Sooo, Lets Get This Thing Started!!

 I’d really love to hear what is happening since you’ve returned from project! What has God been doing in your life?? What can we be praying for you??

I’ll help get things started. Since returning I’ve had the privilege of photographing a close friends wedding. It was such a blast and it was also the day I got to see several friends since returning from project. Evan and I have begun dating :0). I’ve returned to work and, yes, even gone to a theme park. I've also been able to hear stories from friends who went on other summer projects and mission trips. It’s so exciting to hear how God works around the world and even in our own home towns. 

There has been another side to returning. Missing the strong community that we shared and trying to find that here. I have a few close friends, but it’s just not quite the same. We each have commitments, like jobs, that keep us busy and only allow us to see each other every so often. I seem to miss the simple things of nyc too, like walking everywhere. Would you believe I sometimes have trouble sleeping at night because it’s to quiet! No cars honking or people yelling. I’m not gonna lie, I get a little excited when I hear a car honk its horn…oh the memories. I’ve also missed the time we had on campus being able to rely on God in approaching people and sharing the Gospel. I haven’t had the opportunity to do so yet, but hopefully when classes start up that will change. 

God has, however, reminded me of why he has brought me home and my mission here. Some of you know that a desire of mine for the rest of the summer included being more involved with the youth group at my church. Well that has happened, but in fashion that I wasn’t quite expecting. I have worked with 7^th and 8^th grade girls for about four years now and have enjoyed been involved in their lives and watching them grow in their love for the Lord. The youth group is large, like 200+ kids large. However, there is a group of about 30 girls and guys ranging from 7^th grade to 12^th that I mainly work with and we're a pretty tight knit group. 

The Sunday after returning home from NYC, we all learned one of the students, Mike 17yrs old and an upcoming senior in high school, was sedated (basically put into a coma) in the hospital the night prior because of complications. He and his twin brother, Chris, were diagnosed with a disease in January called Ehlers Danlos disease. It causes the walls of the organs to be very thin and tear easily when stress is put on the body. The doctors knew to look for it in January because his older brother (and a friend of mine), Steve, passed away after an artery in his heart tore due to stress while driving. Even more so it caused their mother’s passing while giving birth to Chris and Mike.

Mikey was first put into the hospital because one of his lungs collapsed of a tear. While in the hospital his intestines also tore resulting in waste entering his body and causing it to go into septic shock. Thus, the doctors put him in a coma. We prayed fervently for God to allow his body to heal and for him to recover. To our surprise only a few days later he was awake, talking and fully alert! We were so excited and made plans to see him that following Sunday after church. While on our way to the hospital from church we received a text from a few people who made it there before us that he had taken a turn for the worst. Seriously? I was in disbelief. Once arriving, we were told he flat lined and had to be resuscitated. Immediately the doctors brought him into surgery and found his intestines had torn even more causing a large loss of blood. 

About ten of us waited for almost 2hrs to hear of any updates. Chris then came down with the news that the doctors didn’t think he would even make it through the night...everyone was speechless. Was this really happening? He was fine when I saw him before leaving for NYC. It was hard to grasp. We all sat in silence for a while wishing we could say something to comfort Chris, but nothing came to mind. Chris started to talk and what came out of his mouth were not curses towards God, or questions of why him and his family, but praises for the time he had been allowed to spend with his brother. Only 17 years old, never knowing his birthmother, losing his older brother seven months ago, just told he was about to lose his twin brother, knowing he has the same disease and to top it all off, his father was diagnosed with cancer last month, yet all he could do was praise God. We sat in silence for a little while more, cried, and pleaded with God to take Mike's pain away, but also for a miracle that he might live. 

Mikey passed away the following morning. We have grieved his loss deeply and will miss his presence here on earth, but through this pain has come even greater joy. We rejoice in the fact that Mike is pain free, reunited with his brother & birthmother, and praising Jesus face to face. Even more so, we have seen three people come to know the Lord through this circumstance! Praise the Lord!!

 Certainly not what I had expected for my return home, but I know the Lord prepared my heart during my time in NYC and gave me a better understanding of heaven that I have been able to share with the students. I wanted to share this with you so you could not only hear the testimony of this family's journey and their unwavering faith in God, but to confirm our hope in Heaven and in what we learned this summer. My friends, I know you are prayer warriors and I ask that you all pray for the healing process of the youth group and family. Pray that God will continued to be glorified through these circumstances. 

Sorry for the super long post, but that's what's been going on in my life. Now it's your turn to share! Thank you for your prayers. Love y'all and miss y'all dearly!

Your sister in Christ,

~ KT Crabb