I love my brother, and I love the body of Christ!

On Saturday, April 4th, my brother Evan had a bad bmx bicycle accident.  He was at a college group retreat north of Bakersfield, and he was going off a wooden ramp, but something happened to the bike or ramp or both, we’re not sure.  He faceplanted into the ramp, and was unconscious for several minutes.  A helicopter flew him to the trauma center in Bakersfield, and my mom and dad drove up to meet him there, after getting the news from the retreat director.

When my parents arrived, he was worse than we thought.  He wasn’t answering questions correctly, the right side of his face was badly swollen, and he was very scraped up.  I drove up to Bakersfield at midnight to see him.  By late Saturday night/early Sunday morning, we were playing the waiting game.  He had a CT scan, but there was no radiologist around to read it, until late Sunday afternoon.  I had left early Sunday morning for my service and events on Sunday, and headed home late that night.

During the day on Sunday, Evan started remembering things, and piecing together what happened.  When the radiologist finally read the CT scan, he said there was no bleeding in the brain, but recommended plastic surgery to put some bones and muscles back in place.  On Monday I drove up again to Bakersfield.  Evan was out of the direct observation unit and in a room with two crazies in the psyche ward, in a rather ghetto hospital.  My mom talked with the nurses and doctor and we were able to bring him home on Monday night.

Right now he is in pain but doing better.  We are waiting on results from a plastic surgeon in Ventura to see if he does need surgery.  His teeth are in pain, as are his scabs.  Evan will be taking the quarter off from school as well to recover.

I am soooo thankful for the body of Christ!  I put updates on Facebook, and sent out an email to my prayer partners on Sunday morning.  Within hours, even minutes, people all over southern California and all over the world responded to say they were praying for Evan.  My family and I are so encouraged.  Every time I talked to my parents on the phone or in the hospital, I would have to tell them,  “My friends in Thailand, Africa, and Scotland are praying.”  “My friends in Missouri, Virginia, Texas, and Illinois are praying.”  “My pastor friends and pastors at the So Cal District Office are praying.”  What an encouragement–and the best form of support.

I love my brother, and I love the body of Christ!

Thank you all who prayed and are praying for Evan.  He is moving on the road of recovery.  Life is changing by the minute around here, but God is constant and faithful, and He is our help!