At this incredibly hard time in our lives, Andrew, Ben, & I are living in a town of 104,000 people. None are related to us by blood. Mark has family in Kansas, Oregon, Massachusetts, and Washington state. My family resides in Kentucky and Tennessee.
I titled this “friends are family” because even though our relatives are in far away places geographically, our family here in Wichita Falls has comforted us, prayed for us, protected us, and stood in the gap to be the hands, feet, and heart of Christ himself during Mark’s hospital stay and since his death. We do not know how we would have survived if it weren’t for you. You have laughed with us, cried with us, held our hands, and been the most wonderful family in Christ possible. I now can say with certainty that I have had a little glimpse of heaven, right here in Wichita Falls, which is incredibly hard to believe, considering we’ve just recorded our 100th day of 100 degrees or more for the summer.
Heaven is a place where God’s people come together and help a friend in need. Heaven is a place where your children are hugged & loved & tended to while you have to be at the hospital with your beloved spouse. Heaven is my feeling so lifted up by prayer that I can actually get out of bed each morning & accomplish some of the many tasks that I have to complete. And heaven, my friends, is being a part of a family, one that crosses any political, religious, ethnic, or gender restrictions…..and that is the little glimpse of heaven that the boys and I are seeing right here in Wichita Falls, Texas.
We love you all, and there is no way we can ever say thank you enough.
Nancy, Andrew, and Ben
p.s. We know that folks are lifting us up in prayer all over the country, and we are so grateful for that, as well. Just wanted to give a special message to those right here in our neighborhood, because Wichita Falls is home, has been home for almost 20 years, and will continue to be home for us three Howells 🙂
There's beauty in brokenness--my unimagined journey 