Meet Mom Rose
Meet Mom Rose. Her name is Rosemond Ellioly, but she is known to most as Mom Rose. And she is my friend.
A little about Mom Rose. She loves Jesus and is committed to following Him. She is the wife of Pastor Godly and the mother of their three boys: King, Prince and Royal. She leads the Women’s fellowship of Lauren’s Lighthouse Temple. She mentors women. She teaches students. She helps the Pearl House Academy run smoothly. She attends college. She preaches the Gospel. And she is a friend.
For many months now, Mom Rose and I have been going through a discipleship class together. It’s long distance. I send self-made videos of the lessons and she watches them. She sends me her assignments and reflections on what she is learning. It has been wonderful, but we’ve missed having face-to face conversations. This changed when I visited Ghana in the Spring, and we were able to meet in person for class—twice. I wish I could express how much this meant to us.
Maybe I can share just a bit of how we connected those two times. We went through the lessons together, but it was more than that. Our hearts connected. She told me how God had spoken to her in Scripture about something, and how He confirmed it through someone who spoke about the same thing. She told me how much it impacted her and made her think. She asked questions. We discussed them. We laughed. As we talked, I realized just how alike we are. Our struggles, our longings, our hopes and dreams. The way Jesus meets us in all of it. We have both suffered loss and betrayal, found healing and forgiveness. And in the process, we have come to know God better. We have also experienced the joy of family and friends and purpose. Now we are family and friends, and we have the same purpose.
Mom Rose is the same age as Lauren would have been today. No one will ever replace Lauren—and there’s no need. Lauren is alive with Jesus and is still my daughter. Plus, I have been blessed with two wonderful daughters-in-law. Now I also have Mom Rose. Jesus-follower, daughter, friend. Carrying Lauren’s dream in her heart and fulfilling it every day.
