Global Andy

I was reading in Isaiah this morning.

“O LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done marvelous things, things planned long ago…. You have been a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat…

On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine— the best of meats and the finest of wines. On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth. The LORD has spoken.

In that day they will say, ‘Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the LORD, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.’ ” IS 25:1-9

Tommorrow we will have a BBQ in Paul’s memory. May it be a foreshadow if the banquet we will have together when death is fully shallowed up.

My friend and fellow co-worker, Erik Steffen, went home to be with Jesus last night. Erik leaves behind a wife, Kelly, and two boys, Alex (2 1/2) and Jensen (11 months).

Erik came to know Christ as his Savior while a student at the University of Georgia through the ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ. He and Robin were involved in Crusade at the same time. Robin remembers him as a dynamic leader who boldly shared his faith.

Erik went on a STINT to Turkey and joined staff and served in the Great Lakes region where he met and married Kelly.

I haven’t known Erik that long. I had heard of him and then we communicated a few years back about some STINT issues as he was serving as partnership coordinator for the Great Lakes region. The next year – 2004 – Erik joined the WSN team and took the same role in the Great Lakes that I have in the Great Plains (Associate Regional Director). I only got to spend time with him at a couple of WSN Nat’l meetings but I really enjoyed getting to know him and especially talking abut the Dawgs. I recruited him to be a team with me to help design and plan a training conference for our WSN summer project leaders in January 05. I remember him apologizing to me for being behind on his job because he was having these severe headaches. It turned out it was brain cancer.

I have really been impressed by Erik and Kelly’s faith and perspective. God has really used him these past couple of years as he fought cancer. I can see many lives he has touched just by reading their updates.

I am saddened that my friend and brother is gone. I am sad and grieve for his bride and that his little boys will grow up with no memory of him. I rejoice that his suffering is over and that he with his Lord that he loved and served.