And Deborah said unto Barak, Up; for this is the day in which the Lord hath delivered Sisera into thine hand: is not the Lord gone out before thee? So Barak went down from mount Tabor, and ten thousand men after him. (Judges 4:14)
A Remarkable Woman
I intended to write about something else this week, something about Israel’s political situation.
Then came word that a dear friend is near death.
Ramona Lewis, the wife of my late mentor, David Allen Lewis, is in hospice care at her Springfield, Missouri home. Many in the Rapture Ready family remember them. David Allen Lewis Ministries operated for many years in Springfield, just up the road from where I live. David and Mona remain among the very best people I’ve ever met, and that includes their children, Becky and Sandy, and their families.
In the 1950s, David married Mona, and promised her adventure and love. When he died in 2007, he left with no regrets. David was a giant among men, and I dearly loved him. I saw him a month before he died and he whispered, “I love you” as I left him that day.
The one-time Assemblies of God evangelist and his young bride set off on the adventure of a lifetime. More than 40 trips to Israel and their two wonderful girls were just part of a life lived well.
In all of it, Mona remained the rock. Simply a good woman, she also had that steely resolve that helped them weather storms.
Eventually, Becky Brimmer would head Bridges of Peace, the Jerusalem-based pro Israel juggernaut. Sandy Howell would help manage David Allen Lewis Ministries. When I went to Israel for the first time in 1998, it was with the Lewis family. It remains forever one of my very best memories.
David was a character. He and I traveled around the country gathering interviews for what would become the book, The Last War. It was through him that I met iconic figures, like Ariel Sharon and David Bar Illan. We had beluga caviar at the Dan Hotel in Tel Aviv, and met with the journalist Yehuda Levy.
In Tel Aviv, we had a memorable evening meal with the Dry Bones cartoonist Yaakov Kirschen. Over the sounds of silverware and clinking glasses, I listened as the two men discussed everything from Israeli politics, and biased international media, to Ezekiel’s timeless prophecies.
In every moment, though, Mona was there as a pillar of strength.
An extremely gracious woman, she was however more circumspect than her flamboyant husband. She was protective of him, and was of course his lifelong confidant. People followed David Lewis, but they were drawn to Mona.
I was David’s book editor for a number of years, and Mona’s help was invaluable there, too. I’m not a naturally “personable person,” but I was always drawn to Mona and felt much better for having been in her home.
I feel odd (and maybe macabre, though I don’t intend to be!) writing about Mona in the past tense, but it’s clear she will see her beloved again soon. So I wanted to honor her and make what will be a feeble attempt at simply shining a spotlight on her. She rarely had that in life, but without her, there would have been no David Allen Lewis Ministries. The positive work they did for Israel is literally incalculable. God knows, and He has His rewards at the ready.
I will always see her with that serene smile, and a face shining with love for her beloved. They were a true team. Now they will have eternity to explore God’s Kingdom.
The Lord always went before them.
If you would like to drop a card to the Lewis family and let them know how much they’ve impacted your life, you can send to: 304 East Farm Road 186, Springfield, Missouri 65810. You may also consider a gift to Bridges for Peace. Thank you!