60 Years

I had the pleasure of attending a reception on Saturday for a 60th wedding anniversary. Not many people are married that many years, so it was a special day, but this day was special because of the two special people who were celebrating, Gilbert and Carolyn Ross.
I wrote about my dear friend Carolyn a few weeks ago, so I won't repeat that story now.Gilbert and Carolyn were married at a young age.
They attended College together, then went to seminary, then to Mexico, where they served as missionaries for 47 years. They lived in Durango, a city surrounded by mountains. Not content with sharing the gospel of Jesus with the people of Durango, Gilbert bought a small plane and learned to fly so that he could go to the people who lived in the remote villages in the mountains. Carolyn tells how Gilbert sang his favorite hymn, How Great Thou Art every time he flew, always trusting God to get him to the village and back home again as he flew the little plane that he somehow kept together and in the air. For many years, Gilbert would cry every time he heard that song because it brought back such sweet memories of God's protection and care. Gilbert and Carolyn made a huge impact on the city of Durango and the surrounding area as they faithfully lived their lives and shared God's love. Even after Gilbert had to move into a nursing home due to Parkinson's disease and dementia, Carolyn would often find him in the hallway preaching to the nurses and residents (in Spanish of course). Gilbert is not able to preach any more, or sing, but he and Carolyn inspire those around them to love and serve our Lord faithfully and with radical abandon.

They celebrated on Saturday with four of their five daughters, pictured here, and many friends.