Tribute...

My blog would be incomplete without the mention of something else that happened near the end of March. As many of you know, my grandpa passed away. When this happened, I was at camp and completely out of reach by phone or by internet. For three days, my family tried to get a hold of me and couldn't. We were finally able to get in touch at 1:30 a.m. on Saturday morning. I flew out of Oaxaca by 8:00 a.m. that morning. My parents told me many people were praying that they would be able to contact me and that, if at all possible, I would be able to make it home. Thank you to those of you who prayed me home. Really. I wouldn't have made it without you.
My Grandpa has been an integral part of my life for as long as I can remember. Ever since Chris and I were little, we spent a lot of time visiting Grandpa and Grandma. Because of my Grandpa's love of photography,

each visit is documented with various pictures. These pictures tell the story of a loving, supportive, and just plain fun family. When I think back on my life (which I can do now that I'm a quarter of a century old), to band concerts, choir concerts, church musicals, swim meets, graduation, at every one of those events, my Grandpa and Grandma were there. Grandpa was always there with his camera, beaming with pride. I am so blessed to have grandparents who have played such an active role in my life. From them, I have learned so much. A few words that come to my mind when I think of Grandpa are: integrity, patience, and faith. He was all of those things and more, not just to me, but to everyone else in his family, to his friends, to his church, and to his community. Both his visitation and his funeral were a testament to the impact he had on numerous people.

When Grandpa passed away, he went peacefully as if he were sleeping. He had been reading his Bible and praying and God called him home. I know without a doubt that the words my Grandpa heard were, "Well done good and faithful servant." His absence leaves a hole in our family. It won't be the same without his funny stories at the table, his traditional picture of all of the food (and of his grand kids), his genuine prayer before every meal. Even though we all miss him and will continue to miss him, his legacy lives on in us - in the way we love and support one another, in the way we live our lives everyday, and in the way we share our faith with others.