Life Hits Home

These last few days have been quite difficult. I have hardly had time to stop and think. But when I have, I have continually been struck with the reality of life and the faithfulness of God.

Most of you are aware, by now, of the tragedy that occurred on Wednesday night. A van with several Taylor students and employees, all banquet workers, was returning from Fort Wayne when a semi crossed the median and hit the van. Four Taylor students were killed, as well as a Dining Commons employee. To my knowledge, one other remains in critical condition since then. The most up-to-date information I have is from Taylor's website: http://www.taylor.edu.

However, one of the details you won't find on that website is that Whitney Cerak, one of the girls who was killed, lived just down the hall from Kelsey. She was a friend of both of ours. I had coached Kelsey's intramural soccer team this past fall, and Whitney was on the team. I figured I would have at least have known someone who was in the van, but little did I know how close to home it would hit, especially for my sister.

I've struggled these past few days as I've been so far away from Taylor's campus. I really wish I could be there with my friends, and especially with Kelsey right now. I was thankfully able to call her on Thursday, but what can words do? Very little, I'm afraid. I wanted to be there. I prayed for God to reach down and stretch my arms from Ecuador to around Kelsey and Taylor's campus. Thankfully, we serve a big enough God to do that.

It has also been a bit difficult, as well, for me to be in a land where I am generally surrounded by strangers. I have been extremely thankful for your prayers, thoughts, and emails. My family here has also been quite supportive. And I've also been able to receive encouragement indirectly from the Quito missionary family around here. That same day, Wednesday, one of the beloved secretaries from the English Fellowship Church (Marta Flores, I believe) also died. As I understand it, she has been struggling with certain health problems, but this was still quite sudden and difficult nonetheless. This morning's service at EFC had, as part of its focus, an emphasis of the celebration of life, and of lives well lived in Christ. While most of the congregation was thinking of Marta, I was thinking of Whitney, Betsy and the others. Praise the Lord for lives well lived!

Finally, Uncle Bill, who was, in fact, my mom's uncle, passed away this past week as well. I was unable to be there for the service on Friday, but he and his wonderful life were in my thoughts and prayers. Uncle Bill's health had been deteriorating for quite a while now, so his death did not necessarily come as a surprise to us. However, it's always hard. I have such wonderful memories of him, as we would often stop by their home in Flint, or they would come to visit my grandparents. I'm thankful, though, that now my Grandpa "Papa" Claybrook and Uncle Bill can now talk and laugh and joke again like they used to. Only now, it's in the presence of the King.

God is faithful. His ways are beyond our ways, and His thoughts beyond our thoughts. Oftentimes, we do not know what He is doing. I look forward the time when I arrive in heaven and I'm able to understand in awe the incredible ways God is building His kingdom on this earth. Although I don't know what He is doing in every situation, I am thankful for the many examples we do have of God working out the best in every situation, whether or not the "best" is what we would have chosen or not. He remains in control.

"The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised." - Job 1:20

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By the way, I will be on a medical caravan in Punin, a village south of Riobamba, from Monday morning until Friday, so I will not be able to post new information or respond to emails until the end of the week. As always, thanks for your prayers.