My aunt and uncle got an e-mail from the great-nephew of my Great-Aunt Pearl. It is kind of hard to read because of the way it was translated, but I think it says that she died back in September at the age of 96.

Who is Great-Aunt Pearl? She is someone who I like to tell about in church.

My Great-Grandparents (Bromley) were missionaries to China in the 1920s (I think). While there, they adopted Pearl Hu and brought her back to the states when they came back. During World War II, the USA became very suspicious of anyone of German, Chinese, or Japanese descent and because of this, she was sent back to China. When she arrived there, they saw her as a Christian and thought of her as a spy for the USA, so she was thrown into prison. We are not sure of details, but we think she was tortured for her faith, but we know she stood strong. After she got out, she starting writing letters to the family again and continued for a while until she could no longer do so. I remember getting letters on that thin paper from her sometimes. Anyway, she had a church there. The e-mail received mentioned that the church there prayed and sang hymns for her after she died as it was her wish. Also, her Great-nephew signed off with “All Praise to God our Lord, Saviour and King”. I know that when my cousin and other friends have gone to China, they have always used code to tell about God’s work there just in case. This e-mail had no code. It was right out there. Oh, the legacy that my Great-Grandparents left with her and that she has carried on and left to others. Isn’t it wonderful to see how God has worked through some missionaries so long ago? They followed His call to go to China and now we know that people are being saved still because of them and her. See the long term results of what happens when we follow God’s will? This excites me so much. Someday, I will finally meet her in Heaven and I will tell her that I looked up to her and told her story to kids who said that they were ridiculed for being a Christian in their schools. They don’t suffer as she did and thankfully, they won’t have to. We have a freedom here that China doesn’t have. Rejoice in that fact.

I am not called to be a missionary out there, but I am a missionary here. I am trying to do as I am called to do and at the moment, it is right here at home in Chicago. I don’t know how far my legacy will go, but that is not what I should care about. I should only care to make sure I am in His will and He will take care of other things. Thank you God for this reminder of how You work. I really needed it right now.