Mother of Thousands

                                          Mother of Thousands
                        Written by Hannah Bottom



  Heather a young high school girl starting her junior year in school. She lived in a quite nice little town of about a five hundred. Heather had a sweet personality. She was about five – six in height and had blue eyes and auburn color hair.
  Her family was just a plain people. She had an older brother and a younger sister.  Two years early her dad had been in a car accident and had died.  Heather’s mom never remarried. Her brother Ryan just got home from college for the summer.
      Heather loved to work with children. She taught a Sunday school class, helped in the nursery, and helped in Bible clubs. Her youth group from her church was going to Mexico for a mission trip that summer.
  “ Have yall got every thing”, asked Mrs. Hines? “Yes, mom” replied Ryan. “Bye, love you both”, called Sandra.  “ Same to you”, called Heather as they took off down the street. While in Mexico they did bible clubs, went witnessing in the markets, have services, and help cook meals for the group. Heather had grown to love some of the children there and hated to leave them.
      School had started and every thing was back to normal. In Heather’s church there was this older couple who Heather had adopted for grandparents since she didn’t have any. They knew her love for children. They also knew that Heather felt like God had called her to help with a children home somewhere. And also Heather’s church supported some missionaries to the Philippines that had started children’s home. The missionaries were an older couple that had one married son and the other one and just started Bible College.
  Graduation came and went. Heather worked at a day care for the beginning of the summer. Until Mr. & Mrs. Parks at given her given her money to go to the Philippines.

  When she got to the Philippines the Phelps was to pick her up. “It’s so good to see you again,” replied Mrs. Phelps. “And the same to you,” answered Heather. When they got from the airport they gave her a tour of the children’s home and their house and church.  “I heard that you have a love for children,” said Mr. Phelps. “Yes, the Lord has given be a burden for children,” replied Heather. While she was in the Philippines she had helped in the children’s home.  The Phelps said that they would be going to the states for a while that next coming week. So they would see her again soon.
    When she got home she told her family and her church about her trip. And how God showed here different things.
  That next Wednesday the Phelps came to Heather’s church with their younger son Brian. The Phelps were staying with Heather’s family while they were there.  Heather and Brian talked some. They talked about the Philippines, Bible College and God’s will for their lives.
  That fall Heather went to Bible College. The same one the Brian was going too.
  After the second year of College Heather went to Germany to work in an orphanage and went took third year of College over there. Before Heather had gone to Germany her and Brian had been talking a lot to each other. And when she was in Germany she had time to think how close you had been drawn to him.
For her last year of college she went back home. By that time Brian had gone to the Philippines and started helping his parents.
  Graduation came and she got her diploma for missionary work and children work. Heather’s brother and his wife came with the rest of her family. Heather had been wondering what she would do after graduation. Then she found out.  A letter came from Brian to her mother.

Dear Mrs. Hines,
The times I have been with your daughter I could tell that she had the joy of the Lord in her. I could see it in the way she talked and on her face. The Lord is seem to be leading us in the same way. I’ll be taking the children’s home from my parents, as they will be returning to states. I have written to ask Heather’s hand in marriage.  May the Lord bless your family.

Sincerely Brian Phelps

That letter got Heather and her mom busy. Mrs. Hines wrote Brian right way and said that he could marry Heather. She would miss Heather but she knew Heather would be in good hands.  So Brian and Heather got married and went to the Philippines. There were a lot of children at the home but more kept coming. Heather loved each one of them as her own. It wasn’t until about five years after their marriage that Heather had a little girl Rebecca Anne. 
  Brian has had problems with his heart off and on. Then it hit him big. Brian had a heart a tack and passed away. Brian was about fifty when he had the heart attack. Rebecca and her husband Andrew were helping her mother after father had passed away.  Heather got a very bad flue and fever. She became so weak that she could barely move around. The fever took over and Heather went to me with her husband.
  All of the children that had gone through the home while she was there came back with their families for the funeral. The description on her grave marker was Mother of Thousands. Rebecca and her husband gave the children’s home to another couple and move to a different part of the Philippines to lead other to Christ.