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by David Martinez, co-leader of the Welcome Center

On Friday, June 26, we got news that my Grandma in El Salvador, went home to meet Jesus. We got on a flight, early next morning and got to El Salvador around 7:00am. The meat of this story that I want to share is this. It was more like a celebration verses a funeral…. My Grandma (Dad’s mom) was 97 years young and her state of mind was that she didn’t recognize anyone any more. She knew, asked for and trusted my Dad’s sister who had been taking care of her for years now, but didn’t know she was her daughter. Interesting enough, in that mental state of mind she would spend all day singing old hymns and if she came across someone who she didn’t recognize (which was just about everyone) she would not hesitate and talk to them about Jesus. She would quote scripture to them and then say let me sing you a song, which was one of her favorite hymns. For someone in this state of mind to have Jesus as such a dominant thought process is amazing to me. One of the last things she did before she gave her last breath was to evangelize and sing a hymn to the doctor who came by the house to treat her.

My dad is the youngest of 13 children, and I am the youngest of his two sons. She was my last grandparent, and being so far down (or up?) the family tree, I didn’t have a significant relationship with her, but she did teach me one last lesson. Living tenaciously for Jesus is not only the right thing to do but that it leaves a great legacy.