My words are totally insufficient to express our gratitude for the love and support that each one of you have given to us during the last eight months. You have provided for our family a support system of prayer and service that has expressed the love of Christ for all of us. Thank you for standing with us at a time such as this.
The vacuum that our family feels is so vast that it cannot be measured. The grief and sorrow is like a giant wave at times and all we can do is surrender to it. We have learned that the best thing we can do during these times is cry and talk with one another and pray. The release makes us feel better until we experience the next wave.
The waves will get smaller with the passing of time and less frequent. As Debbie has been fully delivered from her suffering, one day we will be completely delivered from ours. Until then, I want to learn to be like her as she dealt with her sorrow the last eight months.
She was for all of our family a true champion of faith in the way she responded to her greatest trial. Watching her be joyful and be happy and loving to others day after day in the midst of her suffering was one of the greatest miracles I have ever witnessed. I can get grumpy just with a cold or a bad nights sleep.
Her personal journal reveals just how much she suffered. But in spite of her pain, she drew upon the Lord to be such a great blessing to us and to others.
God’s grace is sufficient in our every weakness. We just have to have the right goal for our life and be humble enough to receive the grace that He promises.
Debbie’s goal for her life was to honor the Lord and to bring glory to Him with the way she lived and treated others. She loved God when she discovered how much He loved her. His payment for her sin broke her and made her what she became.
Her humility was forged through a life of experiences in which she would come to the end of herself. I saw it happen over and over again at her private alter.
It was all of these experiences of brokenness at her private alter that prepared her for her greatest trial.
It was such a privilege to be married to someone like her and to be loved by her. Today marks the thirty first anniversary of the day that I proposed to her. Not everyone has the privilege of knowing the kind of love that Debbie and I shared as husband and wife. It takes two people who are committed to live out God’s Word in their relationship to have such an experience of love. God’s Word is the truth and those who follow His commands will be greatly blessed in the midst of the greatest of trials.
I am thanking the Lord today for what He has allowed us to experience together. We did not deserve it. We were just two lost sinners when He found us. It has been amazing to both of us why He still loved us.
And one day soon we will celebrate together His love for us. Please join us!
Jerry Wells
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Carrying On Mom's Legacy
Thanks to all who came to Mom's service on Monday, and thank you to the many who have sent messages of condolence to our family. As near as we can tell, around 1,300 people attended the funeral.
Mom was definitely a hero of faith, and we, as a family, have a strong desire that her story continue to be told and her testimony continue to go out even after her death. We are looking at the different avenues available to us in order to accomplish this goal. One thing that is in the works is we will be attempting to make DVD's of Mom's "Mrs. PJ" skits available to the public. At this point we're not sure how many quality recordings we have, but there are a few. Other thoughts have been to write a book telling her testimony, or a devotional book based on her writings and her Mrs. PJ character. Obviously we have not had the opportunity to get into details yet, but I wanted you all to know that we are committed to promoting her testimony and legacy for as long as we possibly can. Mom's life was too powerful and precious to not share it with as many people as we possibly can.
Eventually a website will be set up devoted to Mom's ministry. Until then, I encourage you to continue checking this site regularly for updates.
The family has been coping fairly well over the past few days. As the hubbub surrounding the final days of Mom's life and her burial subsides, we all feel the implications of her loss more deeply. We are trying to adjust to a new type of normalcy that doesn't really seem normal at all.
Thank you again for all your thoughts and prayers. Again, if you have a testimony of how Mom has touched your life, I encourage you to send it by May 11 so we can include it in the book we are creating for our family to honor her legacy. You can email them to jandjwells@cox.net.
Josh
Mom was definitely a hero of faith, and we, as a family, have a strong desire that her story continue to be told and her testimony continue to go out even after her death. We are looking at the different avenues available to us in order to accomplish this goal. One thing that is in the works is we will be attempting to make DVD's of Mom's "Mrs. PJ" skits available to the public. At this point we're not sure how many quality recordings we have, but there are a few. Other thoughts have been to write a book telling her testimony, or a devotional book based on her writings and her Mrs. PJ character. Obviously we have not had the opportunity to get into details yet, but I wanted you all to know that we are committed to promoting her testimony and legacy for as long as we possibly can. Mom's life was too powerful and precious to not share it with as many people as we possibly can.
Eventually a website will be set up devoted to Mom's ministry. Until then, I encourage you to continue checking this site regularly for updates.
The family has been coping fairly well over the past few days. As the hubbub surrounding the final days of Mom's life and her burial subsides, we all feel the implications of her loss more deeply. We are trying to adjust to a new type of normalcy that doesn't really seem normal at all.
Thank you again for all your thoughts and prayers. Again, if you have a testimony of how Mom has touched your life, I encourage you to send it by May 11 so we can include it in the book we are creating for our family to honor her legacy. You can email them to jandjwells@cox.net.
Josh
Sunday, May 06, 2007
A Change In Hours Of Viewing Today
Mom's body is resting at Advantage Bransetter Merritt Funeral Home at 7720 S. Penn. The funeral home is located just south of I-240.
Today's viewing hours have been changed from 9:00am to 5:00pm. If you would like to visit with Dad and some of the other family members at the funeral home, they will be there today from 4:00pm-5:00pm.
Viewing hours tomorrow will be from 8:00am-11:00am at the funeral home. There will also be a viewing before the service begins at the church in the foyer south of the auditorium.
Due to the large crowd we are expecting there will not be a viewing at the end of the service. Also due to the expected crowd, there will be two over flow rooms with video and audio feeds if the auditorium becomes too crowded. We considered having the service in a larger place, but we know that Western Hills is home and so dear to Mom's heart. There will be a number of guests books to sign. Please take the time to sign one of them. This will mean alot to us.
Parking will also be an issue. Besides the parking lots at the church, there are many side streets around the church where parking is permitted.
The family would like to personally greet and thank everyone of you for attending Mom's service. This will not be possible at the service because of the large crowd. We will be available at the cemetery after Mom's burial. Mom will be buried immediately after the service at a new cemetery located at S.W. 119 and Interstate 44 just two miles from our home.
If you unable to make it to the cemetery, please accept now our most heart felt gratitude for your love and support.
The Wells Children
Today's viewing hours have been changed from 9:00am to 5:00pm. If you would like to visit with Dad and some of the other family members at the funeral home, they will be there today from 4:00pm-5:00pm.
Viewing hours tomorrow will be from 8:00am-11:00am at the funeral home. There will also be a viewing before the service begins at the church in the foyer south of the auditorium.
Due to the large crowd we are expecting there will not be a viewing at the end of the service. Also due to the expected crowd, there will be two over flow rooms with video and audio feeds if the auditorium becomes too crowded. We considered having the service in a larger place, but we know that Western Hills is home and so dear to Mom's heart. There will be a number of guests books to sign. Please take the time to sign one of them. This will mean alot to us.
Parking will also be an issue. Besides the parking lots at the church, there are many side streets around the church where parking is permitted.
The family would like to personally greet and thank everyone of you for attending Mom's service. This will not be possible at the service because of the large crowd. We will be available at the cemetery after Mom's burial. Mom will be buried immediately after the service at a new cemetery located at S.W. 119 and Interstate 44 just two miles from our home.
If you unable to make it to the cemetery, please accept now our most heart felt gratitude for your love and support.
The Wells Children
Saturday, May 05, 2007
Mom's Legacy
As I've mentioned before, I am taking the email messages and testimonies I have received and we are binding them into a book for our family.
If you have a specific testimony about Mom that is on your heart, either a specific event or a specific way that Mom has touched your life, please send it to me at jandjwells@cox.net. So many of you have already done this, but I want to give you all a final opportunity to honor Mom in this way.
I'll be trying to get this done fairly soon, so please try to get your testimonies to me by May 12.
Again, I'm so grateful for all of the emails and messages you have sent. We have received well over 1,000 messages for Mom. I've received over 500 in the past 3 weeks alone. We have read each and every one of them.
Josh
If you have a specific testimony about Mom that is on your heart, either a specific event or a specific way that Mom has touched your life, please send it to me at jandjwells@cox.net. So many of you have already done this, but I want to give you all a final opportunity to honor Mom in this way.
I'll be trying to get this done fairly soon, so please try to get your testimonies to me by May 12.
Again, I'm so grateful for all of the emails and messages you have sent. We have received well over 1,000 messages for Mom. I've received over 500 in the past 3 weeks alone. We have read each and every one of them.
Josh
Friday, May 04, 2007
Viewing
Mom's body is resting at Bransetter Merritt Funeral Home at 7720 S. Penn. The funeral home is located just south of I-240. Viewing hours are 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM on Saturday, May 5, and 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM on Sunday, May 6.
Josh
Josh
Thursday, May 03, 2007
5:37 PM, May 3, 2007
Mom's service will be held at 2:00 PM on May 7. It will be held at Western Hills Church on SW 44th and Walker in Oklahoma City.
I lieu of flowers, please give a gift for Mom to William, Jeremiah and Mercy's tuition at Christian Heritage Academy. Instructions for giving are to the right, and if you would like the entire story, read the blog post entitled "A Way to Give Back to Mom."
Thank you again for all your thoughts and prayers.
Josh
I lieu of flowers, please give a gift for Mom to William, Jeremiah and Mercy's tuition at Christian Heritage Academy. Instructions for giving are to the right, and if you would like the entire story, read the blog post entitled "A Way to Give Back to Mom."
Thank you again for all your thoughts and prayers.
Josh
1:33 PM, May 3, 2007
Mom passed away a little after 1:00 PM today. She went peacefully and with her family surrounding her.
I'll be posting details about her service as I get them.
Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers.
Josh and the entire Wells Family
I'll be posting details about her service as I get them.
Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers.
Josh and the entire Wells Family
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
11:53 PM, May 2, 2007
Tonight, Mom's blood pressure was 80/60. Her pulse rate is still over 130. She wasn't able to speak today, but she was able to blow a kiss to the grandkids and mouth "I love you" to each of us.
She did not seem to be in pain.
Thanks for your continued prayers.
Josh
She did not seem to be in pain.
Thanks for your continued prayers.
Josh
12:25 PM, May 2, 2007
Mom really enjoyed William's baptism last night. She eased off on her pain medication so she could be cognizant and alert for it. It was easily the highlight of her day.
It is becoming more and more difficult to manage Mom's pain and keep her comfortable. She is herself less and less. Her pulse rate has been extremely high, over 130, and her blood pressure has been low for several days now.
I was not able to read any emails to her yesterday because of her condition while I was with her, but I encourage you to continue sending them and I will read them to her at the first opportunity.
We have received so many testimonies of what Mom has meant to the lives of those she has touched. Our plan is to bind them all in a book and keep it as a legacy that our family can appreciate for generations.
Throughout this entire situation, we have all been blessed by evidence of the Lord's care for our family. One such incident happened last year. For years and years, one of the desires of Mom's heart was to go to Africa with a ministry called Reaching Souls International. Dad and I had been with them nearly 15 years ago where we helped train indigenous pastors in evangelism and discipleship techniques. We then spent a week preaching the Gospel in the streets and marketplaces of Bujumbura, Burundi.
Mom had never been able to go. A trip is a 3-4 week long commitment, and there were always young children to care for and other responsibilities she could not leave for that amount of time. Finally, in 2006, she was able to go. My sister Grace went with her. They spent a week training pastors and their wives and then preached the Gospel in the public areas of Arusha, Tanzania. They saw over 6,000 people come to know the Lord.
You can hear Mom's testimony about the trip by going here:
http://www.reachingsoulsinternational.org/multimedia.html
She returned from Arusha in August, and in September she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. I know the Lord's timing was in it. He gave her a desire of her heart before He put her through this trial. It's just another evidence that He cares about all those who serve Him and desires to give them good things.
Mom has been blessed, as has our family. Thank you all for your continued prayers.
Josh
It is becoming more and more difficult to manage Mom's pain and keep her comfortable. She is herself less and less. Her pulse rate has been extremely high, over 130, and her blood pressure has been low for several days now.
I was not able to read any emails to her yesterday because of her condition while I was with her, but I encourage you to continue sending them and I will read them to her at the first opportunity.
We have received so many testimonies of what Mom has meant to the lives of those she has touched. Our plan is to bind them all in a book and keep it as a legacy that our family can appreciate for generations.
Throughout this entire situation, we have all been blessed by evidence of the Lord's care for our family. One such incident happened last year. For years and years, one of the desires of Mom's heart was to go to Africa with a ministry called Reaching Souls International. Dad and I had been with them nearly 15 years ago where we helped train indigenous pastors in evangelism and discipleship techniques. We then spent a week preaching the Gospel in the streets and marketplaces of Bujumbura, Burundi.
Mom had never been able to go. A trip is a 3-4 week long commitment, and there were always young children to care for and other responsibilities she could not leave for that amount of time. Finally, in 2006, she was able to go. My sister Grace went with her. They spent a week training pastors and their wives and then preached the Gospel in the public areas of Arusha, Tanzania. They saw over 6,000 people come to know the Lord.
You can hear Mom's testimony about the trip by going here:
http://www.reachingsoulsinternational.org/multimedia.html
She returned from Arusha in August, and in September she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. I know the Lord's timing was in it. He gave her a desire of her heart before He put her through this trial. It's just another evidence that He cares about all those who serve Him and desires to give them good things.
Mom has been blessed, as has our family. Thank you all for your continued prayers.
Josh
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