Mission 139

Mission 138 | View All Mission Reports | Mission 140

Departure:
Dayton, Ohio

Arrival:
Allentown, Pennsylvania

Date:
Tuesday July 26, 2011

Mission Report

In 1995, Marion S, fell in love again after being widowed in early 1990’s. She met Ralph, who had also lost his spouse, at a senior community in Florida. They had so much in common and both were from Midwest. They traveled to Europe and shared most of their time together. It was a true love story to find a soul mate late in life.

Sadly, she became increasingly confused and immobile after suffering multiple strokes and he finally could no longer care for her and she was admitted to a nursing home near his home in Ohio in 2006. He visited her every single day for the past 5 years to make sure she would be taken care of and eat. She normally does not speak anymore and he was surprised when she said “yes” to going to the chapel recently.

Ralph’s health is failing and Marion’s daughters felt that the burden of visiting her daily needed to be eased for him and Grace on Wings was called out to get her from Dayton, Ohio to Allentown, Pennsylvania near one of her daughter’s.

When we arrived, Ralph introduced himself as Marion’s “long time companion”. She just turned 90 years old. He seemed disheartened to see his sweetheart and what was left of her contracted body leave him. We transferred her onto our cot system and began some IV fluids. At the plane we prayed over her and he kissed her smiling and said “Marion, they gave me a cap!”

Sporting his new Grace on Wings cap, he asked if he could take one last picture of her and I smiled for the camera with her. She didn’t speak or move during the flight but her eyes focused on me the entire trip! Her daughter said she must have thought I was a granddaughter that looked like me. I kept reassuring her and only signal she gave was an occasional downward eyebrow when she was “scared or uncomfortable”.

Upon arrival to the new nursing home her daughter met us and said “hey Mom” and kissed her and we witnessed a most amazing moment–Marion kissed her back! Her daughter Jenna had tears in her eyes and right away asked me, “how’s Ralph taking this?”.

It was sad to see this love story coming to an end, but how wonderful it will be to get our “new bodies” in heaven-I can picture Marion laughing and dancing with Ralph now. We pray now for Marion’s comfort in her new place and that Ralph will be healthy enough to visit.

Thanks to great care by Rusty, Hal and nurse Jo Lynne for a wonderful mission for a “child” of God!

Tam

 

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