Veronica and Jowana

Emanuel and Jowanna

Veronica Gardiner, our dear sister went home to the Lord last week. It was a real shock to the fellowship. Veronica had sent me a SMS on my mobile Sunday and said she would not be at the service, that she was not feeling well. Evidently two days later, while she was home with her son Emanuel, she had a heart attack and went quickly. She was an amazing woman. Our loss, heavens gain. 

Veronica and her husband Martin came to Moscow to study at the University here as young parents with one son Joseph. I first met Martin her husband at the church. He attended with a group of other men from Ghana. It was some time later Martin tragically fell down in the street and died of a head wound. It was at Martins funeral that I met Veronica for the first time. We have been friends ever since. While Veronica and Martin were living in Moscow they had three more children, Theodora, Emanuel and Jowanna. Joseph moved to Las Vegas about 4 years ago, Jowanna, the youngest daughter went back to Ghana to live with her Aunt about 5 years ago and has not see her Mom since. Theodora who knows no other country but Russia, and was born and schooled here in Moscow, had to leave the county about a year ago and return to Ghana . Even though she was born in Russia, she did not have a passport to continue to live here. She was with her little sister Jownna at the time of Veronicas death. Emanuel, who is about 17, will return also back to Ghana where both His parents and all his relatives are from. Emanuel speaks fluent Russian and has never been to Ghana in his life. Please pray for Emanuel for having to leave a country that has been his home his entire life. He will be leaving many friends behind. And the greatest trial will be that he no longer has his beloved mother. Also for Jowanna , who has been away from her Mom for many years….. And for Theodora who also grew up in Moscow and has many friends here. She was waiting on a Visa to come back to Moscow to be with her mom and her friend and so she could continue her education . Pray for Joseph who is in Las Vegas, who has not seen his mother in years as well. The entire situation is a complicated one, but we have a great God. Veronica had many trials here in Moscow, but you would never know it. I never witness a time when Veronica did not have a big smile. She knew what trials were all about, raising her family for the last 8 years without a husband in a foreign county was not an easy task. But Veronica by her own testimony would say “God is great” She recently wrote a devotion prayer for the Moscow Protestant Chaplaincy where she was a member and volunteered every week to work in their soup kitchen. Here are a few of her quotes from that devotion : “Prayer plays a very important role in the day to day life of Christians. Jesus is our finest example of how a human being in a world of evil can grasp the mighty power of God through prayer and prevail.”

Righteousness is gained by faith not by deeds. When walking by faith you must learn to trust in the word of God and believe its honesty. With the heart one believes unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13) 

Veronica could say those promises of God with conviction because she lived them. This was her closing prayer, “Father, thank You for reminding me that my salvation is not by works, but by faith. You did the work, I simply believed. Thank you for the faith You have put in my heart to believe. Salvation is all of you and I am so grateful. Amen”

We who are in Christ will see her once again…