Dave & Barb Bindewald

Friday, February 1, 2008

Looking Back at 2007



Alot has happened the last several months at our church where Dave is the Associate Pastor.  
1.  We learned on the last Monday of June last summer that our good friend, coworker, and senior pastor, David, would be leaving our church and answering a call to another church. We were sad and surprised but happy for him and his dear family.  We wondered what God had in store for all of us.
2. That Sunday afternoon, July 1, on our way to the evening service, we received a phone call from one of the adults on the summer Mexico Mission Team.  He just said something bad has happened and asked us to pray.  During the service we received the very sad and frightening news that one of our teens on the team, Austin, had been hit by a huge wave and knocked unconscious and been pulled out to sea. He had been missing 3 hours. Dave was in charge since the senior pastor was out of town so he announced it to the congregation at the end of the service. Everyone was dismissed but they all stayed and prayed and cried softly. Dave and I went to be with Austin's mother and 3 younger siblings. Austin's father was in Mexico with the team. That began the saddest, most traumatic week of my life. I had taught Austin 3 years and loved him so much. We saw and experienced God's comfort and sustaining grace that week as they searched for his body and found it 36 hours later, the team was brought home, and the funeral was held. It was awful, and it was awe-full. Truly Christians do not grieve as the world grieves. In the team picture above Austin is the 4th from the left on the back row. He died a few hours after this picture was taken.   
3.  The week after the funeral VBS was held, which was hard but somehow therapeutic for everyone. 
4.  Then the congregation was told that the Sinclairs would be leaving after 10 years of service.  

So it was a very emotional summer.  Dave has been very busy helping to lead the church while we search (I'm part of the committee) for the next man of God's choosing to lead our flock.  Dave has seen God's enabling grace and strength to do what He calls him to do. It's been a growing time for all of us.

And then happily in November, along came LUCY!!

No comments: