zzz, but not for long

In some ways a sad day as we attended the funeral of a believer who died this week after a short battle with cancer. The plot of land above, numbered "A6", was originally for "Garimuslim" (non-muslims) or "kimsesiz" (those unknown) until half of the plot was given to us by the local council for Christian burials. Today was the first burial in this new part of the plot. The following words from 1 Thessalonians 4 encouraged me today and are true and only true because Christ came into the world at Christmas to bring us salvation:

Believers Who Have Died
13 Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. 14 For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15 According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.