The Legacy Lives On

This past Sunday I mentioned Mrs. Eldora Windham as an example of faithful obedience (in the pattern of Jesus’ mother, Mary and SBC pioneer missionary Lottie Moon). 

We saw an old picture dated November 16, 1952 of the Windham family at church the day before they left for the mission fields of India.  The writing on the edge was faded and impossible to read. 

After the service Sunday Mrs. Rosalind Tolin came up to me thanking me for introducing Lottie Moon to many who did not know her story.  She went to on share how she and a couple of other Westwood members were present that day in 1952 when the picture was taken. 

Here are ‘folks from around here’ packing up, loading up their kids, leaving their family and going far away to tell others about Jesus.  The setting was Clement Baptist Church, and the image was still fresh on the minds of those who were there.  And the Windham’s were not the only ones to go from Clement! 

This morning I received the following email from onother Westwood member, Phyllis Clayton:

Dear Gerald, 

I understand you nor Jeremy could read or understand the writing on Eldora’s picture you showed on the screen.  Let me share with you about that picture. 

When we cleaned out Mother’s things after Christmas (being the first of this year), we found some pictures that were in reference to Clement history.  Mother was the church clerk as well as the historian for Clement Baptist Church for many years.  Apparently these pictures got “lost” in the shuffle.  But about Mrs. Windham.

The picture was taken at the bottom of the front steps of Clement Baptist Church.  It was taken by Mrs. Addie C. Wilborne, who was a VERY missionary minded lady in the church.  (That is her husband with his hand on his hip in the background).  And she wrote on everything. 

The caption on this picture reads:     Sun. Nov. 16, 1952.  They left next day to help let people of India know of Savior born on Christmas Day. 

In the picture are: Eldora and husband Milton, the little boy is Wray, and the girl is their oldest child, Bobbie.  Youel would have been the black blob.  Twila was born later in India.

So yes, I grew up always knowing that Clement had a missionary in a far away country, India.  and always knowing Eldora was from “just across the creek” from us. 

And when Eldora and I met again at Westwood, I felt like I already had family there.  She was a person I hold dear in my heart, and yes, I miss her still.

Thank you, Gerald for letting me share.  

Phyllis (Clayton)

THANK YOU Raye and Phyllis for sharing this with us!  What an amazing testimony to the influence of faithfulness.  Faithfulness demonstrated not just in going to the mission field, but faithfulness demonstrated in a lifetime of humble Christlikeness and obedience.  I am so thankful for people like Eldora, who even though they are gone they are still influencing the lives of others. Their legacy lives on.