Home at Last

 

 

     As Christians we know that this earth is but a temporary dwelling place. Our time here is short and none of us can know the day that the Lord will call us home. On May 3rd, 2008, that day came for two dear friends when a van carrying seven of our missionaries was in a terrible accident just outside of Aldama, Mexico. Andrea Dahms and Ben Hyatt were powerful warriors of God and we would like to take a moment to share a little bit about them with you.

    

     When the accident happened Andrea went on to be with the Lord immediately with no suffering. Andrea worked with me in the office and she put a great deal of time and planning into the things going on in the ministry. I remember when she first came to the ministry I didn’t know what to do with her. She didn’t have a lot of experience but she felt like God was calling her to be a part of Way of the Cross, so she came. We tried Andrea in a lot of different areas of the ministry and she just fit so perfectly into our ministry family. She was a hard worker and diligent in everything she did.

     Another thing about Andrea is that she was a prayer warrior. Anytime she had a chance to be a part of a prayer meeting she was there. God used her more and more boldly all the time. She is so greatly missed in the office as she had become like a permanent part of our hearts. Many times I walk by her desk and miss her terribly, but I have a peace that I know where Andrea has gone and the joy that she now has.

     Ben, or Cookie as everyone called him, was one of the cooks at Way of the Cross and he absolutely loved working in the kitchen. I think about Ben and how he could make something delicious out of what the rest of us saw as absolutely nothing. Just a little of this and a little of that and he would make something great! Many times when I get up in the morning and go over to the kitchen I truly miss him not being there.

He also had a tremendous burden for children. He loved to work in some of the local orphanages in Mexico and the children just seemed to flock to him. He loved them and they loved him.
  

  It is going to take time for all the Way of the Cross Staff to heal but the memory of these two warriors for the Lord will go on in many people’s hearts for years. I would ask you to continue to pray for their families that they would be strengthened in their time of loss. Andrea and Ben made a lasting impression on our hearts and our lives. They ran the race and fought the battles that God set before them while they were here on this earth, and now we can say with peace in our hearts that they have finally made it home.

     Ben also had a heart for intercessory prayer and he was just a great man of God. Even with his last breath as he was pulled out of the wreckage, he prayed for those who were still trapped in the van. Ben was with us for a number of years and I can share with you that we miss him greatly.