Missionary Field Journal: Lynette's Hope

(Grave of Lynette Hoppe surrounded by rose bushes)

June 2, 2014

I got to visit Lynette today. What a beautiful experience. Someone who I had a relationship with through a book. Now she's here. I am with her husband and we are all together in fellowship honoring her memory. It fascinates me how you can read a book about someones life and accomplishments and in a sense, form a relationship with them even though you never met them. Its what happens when I read about the saints. There essence and personality is in their writing. It's kind of how I feel with Lynette. Never met her and I could never meet her but yet I feel as if I have through the journals and things that she left behind in her book.

(Back of Lynette's gravestone
Resurrection mosaic)

(Front of Lynette's gravestone
Saint Katherine mosaic)

The tombstone had a beautiful mosaic of the resurrection one side and on the other side on top of her name mosaic of St. Katherine. We had a little memorial service right there at her grave site. Her grave was at the end of the cemetery next to a valley of long grass and flowers overlooking whole bunch of farms in the city of Shen Vlash. It is quite incredible to think how such a beautiful young person could have such a huge impact on the country.

When most people think of death "the end" is what comes to mind. Throughout history you always see people not wanting to die wanting to find that the immortality people were so craving. Through the desire of not coming to death, not coming to the end, people created fictional stories and myths like the Fountain of Youth. But here just like Christ, victory through death in glorious resurrection Lynette laid her hopes. She was able to bring that strength and mentality of victory over death to the Albanian people to peace with the reality of her death.

Standing at her grave I realized that it doesn't matter what you do, what you wear and where you buy your clothes. What matters is how you choose to live. How you decide to live your life through Christ and how you plan to accept everything He decides for you. Even death. How you practice what you preach is what is important.

Lynette didn't have to preach anything because she was living the example. She was living the example of a life dedicated to Christ's will even unto her death which wasn't actually death but rather beginning to eternal life. You have to begin with the end. You must die first so that Christ can live through you. Only then can you have life and live.

I strive to do that and I thank her in my prayers for the example. I thank Christ for showing me such an example of someone who is not a canonized saint but is seen as a saint in the eyes of those who knew and love her. Thank you Lynette for being the prime example of God's will and living a life of Christ. Thank you also for you beautiful husband Nathan Hoppe who's able to teach me so much of what it truly means to be a missionary. One day I hope I can see you and embrace you in eternal life. Thank you. Memory eternal.