PHOEBE (reposted)

This was originally posted on July 8 and at that time caused the layout of the blog
to get all messed up (see "Thank You Dave and Jon" for an explanation).  I have
decided to try to repost it today.  Phoebe, like me, described herself as 
ECCENTRIC".  I think she would have gotten a laugh about all the problems she
caused me with my blog layout.  So here is what I originally posted on July 8:

"I commend unto you Phoebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which 
is at Cenchrea:" (Romans 16:1)

In my entire life I think I've only known ONE Phoebe.  (Well, there WAS a 
character named Phoebe on a soap opera I used to watch in the 1970s, but 
somehow 
I don't think that counts!)  The one Phoebe I've known was Phoebe Yphantis.  
(Yphantis is a Greek last name.  She pronounced it "Yee-FAN-tis").

To the best of my knowledge, Phoebe Yphantis never set foot in our church 
building, but in many respects she considered First Assembly of God of Framingham 
HER church.  My first contact with Phoebe was about ten years ago.  In those 
days, we had a weekly radio program on (now defunct) J-Light Christian Radio 
AND I was a frequent guest on J-Light's morning drive program.  Phoebe began 
regularly telephoning our church, sending in financial contributions to our 
church, and praying for our church.  

From time to time, I'd visit Phoebe with Claire Grimes, an older woman from 
our church.  Phoebe lived in a small apartment in a complex for the elderly and 
disabled in Wayland.  She was heavy-set.  She wasn't much to look it.  Well, 
she wasn't ugly or anything, but she was not the kind of woman that guys would 
even remotely feel physically attracted to.  When we were first visiting her, 
she was in her early 60s.  Over the years, I learned that Phoebe had been the 
daughter of a minister.  I also learned she'd attended Lexington Christian 
High School with Paul Hubley, who I know.  (Paul was pastor of "Chapel of the 
Cross" - a Baptist church in Southborough- in the 1990s.)  I learned she had a 
sister in Tennessee and a brother in western Massachusetts who was financially 
comfortable but had pretty much walked away from the Christianity of his 
youth.  

Phoebe called on the phone quite a bit, and she could talk for at least 
thirty minutes at a time.  Sometimes that got kind of taxing, but I did feel sorry 
for her.  She DID make fairly regular financial contributions to the church.  
Phoebe was poor.   The checks were mostly small, but I'd say over the past ten 
years she gave at least $1000. to our little church.  In September of 2002, 
we held a special outreach to the children and families of our church's 
neighborhood which we called,"Fun Fiesta:.  For us it was a huge undertaking.  
Phoebe made "Fun Fiesta" a huge prayer matter and prayed a LOT for it.  It was a 
very successful event.  My wife Mary Ann made Phoebe a photo album about "Fun 
Fiesta" as a thank you to her.

About eighteen months ago, Phoebe Yphantis moved from the apartment complex 
in Wayland to a nursing home in Sudbury.  I sent her regular newsletters, and 
she phoned me probably about once every two weeks or so.  On Saturday, I 
received a blunt phone call from the nursing home asking me to stop sending mail 
to Phoebe as she is no longer a resident.

"Did she pass away?"  I asked.

The called somewhat reluctantly told me she'd passed away a couple of weeks 
ago.

I thought about the last phone call I had with her which was about four or 
five weeks ago.  She was having a lot of health issues and I made it a point to 
pray for her before I hung up.  

"Stay in touch," I encouraged her.

I did an on-line search for Phoebe Yphantis.  I could not find an Obituary, a 
Death Notice, or ANYTHING.  I wonder if her family just had the body 
cremated, or quickly buried.  Come to think of it, I think she MAY have had her 
body donated to science. 

Yes, sometimes Phoebe's phone calls could be kind of long and feel a bit 
intrusive, but, I'm going to miss them...