February 16, 2006
Rosalie Waymire, one of God’s great missionaries, has gone home to be with her Lord.
In the summer of 2000, Rosemary went to Albania as a WEI campaigner for the first time. Within days after she arrived, she said, “I’m going home; I’m going to take care of some personal affairs; and I’m coming back to teach.” Within a few weeks after the campaign ended, Rosalie was back in Tirana working with Ellen Walker and other missionaries in an effort to lead her Albanian students to Christ. She loved them, and they loved her.
Rosalie said she had been sitting on the side lines, warming pews, and feeling useless long enough.
In Albania, she felt fulfilled. She had a sense of purpose—a feeling of belonging. Leading her students to Christ filled her heart with joy.
During the last six years of her life, Rosalie spent almost as much time in Albania as she did in Idaho. In fact, she was eagerly anticipating her return to Albania this summer when she learned that she had inoperable cancer.
Instead of complaining, Rosalie praised God for the hope within her, and she faced death with dignity, confidence, and serenity.
Her three surviving children wrote the following words for the obituary, “Rosalie had amazing strength and beauty inside and out. . . . She passed away with a smile knowing she was loved by her children, family, and friends.” She also knew she was loved by God and by her Lord, Jesus Christ. Perhaps she died smiling because she saw the angels coming to take her home.
Ellen Walker wrote the following in her recent newsletter: “Many of you have heard that my dear, sweet roommate, Rosalie, went to be with the Lord this past Wednesday. . . . I will never forget the lessons that I learned from Rosalie’s life of service, selflessness, and graciousness. She lived her life to the fullest with a smile on her face. The truth is, having lost her husband, two children, and siblings would have made a lesser woman bitter, but not Rosalie. . . . May I live my life so as to be that kind of example.”
God bless the memory of Rosalie Waymire. It is an understatement to say she will be missed.
