Many years ago, Soy and I were talking about life. We were talking about what we wanted to accomplish by the end of our life. Things that matter for eternity. Things that will change the lives of people.
I gave a list of all of my dreams. Dreams that God has placed in my heart. Dreams that I would only share with my husband because they seemed a bit out of reach. After I finished telling Soy my dreams, he started laughing. He said, “At the end of my life I only want to have made a difference in the life of ONE person.”
Although this conversation took place in the early days of our marriage, his response has replayed in my minds many times over the past seventeen months. “Make a Difference in the Life of One Person.”
When we had the memorial service for Soy on Grace mountain, I looked around at the hundreds of people who stood beside us. I saw our students and our families from the school. I saw people from our community. I saw people from other ministries. I saw people who had traveled a long distance because of their love for Soy. I learned over to my dad and made the statement that Soy touched more lives in his six short years in Guatemala than most people do in their lifetimes.
In the past year, I have traveled to more of the rural villages. I have laughed because everyone knew Soy. I entered one church and this woman was so excited to see me. She was not excited to see me because of who I am. She was excited to see me because I was Soy’s wife. They explained how they always worked with Soy and how much they loved him. This seems to be a common thread in the communities.
I have had the privilege of people sharing stories about how Soy’s life has impacted them. They share stories with me that I was never told. I cherish every single one of them.
I think it is safe to say that Soy made an eternal difference in the life of one person!
“I seek not a long life, but a full one, like you Lord Jesus.” Jim Elliot
Shining Light Abroad Ministries 