LAST LESSONS #170 — LAST LESSONS — HEAVEN

“In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that were I am you may be also.” John 14:2-3

I am thinking of heaven this week because Bishop Erasto Kweka has just entered there. You may not know who he was unless you read the book Rafiki published called HUMBLE HEROES. Bishop Kweka was the Archbishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania and the one who helped us start Rafiki and to start it under the Church. When we were praying about starting a village with an orphanage in Tanzania, I assumed that the capital of Dar es Salaam would be the obvious place. When the government wanted us to put our village in a completely Muslim area near Dar es Salaam, we went up to Moshi (where we had lived in the 60’s) to get Bishop Kweka’s advice and he said, “Why don’t you come under the Lutheran Church in Moshi and put an orphanage here? After all, it’s your home!”

And so we did! And Bishop Kweka helped us do everything necessary to start the Rafiki Foundation in Africa with its Home Office in San Antonio, TX. That was in 1984.

Bishop Kweka was also the one who made it possible to start the Widow’s Program. He provided a place (Usa River) for our missionaries to live and for making ceramic jewelry to sell in Tanzania’s game parks.

Now this man of God has gone to heaven at age 89 and I look forward to seeing him when I arrive there.

Heaven is the place that Jesus said he was preparing for those of us who believe in him. It’s a real place where Jesus is. We know that the Father is there too because in the Lord’s prayer we pray, “Our Father in heaven.” We know Jesus is there seated at the right hand of God the Father praying for us, Hebrews 7:25 tells us, “Consequently, he (Jesus) is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.” In heaven we will see the Father and we will see his Son. How wonderful that will be!

And I am sure that Bishop Kweka will be there too, and so will my dear husband Bob, and my parents, and my siblings, and so many Christian relatives and friends.

As I write these words, it makes me eager to go to heaven—and I will as soon as I finish the work God prepared for me to do on earth (Ephesians 2:10).

What about you? Are you ready to go to heaven?