Summer 2007 Recap

Today is September 1st, and I am left to only shake my head in wonder about where the last six months since the last post have gone.

At the end of the last post I mentioned the opportunity we had to speak as a family at a Southern Illinois High School during their prom - traffic saftey empahsis week. The spring months brought other opportunites for me to speak individually too. I spoke at a local high school also during their prom week; the state PTA conference as part of a workshop; a trauma/emergency symposium at the hospital where Steve was treated during the first month following the crash; and a church in central Illinois during their 2 worship services on Mother's Day.

There is no way to express the multitude of emotions we as a family, and I individually, process through each time a speaking engagement occurs. Pain that seems to be well below the 'everyday' surface comes searing through to the top during preparation and rememberances. Yet, with the accute pain also comes a fresh realization of hope that truly sustains and strengthens in those hard times. It also encourages Randy, Steve & I when we realize that lives can be touched and even changed by our willingness to share our story yet one more time.

Another big change that I personally experienced since the last post is a new full time position I accepted at our church, Gibson City Bible (see link at the right). The church was very gracious in allowing me to honor the commitments I had to speak and travel to conferences and meetings.

July 3o was the date of the 5th Annual Greg Arends Memorial Golf Tournament which raises funds to send high school students to FCA Camp. Greg attended FCA Leadership Camp the summer of 2001 and was impacted by the week in a profound way. We have been able to send over 20 students to FCA camps over these past 4 summers since Greg's death. The Golf Outing day, too, is mixed with many memories of Greg and his love of golfing, as well as a deep joy from knowing that good can result in the midst of the most difficult and perplexing situations we experience. (And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. Romans 8:28 NLT)

The Summer ended with our annual trip to Maranatha! The sunset at the beginning of this post was taken on the beach of Lake Michigan. Our Bible teacher, Dr. Don Denyes of South Church, Lansing MI, spoke on Biographies of the Bible. We were challenged anew by the familiar stories from scripture that become more relevant to us as time goes by. Each of us were also touched by the wonderful fellowship and friendship that we are so blessed to experience among the 'Week 7" group at Maranatha!

Now, it is time to prepare for the harvest ahead as the corn and beans are reaching maturity and drying down in the late summer sun and wind of the past couple weeks. We rejoice that Steve is able to work along side Randy in the shed (preparing machinery), in the office (bookkeeping/marketing) and in the field (tractor/combine). We are also anticipating the arrival of Steve's new herd of beef cattle within the next few weeks. I'll do my best to post when the cattle arrive!

Most of all, we clearly have seen the Lord's faithfulness to us these past 6 months. Steve remains on medication from Dr. Hammesfahr as well as twice weekly BioFeedback treatments in Champaign at Midwest Neurofitness. All treatments combined brings improvements to Steve physically and emotionally. We continue to learn that Traumatic Brain Injury is not an easy disability to navigate or plan out, as we experience both joys and sorrows as each day unfolds. But, God is faithful and He is doing a work in us all on this Journey of Hope.

Florida - March 2007

Sunday, March 4th was Steve's 22nd birthday. He celebrated by flying to Clearwater for another week of appointments with Dr. Hammesfahr. We have had beautiful weather to enjoy the beach, mini golf and sightseeing when the doctor appointments are over for the day.

We rejoiced over the news that Steve's ultrasound showed vast improvement in the blood flow to his brain! The doctor has adjusted his medication dosing in light of his improving condition. We are excited that progress continues in Steve's condition. We hope to schedule a return trip to FL for the end of August (before harvest).

We anticipate some busy days ahead when we arrive home. The three of us have been asked to speak to about 300 High School students from Southern IL in April prior to their spring prom as part of a safe driving awareness effort. We hope our presentation will result in a safe and memorable prom season as well as influence the teens' overall driving attitudes in the days and months beyond. Several other talks are in the planning stage as well.

Our hope for Steve's continued recovery is being realized day by day. We see God's leading and provision in each step of our Journey of Hope. This does not mean that our journey is easy...but it is one of faith in the One who loves us and has a purpose in all things.

Washington D.C. and beyond...

January 23 I sent a rather lengthy but descriptive email to several friends and family:

Dear Family and Friends,
Tomorrow we, Steve, Randy & I, will fly to Washington D.C. to share our story of Greg & Steve’s car crash January 2003 and our journey since then. All of you have been some part of this story and our journey. We first want to thank you for your support, your care, and most importantly…your prayers for us as a family and for Steve especially these past four years.

Since agreeing to tell our story as part of our local High School’s involvement with State Farm Insurance Company’s “Project Ignition” in 2005-2006, life has not slowed down for us or our local students. Their efforts to take a tragic story which they entitled “Shattered Dreams” and somehow effect change in the driving habits of their peers was successful in ways we only dreamed about at the beginning of the project. Lives were saved! The GCMS Project Ignition students were awarded “Best of the Best” nationally…and coverage by media which began at the opening assembly in September 2005 has snowballed to what is now about to happen this week on a National platform.

Thursday, January 25 USA Today will feature an article about Teen Driving and a report which will be released that same day to the press which summarizes a year long research project which has been conducted by Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and State Farm Insurance. Because of our involvement with Project Ignition and State Farm’s Steer Clear program, we were interviewed to be part of the article as well as our school’s Project Ignition Team Leaders/Teacher.

Also on Thursday, Randy, Steve & I will be interviewed at the local (Washington D.C.) CBS and FOX stations along with representatives from State Farm and CHoP. Nationally, we will be interviewed on Good Morning America. I do not know the specific time our story will be featured on GMA. At 10 a.m. Eastern, 9 a.m. Central time we will be present at a Press Conference at the National Press Club where the findings of this important study on Teen Driving will be unveiled. This will be web cast live at the following link: http://pressclub.tv/webcast/statefarmandchop/012507/. We will not be speaking at this event, but our story will be referenced.

We would request that your prayers would be with us during these next few days. Specifically, that we would have the physical strength to meet the challenges of tight time schedules and travel. Most of all, we covet your prayers as we share our story…the shock, the grief, and the HOPE. We have seen lives saved locally…we pray that many more will be saved nationally!

Wednesday, January 24th we arrived in Washington D.C. as invited guests of Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and State Farm Insurance Company. Within 2 hours of arriving we were interviewed for a segment on Good Morning America which highlighted some key findings of the Teen Driving Report released January 25th to the press. The entire report in PDF form can be downloaded at: http://stokes.chop.edu/programs/injury/files/PCPS_Reports/1289teen.pdf

Thursday was indeed a whirlwind of activity. We opened our hotel room door at 5 a.m. to see the USA Today paper on the floor which featured several articles about the Teen Driving Report and our story http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-01-25-teen-wrecks_x.htm. The day began early with Steve & Randy appearing with Dr. Kenneth Ginsburg, one of the research physicians from CHoP, on the local FOX TV station. The press conference followed at the National Press Club http://npc.press.org/. The actual press conference is still available online at the link I placed above in the original email message. It will be there for just another week or so, however. While I said that we would not speak, that was not the case, as Steve actually spoke for about 2 minutes near the end of the conference. It was so fulfilling to be part of a project that hopefully will translate into teen lives saved as parents, educators, and lawmakers read this revealing study and contemplate the implications of our action or inaction in response.

We were interviewed by CNN at the conclusion of the press conference before leaving the press club that afternoon. We found out after we returned home that news coverage of the report and some pieces of interviews with us made its way on over 130 stations across the nation. Our own local media (WGCY radio and WCIA TV) gave expanded coverage to our story.

Our time was not all interviews and press conferences...as we were able to spend time taking in some of the sights and experiences of our nation's capitol. We had always intended on taking Steve & Greg to D.C. while they were still at home, but that never happened. So it was bittersweet that we were finally there with only Steve. Yet, how very thankful we were that Steve was able to experience it and enjoy it. Four years ago that was only a faint dream that we hardly dared to hope for.

We arrived home late Saturday evening, January 27. Within 12 hours we were preparing for yet another interview related to the Teen Driving Study and our story within the larger story. NBC Nightly News requested an interview with us on the farm. It was good to be home for that last interview. You can watch the entire video, which aired on Monday, January 29th on the NBC Nightly News webpage: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16874121/.

Our experiences with the media: Newspaper (Chicago Tribune - USA Today) and TV (ABC, CNN, FOX, NBC and our local WCIA & WICD) has been wonderful. Each writer, reporter, editor, photographer, producer, camera/sound person has been gracious and kind to us. We have met some incredible people who have influence and power to effect change for the good.

I can not say enough about our hosts in Washington D.C.; State Farm Insurance Company and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. The behind the scenes people who conceptualized, compiled, and reported the study on Teen Driving are some of the most caring individuals we will ever meet. They are professionals who truly are passionate about saving lives, and they are using their gifts and talents to that end. We are honored to have met them all, and to have had a part in spreading the word about the leading cause of death in our nation's youth who are 16-19 years.

Was this a rewarding experience for us? Absolutely yes. Was it an easy one? No, not a moment of it. We never forget the pain of our loss of Greg. We never forget that Steve daily lives with disability from the crash. Yet it is HOPE that inspires, HOPE that lifts us from lives of stagnant existence to lives of action. Your prayers for us as we journeyed to D.C. and back meant so much. It was only by God's help and strength moment by moment that we were able to endure telling our story repeatedly, and not breaking emotionally. Thank you for praying to that end...and for being such an essential part of our Journey of Hope.

4 Years Later

And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died.

1 Thessalonians 4:13 & 14 (New Living Translation)

Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying.

John 11:25 (New Living Translation)

It is hard to believe that 4 years have passed since Greg's homegoing. Not a day passes but he is dearly missed, however days like today which mark a specific point in time make us stop and reflect upon God's promises and the Living Hope we have in Christ even in the midst of our sorrows.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead...I Peter 1:3 (NIV)

In the midst of remembering, we still praise God for the many promises in His Word. If not for these, our sadness would give way to despair. We know that Greg is with God, and he is experiencing joy beyond description. We know that even now he is able to look in his Savior's face and worship Him.

While we remain here, we press on toward that same goal...to run the race set before us, to seek to be faithful in the midst of difficulty, and to lean fully on God for our strength in the impossible times. Someday we, too will join in the heavenly chorus with Greg, praising God together for all of eternity!

Thank you for your prayers, support, and love.

Christmas 2006

"Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.'" Matthew 1:23 (New Living Translation)

What an incredible gift we celebrate each Christmas...the birth of God's own son...God himself, come to earth to redeem us. Just as this verse gave hope and promise to prophets thousands of years ago, it is the source of our hope today. God indeed is with us!

Christmas 2006 seemed to be over just as soon as it began! In the midst of the flury of activities and special concerts we were able to spend time with both extended families as well as celebrate Christmas as just the three of us. As you can see in the picture, Steve had no problem relaxing during the rush of the season!

One thing that was encouraging to both my family and Steve was the improvements that they were able to notice in Steve's walking and his speech. We all rejoice in the continued healing Steve is experiencing...even if at times we get impatient with the pace. The hopeful thing is the fact that little by little, Steve improves.

That is a wonderful gift to us all this Christmas!