I call him Albert...'cause he's so contrary

Yesterday Scott and I had the opportunity to spend the afternoon with one of the most precious ladies I've ever known. I met Ms. Ione when I was working for Wesleyan Heights UMC as their youth director. I would give the children's sermons on Sunday morning during both services. Ms. Ione attended the 11am service. She would sit and smile real big at me while I was giving my sermons each Sunday. One day I was in my office and received a call from her asking if I could come over some time and she would give me some coaching on public speaking. ;) Scott and I went over to her condo one afternoon and stayed for several hours.

Ms. Ione also used to record readings of the Bible for the blind. The first time we went over to her place she showed us her room where she records. She had a huge Bible placed on a table with quite the impressive tape recorder infront of it. I can't remember what book she had read through but she'd gone a long way. Ione just now quit recording because her advisor told her they were recording on cds now and her equipment was a bit out of date. She's also a phenomenal writer. She has given me several of her books that she written, including her autobiography "Hayloft to Heaven" which she wrote and had published at age 84. One of my most cherished books from her is a short little book called "The Joy of Trusting." This book came along in my carry-on on every flight since my first one to Poland. Her words, experience, and trust in the Lord have always been a huge encouragement and comfort to me.

She told us of her teaching careers, how she taught ESL to Czech students, and she told us all about her travels which she began after the death of her husband. Her first trip was to: Hawaii, Austrailia, New Zealand, and Tahiti. She's been to Scotland, France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Denmark, Norway.....and to London via the QE2 Concorde! She was about 70 years old when she began travelling the world. When she heard the news that we were moving to Poland to be missionaries she was delighted. We knew the world traveller that she was and how excited she was about our trip to Poland, so I created a special picture for her which is of us and our city in Poland. It now hangs on her wall.

We went to Ms. Ione's again yesterday. It was such a joy to see her; ALWAYS cheerful and full of joy. She was just a bright and bubbly as always. Ione told us how she felt very well except for a little pain in her knee when she walks. The doctors say that she can't have knee surgery now because of her age. She is still very capable of driving, but chooses not to incase she had to get out of her car in a hurry she didn't think she could manage. We sat and chatted for hours. Scott and I showed her pictures of Europe and of our students and she gleamed with joy and let out great "Oh"s and "Oh my stars!" every so often. Ms. Ione has a map of the world in her home with push-pins in all of the places she's travelled in her years. She let us put one in Poland and told us since she can't travel anymore, we're travelling for her. What an honor. :)

We love you Ms. Ione! You are a blessing from the Lord.

Ms. Ione is 91 years old today and just as lovely as she was in this picture. We showed her our pictures on her new laptop. It was a present to herself for her 90th birthday. As she was waiting for it to "warm up" yesterday before we could show her our pictures she made me smile with this comment: "I call him Albert...'cause he's so contrary."