Mito Awareness, Samuel's story and why the dragonfly helps us think of heaven.

For the past 12 years our community has blessed us and many others by spreading awareness and raising money for Samuel's research fund. The money for his fund goes to research for mitochondrial disease. There is no cure.  I want to share our story and the Lord's Hand in it all and the people who make this week each year so very special. I pray this helps to spreads mitochondrial awareness so that people can understand that many illness (Many conditions can lead to secondary mitochondrial dysfunction, including: Alzheimers disease, muscular dystrophy, type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and even cancer) and for the heavenly perspective we can share!

   Since Samuel went to heaven we can share the joy we have because of Christ and His gift of salvation. We have Hope and through Christ that we will see our loved ones again. I started looking at the sky and seeing it differently after Samuel left us for heaven. What awesome beauty and spectacular glory the Lord shares with us and it helps me to think how amazing heaven will be. Just a glimpse!

  I want to share a little about Samuel and the significance of the dragonfly to us. Here is a short video that explains what happened with Samuel and mito. It is still hard to watch but has been a Powerful tool in explaining our story in a simple way. The mitochondrial foundation even used it to help educate others over the years. Even if you aren't on Facebook, this is public. 

Samuel's story and mito

 I also have wanted to share for years about the significance of the dragonfly. To me it's a picture of heaven. 

📖The dragonfly is at first a water nymph that lives under the surface of the water. One day one of the water bugs goes up and disappears. The others decide that the next one that goes up needs to come back and tell everyone where they went. Soon the next water bug felt the urge to go to the surface and took a nap on a lily pad. When the bug awoke he had glorious wings and a new body! He could fly and see the amazing world! Then he remembered his friends below the surface and wanted to tell them all about it, but he could not go back under the water.

The the significance of this story to me, is that we are living like the water bugs under the surface surviving each day on earth. When someone we love dies and they are Christians they go to heaven which symbolizes the dragonfly in his Heavenly Body as we will be enjoying all the beauty of Heaven. The people in heaven cannot come back and tell us about it so we must wait until we are called.

 ✝️This gives me great hope and is a sweet reminder of the joy awaiting! 

I also think often of this verse in Romans 8:18, "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us."

The Glory that is to be revealed to us in heaven! I can't wait. But until then we must press on for God's glory. And Samuel's life and death are a precious reminder to serve the Lord with gladness, step heavenly and help others. 

Thank you for reading our story. I hope you know a little more about why we do mito week, LOVE to talk about our boy and keep raising awareness so there can be a cure. 

Below are some of our favorite people and memories from mito week. This year it's Sept 15-21. 💚

Memories with Samuel

Samuel's birthday and mama's heavenly anniversary blessings

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” John 14:27

Holidays are so hard when you lose those precious to you. I had been dreading our Samuel's 17th Birthday and my Mama's first heaven going anniversary A DAY APART. It is too much, too hard and too overwhelming. We all grive differently and we all had some hard days thinking about the days ahead and the loss we feel. We can't choose these things, but we can choose how we spend the time and how we keep our mind safe.

After Samuel passed away, his heaven anniversaries and birthdays were so hard. We would plan a special camping trip or get away and they were wonderful, but also so hard knowing why we were away and missing him terribly. It's easy for depression to creep in, darkness and emptiness. We decided after a few years that the best way to Celebrate Samuel's life on these days was to stay in our routine, seek the Lord and serve others. 💙 That's when Random Acts of Kindness started.

The Lord teaches us in Acts 20:35

"It is more blessed to give than to receive."

It does bring joy and keeps our eyes focused on serving the Lord and loving others when we give.  We have learned that the Lord gave us the key in His Word. 

🗝️

"Jesus said to him,“‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’"  Matthew 22:37-39

The ONLY way to get through such loss, grief and deep deep pain is to cling to the Lord, His promises and our salvation.  Serving the Lord with GLADNESS means loving Him and others!

So we made cookies, cinnamon rolls and cards to give to others.  This kept me so occupied and joyful on Samuel's birthday.

Thank you to those who sent us messages, pictures, gifts and cards!!! I do want to share with you some pics of others acts of service at the bottom. But I also want to share about mamas first anniversary in heaven too.

We know with absolute certainty that Mama and Samuel are rejoicing, having a life that we cannot imagine in HEAVEN with the Lord. I can only imagine mama playing her mandolin perfectly on the most beautiful beach, swimming in the sea with no critters to hurt her, enjoying the colors of heaven and the splendor of Glory! Samuel running, singing and them worshiping the Lord.

We here are still grieving for them so we decided to keep busy working, doing our best and serving others. It was a heavy day, but at the same time it was a very sweet day. It was filled with so many hugs, flowers and messages of love and prayers. Our family came together that evening for supper and we all made mamas specialties. Honey glazed ham, crock pot macaroni and cheese, seasoned green beans, Sister Shubert rolls, creole, fruit and strawberry cream cheese cake! Daddy worked hard to finish up his back deck so we could all come together and enjoy it! It was A SWEET time eating, taking, heading the children's laughter, watching Mary Harper try and eat everything... One year ago we were just about to find out that she was a little girl and would have mamas name 💖.

Such Joy and love amidst such grief and sorrow. I know that mama would be so proud of the way we have all pitched in, have been here for each other and tried to still be a shining light for Jesus. That is what she and Daddy taught us.  That is how to handle life's hard times. 

Here are the pics from both days and the Blessings! 🙏❤️

Dear friends planted this (pic above) last year in mamas memory and it bloomed this week!

Dear Friends sent me plants and flowers, others made gifts to share! ~

My sweet mother in love made arrangements for several friends and us! She also got a treat for a loved one. 💐

A dear friend made treats for all the teachers at school! 

We made cookies to share ❤️

Our gorgeous Christmas cactus' bloomed the whole week!!!!

One of my dearest friends sent us a plant on the day that Samuel died and I still have the sweet ornament in the plant. ❤️

Then the glorious sunrise on Tuesday. 

💓

For Tuesday (Mamas heaven going day). Daddy wanted to finish the project he started almost a year ago and have us all come and eat together. It was a beautiful night together as we are some of mamas wonderful recipes. Here we are enjoying the new back porch and each other. Thank you to all who prayed for us. It was a sweet and special time.

To COMPLETELY BLESS our day, my sister found mamas notes from church the day before she died! 

"Life on earth indicates the flowing, futile and puzzling nature of life. The ULTIMATE answers to the meaning of life is to obey God and enjoy fellowship with Him." David Rountree from Ecclesiastes 1.

Keep serving the Lord, keep giving and keep looking Heavenward! Many Blessings and thank you all again for your prayers for us! 🙏

Let's continue to encourage one another as we Abide in Him each day. 

Blessings, Mary Elisabeth