Dorothy Irene Simmonds

Dorothy Irene Simmonds, our mother and grandmother, went to be with her LORD and Savior on December 17th, 2010. She has left us a legacy of faith in Jesus Christ as God's provision for the abundant life here on earth and our life eternal. Her legacy of faith has always translated into the language of passionate evangelism. Mother has always spoken boldly to strangers about their need for a life connected to their Creator and to find in Him the fulfillment of their hearts' desires and needs.

When preparing to share her life with friends at this time, I found among her papers the following account of her life. So before sharing our thoughts, we will share with you her lifein her own words.

In her own words:

I was born into a Christian home to Edward Haynes and Annie Florence Mepham Haynes. Shortly after that my father died; my godly mother was left to raise my five year old sister, Evelyn, and an infant. Regular attendance at church and Sunday School was our lifestyle, and at the age of 9, during an evening service when our minister preached on hell, I was confronted with the very real sense of being spiritually lost. I gave myself to Jesus completely that night, and I have never doubted the reality of Christ or His salvation.

We were exposed to foreign missions through the church and through our mother, Whenever asked at school what I would like to be when I grew up, the answer was always the same"a missionary."

At 16, I met my wonderful husband, Fred, and from then on there has never been anyone else! We were married on July 17, 1943 at Philpot Tabernacle, in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. This was war time and Fred joined the Royal Canadian Air Force and went overseas for eighteen months. On his return to Canada, we began to adjust to civilian life, and thoughts of missionary service were put at the back of my mind. We looked forward to settling down after this long separation. Then the LORD stepped in, and in His own wonderful way, He spoke to each of us through different circumstances. We both made positive responses to His call, although not at the same time.

At this point in our life, we were building a home. With the commitment we had made to the Lord regarding missionary work, not wanting anything to deter us, we sold the home and applied to London Bible Institute where we both studied for ministry. We eventually continued our studies and Fred earned a B.Th - Bachelor of Theology, and I earned a B.A. in Christian Education.

After graduation, we were accepted by the South Africa General Mission, which is now Africa Inland Mission. On Christmas Day, 1951, we sailed into Cape Town harbor to begin our work in Southern Africa. After language study for Zulu, we served in bush evangelism in Zululand for one term and then moved to a town outside the bustling city of Johannesburg, four miles from the famous African township of Soweto. It was here where we were engaged in literature and radio ministry. During this time, I wrote a column for the Our Africa Magazine entitled "My Baby and Yours." Fred worked in the mining compounds that housed thousands of men who had left their families and had come to work in the gold mines of Southern Africa. He also had a vision to begin a radio ministry to these men and many people and language groups across Southern Africa.

During our fist furlough in Canada, God gave as a very special gift - two beautiful babies to take back to Africa. These children have blessed and enriched our lives immeasurably and even through we have been separated by thousands of miles at times, we treasure the rapport we have and the insights we share together. They now have families of their own. We are ten.

In 1970, we began working with Trans World Radio to establish a Christian radio station in southern Africa. This dream was born as Fred flew his small piper cub over the sands and villages of Zululand. In 1974, the station went on the air in Swaziland covering the southern half of the continent.

In 1978, we followed the Lord's leading again to San Jose, California where we worked in resource development with Partner's International. Our ministry again was purposeful. The Lord used my writing experience to draft proposals of global ministry needs to foundations across the United States. Fred and I met with many Christian and secular foundations who had interests in investing in projects around the world.

In 1992 we left California for Canada where we began our early years of semi-retirement. We never wanted that to mean a cessation of ministry. We began a ministry, Focus on Missions, which allows us to consult and mentor small mission organizations in resource development through this non-profit organization.

We praise God for all these years He has given us in missionary service. We also praise the Lord for his faithful supporters who have teamed with us over the years.

In 2008 we celebrated 63 years of marriage and ministry; people ask about our life together, and my reply is "There have always been three in our marriage." I explain that our marriage and life of service has always been possible through our Savior, Jesus Christ and has always been for Him.

In our words:

And so, on May 27th, 2009 Fredrick Joseph Simmonds passed into the presence of our Lord, and after eighteen months of physical struggle and longing, our mother, and his life partner joined him on this December 17th, 2010.

Mom's role all our lives has been one of service with our Dad, yet her personal talents made it possible for us to have a comfortable home and a loving and focused upbringing. Mom was a reader and writer. Even in these last months when memory faded and words faltered, Mom read and annotated what she read. She not only was a voracious reader, she believed that books were the greatest gift and gave them to everyone she loved; she truly believed that everyone valued books just as she did. Her grandchildren will remember this. Often when they would have loved a game, she chose to pass on a book hoping to instill the enjoyment of reading.

Mom was a writer. In Africa, she wrote a column in a local magazine Our Africa. She captured the flavors and sounds of motherhood in her column titled "My Baby and Yours." Each article featured an experience Mom had with her own two children, who appeared in the column as Susie and Phillip. She connected these experiences to lessons mothers could learn about God and His abundant blessings. Mom also had a short radio program which was broadcast from the Swaziland Trans World Radio station. In addition to professional writing, Mom was committed to regular personal correspondence with family, friends, and updated those who supported the mission work. As we look through her files, we are amazed at the number
of people with whom she corresponded and for whom she prayed.

Mom was an eloquent speaker and Bible study leader. She was a teacher. Because she loved to read and study, she brought relevant insights in her messages and study discussions. Mom took every opportunity to be a teacher. On Christmas mornings, when the grandchildren were younger, they would be called to the kitchen to watch as candles were lit for Jesus' Birthday cake. Mom wanted to be sure that our focus on Christmas morning was Jesus.

Mom's ability to create a beautiful home with very few resources in Africa, earned her many compliments. She was very creative and used a muted color palate to create an inviting home for our family and for friends. She had the kettle on the boil before people stepped over the threshold. Mom's creativity extended to sewing and crafts. She became Cindy's seamstress smocking beautiful children's clothing. Mom loved to celebrate and gift-giving was her delight.

Our mother will be remembered for her gracious hospitality, her love for the LORD, and her commitment to us and to Dad. We are all convinced that on December 17th when she sighed her final breath and entered in to the presence of her Savior, He welcomed her with great rejoicing.

Dorothy is survived by her loving children Cindy Mitchell and her husband Rick, Ted Simmonds and his wife Elizabeth, grandchildren Matthew and Clare Mitchell, Stephen and Jessica Simmonds,

The family will receive friends at a visitation on Sunday, December 19, 2010 from 3-5:00 p.m. at Allen Family Funeral Options, Plano, Texas. Dorothy will be laid to rest following a committal service at 9:00 a.m. on Monday, December 20, 2010 at Ridgeview Memorial Park, Allen, Texas. A memorial service honoring her life will commence at 10:30 a.m. at Hunters Glen Baptist Church, 4001 Custer Road, Plano, Texas 75023.

If desired the family suggests memorials be made in Dorothy's name to: Back to the Bible, P O Box 82808, Lincoln, Nebraska 68501 or 800-759-2425.