Mark, I was somehow added to your FB page before I ever met Roopa. I remember one day, you asking for prayer for your sweet wife. I really knew nothing about her at the time and had never spoke with her. Many people responded including myself to your cry, though, lifting her up in prayer as you had so humbly asked for. Not long after, I noticed a reply from Roopa back to you....basically wondering why you would come on FB and ask for prayer, when many of us were strangers and knew nothing about her life or struggles. You could tell she was a bit perplexed by your request on an Internet forum such as FB. It was at that very moment, that the Holy Spirit prompted me, I had this sense of feeling that Roopa had been shut out from what appeared to be fellowship among other believers. So I went to her FB and requested her as a friend. I really thought she might delete the request, after all, she had never laid eyes on me or had any clue who I was. I thought to myself, “Lord, you will have to open that door”, and He did. I than asked, “ok, now what?” Not knowing how I should go about befriending her. We lived a billion miles away from one another, how was I supposed to serve her? The answer I received... “start first by praying for her daily.” Once again I thought to myself... “but how, I know very little about her, what do I pray for?” My answer...”I know the details, you don’t need to know them, just pray, and the Holy Spirit will lead you.” So that’s what I began to do. There were times, where I was woken up in the middle of the night, and urged to pray for her. I would make simple comments on her FB page here and there, and she would sometimes respond by a thumbs up/like. At one point, I finally got the nerve to tell her that the Lord had put her on my heart, and that I was praying for her daily. And that’s where our friendship began. Needless to say, as it so often happens in the scripts the Lord writes, I’m the one who ended up being blessed by her friendship. She taught me so many things about what true faith looks like, how to suffer well, how to glorify His name in the midst of pain, how to give thanks during trials & tribulations, and the list goes on. I honestly never heard her question in our chats...”why me, Lord, why must I suffer, where is my healing?” What I did hear her say..... “I’m ready to meet my Maker.” So beautiful! So sweet, Roopa...sweet sister of mine... dance away on the streets of gold, I will be there one day to join in with you. Thank you for blessing me, thank you for your friendship, you are not forgotten, just dearly loved. ♥️