In Memory of Tuck

Many of you might not know that while we were in Africa in 2000 we lost one of our teammates in a car accident. His name was Chris Tuck and he was one of my roommates that summer. I did not know him before we started our training, but got to know him pretty well that summer. He attended Georgia College and State University in Milledgeville.

It was the 1st of July, 2000. We started driving early that morning. In the flat terrain that is Africa it almost felt like our destination was the sun as it began peaking over the horizon. The previous night's darkness was behind us and the fast approaching day ahead. We had just completed several days of making bricks in a small town in Botswana for a local church. Each van had two drivers and some of us literally flipped a coin to see who would drive first and who would sleep. I had driven most of the way there so my partner Stuart was driving our Combie (A newer version of the old VW van made so popular in the 60's and 70's). My roommate Evan was driving a Combie behind us. I can remember sitting in the back seat. I had just put my headphones on and I was about to go to sleep. I remember seeing the donkeys on the side of the road, and It wasn't a moment later that I remember Stuart looking in the rear-view mirror and making the comment, "They hit the donkey...I think they hit the donkey!" The following is an excerpt from my journal written later that night. I just copied it right out of the journal so forgive how raw it is.

July 1, 2000
What started out to be our trip home from Botswana early this morning turned out to be something of much greater eternal value. The reality is that we were supposed to reach Joburg around 4:00. We were going to all go see Mission Impossible 2 tonight. Instead the tragic events, which transpired at about 6:50am, leave me in a hotel room in Botswana's capital city Gaborone. In the early morning hours Evan's combie swerved to miss a donkey in so doing flipped several times and landed off the roadside. As I came on the crash the reality of how serious it was hit me like a ton of bricks. There were bodies all over. My friend, roommate, and brother was lying by the roadside trying to breathe. As Beth held him and tried to comfort him he slowly began to go into shock. As we put him in the back of the combie Steve and I talked softly to him as he passed away. Steve started chest compressions, got a pulse, and lost it again. He never came back. Tuck died right there on the way to the hospital. Bree and Shannon were badly injured as well (broken bones). Nick and Eliza were shaken up pretty badly. Evan and Joey were not harmed at all. In the midst of sadness and grief the smell of God covers this accident. I acknowledge easily the fact that God was glorified in this. That in some way God will use this in other people’s lives. I am still confused about the issues of why and for what. It has been an emotionally draining day to say the least. There is still much to be done. It seems the rest of our stay here could be clouded with emotions and grief as we sort all the things that must be done. I asked God for wisdom in this like He would want me to (James chapter 1). I haven't received it yet. I got to see God work in people. I got to feel and experience the peace that passes all understanding which is brought by God Himself and delivered personally to me. I feel already the prayer engulfing this team as we pick up the pieces and hand them over to God for Him to build the bigger better house.

As I read this excerpt almost seven years later I am struck at how “matter of fact” much of it sounds. I do remember having the sense that God was doing something huge here, even when we pulled up on the crash site. I think many of us did. It sounds a bit insensitive as I read it now, but all I can say is you had to be there to understand that there was a lot of emotion and sadness present as well. I am by nature a “doer.” From moment one I can remember just looking for something I could do to stay busy, to help out. There was plenty to do to keep my mind busy, but the emotions came during the quiet moments in between.

There is no telling how many lives have been touched by Tuck’s death. I know that several people I am aware of came to faith because of it. They have since taken the gospel to others. As I prepare for my next cross-cultural journey I wonder if God would do something as huge in and thru our journey. I fear volunteering to be such a catalyst. God, change the goer and sender. Don’t let this just be something to add to a resume or a tax right off sheet.

SUPPORT UPDATE:

As of today I have about 25% of my support. I have had about 11 responses. I can tell you one thing the post office picked a sorry time to up the cost of stamps. I thought I had done this cool thing by putting prepaid postage on the envelopes, but now that stamps cost more and people have to scramble for 2 cent stamps. Oh well. I am supposed to have 60% of the support in by June 1st this week. I am still a little behind, as are other members of our team. If you are planning on joining or know someone else who might want to join, please feel free to let them know how to join.

PRAYER UPDATE:

The planning is going well. Please pray that our trip would help be a catalyst for the local church in London and Mumbai as our labor there is brief and theirs will need to continue long after we are gone.