Joseph Shenk, a long term mission worker with Eastern Mennonite Missions in Tanzania died at the age of 67 after he was hit by a truck while jogging near his home in Musoma, Tanzania. He and his wife, Edith, also served for 20 years as pastors in Virginia Conference.
Edith and her family experienced a double tragedy when her son-in-law, Rueben, was also killed in a vehicle accident in Virginia, leaving behind his wife, Rose, and their four young sons. The Shenk family held memorial services for Rueben one Sunday and Joe the next in 2005.
Both Edith and Rose discuss their intense and dual walks through grief. They are featured guests on this week’s Shaping Families radio program from Third Way Media, “I remember kind of living through those days and it felt a little bit like my life was some tragic foreign film, happening to somebody else,” Rose said.
Edith and Rose, both remarried, share how they made quilts and scrapbooks to help them on their separate but similar journeys. Joe’s brother-in-law, Omar Eby, compiled letters which Joe wrote home during his years as a mission worker. The book is entitled Rafiki: Letters to Omar and is available from the xlibris.com website.
Shaping Families radio program airs each weekend on 17 local radio stations and online at www.ShapingFamilies.com. Also featured at the website is a weekly blog by host Burton Buller, a weekly recipe from Shaping Families staff and contributors, a study guide for small groups and Sunday school classes and many additional resources. Shaping Families is produced by Third Way Media through Mennonite Mission Network.
