Two Beautiful Ladies

In the past 2 weeks I've attended services for two beautiful Ladies - Josie Babcock and Kay Velker.

Josie the wife of Bryce and the mother of Matt and Mike - grandmother of  3 year old , one of the absolute joys of her life.
Mike and his wife are missionaries in Romania.

Matt and Sharon live in the Seattle area where Matt is now an artist working with iron - gave up that architeck stuff.
 At the funeral service Mike, Matt and Sharon wonderfully spoke about Josie.  Sharon, the daughter-in-law, opened the door into Josie's heart. Sharon found freedom in being with and around Josie. The freedom to really call her Mom - not out of duty, but for the joy of Mom!

Mike hugged his dad all through the service - only later did I realize the hugs were as much for his own sake as for his dad. The lose of Mom hits everyone so differently!

During the reception I saw a young lady standing off to the side so Wilma and I with Patty G. engaged her in conversation. This conversation also gave us a glimpse of Josie's heart.   Having been diagnosed with cancer the young woman (I'll call her Ruth) contacted Josie and they developed a friendship out of their mutual struggle with cancer - they never had the chance to meet. This professor at the University of Michigan, born in Germany, lives just around the corner from Westminster Presbyterian Church so she came to the service in order to honor her friend whom she only knew via telephone or email..

Josie touched many lives at Westminster, and at the University Reformed Church, where we met Josie and Bryce probably 40 years ago. At the URC they influenced our kids and those of many other families.


Kay Velker - her memorial service was yesterday st the Church of The Living God in Traverse City, Michigan.

Kay was the daughter of Henry Velker a member of the Thursday morning group in Ann Arbor for at least 40 years starting in the early 1960s. On occasion Henry would bring Kay to sit in on.group, and then Henry brought his son Lou to the group and now Lou is the most faithful of all of us. Last Thursday Lou shared about Kay's death.

Henry and Anne - Glen, Kay, Marie and Lou - the Velker family an Ann Arbor legacy which is still growing. Let me share a little of what Kay's sister Marie ( Ree) wrote, "How do I begin to share a 68 year relaltionship with my sister, Kay? AMAZING! she was on the pedestal from the get go. We always called ourselves 'the meat', our two brothers were just the bread on the outside! We shared a bedroom when growing up and never argued, which was unusual in most normal families.  When she was in college, I loved talking with her boyfriends on the phone (I was in H.S.).

"Our relationship got even better when she sent me the book The Cross and The Switchblade by David Wilkerson and shared her experience accepting Christ as her Savior.  She wanted me to be a 'sister' in all ways and to do the same.  If it was good enough for Kay, it was good enough for me! She loved me into eternity."

Hearing about and watching Kay over the year reminded me of another lady who never married, in the conventional sense, Mother Teresa.  Both of these ladies were "married" to Jesus Christ and lived their devotion to him by serving others.  Mother Teresa started in Calcutta and went around the world. Kay started in Cincinnati and served for the rest of life in Traverse City with trips to serve at several places around the world including two tours on Mercy Ships as a volunteer.

In a book titled -Mother Teresa - Her people and Her Work -  Desmond Doig quoted Mother Teresa, "The vows we take make our religious life.  Our vow of Chastity is nothing but our undivided love for Christ in chastity, then we proceed to the freedom of poverty - poverty is nothing but freedom.  And that total surrender is obedience. If I belong to God, if I belong to Christ, then He must be able to use me. That is obedience.  Then we give whole-hearted service to the poor.  The is service. They complete each other. That is our life."

Two Beautiful Ladies both of whom, in their own unique ways, lived and walked as did Mother Teresa. 

Mercy Ships
P.O. Box1930
Garden Valley, TX. 75771
This was Kay's request for any memorial contributions