Mum

For years we have wanted to live with 'Oma and Opa' as a family.  This year our wish came true - though the circumstances of Dad's cancerous tumour, the major surgery and the subsequent 6 months of chemotherapy are not quite what we had expected.

As expected, a goodly portion of the writing this year on 'Chai Chats' walked with Dad and Mum through their valley of treatment and prayer.  And earlier this month we had the wonderful news that after 6 months of chemo, Dad's results were all clear.

One of the nice things about being an eicher Oma is that you have an awesome grand-daughter...like super awesome!!!

Editor's note... do you notice anything about the previous line?  

So this evening our house is full again.  John and Nalini, Nikita and Jasper are here to celebrate with us 7 Eichers.  To celebrate 8 months of healing and blessing to Dad... and also to celebrate Mum's 78th birthday!

The birthday part is a surprise - we hope - since Mum's birthday is on the 11th of November. 

So here is to Mum!

Hip, hip, hooray!

We are so very grateful to God for the joy of having Oma with us for these months.

Mum is a doer.  She literally cannot sit still.  After a few minutes she is restless and has to stand up.  She made sure that she pulled far more than her weight in the household chores - and had to be shooed out of the kitchen many a time - and then just went back to the kitchen while Sheba and I were not there.  Currently the fridge has apple pie, cheese cake and a mousse that Mum has prepard for us all.   She has also lovingly taken Yohan for his classes and picked him up each day.  Service, service, service would be her motto - and that is service with love, not for any glory of her own.   The way that she patiently has cared for Dad over these years is another huge topic!

Mum pours herself into people.  Our Tuesday night Bible study always ends with Mum hugging the ladies who attend.  She talks and prays with the dear ones that she meets.  Hers is no superficial 'hello, how are you' kind of relationship - she expresses her appreciation for the very essence of each person that she loves.


As always, Mum continues to rejoice in beauty.  I remember how as a kid we would sometimes attend conferences where the living conditions were quite spartan - but Mum would bring a table cloth and a few candles and turn a bare room into some thing homely.

She still does that.  Here is a small example.  Mum and Dad were expecting two dear friends to spend some time with them.  Mum had bought some orchids to give to them.  These very close friends were unable to come at the last moment, which was a huge disappointment for Mum and Dad.  But Mum made the best out of the situation by remembering the friends through the flowers.  And by taking the picture above.

----------------

Well, as I was typing the above, John and Nalini and the girls came in and so we were plunged into the suprise party. 

I am now writing with all the family asleep and the click of keys and the whirring of fans and the odd dog barking outside being the only sounds in the night.

Our time this evening was wonderful! The time was a wonderful surprise: John and Nalini themselves did not know that we would be celebrating Mum's birthday together.  As I mentioned earlier, they were mainly here for fellowship and to thank God for these months of grace that we have seen in Dad's life.

We started with Enoch walking in, climbing on a chair, and unrolling the Birthday Banner for our beloved Oma.

The table had already been laid by then and we were basically getting ready to eat when we shifted focus to celebrate Mum and God's grace in giving us this wonderful daughter of His.

Yohan then came in with a big boquet of flowers, followed up by Asha carrying in the cake.

Mum loves surprises, and this time we got her 100%.   She had been thinking of other things are we were able to draw a delightful smile from her when things unfolded and it became clear that she was the centre of attention for the evening.

78 years is a long time.  Mum was born in a Germany that was ruled by the National Socialists (Nazis) under Hitler.  She was separated from her parents for a 3 year period as a young girl to protect her from the allied bombs raining down on Leipzig.   Then the communists took over and declared the "German Democratic Republic (which was certainly not democratic by any yardstick).  As a young woman she left her country as a refugee and moved around in different countries - working and learning languages.  Then she had a life-changing experience with Jesus while in Spain - and decided with live out a life for Him.   And thanks be to God, He guided her to come out to India in 1964 - and we stand in the awe of over 50 years of service to our country that Mum has done.

Cakes are meant to be cut... and eaten.  I am snacking on an absolute chocolate bomb of a cake as I write this to you.  Dad helped Mum do the honours while the songs were sung and then John prayed for Mum.

There was of course a lovely spread to celebrate with.   And lovely people to have heart-to-hearts with as well!

John and Nalini have been such amazing friends to us over the years.

Asha and Enoch have grown up with Nikita and Jasper - and amazingly are attending the same school at present.   We are so grateful that they can have such lovely friends to grow up with.

Nalini and Sheba are like peas in a pod - though they are very different to each other.  Yet, whenever the get together it is magical.  I have appreciated John so much over the years - his savvy and his deep love for God are part and parcel of the same John who has given me many delightful conversations over the years!

What is especially lovely for us is to see Mum and Dad become so deeply linked with John and Nalini as well.  God is good and blesses us over the generations of his grace!

 So here is to you Mum!

We know that your real birthday is only on the 11th of November, but wanted to take this time to thank God for you.  There is so much to say, but let us make this small step forward: "Thank you for your love which you continously poured out for us!"

We also would like you experience year as you enjoy the presence of the most high in you life, your family and your community- as well as the rest of us here in our nation.

May your feet be firm as you continue to serve others in the name and spirit of God's love, and may the twinkle in your eye become ever more infectious!