At the end of the story, the beginning makes sense!
On September 27 at 11:50 a.m., Yvonne Trimble’s mother, Yvette Melchionne passed peacefully to her eternal reward. Two months prior, Yvette had suffered a debilitating stroke that rendered her immobile and speechless. On the day of her passing, she returned from lunch and silently slipped away, still in her wheelchair.
As a young wife, Yvette bore five children in a five-year period; then fell to a postpartum depression with psychotic features. Treatment helped her function but her reasoning and affections remained marred. When Yvonne was nine and her youngest sibling just four, Yvette abandoned her husband and children. For the remainder of their childhood, the family did not experience the love or nurturing help of a mom.
In 1981, the Trimbles stopped to see Yvette in Florida while on our way to catch a plane to Haiti where they were missionaries. When her Mom sent her to get something from the bedroom, Yvonne saw a black magic idol on Yvette’s dresser. Her mother was practicing witchcraft and though Yvonne wept, prayed and witnessed to her; it seemed her pleas fell to the ground. That was the last time Yvonne saw her mother — until February 2013!
In 2004 their half-brother called to say that he and Mom had been living in their van for the past six years and now that the van was impounded, would they take care of Mom? The once-abused and abandoned siblings refused. Then he too left her, and Yvette lived in homeless shelters and on the streets until someone placed her in a psychiatric nursing home in 2012.
Yvonne’s father Tony had raised five children alone, sacrificially providing for them. Yvonne says, “I am who I am today because of my Father; I never saw him drunk or with another woman. The Marine motto ‘Semper Fi’ was tattooed on his arm; it was who he was ‘Always Faithful’ to God and his family.” For many years he spent Christmases in Haiti and he lived with the Trimbles for eighteen months before he entered a nursing home. Tony passed in his sleep on January 31, 2013. In San Francisco, Yvonne told her sister, “Find Mom! When you call to report Dad’s passing to Social Security, find out where her checks are going.”
Weeks later Yvette was located in a Seattle nursing home with a Christian tract in her purse and wearing a crucifix. Questioned about her faith, she said she knew Him! Yvonne flew ten hours from Port au Prince to Seattle to spend twelve hours with her Mom; the woman for whom she had wept now spoke healing words of motherly love for the first time. Today Yvonne grieves “but not as others do”, for the Mom she did not have on earth she will have for eternity!
Yvette will be laid to rest beside Yvonne’s dad Tony. The Trimbles are certain they will see her again! This miracle of forgiveness and restoration is a testimony of God’s sovereign power and love.
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Version used in sermon:
Yvonne Trimble is a Christian missionary in Haiti. On September 27 last year, Yvonne Trimble’s mother died. As a young wife, this woman gave birth to five children in a five-year period. She then had a postpartum depression with psychotic features.
Treatment helped her function but her reasoning and affections remained marred. When Yvonne was nine and her sister just four, their mother abandoned her husband and children. For the remainder of their childhood, the family did not experience the love or nurturing help of a mom.
Yvonne’s father Tony raised five children alone, sacrificially providing for them. Yvonne says, “I am who I am today because of my Father; I never saw him drunk or with another woman. The Marine motto ‘Semper Fi’ was tattooed on his arm; it was who he was, ‘Always Faithful’ to God and his family.” He lived with Yvonne the last 18 months of his life, then died after entering a nursing home.
His death put something in Yvonne’s heart. She told her sister, “Find Mom! When you call to report Dad’s death to Social Security, find out where her checks are going.”
They had last seen her 30 years ago. The mother had idols in her apartment and practiced witchcraft. Her Christian daughters tried to witness to her but she rejected them.
Then 10 years ago they heard from a half-brother that their mother had been living in a van for the past six years. The van was impounded and they discussed who would take her in. The children who had once been abandoned by this woman refused to help her. They heard she lived in homeless shelters and on the streets until someone placed her in a psychiatric nursing home in 2012.
Then their father died. It took just a few weeks to locate their mother in a Seattle nursing home. Yvonne’s sister said their mother had a Christian tract in her purse and was wearing a crucifix. Questioned about her faith, she said she knew Jesus. Yvonne flew ten hours from Haiti to Seattle to spend 12 hours with her Mom. For the first time her mother spoke to her in a loving way.
Their mother was laid to rest beside their father. They grieve, but they know where their mother is, and they praise God for the miracle of forgiveness and reconciliation.