68년이라는 많은 시간과 세월이 흘렀습니다. 1951년 한국전쟁고아들을 위하여 미국 MCC에서 작은 동산인 대구 경산에 Mennonite Vocational School을 건립하여 어려워하는 아이들을 모아 실업중고등교육을 성서에서 말씀하신 작은자에게 한것이 나에게 한것이라는 약속을 사랑과 봉사로 실천하였습니다. 저역시 이곳에서 은혜가운데 자라 지금의 이국의 파란 하늘아래에서 낙농목장을 작은 신앙의 가족들과 함께 감사해 하며, 즐겁게 땀흘리면서 수고의 날들의 삶을 살고 있습니다.
지금도 당시 이 학교에서 봉사의 생활을 하셨든 고령의 교장선생님께서 저의 이름을 잊지 않으시고 크리스마스인사 편지를 보내왔습니다. 이 편지는 저에게만 보낸것이 아니라 이 학교를 졸업함 모든 학생들에게 보내신 편지라고 생각이 됩니다. 연락이 되지 않는 선후배 여러분들께 이 편지를 실어 드립니다. 고령이신데도 날마다 저희들을 생각하시면 기도 하고 계십니다. Facebook에 교장선생님의 성함을 검색하시면 연락이 됩니다. 건강하시고 복된 여생을 보내시도록 위로와 용기을 북돋아 주시기를 바랍니다. 사모님께서는 많이도 아파하십니다.
편지의 원문을 실어드립니다. 주님의 평안이 여러분들과 함께 하시기를 기도 합니다. 9회 졸업생 은 헌기 (지금은 일본 이름을 사용하고 있습니다.)
Christmas 2019
Greetings in Jesus' Name! We pray for you and hope this letter will help update you on our lives!
This past year has been eventful in many ways! In June Lee had a stroke affecting his left side, and was in a rehabilitation facility for 5 weeks. Later he had rehabilitation here at home, and now continues in outpatient therapy. He has made much progress in walking and in the use of his left arm and hand. He still keeps his bird feeder with running water for the birds to drink, with a heater for cold winter days. His tooth implant removal didn't slow him down and he continues actively pursuing new challenges, especially on the computer!
In January Jody discovered what the doctor said was cancer beneath her spine, so she was under Palliative Care for several months. She received 10 radiation treatments and we are praising the Lord for His healing! She continues to review books for Choice Books. Just in November she had two echocardiograms of her heart and the last one showed some mild changes so the doctor sent her to the Emergency Room. The physician there recommended a stress test which revealed that her heart is healthy. :) She continues to drive. We both enjoy the Saturday evening Bible study that meets in our home.
In April the entire Suter family (Nancy and Jerry plus their children and grandchildren-15 in all) arrived to mulch our yard! Even the youngest, 5 year old Lincoln, could be seen carrying buckets of mulch for others to spread around. This was much appreciated!!
We just enjoy being together in our own home so have decided to have more help provided in our home rather than going to VMRC (Virginia Mennonite Retirement Center). Our church has been bringing Wednesday evening church meals, Lois Miller brings homemade soup, some neighbors donate food, and our children, Nancy, David, Pamela and Kevin, come to help-- from Harrisonburg, Atlanta and Ohio. Our friend in Maryland, Sharon Loufik, also came three times this year to assist us. Our daughter Pam and her husband Merlin are especially helpful in meeting our various needs "in old age".
We would love to share more about our 4 children, their spouses and/or friend, 8 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren. All 30 of them are doing well in school and/or in their chosen vocations. They all affirm their Christian faith in so many ways. We are happy that most of them plan to be here together with us just before the New Year 2020 to celebrate Christmas together, and help celebrate Jody's 90th birthday.
We thank Jesus for his loving Presence to help us weather the "storms of life". Our living, loving God is worthy of praise and worship! To Him be glory and honor!
멀리서 보내온 소식 참으로 놀랍고 마음 흐믓한 소식을 받았다. 그 옛날 MCC에서 한국 대구 경산 소나무에 둘러 쌓인 아름다운 동산에 전쟁고아들을 위한 Mennonite Vocational School 을 만들어 함께 하셨든 교장선생님이 이번 일본 태풍에 우리네 가족들과 농장이 어떦게 되셨는가 하는 걱정으로 보내온 소식이였다. 언제나 주님안에서 따스하게 그리고 염려 하여 주시는 고마운 마음의 소식을 올리게 된다. 혹시 이 학교를 졸업한 분들이 보시면 교장선생님께서 건강하시기를 Facebook에 응원의 소식을 담아 드려주시기를 부탁드린다. 그리고 더 힘차게 선한 삶을 위한 경주를 쉬지 않고 달리게 되도록 애쓰려고 한다.
Hello. Greetings in Jesus' Name!
We heard on the news that Japan experienced a very serious typhoon. Did that go as far as Hokkaido and did you have any problem with it?
It reminded us that we haven't heard from you for a long time.
I am doing quite well since the stroke I had on June 5. I am in physical therapy twice a week to help the left side of my body move more normally. I still use a walker but sometimes I "forget" to use it because I can walk short distances without it. My speech is a little difficult to understand sometimes.
Do you remember Bob Gerber who worked with MCC in Korea? He is visiting Harrisonburg from Indiana and we had breakfast with him and his wife this morning. They are thinking about possibly retiring in Harrisonburg because their daughter lives here. We love to reminisce about our years in Korea.
How is the farm work progressing this fall? How were your harvests this year? Have you continued to increase your dairy herd?
We would be happy to hear how your family is. How is your son and family in Tokyo? Have you been able to start a church on your farm?
We pray that God is continually guiding you, and giving you strength for each day! (Isaiah 40:29)
Love in Christ,
Leland voth
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Leland Voth leaves to work at Taegu, Korea orphanage
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Leland and Joanne Voth celebrate 65th wedding anniversary
Posted by Fred Steiner on September 2, 2015 - 4:37pm
Leland and Joanne Voth celebrated 65 years of marriage on Sept. 2, 2015.
Leland grew up in China where his parents were missionaries with the General Conference Mennonite Church and later lived in Newton, Kansas. Joanne's home town is Bluffton. Joanne left Bluffton College for one year as an exchange student to Bethel College in North Newton, Kansas. She later graduated from Bluffton College. In 1950 they were married in the First Mennonite Church, Bluffton. After their marriage Leland transferred to Bluffton College and later finished his Agriculture Education degree at Ohio State University. He taught at Freeman Jr. College in Freeman, S.D. for four years. Most of their lives (25 years) they have worked overseas: first at the Mennonite Central Committee's Vocational School for Orphan Boys in Korea for nearly 10 years followed by 25 years with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
The Voth's served in Korea for 15 years, then worked with USAID in Laos for 2 1/2 years (until that country fell to Communism), on to the Congo (Zaire) for four years followed by an interim assignment in Washington, D.C., for five years. During the D.C. assignment Leland was responsibility for USAID agricultural work in Morocco and Jordan.
Their last overseas assignment was in Jamaica for four years. Three more years were spent in Washington, D.C., where Leland had responsibility for the agency's agriculture development work in Israel, The West Bank and Egypt. They retired first in Bluffton and after seven years there retired again in Harrisonburg, Va., where they have lived for the last 14 years.
The Voths have four children: Nancy (Jerry) Suter, Pandora, OH; David (Laura) Voth, Bluffton; Pamela (Merlin) Shank, Harrisonburg, Va., and Kevin Voth, Atlanta Ga. The Voths have eight grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren.
Translate this page Feb 18, 2014 - 태국 촌부리 선교센터 선한목자 훈련 Field Trip to Korea. Date2014.05.21 ByTommy. Read More. ㅌㅋ 여행자들을 위해. Date2014.05.12 By ... 우리들의 이야기 - 태국 촌부리선교센터
필자가 태국 촌부리 선교센터(김정웅 선교사)에 도착한 시간은 새벽 2-3시경이었다. 지난번에도 한번 다녀간 적이 있는데 그 때 역시 새벽시간에 왔었다. 한국에서 출발하는 대부분의 비행기가 태국 공항에 밤 12-1시 사이에 도착하기 때문이다. 방콕에서 1시간 남짓 거리에 촌부리가 있다. '촌부리'는 우리의 '도'와 같은 지역명칭이다. 방콕 공항에 새벽에 마중 나와 기다리시는 선교사님을 뵈노라면 죄송할 따름이다. 이런 일을 해 오신지 선교사로 파송 받은(광주중앙교회) 지난 1976년 7월부터 해 오셨을 것인데 족히 30년이 넘는 세월이다.
인도차이나 지역의 최초의 선교사는 최찬영 선교사(통합)와 신홍식 선교사(합동) 그리고 김정웅, 윤수길 등의 순이다. 태국에서는 싶게 볼 수 없는 흰머리를 곱게 빗어 넘기시고 아직도 28청춘처럼 웃음을 잃지 않으시며 일하시는 모습 속에서 한줄기의 단비가 이 땅에 내리고 있음을 짐작케 한다. 촌부리 선교센터는 30만평정도의 땅에 그간 김정웅 선교사님 부부가 해온 일들을 펼쳐놓은 한 폭의 그림과 같은 곳이다. 어지간한 대학 캠퍼스보다 크다고 활 수 있을 정도의 규모이다. 새벽에 아침 이슬을 맞으며 일어나 주위를 돌아보지만 한바퀴를 도는데는 약 1시간 정도가 소요되기 때문에 혼자 너무 먼 곳을 가기가 두려운 곳이다, 교회를 중심으로 가까이 한바퀴 돌면서 떠오른 태양을 배경 삼아 몇 장의 사진을 담았다.
마하 폰 교회(팔복교회)
필자 이외에도 촌부리에는 수많은 선교사, 목사, 단기선교팀 등이 다녀갔을 것이다. 그 때마다 오늘 필자를 마중 나오신 모습처럼 태국의 공항의 한쪽에 서서 기다리시는 모습이 선하다. 필자가 돌아온 다음주에도 목사님들을 마중 나오셔야 한다. 1993년부터 시작한 선한목자 훈련원(GSI: Good Shepherd Institute)이 시작되기 때문이다. 선한목자 훈련은 태국의 농어촌교육자를 재교육하는 태국에서 초 교파적으로 운영되는 훈련이다. 일종의 목회자 재교육 시스템이라고 보면 된다. 필자도 마찬가지였지만 말이 강사이지(죄송) 모든 통역을 혼자 하셔야 한다. 강사는 맡겨진 시간만 강의하면 되지만 김정웅 선교사님은 모든 강사의 통역을 다 해야한다. 이런 수고스러움에서 마치지 않고 식사와 관광, 심지어는 잠자리까지 신경을 써 주시니 솔직히 우리가 선교를 도우러 간 것인지, 방해하러 간 것인지 잘 구분이 안 된다.
그렇기는 하지만 이 일이 즐거우신가보다. 선교를 이해하는 분들이 찾아오기 때문이다. 그리고 기도하기 때문일 것이다.
촌부리선교센터 안에는 선한목자 훈련원 이외에도 GTS(Global Theological Seminary) 신학교가 있다. 4년제 과정과 3년제 MDB 과정으로 현재 22명의 학생이 있다. 이곳에서 풀타임사역자로 일할 사람이 필요하다. 석사이상의 자격을 갖추고 있으면서 행, 운영 등을 두루 할 수 있는 사역자를 구하고 있다. 자세한 것은 GP선교회에 문의하면 된다.
촌부리선교센터 안에 있는 지구촌기독교사회복지재단에 '은혜의 집'이 있다. 은혜의 집에는 현재 36명의 고아 어린아이들이 함께 생활하고 있다. 이 아이들은 새벽 5시에 일어나 새벽예배를 드리고 하루를 시작한다. 잠이 덜 깬 아이들은 졸음을 이기지 못하고 졸면서 새벽에 나와 그래도 고사리 같은 손들을 모아 하나님께 기도한다. 그리고 아침 일찍 학교에 간다. 학교가 자동차로 20분이 넘게 걸리기 때문에 함께 타고 가서 함께 와야 한다. 학교에서는 은혜의 집 아이들이 공부도 잘하고 일도 잘한다고 칭찬이 자자하단다. 아이들은 학교에서 돌아오면 자신이 맡은 일들을 해야한다. 세탁하고 옷을 다리고 주위의 나무를 가꾸고 각자 자기가 맡은 일을 하고 저녁에서야 각자 자기 시간을 가지고 놀기도 하고 공부를 하기도 한다. 이순교선교사님은 아이들을 직접 돌보면서 모든 일을 도맡아하고 계신다. 집에서 아내가 해야하는 모든일을 이순교 선교사님이 은혜의 집 뿐만이 아니라 촌부리선교센터의 일을 하고 계신 것이다. "누가 좀 도워줘요~~" 라고 위치고 싶은 심정이다.
불교권 국가에서 이보다 더 좋은 선교의 방법은 없는 것 같다. 아이들은 어느새 자라기 마련이다. 정부에서 아이들 지원 금으로 나오는 것이 있지만 이것을 받으면 자유롭게 신앙교육을 시킬 수 없다. 태국은 불교권 국가이기 때문에 자유롭게 기독교 교육을 못하게 하기 때문이다. 이런 지원 금을 거절하다 보니 전적으로 선교후원금에 의지해야 한다. 그래도 은혜의 집 아이들은 잘 교육된다는 주위의 평가로 아이들은 자꾸만 늘어나는데 시설이 부족하여 더 많은 아이들을 받지 못하는 상황이다. 현 수용 규모는 25명이다. 그런데 현재만 36명이니 시설이 부족한 상태이다. 신규건물이 필요한 실정인데 예배실, 강당, 방 10개(1개 방에 6-8명)가 필요하다. 한 개의 방을 건축하는데 드는 비용은 8,000$ 정도이며 10개의 방을 위해서는 8만$ 정도가 필요하다.
아울러 아이들에게는 헌신적으로 돌봐줄 보모, 언니, 오빠가 필요하다. 젊은 부부선교사의 경우 월 1.000$ 정도의 비용이면 되고 싱글일 경우는 500$정도면 선교사역에 동참할 수 있다. 단기로 6개월-1년 또는 3-5년 정도의 장기선교사도 필요하다. 꽃보다 아름다운 어린이들이 여기에 있다.
김정웅 선교사는 "주일에는 주위의 어린이들이 모여온다고 한다. 곳곳에 흩어져 주일 예배에 참석하기를 원하는 어린이들 픽업(Pickup)하러 아침 6시 30분부터 나가 8시에 시작되는 주일학교 시간을 위해 태워 오고 있다. 많을 때는 130명, 보통은 100명 정도가 들어오는데 모든 차량을 다 동원해도 운송하는 차량이 적절치 못하여 다 태워오지 못하는 실정이다. 신학교의 학생들이 매 주말마다 열심히 전도 나가며 어린이와 청소년 사역들이 무르익고 있는데 운송 차량이 적절치 못하여 수용하지 못하는 일이 대단히 가슴아픈 일이다. 이 나라 사람들의 복음에 대한 열정을 생각해보면 지금만큼보다 더 활성화되었던 때는 없었던 것으로 기억되는 참으로 귀한 순간들이다. 이런 좋은 기회를 주신 주님을 찬양하며 여러분의 기도와 동참으로 발전적인 방법들이 모색될 수 있기를 바란다." 고 말한다.
촌부리선교센터에 복음의 빛이 더 밝게 빛나기를 기도하면서 김정웅, 이순교 선교사님 파이팅~~을 외쳐본다(kim.jungwoong@gmail.com).
두 손 모아 기도하시는 모든 소망이 이루어지기를 바랍니다.
사진, 글 : 이영제 목사
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태국에 가나안 농군 정신 심는다 [중앙일보] 입력 1989.11.18 00:00 | 종합 18면 지면보기 PDF인쇄기사 보관함(스크랩)글자 작게글자 크게 SNS 공유 및 댓글SNS 클릭 수0카카오톡페이스북트위터카카오스토리SNS 공유 더보기 한국 지구촌 선교회 (이사장 윤남중)는 태국 촌부리에 30만평 규모의 촌부리 선교 센터를 세우고 있다.
태국을 복음화하기 위한 교회 일꾼을 양성하기 위해 기도원과 훈련원을 세우고 한국의 가나안 농군 학교식의 구체적 훈련을 해 나가며 고아원·유치원·마약 중독자 재활원·양로원·나환자 촌 등을 설립, 구제 사업을 펴나가는 것 등이 촌부리 선교 센터의 목적이다.
한국 지구촌 선교회 촌부리 선교 센터 건립|훈련원 세워 복음 전파 선교자 양성또 양돈·양계·양어장·영농 단지도 만들어 센터의 자립을 기한다.
촌부리 선교 센터는 지난해 착공되어 1차로 예배당 겸 훈련원·고아원·유치원·마약 중독자 재활원 공사를 시작, 완공을 보아 지난 1일 준공 예배를 가졌다.
이들 시설들은 앞으로 태국의 교역자와 각급 지도자 훈련을 위해 연중 프로그램을 개발하고 한국 가나안 농군 학교와 연결하여 가나안 농군 학교식의 훈련을 통해 태국 농촌을 부흥시킬 지도자를 양성한다.
또 이곳에서 태국 복음 신학교 신학생들의 영적 훈련과 노력 봉사를 위한 실습을 한다. 한국 지구촌 선교회는 태국에 기독교를 전파시키기 위해 태국의 문화 속에 태국인들과 호홉을 같이하는 태국인 선교자들을 양성하는 것이 시급하다고 판단, 올해 4월 태국 복음 신학교를 설립했다.
이 신학교는 오는 2000년까지 50여개 교회를 태국 속에 세운다는 목표를 가지고 있다. 1단계로 92년까지 50명의 학생을 배출시키고 2개의 교회를 세우며 96년까지 학생 80명, 교회개척 25개소, 2000년까지 학생 1백20명 교회 30개소 개척을 목표로 하고 있다. 촌부리 훈련원에서는 이들 신학교 학생들을 수용, 노력 봉사를 위한 실습장을 제공한다.
촌부리 선교 센터는 또 한국·미주 등에 있는 대학생·청년, 특히 선교 후보생들의 훈련원으로 이용된다.
태국에 세워지는 촌부리 선교 센터는 팽창하는 한국 교회가 세계 선교에도 눈을 돌리고 있는 현 시점에서 추진되고 있는 최대의 해외 선교 사업으로도 꼽히고 있다.
특히 불교국인 태국에서의 선교 사업으로 주목되고 있다.
태국은 인구 6천만명의 국가로 불교 신자가 전체 인구의 95% 이고, 모슬렘이 4%, 기독교는 천주교와 개신교를 합쳐 0.8%이며, 개신교는 선교 역사가 1백63년이나 되지만 신도는 11만명에 불과하
우리는 큰 소망을 품어야 합니다 소망이 없은면 믿음도 없습니다 믿음이 없으면 하나님을 기쁘시게 할수 없고 우리 인생에서 펼쳐지는 하나님의 놀라운 능력을 경험할 수 없습니다 복을 받기에 마땅한 태도를 유지하면 하나님은 우리의 모든 좌절과 부서진 꿈과 상처와 고통을 치유해 주십니다 우리를 괴롭히던 고통과 슬픔을 빠짐없이 기억하셨다가 그것보다 두배나 큰 평화와 기쁨 행복 성공으로 갚아 주십니다 하나님을 믿고 하나님께 소망을 두면 과거의 고통보다 두 배가 큰 축복이 찾아 옵니다 소망대로 되게 하옵소서 (마태 9: 29~30) 주님께 영광 할렐루야 아멘 (해) 오늘도 하나님의 은혜와 축복이 넘치게 하옵소서(해) (한금철)
On Life and Living Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, M.D., is the woman who has transformed the way the world thinks about death and dying. Beginning with the groundbreaking publication of the classic psychological study On Death and Dying and continuing through her many books and her years working with terminally ill children, AIDS patients, and the elderly, Kübler-Ross has brought comfort and understanding to millions coping with their own deaths or the deaths of loved ones. Now, at age seventy-one facing her own death, this world-renowned healer tells the story of her extraordinary life. Having taught the world how to die well, she now offers a lesson on how to live well. Her story is an adventure of the heart -- powerful, controversial, inspirational -- a fitting legacy of a powerful life.
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Review
Richard Hoffman New Age Journal An inspiring account of exploration, conviction, and service....This book chronicles a life lived passionately, compassionately, and well.
Bill Williams The Hartford Courant This absorbing account of her life shows a strong-willed woman willing to challenge authority and convention at every turn. Part of the book's charm is that Kübler-Ross is a marvelous storyteller. About the Author
Maybe this will help. For years I have been stalked by a bad reputation. Actually I have been pursued by people who regard me as the Death and Dying Lady. They believe that having spent more than three decades in research on death and life after death qualifies me as an expert on the subject. I think they miss the point.
The only incontrovertible fact of my work is the importance of life.
I always say that death can be one of the greatest experiences ever. If you live each day of your life right, then you have nothing to fear.
Maybe this, what is certain to be my final book, will clear that up. It may also raise a few new questions and perhaps even provide the answers.
From where I sit today in the flower-filled living room of my home in Scottsdale, Arizona, the past seventy years of my life look extraordinary. As a little girl raised in Switzerland, I could never, not in my wildest dreams -- and they were pretty wild -- have predicted one day winding up the world-famous author of On Death and Dying, a book whose exploration of life's final passage threw me into the center of a medical and theological controversy. Nor could I have imagined that afterward I would spend the rest of my life explaining that death does not exist.
According to my parents, I was supposed to have been a nice, churchgoing Swiss housewife. Instead I ended up an opinionated psychiatrist, author and lecturer in the American Southwest, who communicates with spirits from a world that I believe is far more loving and glorious than our own. I think modern medicine has become like a prophet offering a life free of pain. It is nonsense. The only thing I know that truly heals people is unconditional love.
Some of my views are unconventional. For instance, throughout the past few years I suffered a half dozen strokes, including a minor one right after Christmas 1996. My doctors warned, and then begged me to give up smoking, coffee and chocolates. But I still indulge in these tiny pleasures. Why not? It is my life.
That is how I have always lived. If I am opinionated and independent, if I am stuck in my ways, if I am a little off-center, so what? That is me.
By themselves, the pieces do not seem to fit together.
But my experiences have taught me that there are no accidents in life.
The things that happened to me had to happen.
I was destined to work with dying patients. I had no choice when I encountered my first AIDS patient. I felt called to travel some 250,000 miles each year to hold workshops that helped people cope with the most painful aspects of life, death and the transition between the two. Later in my life, I was compelled to buy a 300-acre farm in rural Virginia, where I created my own healing center and made plans to adopt AIDS-infected babies, and, though it is still painful to admit, I see that I was destined to be driven out of that idyllic place.
After announcing my intention of adopting AIDS-infected babies in 1985, I became the most despised person in the whole Shenandoah Valley, and even though I soon abandoned my plans, there was a group of men who did everything in their power short of killing me to get me to leave. They fired bullets through my windows and shot at my animals. They sent the kind of messages that made life in that gorgeous spot unpleasant and dangerous. But that was my home and I stubbornly refused to pack up.
I had moved to the farm in Head Waters, Virginia, ten years earlier. The farm embodied all my dreams and I poured all the money I earned from publishing and lectures into making it a reality. I built my house, a neighboring cabin and a farmhouse. I constructed a healing center where I held workshops, allowing me to cut down on my hectic travel schedule. I was planning to adopt AIDS-infected babies, who would enjoy however many days remained of their lives in the splendor of the outdoors.
The simple life on the farm was everything to me. Nothing was more relaxing after a long plane flight than to reach the winding driveway that led up to my house. The quiet of the night was more soothing than a sleeping pill. In the morning, I awoke to a symphony of talking cows, horses, chickens, pigs, donkeys, Ilamas...the whole noisy menagerie, welcoming me home. The fields rolled out as far as I could see, glistening with fresh dew. Ancient trees offered their silent wisdom.
There was real work to be done. My hands got dirty. They touched the earth, the water, the sun. They worked with the material of life.
My life.
My soul was there.
Then, on October 6, 1994, my house was set on fire.
It burned down to the ground and was a total loss. All my papers were destroyed. Everything I owned turned to ash.
I was hurrying through the airport in Baltimore, trying to catch a plane home, when I got the news that it was ablaze. The friend who told me begged me not to go home, not yet. But my whole life I had been told not to become a doctor, not to talk with dying patients, not to start an AIDS hospice in prison, and each time I had stubbornly done what felt right rather than what was expected. This time was no different.
Everyone goes through hardship in life. The more you go through, the more you learn and grow.
The plane flight zoomed by. Soon I was in the backseat of a friend's car, speeding along the dark country roads. It was nearly midnight. From a distance of a few miles away, I spotted the first signs of smoke and flames. They stood out against a perfectly black sky. I could tell it was a big fire. Close up, the house, or what remained of it, was barely visible through the flames. I compared the scene to standing in the midst of hell. The firemen said they had never seen anything like it. The intense heat kept them at bay all night and through the morning.
Sometime late that first night I sought shelter in the nearby farmhouse, which had facilities for guests. I made myself a cup of coffee, lit a cigarette and considered the tremendous personal loss inside the raging furnace that was once my home. It was devastating, staggering, beyond comprehension. The list included diaries my father had kept of my childhood, my personal papers and journals, some 20,000 case histories pertaining to my research into life after death, my collection of Native American art, photos and clothing...everything.
For twenty-four hours I was in shock. I did not know how to react, whether to cry, scream, shake my fists at God or just gawk at the iron-fisted intrusion of fate.
Adversity only makes you stronger.
People always ask me what death is like. I tell them it is glorious. It is the easiest thing they will ever do.
Life is hard. Life is a struggle.
Life is like going to school. You are given many lessons. The more you learn, the harder the lessons get.
This was one of those times, one of those lessons. Since there was no use denying the loss, I accepted it. What else could I do? Anyway, it was just a bunch of stuff, and no matter how important or sentimental the meaning, nothing compared with the value of life. I was unharmed. My two grown children, Kenneth and Barbara, were alive. Some jerks might have succeeded in burning down my house and everything inside, but they were not able to destroy me.
When you learn your lessons, the pain goes away.
This life of mine, which began halfway around the world, has been many things -- but never easy. That is a fact, not a complaint. I have learned there is no joy without hardship. There is no pleasure without pain. Would we know the comfort of peace without the distress of war? If not for AIDS, would we notice our humanity is in jeopardy? If not for death, would we appreciate life? If not for hate, would we know the ultimate goal is love?
As I am fond of saying: "Should you shield the canyons from the windstorms, you would never see the beauty of their carvings."
I admit that October night three years ago was one of those times when the beauty was hard to find. But during the course of my life, I had stood at similiar crossroads, searching the horizon for something nearly impossible to see. At those moments you can either hold on to negativity and look for blame, or you can choose to heal and keep on loving. Since I believe our only purpose for existing is to grow, I had no problem making a choice.
So a few days after the fire, I drove in to town, bought a change of clothes and got set for whatever was going to happen next.
Top Reviews Mark E Faith 5.0 out of 5 stars Remarkable woman who added discussion to mortalityReviewed in the United States on January 25, 2017 Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase I love Dr Ross - she was at the University of Chicago in the 60's when I was a med student and I went to some of her D&D interviews (through one way mirrors.) It helped much to have someone speak of the unspeakable - "how does one feel about mortality?" She was also a saint in helping my wife after we had a premature baby die and the depression the depression that followed. She even had us in her home and my wife gave her things that she had made for our Baby - I think maybe Barbara was close to birth then. I enjoyed the early parts of the book and did not know most of her personal history - amazing. The later parts however, to me seem like she lost contact with reality and I find hard to understand this break - unless she is simply trying to give hope to people (as she had done throughout her life.) I wish her spirit happiness.
6 people found this helpful
HelpfulCommentReport abuse Becki Hawkins 5.0 out of 5 stars Do Not Fear DeathReviewed in the United States on October 3, 2013 Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase I could hardly get anything done as I could not put down this book!! Elizabeth's sharing is so honest. I especially enjoyed reading about her childhood and her beginnings as a doctor!! Her whole life has been one of service. And it was in her work with the dying she shares how she began connecting with the 'other side'. I'm a retired hospice nurse and I too have been with so many precious souls as they were in transition, listening to them share their visions. And some had NDE's before in their lives sharing that they were not afraid to die. The end of the book reminds us that Unconditional Love for one another and all the Earth is what matters. Love is The Final Word.
10 people found this helpful
HelpfulCommentReport abuse Josephine 4.0 out of 5 stars Great WriterReviewed in the United States on July 3, 2013 Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase The first part of the book was most enjoyable. Then she seems to change, thinking only of her needs. It was hard to read that she left her children at a crucial time in their lives. While what she did with the dying was commendable, I didn't like the way she treated her family, her peers, and others. She had a very big ego and was a big critic of others. She had lots of good attributes, including working hard, helping others, strong determination, etc. but there also seemed to be a big void in her life. I felt a little sorry for her and her family.
8 people found this helpful
HelpfulCommentReport abuse Soraya Bittencourt 5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, a MUST readReviewed in the United States on October 10, 2018 Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase Extremely interesting life narrative. She defined(established it) the 5 stages of grief in the context of terminally ill patients. She talks about who we perceive and deal with death and the process of dying. It pushes all of us to better understand it. She revolutionize healthcare patient treatment and introduced the concept of 'hospice". It is amazing to see how one person could make such a difference in so many lives.
It really does make you think and re-evaluate your life and decisions.
HelpfulCommentReport abuse Janet E. Powell 5.0 out of 5 stars Very InterestingReviewed in the United States on October 21, 2017 Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase Never really thought about who Elizabeth Kubler Ross was beyond her Death and Dying book. Very interesting lady! A good read.
2 people found this helpful
HelpfulCommentReport abuse KarenTop Contributor: Cooking 5.0 out of 5 stars My first Elizabeth Kubler Ross Book..Loved it..Reviewed in the United States on August 21, 2012 Format: Audio CassetteVerified Purchase I listened to this on a cassette tape.. The very beginning is narrated by Elizabeth but then continued by Ellen Burstyn, whom I really enjoy listening to. I found her story to be very interesting and her opinions about death and the after life are opinions I have always believed myself. How I never heard of her until now I'm not sure, but I'm glad I started with this audiobook as it gives the listener a very good picture of where her life started and what led her to devote her life to studying what the dyeing feel and what happens after death.. I wish I had seen her on tv years ago, but I guess we all find things when we're suppose to.
2 people found this helpful
HelpfulCommentReport abuse Valerie Muroki 5.0 out of 5 stars A light in the darkness of our timesReviewed in the United States on June 12, 2014 Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase Elizabeth Kubler-Ross demonstrates through her autobiography the courage she developed as a child to be a forerunner throughout the medical and psychological world in compassionate caring for patients -- young, old and dying. As a newly trained hospice volunteer, I wanted more background and understanding in order to bring to the patients I visit my most loving, understanding self. This is one of the books I chose for my new "hospice library." But as much as she talks about dying patients, she emphasizes the process of LIVING. A very open and candid book from an icon of our times.
2 people found this helpful
HelpfulCommentReport abuse hobiwankinobi 5.0 out of 5 stars Great BookReviewed in the United States on July 28, 2013 Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase This book was recommendation from a friend and It helped much. I had three people I knew die within 2 weeks. This book and quite a few long talks with my friend helped much. I highly advise anyone who is struggling with life after death or the old "whats life all about" question read this book. Not that this book answers that question specifically but it helped me along the way to understand that make to each day what you can and the rest of your life kind of works out the way its supposed to. This book is simply fantastic.
Top international reviews Translate all reviews to English nicola crevis 5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic bookReviewed in the United Kingdom on August 18, 2019 Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
I really enjoyed reading this autobiography. I found it fascinating, and deeply moving
HelpfulReport abuse Erna 5.0 out of 5 stars Five StarsReviewed in the United Kingdom on July 7, 2016 Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
Really worthwhile reading this autobiography of an extraordinary lady.
HelpfulReport abuse C. Sidney-woollett 5.0 out of 5 stars a memorable bookReviewed in the United Kingdom on March 22, 2013 Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
book deep & meaningful - a recommended reading for any one who wants to have their mind stimulated - thought provoking
:) She continues to drive. We both enjoy the Saturday evening Bible study that meets in our home.
