I am sitting here this morning in Lula, Georgia, now 8000 miles away from Busia, Uganda. Listening to the sounds of nature that I love so much here. The quietness of the morning blending with the early sounds of nature starting its day.

I can’t help but think if I can find such solitude and peace here on earth, how heaven must be like. Today is day 4 in heaven for my fellow missionary Dr Richard Kowalske (Dr K). As the fullness of the last 4 days with my traveling home to attend his memorial service has not allotted much reflection time, I find that  this morning my thoughts continue drifting to heaven and what it must be like for him.

For those of you who might not know Dr. K and his wife Dr. Brenda are the founders of Helping Hands Foreign Missions which is the organization that I partner with. They spent the month of July with me in Uganda where they lead teams of more than 40 short term missionaries. Unknown to Dr. K, he contracted Malaria during his stay and this past Saturday, the Lord took him home.

We have wonderful scriptures in the bible that tells us of our Heavenly Home, yet, I never seem to be able to comprehend exactly what it’s like. I love the passage of scripture from 2 Corinthians 5: 8-9 (Amplified) 8[Yes] we have confident and hopeful courage and are pleased rather to be away from home out of the body and be at home with the Lord.  9Therefore, whether we are at home [on earth away from Him] or away from home [and with Him], we are constantly ambitious and strive earnestly to be pleasing to Him.

It seems to me that the most glorious part of getting to go to heaven is to be with the Lord. When I arrived back here in Georgia late Monday evening, for the first time in 6 months I was home. But it wasn’t the sweet little house I am blessed to live in here that made me at home. It was being in the presence of my family, that is what made it home. Being in their presence is the most satisfying place I can be here on this earth.

For Christians we know that our day will come when even the most satisfying place we have here on earth is no longer our home. Just like D.r K we will transition into the presence of the Lord and enter into our eternal home forever and ever!

This morning verse 9 really spoke to my heart about what Dr. K is doing his first days in heaven. It says that whether we are at home on earth away from Him, or we are away from home with Him, we are constantly ambitious and striving earnestly to be pleasing to Him. For anyone of you who knew Dr. K, you will understand this word describes the kind of man he was here on earth.

Once again I admit I know so little of what we’ll actually be like once we reach heaven, but this morning I’m wondering if who God created us to be here on this earth will not be some part of who we are in heaven. If so, then Dr. K was fully prepared to begin eternity striving to please the Lord!

When I return to Uganda, everything there will be a reminder of Dr. K, his legacy will not be forgotten. The difference he made will live on and on as the lives he touched reach out and touch others.

Love to all.

Joy Breedlove

Missionary-East Africa