I finished the list long before the plane reached Johannesburg. While with my parents in South Africa, I read to them and explained one passage from my list each day. Before I left, I gave them copies of that list and urged them to keep on reading one passage each day after I left them. I forgot about my own copy, till more than a decade later (some years after both parents had gone to glory).
Yet it seems my father — a converted atheist — did not forget! Though I never again saw him alive on Earth, here are excerpts from his last letters to me.
Nov. 27th 1993: “Dear Nigel and family…. Your mother is…still the girl I love, who bore me a beloved son for whom I thank the Lord…. Pray for her, that the Lord will give her peace…and that she waits on His blessing…. We are in the Lord’s hands.” Jan. 4th 1994: “Praise the Lord!” Feb. 15th 1994: “God bless you richly!” Feb. 18th 1994: “We do hope Miekie [my daughter just finishing university] gets a suitable position…. The Lord is on her side…. She believes this, and awaits His pleasure. The Lord does indeed work in mysterious ways…. I prayed to the Lord to help…. Praise the Lord!” April 24th 1994: “God’s richest blessings…. God bless you all!” His last letter, May 14th 1994, said: “Just received a missionary letter, which makes very interesting reading…. We can only live from day to day in His grace.” On July 17th 1994, he was murdered — and went to glory! (Later, I led his murderer in jail to the Lord; and subsequently also his parents).
