Sunday June 24

It is with a breaking heart that I write this. On Sunday, June 19,Lee's father, Barney, has been killed in a tragic traffic accident while in Moline, IL, visiting relatives & celebrating his 55th wedding anniversary. Lee's mom, Joan, was severely injured, but with God's grace should recover, although it will take several months. She has been transported to Peoria, OH, & is receiving excellent care there. She has already had several operations, with many more to come. Her spirits, when she has pain & pain meds just right, are quite good.
She is a strong woman & is determined to get through this. Barney & Joan were a pair, working together all their married life, physically together for probably 20 hours of each day. They were both very involved grandparents, at our home celebrating Fathers Day just 1 week before. Joan's 3 children are with her now, & I am staying in Las Cruces to be the local contact. My 4 sons are hanging with Lee's brother's 2 girls, along with Ben's wife & Simon's girlfriend, "cousining" (if I can make their close relationship into a verb). They are all Christians, finding strength in each other & the Lord. Lee has a sister who was in Louisiana visiting her 3 children there when this happened. Thank the Lord for tight families.
The Rawson's are well known & respected in this community, moving here in 1959, & we have lots of support for everyone in town. I am not alone. When Lee & I heard the news, we were in Lake Tahoe with Caleb for a Builders Trust board meeting. Also there was another couple I knew there from college Bible study days, Marc & Bernie White. They brought us home while Lee flew immediately to Moline. We see God's hand protecting, providing & planning all over this tragedy, & we know this was no "accident." Barney is in heaven with his Lord & Savior. He would want us to forgive the couple who hit him head-on. He would tell that couple this was the time to turn their lives around, to make good of this tragedy. We will not be embittered, will not give Satan the satisfaction of miring us in a blame game. Please pray for us all: for recovery for Joan, for focus on what must be done to go forward, for our many combined businesses to continue without leaders, for the many "little things" that threaten to blow up daily, & mostly for our witness to the Lord Who saved each of us & loves us no matter how things look from this perspective.
Thank you all for your love through the years.

Moira Rawson