My dear friend Francesca (FranSesKa – English pronunciation she is always quick to correct, not Italian, as in CHesKa), while working in South Africa with children whose parents have AIDS, collapsed one day several months ago. A speedy diagnosis and immediate surgery in Johannesburg revealed a rapidly ravaging cancer in her brain. She is now undergoing radiation therapy in her homeland of England. Francesca is only 54 years of age, with a heart of gold, a ready smile for every person she greets, and a gift to give and love and care where ever she senses God leads.
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I wrote the above paragraph a year ago. My dear friend Francesca went home to be with Jesus in October of 2008, after a valiant fight. She will never again stop by on one of her cross country trips to make me laugh over a cup of tea. We always laughed together.
I could philosophize now about not understanding why good people die in their prime or why young people die before they’ve had a chance to start making their mark. And about wanting to leave a life changing legacy as my friend has.
But rather than chatter on, I will simply say, I love my friend. She leaves behind a family and many, many hundreds of people who were touched by her love for God and His people and all of whom grieve deeply. I, too, am sad. And I miss her; I think I always will.
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