Steph wrote the following in memory of Jolynn’s time here.
Six months ago, we said goodbye to Jolynn. That feels like forever ago, and sometimes I wonder if her time here was a dream, but we have pictures to prove it wasn’t.
When we were getting our things lined up in the States, we were looking for a girl to come with us to be a baby maid for a few months. Levi and Judi thought that Jolynn would be a perfect fit with knowing the people here and the language. We agreed. So she packed up and left her family to join ours for six months.
Jolynn turned out to be a tremendous blessing. She was a cheerful helper and introduced us to a lot of people. The children loved her, and we had to stay on our toes to keep them from overwhelming her with their exuberance or taking advantage of her soft heart.
I enjoyed hearing Jolynn’s singing throughout the days. It was a blessing and encouragement. She taught us Spanish songs, helped us with pronunciation and corrected our mistakes… Sometimes. It was a great help to have someone around to ask questions about Spanish grammar or local customs. Although things were slightly different in some ways than when she lived here.
We still get asked in town if Jolynn is coming back or where she is living. We usually say that she wants to come visit. We hope that can happen sometime.
We have had someone living with us or shared a house with others for most of our married years. Jolynn was the first to come specifically to help us, and I enjoyed having her willing hands around. Six children are a huge blessing, but I often feel like I can’t reach around to all the tasks I need to. Experience has a way of teaching us how to be efficient, but there are stages of life where we need an extra hand.
Thank you, Jolynn, for having been our willing, cheerful helper.
Juan David 