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There are very few young women who I know that I could look at before they were married and say, "You are a virtuous woman!" Julie Marcum is one of the few. Julie fears the LORD and has a healthy concept of her worth as a child of God.
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Julie was raised as the daughter of missionaries to Kenya. She came to the states to attend York College. At the time, I was teaching there and Julie was my intern. She fell in love with Steve's nephew Josh, a missionary kid from Ecuador. They married! They graduated from college. They worked in youth ministry for a while. They moved to Memphis, TN for Josh to get his Master's of Divinity degree from Harding Graduate School of Religion. They began having children. They joined a team of people and headed to Bolivia, South America to do mission work.
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Over the years, Josh and Julie have been two of my heroes of faith, as I have watched them from near and far, they have chosen that no matter the circumstances, they will TRUST GOD. I'm so thankful that "transformed mom Julie" has not recently become a widow. I'm extremely grateful that three little girls did not become fatherless. I praise God that our nephew, Josh, was spared.
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You see, the last week of June in Bolivia was winter break. Josh had organized a bus trip for a group of their church young people to take them to a retreat. He rented an experienced driver and bus. On the way to the retreat, the bus went over this cliff.
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This is what is left of the bus. The top came completely off! Many were injured and taken to the hospital. Josh broke three ribs.
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These three precious young women were killed. Others remain hospitalized. Many who have been released from the hospital will need extensive rehabilitation.
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Although horrific, we are so grateful for the short time that God gave these three young women to their families. We are aware that God has been gracious in the midst of extreme loss.
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Julie has kept us updated over the last week+ via her blog. You may read the complete story there, beginning on her July 2 post, as you join me in prayer for their physical, emotional, and spiritual recoveries. It will be a long road. Some will be tempted to blame God. Others will ask "Why?" None are perfect or will have perfect responses to this. Yet, the words of our theme song this week encourage us in our walk with God: .
"There's no such thing as perfect people.
There's no such thing as a perfect life.
So come as you are, broken and scarred.
Lift up your heart and be amazed
And be changed by a perfect God."
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There's no such thing as a perfect life.
So come as you are, broken and scarred.
Lift up your heart and be amazed
And be changed by a perfect God."
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Two places to continue to access are:
Two places to continue to access are:
- JULIE'S CONTINUAL UPDATES AT: http://jjmarcum22.blogspot.com/
- OTHER STORIES OF GOD'S GOODNESS THROUGH MANY DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES AT: http://GIGATTAATTGIG.blogspot.com - The current post is a story of Josh's mother when she was little girl. You will get a picture of Josh's faith as you read his mother's story of TRUSTING GOD!
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