Gift Card Collection for Silver Rail Victims’ Families
We found out last night that one of our Trail Life families lost a beloved and precious son yesterday in the Silver Rail shooting. Our hearts break for this sweet family and all the families who lost loved ones in our home town in this horrific tragedy. Prepare the Way Ministries is the charter organization for the Trail Life and American Heritage Girls troops in Bend, Oregon and both troops would like to help. We can’t imagine the deep grief that these families will be going through in this time. Our troops decided to do a grocery store/restaurant gift card collection for the families to try to make food preparation for their families a little easier in the coming months. We personally know the Trail Life family but we also hope to help the other families with some gift cards as well. We would also love to bless the courageous dad who was driving by the school – he followed the gunman into the school and took down the shooter within seconds. Trail Life’s motto is to “walk worthy” and this brave father certainly did that yesterday. Once we collect the gift cards, we will have the kids in our troops put together gift baskets for the Trail Life family, as well as others. Ideas include Costco, Fred Meyer, Walmart, Whole Foods, Market of Choice, restaurants, pizza – anywhere they could pick up a quick meal for their families in coming months. You may also include condolence cards to the families and/or thank you cards to the hero dad and we will place them in the appropriate gift baskets. You can send cards to Prepare the Way: 61141 S. Hwy. 97 #522, Bend, OR 97702. If you know our home address from Trail Life, AHG, Christian Youth Summit or Book Angels events, you may also drop anything off at our home in our Book Angels library drop box on the front porch if that is more convenient.
Please be praying for all who lost loved ones and for all who are grieving in the wake of this tragedy. Processing pain and suffering is one of most difficult subjects to face. There are no easy answers, but we are thankful that we have a Savior, Jesus Christ, who knew suffering and who promised that “He would never leave us or forsake us” (Hebrews 13) when we put our faith in Him. We are grateful that we have a God who promises to comfort us (2 Corinthians 1:4-5). The Bible is clear that pain and suffering are very real. Evil is real. God did not promise us a life without pain this side of heaven. Yet Jesus gives us an eternal hope – God in His mercy sent His one and only Son to die for our sins so that we could be in perfect relationship with God through eternity when we put our trust in Him. And we know that ultimately, light will overcome darkness. If you or your kids are asking questions about pain and suffering in this time, click here for a link to a talk from Sean McDowell at the Christian Youth Summit on this topic.
Please continue to pray for Bend, Oregon and for the light of Jesus to shine in the darkness. John 1:5
