More thoughts from Debbie (Elizabeths aunt and my mom)

When we first received word that Elizabeth had died, I was so torn up about not getting to tell her good-bye before we left. But after re-reading the e-mail from Curt's mom, I realized that we will get to kiss her next time we see her because we will all be together in heaven! That is such a comfort for me and it is my hope and prayer that you have the same assurance of seeing your loved ones again one day.

The first Scripture I read after her death was Matthew 25:13 "So stay awake and be prepared, because you do not know the day or hour of my return."

During the two weeks following Elizabeth's death, while we were grieving over our loss and deciding when and if we would be able to go back to the U.S. at all, God laid several special Scriptures on my heart. I share these with you now, hoping they will encourage you, as they did me.

Ephesians 3:16-19 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will give you mighty inner strength through his Holy Spirit. And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust in him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love. And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great that you will never fully understand it. Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

Ephesians 6:11 Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies and tricks of the Devil.

Philippians 4:6-9 Don't worry about anything; instead pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. And now, dear friends, let me say one more thing as I close this letter. Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned from me and heard from me and saw me doing, and the God of peace will be with you.

Colossians 1:11 We also pray that you will be strengthened with his glorious power so that you will have all the patience and endurance you need.

Colossians 2:6-7 And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to live in obedience to him. Let you roots grow down into him and draw up nourishment from him, so you will grow in faith, strong and vigorous in the truth you were taught.

Romans 8:26-27 And the Holy Spirit helps us in our distress. For we don't even know what we should pray for, nor how we should pray. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God's own will.

In October of 2002 we saw Elizabeth for the last time, but we were not to know that then.

She had really grown and was just starting to attend school two days a week in the 4-year-old program.

It was so hard to believe that she was the same little girl that we first met 4 years before. She had a new imaginary friend. It was her 'sister' and she told her everything and told us what all her sister said about anything and everything! One of my favorite memories of this last time with her was going fishing at her house. She would come and sit by me and help me call the fish to my line. We would both sit there saying, "Here fishy, fishy, fishy". Then she would crack up and be off on another adventure, chasing her puppies, Cindy and Toby, before coming back to visit with me some more.

When we returned back to our house after visiting we were sad that we hadn't gotten to tell Elizabeth good-bye right before we left, but we were all so busy packing to leave and her family was busy packing for a trip also. So we made sure that Nanny (aka Grandma Donna) told Elizabeth good-bye for us when they got back from their trip. Nanny told us in an e-mail about their conversation. Here's what she wrote........"Elizabeth called me last night when they got home and told me she had been missing me. I told her you guys were sorry you didn't get to hug and kiss her good-bye and she said, 'That's all right Memo, they can kiss me next time they come'. She was so sweet about it."......... Talk about a heartbreaker! That's what I mean about her being so grown up and loving.

She was a precious gift from God and I feel so blessed having been chosen to be her aunt for the short time she had on this earth. I am looking forward to our reunion in Heaven when I can give her a great big hug and kiss and listen once again to her infectious laugh and see her beautiful, smiling face.

When she was about 2 years old she was so grow up and still as silly and beautiful as ever!!   When you asked her a question, she would nod her head yes, but say, "No". We got the biggest kick out of that, so we kept asking her questions to get her to say no! She was growing into a real charmer and loved to follow her cousins around and check out what they were doing.

Who was Elizabeth? She was a charmer who knew what to say to get her way with nearly everyone! She could make up some lovely stories and have everyone believing them, like the time she told the daycare workers that her mommy was going to have a baby, so they all congratulated her. Her mommy was totally confused when she walked in and found that everyone was so happy for her, now that she was going to have another baby! (Then her mommy got to tell them that she wasn't going to have a baby.) She was a very loving and forgiving little girl, never staying angry for long. She enjoyed making up stories and sharing them, first with her imaginary friend, Bug, and later with her imaginary sister. I know that God placed Elizabeth in our lives for a very special reason and I feel so blessed to have been a small part of that life. Though we may never understand why her life here on earth was so short, I glory in the fact that we will see her again in heaven and I hold on to that promise.