciple that Jesus loved. That was rejected, however, because he has an uncle named John. After a little more thought, I settled on Daudi (David).  I explained that David was a man after God's own heart and also that he was very brave. 

Later, the women gathered in their circle to sing and dance. As my Samburu friend took my hand (the one who made the mama morani necklace for me) I knew she would want me to join in. Understand, that this dance is where they challenge each other with kicking. She took her beads off and put them on me. I told Eunice I wasn't going to fight with them and she said the mamas promised they wouldn't kill me.  She took me by the hand and went as my partner into the circle. I have seen them be very serious about this challenge dance, but this turned out very jovial and we all had a lot of fun. 

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FREEDOM FOR THE CAPTIVE

December 6, 2002

We had a wonderful time worshipping at Soitpus this Sunday.  Afterward, we were invited to visit a manyatta (group of homes).  I had met a blind woman on the road who was on the way to a ceremony. She didn't know there was a church meeting in this place, so I invited her to stay. She told us how things used to be different. Years ago, people would begin the day with prayer, thanking God for blessings and taking time to worship Him before beginning the work of the day. Then, before going to bed, they did the same thing.  It's important to take time FIRST to worship God and pray to Him, she said.  So we will pray and praise God here and THEN we will go to the ceremony.  It was this woman who wanted us to go visit the manyatta. There is a sick woman there and she wanted us to go and pray with her. The leader of this church, Jackson, had been to visit the sick woman previously, but he didn't know this blind woman was living there. After we arrived at the manyatta, we explained why we were there. Charlie told them that we wanted to pray for her and ask God for healing. After we prayed, he asked them how much they knew about God and had they ever heard of Jesus. She said she knew about Jesus, but she was the only one who said so. She did not know about a personal relationship with Him, it was obvious. There was a man who wanted to hear, so Charlie told them all. The man said he wanted to receive this salvation that Jesus brings. Charlie prayed with him and afterwards the man shared about his hopelessness. He drinks and he says because of this, he is losing everything; his family, his animals. He has nothing left. He wants Jesus to help him. Charlie was able to share with the man about his own story of drinking and loss; how God helped him to quit and how he blessed our entire family as a result.

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DIARY OF A WEDDING

posted November 28

Yesterday was a long day. After church, we went to a boma where we had been invited to come preach by an old man. There was going to be a wedding and he wanted them to hear the gospel message that he had just heard days before. We arrived about 12 and didn't get leave until about 5. Most of the time we spent waiting for our opportunity to speak. But we did learn about some customs regarding the marriage ceremony and got to see some new things. One tradition we learned about, is that very early on the day of the wedding, the groom kills a bull. It means the marriage is final. In the afternoon, I was invited to go into the house where the bride was. I could hardly breathe or see. The smoke from the fire burning made my eyes water so badly and as soon as I walked in the doorway, I could feel the heat from it. I don't know why the fire was so much hotter than usual. At the entrance of the doorway, sure enough, was the head of the bull. Apparently he brings it to her to show that it's been done. They called this the bull show. The bride was young and I wouldn't say she looked happy. The parents were happy, though and the groom seemed ambivalent. He wore long leather laces tied around each calf, just under the knee. They were made from lion. You could see the fur on them still. These prove he is brave and will be a good protector. Also, today, he is not allowed to carry a spear, sword or any other weapon and he will not wear shoes all day. At one point during the festivities, all the women gathered and sang and danced. They made a circle and the older women challenged the younger women to "fight".  A couple of older women would get in the middle of the circle and shout insults at the younger women and challenge someone to come join in; then they would kick at each other's legs. They were very serious one minute and the next minute they were laughing. The younger women did not participate much; they were afraid. This "fighting" is a challenge to prove who is stronger, the young women or the older women. The older women definitely won.

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ANOTHER SUNDAY MORNING

November 14, 2002

It's Sunday morning. Is there a difference in this day? Not much. You must still set out at 6 am to walk for 2 hours to fetch water. When you arrive, you must wait your turn. Young men have dug this hole and they are more interested in getting water for their animals before they will allow you to fill your jugs with water for your family and children. So you wait. After filling your jugs, you walk  2 hours back to the manyatta or village homes. It is now about 11:00.  When you return, you see this day is different. The missionaries and a Samburu Baptist leader have arrived to hold church services.  They wait, as well. They wait to begin the service until most have returned from getting the days water. Today will be different because there will be another story from GodÕs word. This day it will be about faithful Noah, who obeyed God and built a boat for his family and animals of every kind. When God sent rain that covered the earth, they alone were saved. All other life on earth perished. Imagine, rain for 40 days and 40 nights. So much that the entire earth was covered for 150 days; over 7 meters of water covering the highest mountain peak. Today, we prayed for God to send rain to this place, high in the mountains of Kenya, so Samburu people and their animals will have the water they need.

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THE BLIND SEE

November 3, 2002

At the close of today's storying session at LTungai, as usual, I asked if there were any questions. I had told the story of Noah and the flood. This was the third session at this location. Previously I had told the story of creation  and the fall of man and also of Cain and Abel. One mzee (a respected elder) said that he did not have a question. Instead, he wanted to say how important it is for us to keep coming and telling the stories. "Our eyes are open a little now. Before, they were closed, but now they are becoming a little open, so you must keep coming." This is a direct answer to our prayer that God would give spiritual understanding as we share His word. One woman, however, did have a question. "I am saved now and I am ready to be baptized. When can I be baptized? I am ready today...now." Unfortunately, the nearest water was a 2 hour walk away. We have scheduled baptism there for later this month. Continue to pray for rain.

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HE HAD A DREAM

September 14, 2002

Today, Samburu pastors were meeting at the town church in Maralal. As they met, a man walked into the church. He had met a couple of the pastors as he walked down the road in front of the church. He told this story. He said he had a dream last night in which God told him that he had been rejecting him. He says God told him he would go to town today, to a church where there would be a group of pastors and he would be saved. As he told his story, he was full of emotion. He proceeded to remove his shoes and socks and knelt down with his arms outstretched. He made his profession of faith to the group of pastors, church leaders and missionaries. 

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HERE IS WATER, CAN I BE BAPTIZED?

September 7, 2002

Yesterday, I went to pick up one of the Samburu church workers to begin our day. There was an old man with him. He said he wanted to be baptized today. When we asked why, he said, I have decided to follow Jesus and I want to be baptized to make a statement to my family.  He wanted to be an example. ÒMy wife is not saved, he said, and I want to show her what I have decided.  We were actually on our way to make arrangements for a water hole to be dug in order for us to hold a baptism service in another area. (the forest) There are about 50 people there who want to be baptized. We had been the day before to see if there was enough water and there was not. So we had decided to have them dig a hole and we would bring the water in barrels on Sunday to fill the hole. As the old man continued to plead with us for baptism, the Samburu worker said he knew of a place on the way where there was water. Now, the question before us seemed to be, Look, there is water. What prevents this man from being baptized? Sound familiar? He had made a decision to follow Jesus, repented and now wanted to be baptized. We took him with us, and that afternoon, he was baptized on the side of the road, symbolizing his new life in Christ. And as a witness to all his family. 

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