Even a wreck can work together for good.

by Susie Plog
(Hoschton, GA, USA)

My daughter Rachel Plog was suppose to go with the Awana program on an MIT mission trip to Seoul, South Korea summer of 2007. She was so excited and had gone to bootcamp and was on track with all her assignments. We got her passport and shots and she had raised 2/3 of her support. My cousin Jenny lived in Seoul with her husband Lewis, who is a banker from England. They were making a trip to the States and Jenny would stay with her kids until after Thanksgiving 2006. Rachel was going to fly back with Jenny and her 6 month old baby in arms and 2 year old and help babysit on the flight and then stay for a couple of weeks and sight see. We thought she could really have some good pre-mission trip experience and be with family. In October, 2006 they found out they were being transferred to Hong Kong so they added to their flights. Rachel would get to see Seoul and also Hong Kong. Now she was really excited.
All went according to plan and Rachel met up with Jenny in Boise, ID and they went on their trip. In route, Jenny got an intestinal virus. Then the 2 year old got sick. They got to Hong Kong and the bug ran through the family. Rachel was the last to get sick. They took her to the hospital where it was decided to treat her with IV fluids and antibiotics. The next day they would send her home to Jenny's. Then they decided she had appendicitis. They went in to do the surgery and the surgeon cut her aorta going in with the laporascope. They worked on trying to save her for four hours and were not able to bring her back.
We were devastated. We were in constant communication with the doctors and knew some of what was going on. The hard part was we were in a living room in Hoschton, Georgia and she was 13 time zones away.
We had tons of visitors over the next few days and when they would visit we would show them her room. She had at least 3 dozen verses written like posters on her walls (in colorful paper and markers). These were verses she was memorizing for Awana. Then I looked on her bedside table and found her "big" Bible (parallel Bible) and a camp journal, I had bought her in summer 2005 for Camp WinShape. I started reading some of the entries and it was typical "camp" stuff like who her counselor was and what her skills were and then it changed. This counselor challenged them to "go deeper with God". The entries became prayers. Her sister said she had more of these journals, because she was using Sarah's blank journals. They were on her bookshelf. They prayers were wonderful. It was prayers of a 15/16 year old girl truly seeking God and trying to make sense of her call in life and what God wanted for her. Even through the death of her favorite family dog, Shadow and my husbands resigning from his job and a possible move we saw her growing dependency on God. Rachel had memorized scripture since she was a little girl and I would buy "Hide Him in Your Heart" music videos from Steve Green. She had a great mind and could memorize anything. She was memorizing her Awana book for Awana Quizzing in Denver,Colorado when she was in Hong Kong. All her verses were on index cards and she was very organized. She went to the first Scriptorium in Hannibal, Mo and memorized I Corinthians 5-12. That is chapters 5 through 12. She loved God's Word.
We have the assurance of her salvation through her testimony and her love for the Lord. We miss her but we know where she is and that someday we will see her again in Heaven. But, this isn't the end of the story.
On March 16, 2008 some friends of our in our Sunday School class had a horrible accident coming home from their sons band concert. The father, Rod, was killed and so was their son Eric who was 16. Clare the mom was critically injured with all her bones from the hips down pretty much crushed. Jacob, their 12 year old son survived with a broken collar bone and some bruised ribs. My husband Marty was called to go to the hospital with our pastor Mike Phillips.
Jacob was told about his dad and brother and his aunt and uncle went with him to a children's hospital for evaluation and tests. He was released 2 days later.
Clare was airlifted to Atlanta Medical Center and after a series of surgeries to repair her breaks she was put on a ventilator and sedated for 3 weeks. Right before she went on the vent she signed over Power of Attorney to take care of Jacob to Marty. One hour later she quit breathing and was put on the ventilator. She was sedated for 3 weeks and then the recovery began. She was in ICU for 2 months and a regular floor for a month then she was moved to a nursing facility that offered limited rehab. After being there a month they moved her to another hospital with acute rehab. Once she was up on her feet and learned to walk with a walker she was discharged. She is now living with us while she is convalescing and will hopefully be able to go home by the end of this month.
God has been so good to give us this opportunity to help Clare and Jacob. I know it was a tragic situation but we had been through it with Rachel and we knew with God's help we could help Clare and Jacob. Out of Clare's wreck I have seen so many people that have been able to help her.
One of her friends is an accountant and was able to do her taxes. Her small group from church was able to build a ramp/deck onto the front of her house so she can now get in with the wheelchair. One of the ladies from church painted all her bedrooms and they changed Eric's room into a craft room for Clare. She likes to do stamping and quilting.
One of Clare's dear friends, Sandy, went to the hospital almost everyday to be with Clare. Now that she is with us, Sandy and her husband are busy building a house but she was able to be there when Clare needed her most. People have brought meals to our house while we take her to appointments and have physical therapy sessions here and deal with Jacob's emotional needs.
God does work for the good of Clare and Jacob and He is being their father through his people. The world is an imperfect and their are drunk driver's who drive the wrong way because they are fleeing another hit and runs. These things are horrible but the world was like that because of when sin came into the world. We had a surgeon, who is not God and could not fix our beautiful 16 year old daughter. What Satan meant to destroy our lives, God has used to build up our lives and strengthen our faith. He has also used it to strengthen our church family and to show us that in times of horrible circumstances He is still God and He is in control. We are to be a light and hopefully the world will see us as not being torn down and discouraged but encouraged and able to help others.