Dinka booklet
- 2. PROCESSION Praise Dancers Family Singing Words by Pastor Nygel Bell Bureau cal singing Viewing Gowdwin Alexander Okon and Prohet James James Family Speeches Prayer by Bishop Eulogy Drusilla Dinka Speech by Bill Fisher Speech by Simon Tamfu Songs performed by Dinka Children Singing of Hyms Prayer by Evangelist Lacy Welcoming Opening Music by Jerry T Amazaing Grace Take my life 1
- 3. Table of Contents Welcome and Hello Family Tributes Anniversary Eulogy Acknowledgement 03 06 21 14 24 2
- 4. Hello & Welcome W e are very honored and deeply touched by your presence in this ceremony. Maurice meant a lot to different categories of people. We are happy that you could spare your very important engagements to come and say a final farewell to him. We pray that at the end of this ceremony, his life would have meant something to somebody. May God richly bless you.
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- 7. My Dear Husband Maurice Dinka Mba SR., How I have loved you and love you yet, and still I cannot begin to count the ways your love was just so real. The way you cared for me shall carry me for a lifetime, but the way you loved me should carry me seven times. I am more than blessed to have experienced such a pure love in you. I am more than blessed to have experienced the love of God through you. Whatsoever I have lost in life I consider it not a loss in comparison to you. You knew I was an orphan in need of much care. You knew I was an orphan and so you would not dare. Dare to act as a brute, dare to be cold and never a mute. But with loving kindness in words and deeds, you loved me exceptionally when I was abased and in need. You brought out the best in me. Remained gentle and strong while God perfected His character in me; your strength has made me a better woman, a better mother, a better servant and a much better lover…I can run this race better now! I don’t have to be swift; I don’t have to be strong. I only have to endure by His grace until it’s done; you’ve taught me well Maurice! Yes, you’ve taught me well. I am Mrs. Drusilla Dinka Mba! Well done, my love, you have far exceeded your assignment from The Father to bring me great joy in life. Well done, my love, you have far exceeded the purposes of God to lead me into His wondrous light! Well done Honey! I can hear the Lord Jesus and a host of angels congratulating you. Well done! I want to thank you again daddy for nurturing me and giving me your all. Thank you for the wonderful children that you have given to me and being a son of God to us and for us all. Thank you my love for leading us, your family to drink at the fountains of God. Thank you for so often picking up fresh manna from heaven and feeding us Sunday after Sunday. It wasn’t difficult to follow you at all my dear. I’ve been thinking of John 1:12, “But as many as received Him, to them gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:” Your leadership and love was indeed welcomed bits in our mouths. Many people do not witness the power of God in action in their homes, but I’m thankful today that in you I’ve witnessed the receiving of the power to become a child of God. Thank you my love for raising up our family to be God fearing servants. I know that your sons and daughter and I will continue in our journey of becoming and being children of God that are faithful till the end. Honorable, yes you are indeed! You have kept your vows to me, til death do us part; you have loved, cherished me, forsaken others and honored me in life as well as in your death. So, I therefore will love, cherish and honor you til we meet again. Rest well my love. Sing Hallelujah to the Lamb my Lord. You have served us well. Loving you to eternity, Mrs. Drusilla Dinka DRUSILLA DINKA 6
- 8. D ad I love you so much and I thank you for everything you’ve showed me. You made me the man I am today. I still can’t fathom how you managed to handle situations and make our family stick together throughout every challenge we had to face. I am very grateful for your life and the education you gave me and my siblings. Now you are gone and it’s just so surreal; it is unbelievable. Throughout 34 years of life you showed me so much love and concern. I will do my best to do the same, or better still, do better than what you expected of me. I still replay your laughter in my head as well as your gentle ways. You were not a man of many words. I remember on many occasions when you would come up to me and say both “son, I’m proud of you” and “son, I’m happy for you”! Those words I will never forget. I pray hope you watch over us from heaven. You will forever live in my heart. Goodbye for now dad. I love you so much. Rest in perfect peace. ~Anotoine Dinka Mba "Throughout 34 years of life you showed me so much love and concern." 7
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- 11. I t is difficult to say farewell to you dad, but we will always remain thankful for the guidance, wisdom, and love that you passed on to us. As hard as it is to say you are gone, I know my Father above loved you so much to take you back. I am merely thankful that God blessed me, your family, and the world with you. Noting a lot of the things you did, you were a man of action, respect, your word, selflessness, joy and of love. You were successful. But what is a successful man – a successful man is one “who has lived well, laughed often and loved much; who has gained the respect of intelligent men and the love of children; who has filled his niche and accomplished his task; who leaves the world better than he found it; who has never lacked appreciation of earth’s beauty or failed to express it.; who looked for the best in others and gave the best he had.” We will always remember your special smile, caring heart, and soft embrace you expressed with steadfastness. We will build off the shoulders of what you taught us through the Lord, and strive to be better thanwhereyouleftoff(byHisgrace).Ithank you for not only telling me how to live; but while living, allowing me to watch you do it. ~Maxim Dinka Mba
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- 13. F or those that truly know me, know I am the biggest daddy’s girl and there is so much I can say about my father. I actually had three to four pages worth of memories to share. But to keep it short and sweet, I can say this. For everyone who knew my father, you were blessed. If you didn’t know him, I honestly feel so sorry for you. He was one of, if not the most compassionate, most intelligent individuals ever. It was and still is such an absolute honor to call him my father. It literally breaks my heart having to write this knowing my future spouse & children will not get a chance to meet you, but I know you are in a better place and that’s what truly gives me peace. Your legacy will not be forgotten! So, Daddy-O...until we meet again. I love you, always and forever. Rest In Power and Rest In Peace. Love, Susan Dinka Mba a.k.a Sue your one and only Princess M y dear father, Daddy-O or Papa like I would call you, you were a man of substance. A man whose smile could literally brighten up your day with his shining pearly white teeth. A God fearing man, a man of valor and a man of peace; Daddy, you taught me so many things in this thing called life and I will never forget them. You taught me to always put and keep God first, that there’s nothing wrong with having five planners. Just as long as you plan well and execute and to always keep my receipts. No matter where it was from; whether it’s a gas station or the campus bookstore. “Always keep your receipts, Sue.” That was one of my many nicknames from him. 12
- 14. D ad I love you and admire you for everything that you have taught me since my first pulse. When I look in the mirror, I always see the reflection of you staring back at me. You were a man of many talentsandfewwordsasweallknew.Ifthere are a couple of traits that I have spiritually inherited from you over the years, which will always live in my spirit, it would be your work ethic and your humility. You were a man that always taught me how to put God first at all times. When I was a kid, I would sneak into your room and witness you on your knees praying to God with your bible in your hands. The interesting thing about kids and their parents that most people overlook is that kids observe the actions of their parents just as much as parents observe the action of kids. Today we honor you as a hard-working man who was an influential inspiration to all of us. You were a kind-hearted man who never wanted any trouble from anyone. I will always view you as my role model of what a man should look like. Even though it will take me a while to get used to being the only Maurice Dinka-Mba left in the family, I am still proud to have the opportunity to honor your name until I join you in heaven one day. Keep resting in peace Dad, we all love you, but God loved you more. Love you Dad. ~ Maurice Dinka Mba Jr. 13
- 15. Grandpa Dinka, It's gotten harder and harder since the day you went away but still dad keeps telling me everything shall be okay I know deep inside that it's better up there but we're not together which makes it unfair Seems like yesterday that we were together then I opened my eyes to realize gone means forever It hurts and it aches it's slicing my heart for the rest of my life on earth we shall be apart I'm waiting for the future hoping to see that when I die You'll open up those gates for me Having you as a grandpa with a heart made of gold is my favorite treasure which will never grow old Family time with the Dinka’s will never be the same 'cause you're not there with us to be stronger I aim Your chair at the table is empty and cold you need to come home I need someone to hold Now that you're gone I have no one to run to, Am I doing this right please send me a clue Do you know How much we all love you Do you realize How much I trust You You're officially gone But forever in my heart You and me Grandpa Dinka together, yet apart. ~Gabriella Grace Dinka Mba 14
- 16. MauriceDinkaMba,Sr.AKA"Adergedergeh,'because he was so skinny like a pray mantis by Grandma standards. "Aforkerbeh"a traditional title by Grand Pa and Boy by Grandma because he happens to be a maleatatimewhengirlswerecallbaby.Mauricewas born inWidikum village in NWRegion of Cameroon to Obot Agatha Anong and Anthony Abang Mbah. Tellmel'mtrappedinacrueldreamwherewitharms outstretched, I reach out to pull Maurice back, who, precipice bound, slips steadily down, down Tell me a cruel fantasy of his wife and kids working on that birthdaysongtosurpriseDaddyMauriceashewalks throughthedoor,Butdon'ttellmeMauriceisnomore. And so like air bubbles upon the ocean, vanished are mydreamsOurcollectivedreamsleavingfamilyand friends with only a window of hope Namely that we shall meet in the sweet by Aspiration of Priesthood, Man of God and, Environmental Engineer Sum Maurice up: an accomplished beacon of affability,AcustodianandwielderofFaith'Hopeand Charity As did Abraham Lincoln, Maurice would forget his own heartaches to ease another headache. To us family and community at large he bequeaths enduring values of love and respect love of family, love of community and above all love of God Exalted elder sister as "Mama Maria" never Mariana But far more exalted is he in Glory in the City of Gold where we'll met to part no more LUV Mariana Mbah ~"Mama Maria" 15
- 17. My dearest brother Ni Maurice! Words cannot begin to describe the pain, sorrow and the emptiness we feel since you left us. June 26th 2018 will forever be a day of infamy in our family’s history. It broke our hearts to lose you at the tender age of 64. I guess your assignment here was finished, and God needed you in Heaven for your next assignment. Heaven must be rejoicing to receive another Angel. When you left, you did not go alone, for part of us went with you the day God called you home. In life we loved you dearly, in death, we will continue to love you. You were not just a brother, you were everything to us; You were head of our family, our spiritual leader, counsellor, our pillar to lean on in times of difficulties. You left us with your wife and four beautiful children and many precious memories that we will live to cherish. Your love will continue to be our guide, and though we cannot see you, we know you will always be with us. Another link to our family chain is once again broken, and nothing will forever be the same. But as God calls us one by one, the chain will link us again. We thank you profoundly for love and support you’ve shown us all through the years. We thank God for your life and are very proud and blessed to have had you as our sibling. We couldn’t have asked for a better brother than you. While in Heaven, continue to pray for us like you’ve always done, for we need your prayers more now than ever to help us cope with your loss. Greetings to Mom and Dad, and all who’ve gone ahead of us. May your gentle soul Rest in Perfect Peace dear brother. ~Mary Jones 16
- 18. N i, You gave me something intangible, but so special. Direction. A path. You introduced me to a profession I knew nothing about. Your patience, work ethic, and training really helped inspired and shape my life. I hope to follow your example and make your proud. Your efforts were not in vain. Because of you, I’m doing something I’m not only good at, but passionate about. I’m reminded of you always. Thank you so much. ~Willibroad Mbah 17
- 19. IN MEMORY OF MY UNCLE My dearest uncle Maurice You filled our family with love I pray that you have found your peace And watch us forever from above You meant something to everyone Brother, father, friend. Gave selflessly to all you loved until the very end. Your humor unmatched. Your smile was contagious. I remember all the laughs we shared. You Sir, were marvelous. You lived your life a God fearing man – It showed in all you did. You were honest, true and open to Him. A perfect example to your kids. Your gentle spirit will always live on. Of that you can be sure The way you can be sure. The way you cared for our family Only proves you were sure so pure. I know that I will see you again Somewhere up in the sky. I bet you’ll be making BBQ for the souls with you up high. I love you my sweet uncle. May you rest in peace. You will always be in my heart, a part I’ll never release. ~Laura Bossoken 18
- 20. Y ou were always so welcoming to me and to everyone you met, greeting everyone with a warm grin. Your hospitality to friends and strangers alike was above and beyond most people's. Your dedication and faith to the Lord could be seen through your wonderful family and your selfless actions. You were truly a pillar of our family. Your passing has left us with an emptiness that we are all doing our best to cope with by remembering all the good times you have blessed us with. May your soul rest in peace. ~Bryan Jones B ye-bye Brother, You were such a friend and a brother. So soft-spoken, so empathic! Maurice "big coke" you are gone so quickly, so easily before the plans we had could mature. But God has the perfect plan and knows why. We must accept it.We know that you are at a better place now and that you are praying for us. Bye-bye brother, Anoh Polycarp 19
- 21. I t is true that words and mourning can go only a little way to show the actual depth of loss of a dear friend and family man. No matter what we say or have said and no matter how much we have cried, we still feel the emptiness of life through the irreparable loss of our good friend and brother, Maurice. We still remember that terrible phone call Simon received on August 17, 2015 at the airport in Oklahoma when he was ready to take off for Cameroon after installing our daughter in school. Drusilla broke on the phone after making one sentence to him. “Your Brother is sick, if you want to see him, come now, not later”. Inquisitive Simon could not fish out any other sentence from Drusilla. Simon cancelled his trip to Cameroon that day and flew instead into Dallas. Maurice himself related to Simon, that his (Maurice’s) condition was serious and he (Maurice) had three weeks to live according to his doctors! We were shattered to the bone, prayed and fervently believed in a miracle! He stayed on and fought for three years before transitioning. On this note, we sincerely thank God for answered prayers, we thank Drusilla, the children and the entire family here in the US for standing by, encouraging and sustaining our good friend in the last three years to the amazement of his doctors. Despite his condition, Maurice was very strong and still had lofty business and social plans with Simon in Cameroon this year. Infact we planned to organise, the memorial service for the departed members of Maurice’s immediate and extended family in Widikum, Cameroon in November this year! You can now measure the devastation through which we and his family have been subjected. We will forever remember Maurice as a keen disciplinarian and an exemplary family man with rare deeply seated African tradition, living under one roof in the US with all his adult children! As we mourn our friend, it is our wish and prayer that the Good Lord will continue to bless and protect Drusilla and the children and will give all of us the strength to bare this IRREPARABLE LOSS!! Our Friend and Brother, you will be missed. Adieu Maurice! ~Simon, Lucy TAMFU and Children. 20
- 22. Anniversary Ucienem accusanis perume eiciis quo opta con peratius molore maion possition eum quo velignis volor anda dolest, suntotata id quunt, sim faccus, occatiur recae dunt atem vercimil imaxim de pa vero que con- sequis et fugitae. Nam quas sitatem vit eatestium nis aria velecabo. Dest aut vendignatis anis doloruntium. 21
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- 24. EULOGY FOR REV. MAURICE DINKA-MBA, SR. Rev Maurice Dinka-Mba, Sr. was our beloved father and role model. Our mom and we the children are blessed to have had such a caring, devoted, and loving husband and father. Most of you remember him as a kind, friendly, compassionate and engaging man. Rev Dinka-Mba was a great husband and father and a devoted entrepreneur of MAS-D Environmental & Associates since 1994. Rev. Dinka-Mba was born in Widikum, in the North West Region of Cameroon. Upon graduation from St Joseph Primary School, Mamfe, Rev. Dinka-Mba attended Bishop Rogan College in Buea, Cameroon - a school that prepares aspiring catholic priests in Cameroon. He later graduated from CPC Bali High School. Rev Dinka-Mba then taught Chemistry at a secondary school for a few years before migrating to the United States in 1976. Upon arrival in Dallas, Rev Dinka-Mba enrolled at Bishop College aka Paul Quinn College and in 1979 graduated with a degree in Biology/Chemistry and followed that in 1988 with a Masters of Environmental Engineering from the University of Texas, Dallas. He worked for Continental Baking Company while attending college, and later as a Senior Project Manager for BCM Engineers, Inc. Dallas. In 1994, Rev Dinka-Mba established MAS-D Environmental & Associates, Inc – a company that designs and manages cleanup at construction sites and performs remediation with a focus on protecting the environment. Two themes that dominated Rev. Dinka-Mba were religion and family. We see that throughout his life from the time he attended Bishop Rogan College to Bishop College and the family he built here in Dallas. We are witnessing the blossoming of Antoine, Maxim, Susan, and Maurice Dinka, Jr before our eyes. The evidence abounds of Rev Dinka-Mba’s commitment to family and his ordination as a reverend is further proof of his dedication to causes larger than him. Thanks to Rev Dinka-Mba’s leadership, Drusilla and the children are dedicated to Christ and have transformed their home into a house of religious worship, where most of you have attended prayer meetings. He used humor to endear himself with his friends and those he met for the first time. Rev Dinka-Mba was always well dressed and by all measures maintained a sophisticated appearance. Some might think that he was obsessive with his appearance but I would say that he believed he was setting a good example for those around him. awareness and emotional intelligence. Think about making the world a better place because of one or two little things you might do in Rev Dinka-Mba’s memory. Acts of kindness go a long way. Rev Dinka-Mba would wish your days to be filled with kindness and goodness and your nights to be filled with secure sleep and perfect peace. 23
- 25. You may not have known that Rev Dinka-Mba was a founding member of the African Chamber of Commerce in Dallas or that he is a Medical Device Inventor whose patent is currently pending. Rev Dinka-Mba cherished his business associates and collaborated on severalinitiativesincludinghumanitarianandsocialactivities. Hewasafoundingmember and president of several civic organizations, including the Cameroon Association of Dallas, the Moghamo Group in Dallas, and the Manyu Education and Cultural Association (MECA) of Dallas. His professional affiliations include the Society of Texas Environmental Professional, Environmental Assessment Association, the Industrial Hygiene Association, Texas Asbestos Professionals and the National Association of Testing Materials (ASTM). As you know, Maurice really valued hard work. He cared about trying hard and he put all his energy into everything he did, whether it was going to a meeting for work, or preparing a favorite meal. Last November Rev Dinka-Mba and his family travelled to Tulsa, OK for the annual American Thanksgiving Celebration. According to his dear wife, Maurice wanted the family to get away to an area that was both refreshing and calm. Uncle Isaac and his family indicated that they were truly honored that the family chose to spend this special occasion with them. As it turns out those were the most valuable moments the two families ever spent together. Because of Rev Dinka-Mba some of us have learned how to be good husbands and playful dads by watching him. Rev Dinka-Mba is in a good place now. I know he's with his mom and dad and I know he'll be watching over all of us. In addition to remarkable dress style, Rev Dinka-Mba taught me to be a stand-up guy and take responsibility for whatever needed to be done. By observing his life I learned how to be a decent family man and a hard working person. Thank you, Rev Dinka-Mba. Mauricewentthroughacoupleofmonthsofseriousillnessandheneveroncecomplained. Instead, he cheered up everyone who came to visit. He told us not to feel sorry for him. He wanted us to tell him jokes. I now have a huge repertoire of knock-knock jokes. The fact is if Rev Dinka-Mba was sitting here with us now he'd have his thoughtful expression in his ever impressive outfit. He'd be studying everyone who was speaking. As soon as the service is over he would go over and hug everyone and wish them well. Those of us who know him will miss his infectious smile, his mannerism, his love of humanity, his gregarious nature, his friendly disposition, and his self awareness and emotional intelligence. Think about making the world a better place because of one or two little things you might do in Rev Dinka-Mba’s memory. Acts of kindness go a long way. Rev Dinka-Mba would wish your days to be filled with kindness and goodness and your nights to be filled with secure sleep and perfect peace. 24
- 27. ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF APPRECIATION In Acknowledgement of all you did to lighten the burden of the irreparable loss of Maurice to the family, we thank and appreciate you sincerely. May God richly bless you and grant you mercies as you go to your various places of abode. Pastor Antoine Dinka Ev. Maxim Dinka Maurice Jr. Dinka Uncle Simon Tamfu Uncle Mathias Teke Uncle Willibroad Mbah Uncle Tim Griffin Uncle Oben-Besong Moses Awu PALLBEARERS 26