the day after...

Megan will be heading back to the US on Friday. After some complications with getting the money to get the ticket to and from the US, as well as getting a last minute new visa so she can come back to China in October, and just the emotional toll of the past 24+ hours, the Mwenyas and I gathered with Megan at the Mwenyas apartment tonight to console, have dinner together, pr together, and even chuckle a little bit as Tehillah tried to entertain and show off a bit (sometimes it was to act ornery, so Megan and I had to try not to laugh when she was being a bit of a "bad girl"). It was a good evening, when all was said...and I'm really blessed that I was able to see her before she headed back to the US.
This was on the eve of me speaking in my first QT of the new school year...speaking about What are You Afraid Of?, a topic I'd chosen last week, then tied it into the events of the beginning of my first school year at NEIS with my grandfather's passing, then Megan's tragedy yesterday. I think He spoke, and I had a few students tell me they appreciated what I shared.
And this was the day after 9/11/07. Six years later, almost as if it was brand-new news, the tragedy of 6 years ago hit me. I browsed through msnbc's special anniversary coverage yesterday and last night, and it felt as if it had happened yesterday as I wached the video archives of the Today Show broadcasting it live...the way I remembering it happening 6 years.
So, like some of my friends have done in their own blogs, and as I think I've done in the past...I'm going to remember where I was 6 years ago yesterday.
It was the Tuesday during Summit Week, which meant that we had chapel on Tuesday morning. I was on the worship team that week, so I was headed to the PAC early, on my way out of Kem Hall when my friend Joy told me the the first tower had been hit. In my little IWU bubble, I didn't really wrap my head around the impact that had. Until I got to the PAC...little conversations were going on with the people already gathered...then the PAC technicians showed Fox News live broadcast as the second tower was hit. My memory is a bit fuzzy, but I remember students starting to come into the PAC and finding out what had happened. We all sat in the seats, staring up at the screen, stunned. Chapel was cancelled as we kept watching the news. The Marion newspaper came over and starting interviewing people, and I remember that my name and a quote appeared in the paper the following day.
I wish it weren't such a blur. I wish I remembered more from that day, but other than the candlelight service we had that night instead of regular summit chapel...the rest of the day is a bit of a blur unfortunately.
May the people who are still suffering from that day find rest in Him, comfort, and closure...finding strength in Him.