I just read about a reunion of 40 family members with a 92-year-old Greek woman who played a big part in their lives--for many before they were even born. Melpomeni Dina was a teenager living with her two older sisters in Veria, Greece, when they learned of a Jewish family of seven who were hiding out from the Nazis in a nearby mosque. Because of the cramped conditions and poor ventilation in the loft of the mosque, the family was developing health problems and they needed new quarters. Efthimia Gianopoulou, the oldest sister, offered to house them. At great risk to themselves, Melpomeni and her sisters hid them in their little apartment for several months, sharing their own food rations with them while farming a small plot of land nearby to supplement their diets. Beithleem Gianopoulou would often reminisce about carrying a sack of food for 10 people on her back from the fields each day (Magra).
Unfortunately, a 6-year-old boy in the Mordechai family became gravely ill and had to be admitted to the local community hospital. But a local resident, when they saw them there, reported them to the authorities. Realizing that the cover had been blown, the family fled to the Vermio Mtns. The three sisters provided clothes and provisions for their journey. Where they waited out the rest of the war. The family, now 40 in all, ended up settling in Israel after the war (Magra). Imagine the peace and joy and memories of this 92-year-old hero meeting the grandchildren of those she had helped rescue 50 years earlier. Imagine the joy of meeting those in the new earth that we helped bring to the Lord in this life. Waxing and vacuuming the church for our first Sabbath must have been a burden, like carrying food for 10 people, but imagine the joy of seeing how getting this church together for these folks will someday tell for eternity. If we keep faithfully moving forward, we can look forward to a grand reunion someday where we’ll hear the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!” Matthew 25:21
Magra, Iliana. “Teenage Rescuer, Now 92, Meets Family She Saved from Nazis.” The New York Times. 5 November 2019. Accessed November 25, 2019. Online.