Hope for Japan

Last week I was able to talk with my grandma. I wanted to thank her for supporting us as missionaries, even though she is on a fixed income and is sacrificing a lot for us. She told me that my grandpa who has passed away would want her to help us. She said, “Grandpa Eddie loved missionaries.”

I found out that years ago they would save up money for a new refrigerator, but would then give that savings to missionaries that came to visit our church. It was little things like this that nobody saw that typified my grandparents and their faith and generosity. Hearing stories like this reminded me of the legacy that I come from. Their generosity and faith was passed down to my father, which has also impacted me. My hope is to grow to be more faithful and generous like them.

Looking at my great-grandma, grandparents, and parents faith, I thought about the passage in 2 Timothy where Paul encouraged Timothy in the faith he learned from his mother and grandma, Eunice and Lois. I feel privileged to have had the honor of growing up with such a family that passed down the faith to me. While I am the first missionary in our family, I have been impacted by the legacy of my family who have followed Christ over many decades.