We have this amazing young woman who is such a beautiful part of our family here at the boarding school we work at. She was leaving after lunch on Wednesday to head back up to the University. Many of you may have heard that we had one heck of an ice storm here. Her sister asked if she really had to go, and she said she did. Almost to the university, she hit ice and skidded into an intersection. To save all the details, she's on life support in critical condition and her family has a very hard decision to make today/tomorrow.
Please say a prayer for her family. It's quite hard for us to keep ourselves composed here, as we don't really want to upset the students right now, while still holding prayer services in the chapel each morning after breakfast.. So we are using every means possible for prayer, with prayers coming from all over the world. They are such a wonderful family and Christians and the mom (who lives here on campus - my co-worker) has being dealing with this through scripture. I know she would appreciate the prayers.
I've posted a little statement on my blog with my brief reflections.
Full Version: Prayers please!
Super sad - prayers being lifted up.
Prayers are on the way Beth - for all of you.
prayers are being lifted up . . . so sorry that you and the community are going through this.
So sad. 
I'm so sorry. Prayers said here, too.
I'm so sorry. Prayers said here, too.
I'm sorry. That's rough. Prayers have been said. 
Prayers have been said.
Thank you all!
Sadly, life support is being turned off and we are waiting to make it known until tomorrow when we can tell the students in chapel in the morning.
Thank you all for your prayers and please continue to pray for strength for her family.
Sadly, life support is being turned off and we are waiting to make it known until tomorrow when we can tell the students in chapel in the morning.
Thank you all for your prayers and please continue to pray for strength for her family.
Beth
Prayers are being lifted up for this young girls family, you and your school.
Prayers are being lifted up for this young girls family, you and your school.
This is really sad. I'll be paying for her family, and I hope to see her in the kingdom
Here's the update:
Cristin passed away on her own (without removing life support). Sitting through chapel with the students and faculty at 8:30 in the morning yesterday as they were informed of her passing was probably the hardest thing I've ever sat through. However it's amazing to see just how close and tight this community is. The chapel was standing room only in order to get faculty, staff, and students all in (normally staff doesn't attend with the rest, so space isn't always an issue). After all was said and done, we were excused. No one moved. 5 minutes passed, and two of the chaplains raised and said another prayer and some more words and then excused us again. Not a movement. Another 5 minutes later, someone stood up with their hymn book and started singing Amazing Grace. Of course, that ended any composure many of us had left. But then the entire 9th grade group stood singing, in support of their classmate (Cristin's little sister). Then a few minutes after that, someone finally stood and walked out, and others began to follow. It was like none of us wanted to leave that comfort and that community. It was amazing.
Another amazing thing: The family is celebrating. Not only celebrating her life, but celebrating the young child's life that was saved with one of her organs...only hours after her passing. What an incredible family and with such strong faith.
So again, I thank all of you for helping me through the past week. I am both emotionally and physically drained and plan to sleep all this weekend when I'm not here at school for the theater performance. I have posted a photo of this beautiful young lady on my blog. Spring break starts next week and is 3 weeks long, so I suspect we'll be having a memorial service here at the end of March, beginning of April.
Blessings to all of you.
Cristin passed away on her own (without removing life support). Sitting through chapel with the students and faculty at 8:30 in the morning yesterday as they were informed of her passing was probably the hardest thing I've ever sat through. However it's amazing to see just how close and tight this community is. The chapel was standing room only in order to get faculty, staff, and students all in (normally staff doesn't attend with the rest, so space isn't always an issue). After all was said and done, we were excused. No one moved. 5 minutes passed, and two of the chaplains raised and said another prayer and some more words and then excused us again. Not a movement. Another 5 minutes later, someone stood up with their hymn book and started singing Amazing Grace. Of course, that ended any composure many of us had left. But then the entire 9th grade group stood singing, in support of their classmate (Cristin's little sister). Then a few minutes after that, someone finally stood and walked out, and others began to follow. It was like none of us wanted to leave that comfort and that community. It was amazing.
Another amazing thing: The family is celebrating. Not only celebrating her life, but celebrating the young child's life that was saved with one of her organs...only hours after her passing. What an incredible family and with such strong faith.
So again, I thank all of you for helping me through the past week. I am both emotionally and physically drained and plan to sleep all this weekend when I'm not here at school for the theater performance. I have posted a photo of this beautiful young lady on my blog. Spring break starts next week and is 3 weeks long, so I suspect we'll be having a memorial service here at the end of March, beginning of April.
Blessings to all of you.
QUOTE(BethCrook @ February 21 2007, 01:13 PM) [snapback]83382[/snapback]
Here's the update:
Cristin passed away on her own (without removing life support). Sitting through chapel with the students and faculty at 8:30 in the morning yesterday as they were informed of her passing was probably the hardest thing I've ever sat through. However it's amazing to see just how close and tight this community is. The chapel was standing room only in order to get faculty, staff, and students all in (normally staff doesn't attend with the rest, so space isn't always an issue). After all was said and done, we were excused. No one moved. 5 minutes passed, and two of the chaplains raised and said another prayer and some more words and then excused us again. Not a movement. Another 5 minutes later, someone stood up with their hymn book and started singing Amazing Grace. Of course, that ended any composure many of us had left. But then the entire 9th grade group stood singing, in support of their classmate (Cristin's little sister). Then a few minutes after that, someone finally stood and walked out, and others began to follow. It was like none of us wanted to leave that comfort and that community. It was amazing.
Another amazing thing: The family is celebrating. Not only celebrating her life, but celebrating the young child's life that was saved with one of her organs...only hours after her passing. What an incredible family and with such strong faith.
So again, I thank all of you for helping me through the past week. I am both emotionally and physically drained and plan to sleep all this weekend when I'm not here at school for the theater performance. I have posted a photo of this beautiful young lady on my blog. Spring break starts next week and is 3 weeks long, so I suspect we'll be having a memorial service here at the end of March, beginning of April.
Blessings to all of you.
Cristin passed away on her own (without removing life support). Sitting through chapel with the students and faculty at 8:30 in the morning yesterday as they were informed of her passing was probably the hardest thing I've ever sat through. However it's amazing to see just how close and tight this community is. The chapel was standing room only in order to get faculty, staff, and students all in (normally staff doesn't attend with the rest, so space isn't always an issue). After all was said and done, we were excused. No one moved. 5 minutes passed, and two of the chaplains raised and said another prayer and some more words and then excused us again. Not a movement. Another 5 minutes later, someone stood up with their hymn book and started singing Amazing Grace. Of course, that ended any composure many of us had left. But then the entire 9th grade group stood singing, in support of their classmate (Cristin's little sister). Then a few minutes after that, someone finally stood and walked out, and others began to follow. It was like none of us wanted to leave that comfort and that community. It was amazing.
Another amazing thing: The family is celebrating. Not only celebrating her life, but celebrating the young child's life that was saved with one of her organs...only hours after her passing. What an incredible family and with such strong faith.
So again, I thank all of you for helping me through the past week. I am both emotionally and physically drained and plan to sleep all this weekend when I'm not here at school for the theater performance. I have posted a photo of this beautiful young lady on my blog. Spring break starts next week and is 3 weeks long, so I suspect we'll be having a memorial service here at the end of March, beginning of April.
Blessings to all of you.
I read your post and started to cry. I feel so deeply for this family. We never know when it is our last day. We often take so much for granted. We never really stop to consider that the next tragedy could effect us, could be our child, parent, sibling, etc. We prayed for this family and my heart breaks with them. I know that our God is the great comforter, I know this first hand. I also know that the journey is hard, I will keep them in my prayers.
Grace,
Crystal
PS There is just something about the Hymm "Amazing Grace", it was the song that was laid on my heart when I found out I was pregnant (and sang to my babies everyday of my pregnancy), and it was the song that was sung at my babies' funeral. It truly is AMAZING Grace...
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