I thought I'd write about the most godly person I've ever met, a true prophet of God.. Mary Zissomos is here nam. She is with the Lord now. She always used to ask me, "do you want to live forever." The obvious answer was no. She is in her reward now with our Lord, I am sure, as much as I can be sure, she is very rich in heaven as she placed her treasure in heaven rather than on earth.

In my book, "Jungle Jen" Mary is the character Mary Ziss. Now she didn't live in Providence Rhode Island as I have in the story, but everything else about Mary Ziss is taken from Mary. She appears only in Chapter 2. I simply wrote what I saw and remember from her bible study. 

I remember when she ran to get the meter reader so she could witness to him. I remember taking her to a college event once and she literally witnessed to every person she passed. If you were a stranger, she would preach the gospel, not out of necessity, but completely out of love. "He loves you" she would always say. 

Easily the most able teacher in any church service, she never preached. That was not her gift, not her place she would say. She never even held church membership, her husband would handle that. She would NOT even teach if he was in the house, she didn't want to be disrespectful to him, and her husband Van was quite a wise man himself, and an able teacher, but he would quietly leave when she was ready to start bible study, she wouldn't start until he was gone. 

I was privileged to know her for some 15 years. Many people came through her house, Her ministry was all word of mouth. You'd meet someone who was lost, who really needed prayer, needed a word from God, you'd give her Mary's number. She never turned anyone away. Thousands would call her, strangers she didn't know, she'd minister to them. 

With her death, I sincerely feel mentor less, she was irreplaceable. I fear on earth I should never meet her spiritual equal. I can say I've met at least one completely sold-out real Christian in my life. Nothing can take that away from me.

Her teachings permeate my life, affect me to this day. She gave out Halloween candy and tracks at Halloween. Well, if it was ok with Mary, it's ok with me. I never forbid my kids to dress up for Halloween. I've always passed out Halloween candy with a "Jesus Saved" carved into a pumpkin on my porch. 

Her ability to prophesy accurately was uncanny, amazing. Through her the Lord healed many people. She used to go into the hospitals to pray for the sick, she went to the prisons to minister. God opened doors. 

May I someday walk as faithfully as her. I sincerely hope I do her justice in my book.