Bitter Sweet

Here I go...

My plan was to leave the US on Wednesday and arrive Thursdaymorning. But I descided to leave three days earlier because of the following;

Last week, I woke up praying, and thought... let's check my email. I usually don't care to much about my email when I'm on vacation... but this was important.

The picture you see here, is not a holiday picture, It is the picture of my pastor and my best friends father, Bert de Vries.

He died last week.

And I changed my plain ticket to make it to his funeral, that was yesterday. This sad truth slowly starts to sink in, because it wasn't really real to me until yesterday.
I can say honestly, that I'll miss him. He was a man of God, I know he prayed a lot for everyone in our church, fo which I'm very thankful. To me he was so much more than just the one who preached on Sunday's, but he seemed to have faith for all of us by which he was able to encourage us. He was the one who prayed with me when I wanted to live my life for Jesus. and really just like a father-figure to all of us.

Though this is very sad (and that's an understatement), I'm glad for him, that he is home now, exactly where he wants to be: with Jesus. And our church will carry on. Jesus IS the Life and the Resurrection, and He died on the cross so that we Are healed by His stripes. We will live and declare the mighty deeds of the Lord.

Again this awakens me about the reality of death. And that I'm glad to know the Lord, because I know for sure that I'll see Bert when I leave this earthly life, by staying close to Jesus. And everyone reading this who is not sure about an eternal life in heaven, should consider that living with/for Jesus is the only way to get there.

I could spent hours to tell you how amazing my holiday was. (which it has been)... but that is of later concern.