Tears are Falling

Photo courtesy of Friends of David

It has been 27 days since the earthquake and the day we prayed wouldn’t come has arrived. It was our hope and prayer that David Hames would be found alive and come home to his family. Sadly today, his family was notified that his remains have been tentatively identified and will be returned to the US to be officially identified.

There is sorrow today as we mourn the loss of a husband, father, son, brother, and friend. There are no words right now to express my grief for the loss of this man I have never met. I have spent 27 days reading stories about him told by his friends and family. A picture has emerged of someone who loved his wife and boys. The stories I have heard tell of a man who enjoyed life and lived it to the full. Someone friends could laugh with and share their dreams. A man whose mother was proud to call son and his siblings loved. The many, many people who joined his Facebook page and shared him with others are testament to a man who is well loved.

Also apparent in the stories is how he loved and served the Lord. He was in Haiti filming a video to document the plight of orphans to bring attention to this problem. His heart was full of compassion for the orphans in Haiti and Swaziland. It was that compassion that took him to Haiti just days before the earthquake.

We can’t know this side of heaven why the Lord chose to take David so early in life, but we do know that David was a faithful servant. We do know that while we mourn we can be assured that someday our paths will again cross David’s when we too reach heaven. A friend posted several days ago that when David got to heaven she could see him “laughing, singing, and playing his ukulele as he danced down the streets of gold.” What an awesome picture to keep before us in the days ahead as we learn to live a life with one less ray of sunshine.

My heart goes out to David’s family and friends and they continue to be in my prayers.

A fund to help David’s family has been sent up and they have partnered with Helping Hands Ministries to continue David’s work with orphans. Friends of David Funds



We also heard today that the remains of Walt Ratterman were recovered yesterday.