This week I wrote the following letter to a dear friend, Christopher Lo, upon receiving news of the death of his mother, Greta Lo.

In asking Chris for permission to publish my letter to him I had in mind the encouragement I received from his mother’s life and ministry when I was a young man setting off on missionary work. I believe that this will be an encouragement to others as well.

Dear Chris,

We remember your mother with much affection and are saddened to hear of  her death.

We have a beautiful treasured remembrance of your mother which we have shared with many people both in Australia and around the world in our ministry.

Your mother had invited us to a meal, lunch early 1979 if I recall correctly, and we shared a warm time of fellowship with you and your mother.

Following the meal your mother recounted the story of working in the rice fields with her mother, your grandmother, in China. As they worked in the rice fields your grandmother sang a special song and her daughter, your mother, sang along with her.

Greta felt led to offer this song from China to encourage us as we left for the mission field in Argentina.

I recall the humble and gracious way in which Greta asked if we would mind if she sang the song in Mandarin, as it was the language in which her mother sang and the language in which Greta herself had heard and learnt the song. Naturally we were excited and agreed.

We have never forgotten the posture of adoration in which your mother stood to sing to her Lord. The sincerity of her worship and the power of the song affected us deeply.

What was the song? Greta explained that it was Psalm 121 and the promise of the Psalm was true. It was true in her mother’s life, in her life and it would be true in our life.

This was an extraordinary occasion of encouragement from a saint to a young family setting off on a venture of faith in the Lord.

The evening prior to our leaving for South America the Lord placed this Psalm on my heart as I prayed into the night.

A week later in Lima, Peru, we were at the home of the leader of the university student work in South America. Following the meal, Samuel’s wife Lily Escobar felt led of the Lord to offer a song of praise. She asked if we minded if she sang it in Spanish as this was the language in which she had learnt the song. We were delighted and agreed.

What was the song? I am sure you have guessed correctly! Yes, Psalm 121, the very song that your mother had offered in Mandarin! The Holy Spirit had inspired your mother to begin a ‘song chain of blessing’ for us. What joy in the family of Christ.

What an amazing God we have! PTL!

I am sure that we are not the only people who give thanks to God for Greta Lo, a woman of deep faith and trust in the Risen Christ.

Please let us know of the date of your mother’s Memorial Service in order that we might pray for all who attend that they might hear of Greta Lo’s Lord, of the Lord of all creation, of the Risen Lord Jesus Christ and turn to and trust in Him.

We pray that they too might sing or say Psalm 121 and say with Greta Lo, ‘My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth’.

Yours sincerely in the grace and love of Christ,

John

For refelction, Death notices – a place of honouring and proclaiming