1) Parents and their children
2) A group of like things
3) A group of individuals derived from a common stock
4) Eight engineering college students after a week of eMi Orientation, see also Love
I didn't know what to expect when I walked into Danna Judish's house that Sunday afternoon of Orientation week. The other interns were from the east coast or Texas and the new staff member was from Oregon. Orientation week is when the new interns and staff for that semester get to know each other and learn how eMi works. We played ultimate frisbee, rock climbed in the Garden of the Gods, did team building activities, went hiking at Glen Eyrie, and volunteered at a soup kitchen. We learned what our personalities are and how we work together. There were presentations about prayer, missions, God's heart, poverty, project trips, and eMi's history. Homemade dinner was served at a different staff member's house every night, mmmmmh! From 8 in the morning til 11 at night we were all together.
The project trips were not scheduled to start until June 1 but the Lebanon trip was an exception. With out breaks of violence, the trip was on the edge of being cancelled. Suddenly it was moved a week ahead of schedule, and Irwin, the intern for the group left that Thursday. The hole he left caused us to realize how close we had become in that past week. Please pray for him, as he is in Jordan awaiting to enter Lebanon.
That Friday, the intern for next fall and the new staff member, both had also gone through orientation with us, left to return home. Our number came down to six.
That weekend, the six of us had a good time hanging out with the other interns staying from the spring semester and some of the staff. We relaxed and rested our weary bodies from the busy week.
How would we know that Sunday night would be our last night of all of us together? How would I know that sitting in church next to Phill would be the last I ever saw him? Who could have known that a blind spot was created by the street signs for the left turn lane, so he never saw the car coming before too late?
God did.
and why He did I can only glimpse bits and pieces.
Phill was making a u-turn after missing his turn to join the guys at Subway after church Sunday night. He had rode seperately on his motorcycle, the one he promised to give me a ride on. He never saw the car coming and the impact snapped his neck and back. He entered the gates of Heaven instantly.
Its amazing how God prepares us and our hearts before we even suspect anything coming. The girls and I had actually driven by the accident and did not realize it was him, but we saw the car and motorcycle, the body was gone by then. When we got home I recieved a call from one of the other guys saying Phill had been in an accident and to pray. The three of us girls live in a house and we prayed together each night before going to bed. After I got the news and without hesitation or spoken words, we huddled on the living room floor and began praying together.
I asked God that He had protected Phill's body and that he would walk out of the hospital, unscathed. I prayed that everyone was safe and unharmed and that Phill was just waiting to be released. Phill had so much going for him, his project trip to Liberia was coming up and we were going to get our offices that Tuesday in the eMi office. He was right in God's will and nothing would happen otherwise, right?
I got the call from Kyle about ten minutes later,
"He's gone"
Silence.
"A man with something and God is just as well as a man with nothing and God."
Phill did walk out of that hospital that night....right into the arms of God.
~~~~~~~
I sat next to Phill that night at church and thought nothing of it. The sermon was on love and how relationships with other people is the second command from the Big Guy Himself. Love the Lord your God and love your neighbor as yourself. The pastor talked about how we formed those relationships is to be genuine inside and out.
"Like a coating of glaze over earthenware are fervent lips with an evil heart" Proverbs 26:23
It doesn't matter how much of a mask we put on, if we are an cruddy earthenware or an evil heart, God still knows. To build relationships we have to be true on the inside and out. With all our flaws, weakness, and imperfections. Also with all that God is within us.
As I sat there, I was thinking of Phill for some reason. I felt that he was the kind of guy you could trust because he didn't hide anything, he was himself from his split goatee, to his feathered hat, to his love for Christ. He was confident in his walk and odd in his dress and we all loved him. I got to thinking that this was the kind of person I wanted to be, true to all and honest especially to God. Thats not an easy task to be honest with yourself and God, let alone others.
Thank you Phill for showing me that honesty and love. I miss you and can't wait to see you.
love always,
Lianne
