Some Journey

Samuel y Samuelito

Tonight we received a call from Stephen's mom at about 8 pm.
"Sam and Justina and the kids are here, and they want to see you guys."
So we packed up the kids and went.
Samuel Lopez went to visit his dying brother in the hospital more than 30 years ago. . .maybe even 40. His brother told him that he was not afraid of dying. He had been told by a Wycliffe missionary about a Savior, Jesus Christ, and becasuse he had accepted Christ as his personal Savior and Lord and had a relationship with Him, he knew that when he died he would go to be with Christ in a better place. His dying wish was that Sam go to Wycliffe and tell them to send a missionary to his home village in San Juan Mixtepec to share the news of the gospel with the Mixtec people. Samuel did just that. The missionary who came to the village was my father in law, Thomas Ibach. Over the many years that my father in law worked with the Mixtec people of Mixtepec before his death from cancer in 1986, Sam was by his side, as friend, translator, and general helper.
So when we became pregnant with our second boy, the first of whom had received Tom's name, (Ethan Thomas), Stephen and I thought it only made sense to go with Samuel.
Samuel Lopez has been proud of that fact ever since. When our Sam was 9 months old, Sam came to visit and we photographed them together. I don't think they've seen each other since. But our Sam has heard many stories and is proud and affectionate regarding Samuel Lopez. And when Stephen and I were in the village last summer, we gave him a picture of the kids. He carried it with him everywhere in the village, showing everyone Sam and telling them that was his namesake.
So, bedtime or not, when the opportunity to get Sam and Sam together again was enough to keep our Sam bouncing in the car all the way to Grandma's house. It was a fun time of fellowship and telling stories. My children had the priviledge of spending the evening surrounded by people speaking a language that only a small fraction of the world is familiar with, Mixteco. And that is truly a priviledge. Sam and Justina were so excited that the boys will be in the village this summer. Our only sadness is that they will be here, instead. I was so hoping the boys would have the opportunity to walk the village with Sam. He's such a delight to be around, and an invaluable connection to the grandfather they never knew.