A virtuous woman    By Bishop: Samir Shehata  

(prov 31: 10- 29)

Many daughters have done virtuously, nobly,  and well but you are excel them all.

(prov 31: 29)

and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

(1 Thess 4: 16 -17)

I wanted to write also about my wife who was with me in serving God. I want to mention how our life was abundant full of love, giving and for Christ who gave us Himself. She was faithful to me of compassion towards her sons and daughters. She walked with me along the road of serving the lord in which God hounerd us by his call serve him.

I would like to sowing all of this in this following :

She was a virtuous as a wife and mother. As I said before we got married at a young age, our wedding was on 28/8/1963) At that time our age was about 16 years since I was a student in the year of the high school commerce in the city Assiut. We lived together humble, simple life but she was satisfied to live that way (little things).

          Once I visited the church of God of prophecy in Egypt its name Apostolic Grace) in march 1963 during the general conference (convention) and since that day I loved the church and joined as a member. I was serving in Sunday school in this church. My wife was baptized in the Holy Spirit while was praying a lone at midnight …. Because she said to herself: “ if Holy Spirit exist pleas Lord baptize me and fill me with your spirit…. I want no one to put their hands upon me. That hour she was baptized in the Holy Spirit. God in his grace gave us our first born , she was very beautiful. We called her name “ Ragaa”. We loved her so much.

          When I finished my studies in the high school God opened before me a door to work at Lillian Trasher orphanage on 2/11/1966. In spite of the fact that our lif was simple with some challenges but we were happy offring thanks to our Lord for all things she was not complain through our difficulties or because our need.

My wife was satisfied thanking God because she trusted and loved him from all her heart. If she get up at night from her sleep she did not turn the light on, so I would not be confused. She was very sensitive and full of love towards me . She did her best to comfort me with all means. We had many difficulties in our life which no one of our peoples in the church knows about it. “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us” (Rom 8: 37)

          I preferred to call her “mom” as her children did. She was a good mother to our children at home. She loved and respected them and they respected her. No one in our home spoke with aloud voice. We were able to discus all matters peacefully. I respected her opinion because she always said the truth in wisdom and she knows what to say. I respected her as a wife. So our youngest son Andria saw that behavior and he said to me once “I learned from you dady how I would respect my wife as you gave me an example because you respect Momy so much in love. Yes this is the way to teach our children by being an example, in our homes. My wife loved her sons and daughters so much more than herself. She did every thing to help them so when she saw any of them was sick. She continued to pray until he get well. She did the same thing with her grandchildren and granddaughters.

During our visit to U.S.A she heard about the sickness of one of her grandchildren, so when we returned to Egypt we went to the city Nag Hamady in Upper Egypt to see him quickly. When she saw him very sick and she gave him from here blood because her was in need to it. Our sons And daughters learned from her, so when our son Amir saw his nephew need blood he gave him. My wife full of love and giving!! She always felt and knew the needs of her children even if they never asked her. Once she came to me saying: “ one of our children needs something” Then I asked her: did he asked you about this matter? She replayed: I knew that by my feeling and I could read it in his eyes without his words …..She was a good true woman and good mother.

They know the needs of her children even if they ask, me saying so and so comes so and so or thing needs to Doe, in order to Vosalha Did they say they need this thing? She says I can see this in their eyes and know their needs from their eyes before their words .. This is the mother and wife.

During her sickness she was asking About her youngest grandchildren, "Ronnie" Sometimes she pointed with her finger because she couldn’t speak asking about her children and their sons. In those days while she was in the hospital doctors were taking hr in for a surgery while she could not speak or open her eyes. In that moment, and came my daughter, Lillian, along with Ronnie said Ronnie Hi my Tita ... She looked towards the voice and opened her eyes in her and hugged him strongly! Even the nurses saw that and astonished. Many things to all her children if I want to write, it needs to be written, not lines or an article, it has been association with her husband and her children and grandchildren very severe!! Therefore, the right to say “Her children arise up , and call her blessed ; her husband also, and he praiseth her” (Prov31 : 28) Yes, I raised her children to have faith in them useless hypocrisy “When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice” (2 Tim 1:5)

Virtuous as a partner in the service:

All the pastors and ministers agree about her partnership with me to serve the lord Jesus Christ. When they came after death they spoke words about her life affected many around her. For example Rev. / Samir Seif in his word said that: She could not speak fluently although she didn’t study theology, but left a great infulness by her life and service in quietness at every churches Yes, all people witness that she had a significant impact during her life although she did not speak much.

I remember during my first visit to U.S.A to attend the convention and before it we went to attend conference for youth. There was a minister told that story he said “A woman came to me that desire to service Christ full time, Then I asked her a question by saying: Are you married and have? She answered by saying “ yes”, I told her Serve your husband and your children in your home ... This is a service that required you to the Lord!! This is the service what God require you to do.” Realy this was service which my wife was doing and did her best in quietness and in love.

At the beginning of my service she accompanied to the village of “TASS”, about 35 kilometers, far from the city of Assuit . In that time there was no paved road, nor had the traffic which were rare to go to that church in this village.We to use many ways of transpiration. It was difficult but she supported me and partnered with me, this blessings to serve Jesus Christ

When God put on my shoulder the responsibility to be a Bishop and I was responsible for the Assembly nothing changed. My wife encouraged me by traveling with me to every church I visited.

All people of God Knew her and she knew her and she loved them. She was happy to meet pastors and ministers and their wives also the brethren, at any place.

 When we came to live in Giza city she wept with tears because there was no meeting (church) near our home. So she was praying that God leads to find a place (Meeting) near our home ….although it was in impossible by human logic but God did answered her prayers and we had a meeting as a church which Bishop Claton wittiness at his last visit that this meeting exist by wife’s prayers while his visit to her in the hospital.

In the room of intensive care said that the place of new meting god gave us that I spoke in it by answering prayers of my wife who prayed much and persisted. She was like to go early to the meeting to welcome the people to encourage them. When I said to her: “ Why do you go Early before the time of the service?. She said that I welcome the people and to pray before the beginning of the service. She was longing to se the assembly grow rapidly. She encouraged me when I felt tired or stumbling frustrated. She always stood along beside of any minister joined our assembly who was in his life and she was praying for him that God solve his problem.

She was very happy when any new minister joined our Assemply. She was full with joy when we established a new church at any place. She felt happy when I was happy and vice versa.

She loved to be with the pastors and their families in a quiete place to spend time together as one family.

Even in depth of her pain, she rejoiced when a pastor came to pray for. When she was in the intensive care visit and they came to take hr for an X ray and there was pastor Baket and his wif who wre visiting his brother who was in an accident thy saw her, pastor Bakeet and his wife “Om Samy “ went her to the X ray room she held the hand of “ Om Samy” and told her that is sam on who is always with hr in the hospital and she trusts in him. She held the hand of “ Om Samy” until she was taken back to the seven floor the intensive care unit is located. She always feels the love and security sisters and brothers of the church in any place they met.

She traveled with me were I traveled in spite of her pain not for the joy of travel but because she wanted to be not to me. People knew her well even she did not speak their language, she speak their feeling so they understand her and responeded to her. What a virtuous Woman!

She always was happy when found her children in the church services; she encouraged them to walk with the lord whom she know to be faithful in her life. She encouraged her oldest son to serve the lord in spite of the he was involved in the ministry of the society in Assiut, also in the printing and in the conferences etc. But in her last days as she felt that her time is near, She asked him more and more to go to full time ministry. That was the desire of her heart that her children servants of the lord.

We thank the Lord for her daughters in Nagh Hamadi Amira and Ragaa are leaders of women’s meeting and Sunday school.

She started to know that her days are nunbered while we were in Cyprous on a our  visition 18 -21 of Feburary2011 in the ladies conference.

Specially on Sunday evening after the conference was finished. She said in a troubled voice “ I do not want to die here away from my children … Please quickly change our tickets. I want to travel back now. It was after 10P.M.,I tried call the children and I was able to connect with Lillian and Amir and asked them to talk to their mam so she can be quiet down. She slept that knight and the next day, we had breakfast and then we went to the beach were w had lunch and came bake and got on luggage ready and took the plane back to Cairo.

When we arrived at the airport in Cairo all our children surrounded hr. Since that time sickness took over her and she had surgeries.

And this was God’s will to take her after she gone through pain and sickness from March 10 – to sebtamber6, 2011 . All that time, she was praying and singing and claps her hands lot. Her memory lost a lot of things but she never forget prayer and singing, she signing a lot with pastor Emil with her daughter’s husband.

She always said I want to go as she traveling until she went to be with the Lord with the hope of Resurrection when she will met her beloved savior Jesus Christ (Rev 21 : 3 -4)

The words which always on her lips “we thank Jesus” She said it in all circumstances, because she was accepting and thankful.

When doctors and nurses asked her in the hospital how she is doing she always said “ I thank Jesus”.

These were not word only but it was a message to all have who were around her in the hospital, because Jesus name is a wonderful name we must thank him and confess him.

Sorry I took so long, but what I said is a part of me and I want to thank all of you for comforting me and my family and your over welmed me with your love and comforting words which came from your hearts. I also offer my great gratitude to musher Hussan Tantawy for his telegraph of comfort and for Rev. Dr Safwat El Byadee the head of Evangelical denomination in Egypt for his telegraph. Also I want to thank all pastors in ministry starting with Bishop Randy and Bishop David Whom their words came from the heart to our hearts. Thanks to Bishop Clyton who Called me only after ten minutes and since that did not stop calling me to encourage me.

 I thank all friends on face book who put the memorial pictures for bott of us which were taken at conference in Cyprus or pictures from Egypt. I thank all who love us and called, wrote telegrams or came to comfort me with words from the Holy Spirit. Thank you very much. I pray that God bless you and your families and your churches and use you for his glorious name.

                                                                                      God bless You

cogopeg@cogopeg.com