When I finally came to, Kaylaynn quickly told me the news. “Hilary called and said that on the way back from watching the sunrise, there was a horrible accident. Teresa, Chance, Vanessa, and Kate were in a vehicle with some locals and it flipped.”
My heart sank. What do you do when you awake to news like this? They don’t prepare you for this at training camp or leaders training. I knew in my heart though, we had to get to the hospital ASAP. This is stuff you can’t prepare for, no matter how long you sit in sessions. You just have to pray, trust God, and respond the best way you know how too.
Riding to the hospital was probably the longest, most grueling rickshaw ride of my life. “God please keep my friends alive”, is all I could pray.
When we arrived at the hospital, we quickly made our way into the ER. We had to find Teresa, our co-leader, and find out exactly what had happened.
Finally we found her, tucked away behind a curtain, laying on a bed, mouth busted, cuts on her body, clothes ripped, and covered in blood. One of those things you never imagine you’ll face on the World Race, or anytime in life, really.
Eventually we found the others, checked in, and watched as they started do run many tests and scans on our friends.
I thought the worst was over, but it had only just begun…
Before long, the neurosurgeon approached a group of us, and asked for the group leaders to come with him. He had Vanessa’s CT results.
He opened the scans and my heart sank.
Her back was broken. Really broken. When we asked what this meant, he turned and said, “Her spinal cord was cut. We need to do surgery. We’ve got to stabilize her spin. Unfortunately, this injury means she’ll never regain feeling or use of her legs again from the waist down. She’s paralyzed. We need whoever is in charge to contact the family.”
Stepping out of that room, Josh, her team leader, and myself held each other tightly and began to weep. This was the hardest thing I’d ever been handed in my 27 years of life. “This can’t be real. This is all a bad dream and I’m gonna wake up anytime. There’s no chance in hell that this is what God had entrusted me with when He asked me to squad lead last fall.” Regardless of how we all felt though, we had to start figuring things out. P-Squad just got hit with something we never saw coming.
I wish I could adequately describe all the events that happened that day, but it just isn’t possible, or even what the past week has entailed. There are so many details that I’ve left out, and even miracles that will probably go unseen and unheard of. Even down to the fact, myself, and two others were suppose to go with the team that morning to watch the sunrise, but God literally kept us from going for some reason.
My friends, the past month has been real hard. Our squad has been through the ringer, if you will.
Our incredible P-Squad, back in Ecuador in January
We had two people leave the WR this past month, there was a good bit of sickness, the car accident, and now, the day before we’re scheduled to fly to Nepal, a 7.9 earthquake hits and we’re “stuck” in India. God, for whatever reason, has seen fit to entrust us with pain in this season of life. However, with that, we are not discouraged, beat down, or dismayed. We as a squad are united more than ever before, and have postured our hearts in worship towards God, because in the midst of it all, it is well, and He is still good.
The day before leaving Bolivia, Teresa got a word from the Lord and she shared it with the squad. “The Lord gave me a word for India. All He said was, ‘Be Ready.’ I’m not gonna try and explain what that means, but lets just be ready.”
None of us could have expected any of this. God was preparing us though.
When I signed up to squad lead last fall, I had no idea this is what our beautiful P-Squad would go through, but that’s why God never shows you many details in advanced, because we wouldn’t ever walk towards the pain or trials, we’d cower and run.
He knew what He was doing when he assembled and called us together though. God never says, “Oops.” His plans are perfect, and His ways are so much higher than any of our ways. I don’t understand it, and probably never will till I see Heaven one day, but that’s ok. That’s why we follow Jesus and have hope in a better tomorrow. This faith wasn’t built on the seen and tangible, but rather on the unseen and hoped for.
For now, our squad is in Hyderabad, debriefing and figuring out “what’s next.” Myself and two other squad members that were on Vanessa’s team are still in Bangalore for the time being, loving on Vanessa and her family, and doing what we can to get her home to California, ASAP. Please pray that process happens quickly, as her and her wonderful Mother and Father would love to get home soon.
This past month was by far our favorite month on the WR, aside from the accident and everything. The contacts have been absolutely incredible, and even through all this, they have rallied around us more than ever. Leaving here will be incredibly hard, because they are truly the most precious people I’ve ever met. I feel like I honestly have family here in India.
Part of our Indian Family who has loved us, fed us, driven us around, housed us, and prayed so fervently for us through everything this month.
God is working miracles here, which is no surprise because we’ve seen it all month here in India. Yesterday, Vanessa was able to sit in a wheelchair for the fist time since the accident, and she held herself up, ALL ALONE!
I hear people say, “God isn’t alive today. Having faith shows you’re weak and that you need something to hold onto in life and can’t do it alone.” You know what though? We can’t do it alone and shouldn’t. That’s why Jesus died, so we don’t have to.
You won’t find this on the front-page news, but I want to show you how real God is. I’ve seen, firsthand, the scans from Vanessa’s injuries. I have also spent the past week with Vanessa, and day before yesterday, I had the pleasure of watching Vanessa move her feet. That’s not a fabricated statement. That’s not a TV preacher showing off to make Christianity and Jesus look good. That’s real life, folks. That’s coming from somebody who’s been told growing up in church that, “God doesn’t work miracles or heal anymore. He doesn’t use spiritual gifts. That’s all said and done.”
God’s not dead.
The doctor told her she’d never walk or have feeling again, but I’m here to tell you (and Vanessa would tell you herself), that’s a lie. The same Spirit that raised Jesus from that tomb, pieced together her spin during the surgery, is healing her body, and will raise her up to walk again. I have not one ounce of doubt that that will happen.
Some prayer requests:
- Pray for continued healing in Vanessa, for God to be glorified in her situation, for her Mother and Father as they navigate through this tough time, and for a quick return to the States. Also, side note, check out THIS LINK to donate to Vanessa and her family and help lift some of the financial burdens that are to come. Lets go above and beyond.
- Pray for our squad. Pray that we don’t slow down, but that these hardships will ignite a fire in our hearts to bring the Kingdom like never before. This debrief will bring many changes to our squad, so pray for us all that the process will go smoothly and things will fall into place. And remember Teresa, Chance, and Kate as they are continuing to heal and recover 100% from the accident. Also, keep us in your prayers as we all begin to really process through all of this.
- Our hearts really do ache to be in Nepal helping those beautiful people. We’re not sure if and when we’ll make it there, but we long to be there, sharing the Gospel, and reaching out to those who are hurting and in need. Pray for the situation in Nepal and that things there would settle down.
Myself, Vanessa (in front of me), and her WR team, “Team Aslan”, in Ecuador, doing nursing home ministry.
In closing, God doesn’t call us to a life of service for Him and His Kingdom that is easy, but one that is met with hardships, pain, suffering, calls and decisions that you never think you’ll have to make. In all of that though, hope remains.
Love y’all. Thanks for the prayers, support, and encouragement that you’ve been to each of us. Let’s continue to go and bring the Kingdom for Jesus.
“Through it all, through it all, my eyes are on You, through it all, through it all, it is well. Through it all, through it all, my eyes are on You, and it is well, with me.”
