“Y’all not married yet?” asked 103-year-old Vera Anderson. My friend V and I chuckled as we sat on Mother Anderson’s living room couch. “No, not yet,” we replied in unison. She pushed further, “Are you engaged to marry?” Our negative answers immediately prompted her prayer for the right partner to come our way and for God’s perfect will, provision, and protection to be over us. I could’ve laughed at the typical “old church lady” behavior, but I was amazed at how quick she turned to God on our behalf. I’ve never met someone who could crack a joke in one breath and speak in heavenly tongues in the next.

At a point during his battle, Granny knew that he would die. She had a vivid dream that Uncle Gerald was in one of his outfits from “back home.” He wore nice khaki pants, a beige shirt, and a black and white yatin boots. In the dream he stood by the doorframe, watching her in her room and warned, “I’m going out, but I’m not coming back.”