Mrs. Carlos never sought the spotlight, but the fact is she was the anchor of the Carlos family, so she is appropriately front and center in this photo. This was taken inside the RV she and her family were traveling on their Grand Tour together. Sabbath, January 4, 2020.
Mrs. Carlos is my best friend, J's, mom but she always felt like a "mom" to me too. Being in her house always felt like home. During my high school visits to the Carlos family in their A-frame home in High Springs, Florida I was treated to her generous hospitality. The Carlos home always felt warm, safe, and loving. I always felt welcome, thanks to both Dr. and Mrs. Carlos.
What I remember of Mrs. Carlos is that she laughed often and heartily. She always made lots of delicious food. She loved Jesus and was passionate about sharing that love with others--which wasn’t hard for her to do--because His love lived in her and shone out in everything she said and did. I remember her as gentle yet a force to be reckoned with. Mrs. Carlos got things done and she got people on board-- including people who didn’t even know they wanted to be on board, or people who actively didn’t want to be on board; all would be won over by her sweet, but determined persistence. Mrs. Carlos was humble, kind, and had a servant's heart.
I feel lucky that the Carlos family’s path coincided so well with mine. In 1995, they moved away from Florida to start a new chapter in Dayton, Ohio. That might have been the end of any regular contact with them, but the very same year they moved, I met a beautiful girl from none other than Dayton, Ohio. I met Barbara’s parents for the first time at Thanksgiving in 1995, but I stayed at the Carlos’s home and Mrs. Carlos prepared a sumptuous Thanksgiving feast for us. Since then I continued to see Mrs. Carlos often whenever Barbara and I were in Dayton.
The last time Mrs. Carlos hosted me in her home was in 2018 when Barbara, the boys and I went up to Andrews University for our Alumni Weekend. As always we ate well and laughed a lot. One of the highlights was having a paper “snowball” fight in the Carlos living room.
The last time I saw Mrs. Carlos was in the first days of 2020, when we once again met up in Dayton, where they had made a stop to catch up with friends, while taking an RV grand tour of the United States.
The next time I see Mrs. Carlos, will be in the Kingdom. I imagine her, with a crown laden with jewels representing the many lives she touched. And though we'll each have a place prepared for us by our Savior, I have no doubt she’ll invite me to her home once again to share good food and good times. I can’t wait for that day!
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