After living in Tanzania for many years, we now live in the UK and enjoy working with Amigos Worldwide and Bees Abroad as we continue to be passionate about seeing local churches transform their communities!

Friday 2 January 2015

Remembering Mr Beck

It is hard right now to write about the happy times we have enjoyed over the past week here in Mwanza, while grieving the sudden death of good man in Langley, BC, Canada. So many friends are grieving and my thoughts and prayers are especially with Kitty, Alisha, Amy and Jesse as they walk this difficult path. Rob has impacted the lives of many people (especially so many students who have gone through the King's School) and will be so very missed.

As well a family friend, Rob Beck was the principal of The King's School in Langley through my Grade 5-12 school years and also when I later returned as a teacher and had to try to call him Rob! I remember the honour of being a "coffee and tea girl" when I was around 11 years old in Mrs Meighen's class, with the job of serving Mr Beck coffee at break time. He was always such a laugh and a tease and I remember my friend Cherie and I somehow getting our own back with some mischief in his coffee cup!

It was with Rob and Kitty that I took my first trip to Africa as a 14 year old, on a school trip to Uganda... that trip, as well as the all the preparation and team building that went on before it, leaves so many wonderful memories! And given the fact that I'm here now, it has it's own legacy for me! So many other memories of hilarity on school trips and musicales... and especially grade 12 twentieth century history in which we often wondered if he'd show up for class but loved the "rabbit trails" through history that came alive when he did! Then chili days and curry days. We loved working in the kitchen with Mr Beck... cooking up hot curry for the whole school or his legendary chili (which I still make today twenty years later, and it is always noticed particularly for its pineapple!). You could never add too much spice for Rob! He was full of spice with his zest for life. Full of laughs for taking us down dark city allies to eat the best Chinese behind the grimy green door! Full of stories. Full of life.

It is hard to comprehend that a life so full on this earth could end so quickly. It was a salmonella infection just before Christmas that led to further complications. Yet to comprehend that our lives are in our Father's hand! Rob now celebrates in the joy of the Lord, with no doubt even more zest and enthusiasm!

 

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