A Near Tragedy

Yesterday morning's mission activities started off with a terrible event that could have become a full fledged tragedy for our team and for one of our partner churches. Thankfully, the Lord has preserved the lives of two of our friends!

The days activities were scheduled to begin with me speaking at a local warehouse and shipping point in a Bible Study that is hosted by Pastor Arnel Agaban, weekly. The plan was to speak there and give Cebuano Bibles to the 80-90 employees who work for that company. When Pastor Josue Cadiao and Joseph Zerna arrived at the hotel to pick us up at 7:00 AM, they and the other Filipinos with them were visibly shaken, and Josue's arm and slacks were splattered in blood.

One of Josue's church families (and a family that had been an important part of our team) had just been in a terrible crash on the National Highway and had been transported to Holy Child Hospital, just two blocks from our hotel.

Guillermo Pusan had been instrumental all week in helping transport the generator, and all the light and sound equipment to the various venues around southern Negros, where we met for crusade activities. His little "easy ride" family vehicle was perfect for that duty. It's half car/half truck body style made it easy to transport people and equipment from place to place.

Guillermo and his wife and children left the house early yesterday morning with a fully loaded vehicle. The plan was to drop daughter, Angelica, off at school and then transport the sound equipment to the warehouse to get set up in time for our 7:30 AM Bible study there. Shortly after turning onto the main highway in their hometown of Bacong, the unimaginable happened.

Two drunken men on a Honda motorcycle swerved into their lane hitting them head on, and flying through the windshield into Guillermo's vehicle.

The impact was powerful, and as you can see from the photo above, the damage was severe. Pastor Josue and the other Easy Ride (which was carrying boxes of Bibles and other members of our team) arrived on the scene just after the crash. He saw Guillermo's damaged vehicle and the twisted remains of the motorcycle along with the two cyclists sprawled out on the highway.

"I thought they were dead already!" Josue told me with tears in his eyes. "The blood was flowing from Guillermo's head and leg wounds and little Angelica was also severely injured." he said in a shaken voice.

Josue, his driver, Dodong, and others provided first aid at the scene to the Pusan family and to the two cyclists whose injuries were severe - if not life threatening. The injured parties were transported to Holy Child Hospital. Josue's wife, Christy, stayed at the ER with Mrs. Pusan and the little boy, who were miraculously only shaken up. Josue came on to meet us at the Hotel where Pastor Joseph was here to pick up our team.

"We must have prayer" he cried, as we gathered around on the street, holding hands and pouring our heart out to God for the Pusan family and the two cyclists.

After the Bible Study ended, we made our way back to Holy Child to minister to the family as much as possible. We were able to see Guillermo and Angelica and to have prayer with them and also with the two men from the motorcycle, whose injuries can only be described as severe. It appeared that they would survive, but there is the possibility that both of them will suffer amputations.

Guillermo and Angelica were admitted to the hospital with broken bones and lacerations, but, thankfully, they will survive. This was a severe blow to the Bacong Christian Fellowship church family and to our mission work here. The results could have been much, much worse.Hopefully they will be released today or tomorrow.

We certainly thank God for His protection and for sparing their lives.

Even though most readers will never meet this family, please lift them up to God for their physical, financial and emotional needs. Also pray for the other two men. I know that Pastor Josue will also minister to them and their families as much as they will allow.