A HERO IS RETURNING HOME.
Missionary Inger Kristensen died. on January 18, 2012
On July 7, 1973 Inger’s missionary career started in Youth With A Mission.
In December 2010, she came home after finishing her task at YWAM´s health school at the University of the Nations (UofN) campus in Kona Hawaii. It was her last assignment. In Mai / June 2011 Inger was diagnosed with cancer that had spread in the bones.
So much can be said about Inger, but in a quote from a speech at the memorial service after the funeral, Inger was described very well:
“Inger loved people with words and actions, with everything she had – to a degree few of us will ever be able to.
In Denmark she trained to be a nursing assistant and later she trained to be a social – and health assistant.
Inger studied and later taught at the Youth With a Mission International University, University of the Nations, Kona, Hawaii.
But what title or identity described Inger best?
..Barefoot Doctor – tooth extractor, – mother and aunt to many, – breadwinner to many mouths – treating of many wounds – comforter of many souls – a stalwart and dry Jutlander – health Apostle. OR – as someone wrote on Facebook after her death: ”A walking angel ”
I think of Inger every time I eat herring! It was her philosophy that: “herring is healthy and cheap, and then you can give more money away”
Inger had a courage and trust in God that challenged us all very much.
She told stories … like when in 1973 that God said “Go to England” to be trained to become a missionary.
Inger responded to God: “Well, but then you also have to teach me English, because I do not know the language.” She traveled to England and God gave her the language overnight, more or less fluently. Anyway there was a word she did not understand when someone prayed for her about more “boldness”. She did not understand that word, and looked it up in the dictionary, and she wondered why he had asked that she should get bald.
There are many other stories, but there’s probably no-one who knows Inger completely because her life was shared by so many people, languages and countries.
Many people known her – in Burma, Thailand, Cambodia, Guatemala, Kenya, the Philippines, Kona on Hawaii …. and all over Denmark – not just Tarm and Copenhagen.
… “Unquote.
We have followed Inger since 1985. She became part of our family. We have seen an authentic life where everything Inger did was all about giving of herself and to provide her resources onwards. It was her calling that she followed with joy!
We are grateful for her friendship, example, encouragement and life.
A hero returns home. We honor Inger’s memory.
Per Eivind and Ellinor Stig.