John's Dad's memorial service weekend

We traveled to Malaysia for John's Dad's memorial service. It was a really good time of family bonding, reflection, another step in our grieving process...plus we just really love Penang.

There were some special people in town for the service-from all over the world. This is a pic of the "Aunties"- from left... Auntie Rae (John's mom's sister), Auntie Carolyn (family friend from before John was born), John's mom, and Aunt Nancy (John's dad's sister).


We just liked this pic of our boys sleeping in the same position.
Jeff smiling
Sam smiling
The service was really wonderful. We had a great time of worship, followed by John's mom who shared about Jeff's life for about 15 minutes. Then 15 other people shared for a few minutes each. It was amazing to see the impact that Jeff had on those that shared (from 7 countries, mentors, mentees, coworkers, recipients of Jeff's ministry, friends, and family (including John)). There were many moving moments. I, for one, felt that I was able to get to know Jeff better over the weekend from hearing people's stories and talking to each other.
A Malaysian couple who have loved and been loved by Jeff.
The service bulletin
Jeff spent a lot of the service smiling and cooing at Auntie Rae :-)
A Korean man who Jeff prayed for 20 years ago (he credits this prayer with his last 18 years working with YWAM). Diane calls him her Korean advisor and I really was touched by what he shared. Jeff and Diane have worked more with Koreans than with any other group and they loved them a lot.
I really found this arrangement a beautiful and fitting tribute to Jeff. Birds of Paradise are so much more fitting than regular funeral flowers. At the bottom of the lowest one, was placed (by Ruthie and Lyddie- John's nieces), Jeff's Bible, his glasses and the word Joy. All of it was meaningful for one reason or another.
At the end, a few of the pastors present prayed for the whole family.
All weekend long, Sam had so much fun playing with his cousins (Joshua was sleeping when I took this pic). It was so great to see the Allens and to see how our nieces and nephew have grown in the last year and a half. We're glad that we'll be seeing them over a long weekend in October, when they come to visit us :-)