6/30/09

Prayer for Junker and Hermiston/Ashley families



This has been a hard couple of days. We were informed via email late Sunday night that the father of a friend of ours from church had drowned on a lake and our former youth pastor was still missing. Details were slow to trickle in. What we did know is that these two men died as heroes, swimming out a life vest to a middle schooler who was struggling in the water. I went to a prayer meeting last night at church. I found out this morning that around the time of the prayer meeting's closure, Nathan's body had been found. There is much to pray for still. The timing of this will never be understood. There are many special family days - birthdays, baby dedication and anniversary - that will forever surround this event. My heart is heavy for what these two families will be going through for the next few weeks, months and years. But, God is Good!!!!! Even in the shadows, God shines through. We were reminded at our prayer meeting last night that it is time to praise the LORD.

Al leaves behind two grown children, four grandchildren, and his wife. Please pray for these wonderful, Christian family members. His daughter's birthday is Thursday, the day before his funeral. She is a very tender-hearted girl, very much a daddy's girl. This is very difficult for her. Pray God's unexplainable peace for her. His wife witnessed the entire event. Pray that God would erase the unnecessary details from her mind.

Nathan leaves behind his wife and four children. His oldest turns six on Thursday, his youngest a mere four months old, and who was dedicated in church on Sunday morning. It was also their wedding anniversary on Sunday. Words are beyond me in this situation. I cannot put my mind around my friend, now a widow at such a young age. Her main ambition in life has been to be a stay-home mom. Pray with me that God would provide for her so that she might be able to continue doing so. I don't know how it is possible, but everything is possible with God. Nathan's wife and children also witnessed this whole event. Pray that God would protect their minds from the visions, and that the children would not remember this event, but that the older two will remember enough of their Dad to share him with their younger two siblings. And for Nathan's wife - pray for God's peace. May we remember these men for their servant hearts and their constant pointing to Jesus as the only way to heaven.

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