Well Done, Mary Gardner

Most of you probably heard about the bombing in Jerusalem this past week.  Its victim will never gain the worldwide celebrity Elizabeth Taylor generated upon her death, yet from an eternal perspective she will be honored in a much greater way.  Mary Gardner, a 55 year old British believer serving with Wycliffe Bible Translators, had been living in West Togo, West Africa for the past 20 years as she translated the Bible into the local Ifé language. She was in Jerusalem taking a course in Hebrew. [Interestingly, she had been staying at Yad HaShmonah, where Tim & Rachel and other IBEX students spend their semester in Israel.]

A British news website reports:
"Eddie Arthur, executive director of Wycliffe, said: "I cannot tell you how highly regarded she was. She was an extremely gutsy person, highly intelligent, with huge drive and the ability to stick with the project for 20 years in far from comfortable conditions. It must have been incredibly isolating at times. But she was completely dedicated to her work, and to the Ifé people."  [See the complete article here.]

She had "the ability to stick with the project for 20 years in far from comfortable conditions." May her example encourage and motivate her brothers and sisters in Christ to faithfully persevere in service to their Lord and Savior. May we seek to learn about these fellow-workers, esteem them highly and fervently uphold them in prayer.

"His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.'"   [Mt.25:23]