Inspire, Fall 2003

Inspire 25 5. Hold a weekly prayer time with the Christian teachers at your school. 6. Contact CEAI and see if there is some way you can further their cause of ministering to Christian teachers ( www.ceai.org or 1-888-798-1124). 7. Write about teaching ideas that you used to “turn on the light bulb” for some student. There are many publications that might be willing to publish your ideas. 8. Develop a lesson on various holidays or cultures and be willing to present it in different classrooms. 9. Volunteer to organize a teacher’s storage room, teaching materials, or the school library. 10. Volunteer to work with a needy student or listen to children read on a regular basis. Many children need positive role models. 11. If arts and crafts are your “thing,” volunteer to do a holiday project with the students one-on-one while the teacher is busy working with the class. This is a great opportunity to share your faith in casual conversation. 12. Go to your pastor and ask to help in an area where no one sees the need. No matter the field you retire from, God has special work for you. Trust God for your unknown future. Look to Him for daily guidance and be open to His leading. He will faithfully guide you as you journey to your heavenly home. “Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Psalm 16:11 KJV). Dave ’79 and Becky Stewart Drozek ’81 serve in La Ceiba, Honduras, where Dave works as an international medical missionary with Mission to the Americas. It was Saturday, February 22, 2003 — nearing the end of a near-perfect week for our group. A 15-member team of construction and medical workers had come to assist our mission hospital in Honduras. Some of the team members were from churches my sister and parents attend in Georgia and some from a group in Minnesota. The day before departing, the team decided to take a group photo on a swinging bridge in the town of Balfate. The bridges, for many, were symbols of overcoming fear, hence it was a tradition for people to have their pictures taken on one. Some visitors had refused to use the bridges due to fear of heights, while others overcame their fear by going on them. My sister, Amy, was one of those. Earlier in the week, Amy demonstrated her triumph over fear by posing on the very spot that would later be etched into our memories forever. I was the designated photographer. I chose a location to give me a good view of the team as they headed for the bridge. I began to compose the picture when I heard a loud “ping” that reverberated through the bridge cables. There were a few nervous laughs that quickly turned to cries of surprise. One by one, people began to fall off the bridge. I heard the thuds of their impacts. I could hardly believe my eyes and ears as I ran toward the bridge. Below was a line of bodies; some were moving, but most were motionless. The bridge platform remained intact, but the rails had become slack. Entangled in cables and netting were three team members holding on for life. One, a college student, was pulling herself up to the platform with the assistance of one of our guards. Another, Carol, was hanging by her feet and holding on with her hands. As I reached to pull her up, her arm slipped from my grip, almost causing me to lose my balance. One of our missionary doctors was nearby. He called for help and then joined me on the bridge and helped pull Carol to safety. The third person still on the bridge was my sister. Amy was dangling by her feet. I prayed for God to help as I tried to think of a way to rescue her. I ran to look for something to help, and when I looked back, the same guard who assisted the college student had an extension cord and threw it around Amy. On the ground below, two rescuers were securing the other end. Amy cried out, “I’m slipping!” Fear Takes A Fall B y D a v i d D r o z e k ’ 7 9 (continued on next page)