I love you Ernestine.....

Our dear friend and the kindest most compassionate lady left us this morning to be with her Lord and Savior. I love her so much! She means the world to me. When I first met Ernestine it was at Azteca's 1-10-94. We just went to the Nazarene Church for the first time the day before and I went to the Ladies Night Out... not knowing anyone there. I stood in the lobby of ladies and was so out of my comfort zone I started to leave. She stopped me and said she recognized me from church the day before. It was time to be seated and she took me with her and I sat by her. Sharon sat on the other side of me and Bev Swift across from me. That's when I met them all! It was a wonderful night and the start to a close and lasting friendship! She would come visit and rub weird lotions on my back when my back was out, she's the one who told me about putting vicks on the feet with socks when you have a cold (it works), she mentored me to take her spot as head of Compassionate Ministries.... never worked well because no one has as much compassion as Ernie. One time Sharon, Marie E, and I rode with Ernestine to a retreat in Seattle. On the way home at the ferry terminal she gave some stranger $20 from her car while Sharon and I were at McDonalds. Sharon about freaked. She said he was going to pay her back on Bainbridge where he was meeting his ride. Sharon asked what his name was and she said "Joe Welfare." We laughed about that for years. We waited at the Bainbridge terminal and "Joe" never showed. Ernie's response was "Well, God saw what I did and what he did and he'll weigh it out." Bless her heart. It was huge!!!! Everyone that ever met Ernestine loved her. Very special lady. She moved to Texas/Oklahoma about 5 years ago.... but she called me to see how I was doing every couple of months. After we left the Nazarene church she called almost every week to check on me. We loved each other so much.... she was like a mom to me and wonderful friend. I will miss her. Now she is up with so many of her friends.... and with my dad and she will meet Lanny's mom ....who she prayed for faithfully and always asked about. She prayed constantly for us and our family.

Her health has been poor for quite awhile....this is what her daughter, Tina, wrote me this morning:

"I talked to my mom, and she sounded good, even strong. She laughed and talked about how every one came to see her, and how when the clock struck midnight she woke up my dad to kiss him happy anniversary. We talked about Meri-Ellen and her science project with the chickens. A few other things and she started falling asleep on me so I told her I would let her go. We both said good bye and we loved each other, she started to say something and in the midst fell asleep. At 3:00 this morning Nancy called to say she was gone. I tried to find your number I don't know what I did with it. I am sorry I wanted to call and tell you. Please continue to pray for my dad, he will be lost with out her."