The funeral for Wilma was a wonderful tribute to her life. Several of her former missionary colleagues from Indonesia were able to be present and to share some reflections on her time of ministry there. In addition, Paul Budd and Darlene Gutshall who both served with her in the Chaplaincy Department at John Knox Village were able to share insights and anecdotes from the 23 years or so that Wilma ministered to the residents at the Village after her official retirement from the Foreign Mission Board. Our worship minister, Randy Buffington, sang two hymns that Wilma had requested to be sung at her funeral--"The Longer I Serve Him the Sweeter He Grows" and "Where He Leads Me I Will Follow." I can't think of a more fitting pair of songs to describe her life's commitment to serve the Lord faithfully for so many years.
I shared some of the insights that I had gained into Wilma's life both from visiting with her over the past 10 years and also from information that her niece shared with me on Saturday. For the message itself, I felt led to base that on 2 Tim. 4:6-8 with Paul's personal testimony of having fought the good fight, having finished the course, and having kept the faith. Wilma certainly accomplished each of those as well in her long life of service as an international missionary and later as a chaplain.
Wilma's funeral marks the second one that I've officiated for a 101-year old friend in the past 2 months. They will both be missed.
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