Silvia Batista- Feb 2, 2002 - March 1, 2018

This picture was taken in December when she graduated from English school.

If you’ve ever been to Makarios, you know how much
Silvia has been a part of our lives personally...and has been a part of the Makarios Family.  She lost her parents when she was an infant, and so Makarios and the church have played a significant role throughout her life.  After battling several different ailments for the past few weeks, her little body just couldn’t fight anymore.  At the age of 16, she went to be with the Lord on Thursday.  There’s so much we want to say to honor her precious life...and WILL say, but right now, the grief and pain are too raw. However, we do want to take a moment to say, “Thank You.”

Thank you to Lucia , who helps at the Mak House, and her entire family who ministered to us in our deepest grief.  On Thursday, when we told Lucia and her son, Abrahan to pray for Silvia, she called her husband to go to the hospital so he could pray for her.  He showed up in God’s perfect timing- just a few moments after Silvia passed away.  He was able to minister to her friends and family who had just received the devastating news.

Thank you to Abrahan, Catalina, and Elisabeth, our dear friends (and Lucia's children) who comforted us at the funeral and showed up at our house 2 evenings in a row to offer their gift of presence.  They also showed up the next day to prepare a meal and clean our house...just because they care.

Thank you to Jenna, Kiki, Adrienne, and Emily- our Mak Staff Friends- who prepared a meal for us after the funeral and came to our house to minister to us.  We truly felt loved and cared for by these ladies.

Thank you to Odilsia, our school cook, who made coffee for the countless people who showed up at Silvia’s house for the viewing.  She stayed throughout the night so others could come and pay their respects.  She also made arrangements for the gathering at Silvia’s house after the burial and served refreshments, even after staying up the entire night.  What a selfless servant.

Thank you to Cory, Ashly, Aldo, Bella, Nicole, Benja and our other Makarios Staff for making so many of the funeral arrangements- too many to list.

Thank you to Bernabe for driving me and Milka around to find a dress for Silvia to be buried in.  God led us to the perfect store- we found a beautiful dress in the first store we walked into.

Thank you to Benjamin for waiting for hours with Doug as he waited to pay the bill at the hospital.

Thank you to Milka, who was with her the morning she passed away, and thank you for being there to comfort me during my greatest trial.

Thank you to Daribelto, a Makarios teenager, for the kindest gesture.  As I stood by Silvia’s graveside grieving, he silently handed me the flowers he had brought to the cemetery to place on her grave, so that I could place them on her grave instead.

Thank you to Templo Biblico and my Makarios Family who did so much for Silvia...both in her life and in her death.  I appreciate it more than words can express.

Thank you to the pastors at Templo who have loved and cared for Silvia long before we moved to the DR.

Thank you to her sponsors- Chris and Erika, Cyndy, Jordan and Bridget who loved Silvia like their own.

Thank you for her sister, Miguelina, and her friends, Lily, Delidio, and Guadalupe who took such great care of her and spent the night with her while she was in the hospital.

Thank you for the literally thousands of group members from the States who have loved her, prayed for her, and played with her throughout the years.  It seems like everyone has a “Silvia story.”  She LOVED our Makarios teams.

Thank you to our friends, families, and supporters who have reached out via email, text, and phone calls to express their condolences.  We have been blessed and comforted in significant ways.  We can’t thank you enough for loving us through this painful time.

Thank you to Richie who shared the gospel with her on March 18, 2016.  That was the most important decision she ever made and was confident in her salvation.

I’m sure in our grief we have forgotten to mention others by name who have played an important part in Silvia’s beautiful, but painful story.  Please know that God sees...and we are grateful for the entire body of Christ who has played a role in Silvia’s life and death.

And last, but certainly not least...Thank you to our Heavenly Father who gives us hope...therefore we can rejoice in her death.

It has taken a village, but what a beautiful legacy she left.  Our loss is great,  but her victory is greater...and in that promise, we have hope.  Please keep us, her friends and family in your prayers as we grieve.

“I consider our present sufferings are not worth comparing to the glory that will be revealed in us.” Romans 8:18

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