Sarah was one of those people who could immediately put a smile on your face whenever she entered a room.  She lived her life with a passion that no one and nothing could ever quench.  And her love for God was so evident in the way she loved the people around her.

    I never once thought that the last time I saw her would truly be the last time I would see her.  I said goodbye for the few months it would be, not the goodbye until I join her with our Father.  I never told her how much she meant to me, how much I love this girl who went from stranger to sister in a matter of months.

    I've been trying to hold it together.  Then it all comes flooding back to me.  Half the time, it still doesn't seem real.  Half the time I think I'll still be seeing her soon, seeing her smile, getting a warm hug, and hearing her over-exaggerated Minnesota accent.  However, it is all memories now.

    But, oh how thankful I am that I have those memories.  Here are a few I hold very dearly:

    *Driving to Cape Town and Sarah belting out to the African Christmas music

    *Whenever she saw me at UCSA, she would yell, "MINNESOTA" across the     compound.  My fellow Minnesotan,

    *Sarah was my secret santa this Christmas.  I don't know how she managed     it, but she put pieces of paper all over my bunk that said, "Beautiful" on each     on.  Nothing more, nothing less, just "Beautiful".  Sarah loved to encourage     everyone in any way she could.

Those are so few of the memories I can remember.  But it is late, and my mind is still scattered.  Until later, here is the song that I keep listening to.  This will forever be a song that reminds me of Sarah when I hear it:

With Hope - Steven Curtis Chapman

This is not at all how

We thought it was supposed to be

We had so many plans for you

We had so many dreams

And now you've gone away

And left us with the memories of your smile

And nothing we can say

And nothing we can do

Can take away the pain

The pain of losing you, but ...

We can cry with hope

We can say goodbye with hope

'Cause we know our goodbye is not the end, oh no

And we can grieve with hope

'Cause we believe with hope

(There's a place by God's grace)

There's a place where we'll see your face again

We'll see your face again

And never have I known

Anything so hard to understand

And never have I questioned more

The wisdom of God's plan

But through the cloud of tears

I see the Father's smile and say well done

And I imagine you

Where you wanted most to be

Seeing all your dreams come true

'Cause now you're home

And now you're free, and ...

We have this hope as an anchor

'Cause we believe that everything

God promised us is true, so ...

So we can cry with hope

And say goodbye with hope

We wait with hope

And we ache with hope

We hold on with hope