• When given a list of suggestions for words to go on gravestones, ‘Safely Home’ was my immediate selection. I had never heard or seen the caption, but felt it was most appropriate. Later I found the poem which reaffirmed my choice.
It has been exactly a year since Ted’s home going. In some ways it has been a long, hard year with decisions to make alone, hours with no one with whom to talk, and games to play single handedly. Thank God for faithful family and friends.
Ted was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig’s) several years ago. Until the last few weeks the progression followed what appeared to be the general route of aging. He was able to communicate and even attended church two weeks before his death. He never lost interest in his family, friends, home and country. Sports and politics remained favorite subjects.
Ted was a native Californian and always said he probably would never have moved out of Orange County had he not met his “African Queen” at Cal State University Long Beach. Once he got to Kenya and especially to RVA (Rift Valley Academy) he fell in love with both. Along with teaching he started a sports program, introduced basketball, and spent school holidays resurfacing tennis and basketball courts. Soon the school was competing with other local and even expatriate military teams.
Back in the United States Ted continued teaching, became a school administrator, and ended his career as a special education teacher, but his love for RVA and the students he met there always remained.
So, when considering how best to honor Ted, the deteriorating porch at RVA was selected for donations. Flowers soon fade and die while the old Kiambogo building of the school has stood for over 109 years and thousands of students have passed through her halls and can be found around the globe. Through the years, while primarily serving missionaries’ children, the school has stood for excellence scholastically and has firmly adhered to Christian teaching and principles.
If you would like to support our cause of replacing the old, termite-eaten porch, tax-deductible donations can be made to the Africa Inland Mission International, P.O. Box 3611 Peachtree City, Georgia 30269. Be sure to include a note that the check is for the Kiambogo Restoration Fund.
I know Ted would be pleased and I surely thank you.
Mary
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