November 25, 2015. Madison, GA. Bob

We met Bob and Wanda Hearing a few days after we arrived in Madison, just over a year ago. They lived just up the hill from our RV site. They were a couple in their mid-80's and had been with Source of Light Ministries for about 7 years, after a long career in the mission and various ministry fields. They were purchasing agents for SLMI. Bob had been Director of the Madison Discipleship School (MDS) for a number of years.
Bob had surgery for a cancer condition the week before Thanksgiving last year, and while he was in surgery, Wanda began to unexpectedly bleed internally and before her condition could be addressed, she died right there in the hospital the day after Thanksgiving. Bob awoke from surgery to be told that Wanda had passed away.
But Bob was a fighter, recovered from that surgery, returned to work and was determined to continue on at SLMI and was doing very well. When Karen and I came back to Madison three weeks ago, we were glad to see Bob doing so well, working in MDS again, and deeply committed to guiding prison inmates through the Bible Correspondence Courses. He became emotional whenever one of his "students" accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior and he was moved by the letters he received and the exchange of communication with them. Last Friday, Bob worked his normal hours, went shopping for groceries on Saturday morning and when he returned home, he carried one load of bags into the house, and while taking the second load in, suffered a massive stroke and fell while going up the outside stairs. He was found a short time later, taken by ambulance to the hospital in Athens and never regained consciousness. Bob went to be with his Lord and Savior this morning at 5:55. The man he trained to take his place as Director of MDS was with him when he went to Glory. Brian had been reading some of the Correspondence Course answers to Bob through the night and while Bob was not conscious, he was "working" until the end.
Bob was a fighter for The Lord. Like the apostle Paul, Bob was prepared to do whatever was needed here to serve the Lord, but he was also prepared to be with the Lord, and his beloved Wanda in Heaven. Wanda, with The Lord the day after Thanksgiving, 2014; Bob with the Lord the day before Thanksgiving, 2015. Bob's children were delayed by weather from seeing him before he passed on, but they did arrive just a short while ago. We grieve for their loss, but we are glad for Bob and the new life he now enjoys in Heaven. We are thankful that we got to be with the Hearings, if only for a brief time. Their lives, and their new lives, are an inspiration to us and the many others they touched over the years. Thank you, Wanda. Thank you Bob.......and, Thank You, Lord.
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