Rebecca's 16th: Volleyball, Biomedical and The Book

 

On April 24, 2007, 16 years ago, I was sitting at Vicki’s School of Dance waiting on Katherine and Elizabeth to finish class.  Susan called to tell me her check up turned into a decision to induce labor two weeks early.

Our lives changed forever. If things had gone normal at her birth, today we’d be finding her a used car to drive and she’d be learning how to back into her spot at Airline. I’d be worried about car insurance and boys and all the normal stuff a dad worries about. 

But today we came over to Ft. Worth to spend time with Katherine because she chose today April 25, 2023-what would be  Rebecca’s Sweet16th-  as the date to launch her book about Rebecca’s life and death. A powerful book that explains grief, trust, hope, healing and love.  “Wholehearted Trust” by Katherine Gatti is a must have for your library or small group.  

A lot of change since the last post. God has moved in some very big ways since that night 16 years ago. I’m glad our friend Kristin Mosura started this blog in 2007 to keep folks informed. It’s been a foundation we go back to to remind us of God’s provision. 

It’s amazing to see how Rebecca’s life continues to positively impact the trajectory of our lives. 

Charlotte is 13 years old and plays travel volleyball. We spend many weekends out of town at tournaments. She has a great team and coach. They are really starting to come together as a team. 

She continues to make straight A’s and has some really great friends. This year she started a school organization called Community at Cope Middle School. Her goal is to have a buddy system for each student with special needs with the goal of being more inclusive. She has a big heart for persons with special needs. Every time I go to the school to visit her for an event many of the students gravitate towards her and her infectious smile. She takes care of our cats, dogs, and chickens.

She enjoys being the only child in the house! I know growing up with a special needs big sister cultivated a deep love of special needs and marginalized people in her heart.  She is an old soul and loves to share the Gospel.  She and her friends have grown First Priority at their school from a handful of kids to over 80!  

Charlotte is growing as a artist and gave me a painting of the chicken coup we built together. Charlotte also reminds us that we are “The oldest parents at Cope…” 

Elizabeth is finishing up her second year at Vanderbilt in Nashville. She is majoring in biomedical engineering and loves it. She decided a few months ago to work towards a double major in electrical engineering. I told her to make sure she makes the most of the amazing professors while she is there, so now she’s shooting for the following: majors:

biomedical engineering , electrical & computer engineering minors: engineering management and computer science.

Elizabeth has an amazing mind and loves working at the labs near campus to collaborate with others to help people with brain and seizure disorders. She is busy with Chi-O and enjoying living in Nashville!

She completed an internship last summer at Florida State and presented a board in San Antonio this year at the Biomedical Engineers Society gathering. 

I stayed with her during finals one semester and was amazed at her “work” ethic and her “play” ethic! She is a humble world changer and lights up any room she goes in.  

Beth 2007

The other night Charlotte called Beth about an algebra issue. Beth called back and I would hear the loud music in the background.  Beth said “I’m at a party let me step out.” Charlotte asked “Do you remember how to plot regressions?” Beth replied “ yes (explanation I did not understand)” Charlotte said “ ok that’s what I thought, thanks have fun.” They don’t talk daily, but they are always there for each other in times of need. 

Beth always loved Rebecca and her sense of humor and deep love impacts us.  I know God cultivated a yearning to help brain injured children in Beth then she was young.  All the trips to Children’s Hospital and Shriners for Rebecca had an impact on Beth, a positive impact.  She’s outspoken that her motivation to excel in her major is to one day make life easier and find cures for injured children.  Her compassion and motivation is unmatched.  

Katherine amazed us all this year by completing her book “Wholehearted Trust.” It’s launching today on Amazon and those who have read an advance copy are amazed. She is an excellent writer. The book is very transparent and walks the reader through trusting God and resting in hope during trying times. 

She has been asked to speak at several women's meetings to share about the book and walking with faith through extreme grief. Katherine Gatti's Website

Click here to order her book:  

Amazon Link Wholehearted Trust by Katherine Gatti

The cover of the book is patterned after Rebecca’s headstone art work that the girls created. 

She also started a publishing company to make sure there’s a place for Christian books, and to help tell the stories of God’s hope, grace and healing. Everyone who holds the book comments on the high quality of the work.  She has been a writer her entire life and wrote an essay when she was very young about Rebecca that won the State Young Author’s Contest.  

On April 15 we hosted a launch party at The Stable. I was amazed at how many of Katherine’s friends from Fort Worth traveled to Louisiana. They are from all over the country and they descended upon Louisiana to celebrate with Katherine. It was a great night. Katherine’s friend and roommate Sid wrote a song about Rebecca. It was so powerful. There wasn’t a dry eye in the room.

Sonja, Katherine, Charlotte, Victoria, Jana, Lauren and Cassie had a panel discussion about the book and it was very moving.

Katherine graduated TCU in May 2022 Graduating from the Honors College, as a Neely’s Fellow, Major in Marketing, Minors in Psychology and Writing magna cum laude. 

5 years ago she made a big decision to attend TCU and move to Ft. Worth. She didn’t know one person. She’s made great lifelong friends, who are now like family. She has a great pastor Ben Fuqua  a great church family at Common Grounds /Christ Chapel- Ft. Worth, TX. Her professors, mentors and employers have been first class. 

After graduation, he spent a week near Branson and a treehouse Airbnb writing her book. She said it best the other night “I simply took what God did and copied it into this book. “

Katherine has an excellent job in Fort Worth and recently received a promotion. She loves her team and the talent that’s gather to work together at the marketing firm. 

Susan continues work as the Mental Health Consultant at Head Start centers and truly enjoys loving these children. She counsels those who have suffered death and loss. She is an amazing psychologist and loves the Lord and the people he places in front of her.  

We teach the seniors at our church together and Susan has been asked to speak a few times about Rebecca's Message. 

We enjoy hosting Men of Courage, Women of Courage and Students of Courage at The Stable.  What a great turn out for Fam Church in July!  Hope you can come this July.  

At the annual Good Friday Crawfish boil we raised quite a bit of money for Cumberland Farms!  A great day for all 

All of our lives have been impacted,  I have  been handling severe burn cases, severe brain injury cases and wrongful death cases at the office. Very emotional and tragic situations.  I know Rebecca’s life and death has made me a better advocate for the families I represent. Recently I taught a course to about 150 lawyers - basically a seminar of viewing the case from the family’s perspective. I was able to tell Rebecca’s story and how that experience, although terrible, allowed me to advocate for my clients more effectively.  I was overwhelmed by the responses of the attendees.  Rebecca’s life impacted me deeply and our family made an intentional decision 16 years ago to chase God and get better and not bitter.  

Rebecca continues to influence our paths and make us much better at our calling. Sometimes the things you try to shield your family from end up making them better at performing God’s will for their lives. 

Thank you again for reviewing the blog and please keep out family in your prayers.  Grief is very real and there is no endpoint of this earth.  Your prayers and support over the years has been the ointment our family needed to make it through.  Your prayers and support have helped us focus on Christ and not the storm.  We are honored and blessed to call you friend.  

July 31, 2022 Fifth Anniversary of Rebecca's Death

This has been an eventful year.  

Katherine Gatti graduated from TCU from the Honors College, as a Neely’s Fellow, Major in Marketing, Minors in Psychology and Writing. Four years ago she made a big decision to attend TCU. She didn’t know one person. She’s made great lifelong friends, who are now like family. She landed a great job at a marketing firm in Ft. Worth.  

Katherine ran recruitment for Panhellenic and made sure the events ran smooth for all involved.  She has some of the best people as friends.  She been traveling all over the world these last four years and is really enjoying using her organization, leadership and writing skills to move her clients projects forward.  

She is a natural leader and team builder and thrives in collaborative setting.  I told her all those visits to Haiti, El Salvador and Juarez really get you to think outside the box and collaborate.  She loves her church. Every time I talk to Katherine she is leading someone to Christ or discipling someone.  We went over for her birthday last year and she had an apartment full of amazing friends who all said she would be missed after graduation.

Katherine's amazing talents from the creator have allowed her to reach many for the kingdom and create disciples.  I am truly amazed at her focus and determination coupled with her laid back attitude.  I know that being Becca's big sister impacted her and Katherine chose to her better and no bitter.   

Katherine is writing a book about how to cling to your faith during a grief journey.  The book is centered on Rebecca's life.  She's allowed me to read the first draft and its powerful- all 200 pages.  I know its been hard for her and our family to relive the and talk about the painful parts of that decade of our lives.  One day at lunch with her in Ft. Worth, she asked be a few questions and it hit me that she was too young to know what really happened as it was happening.  I just broke down talking about all the ways God showed up during that terrible time.  An amazing book about the process that grief and faith perform in a person's life and their family.  Rebecca's memory lives on through Katherine's writing.  

After graduating with an associates degree from BPCC, Elizabeth graduated from Airline High School with the School's Second Highest ever GPA and a 35 ACT score.  She enjoyed Volleyball and being on Student Council.  It was tough leaving her at Vanderbilt in the fall.  

Elizabeth finished up her first year in BioMedical Engineering at Vanderbilt.  Let's just say she made excellent grades and REALLY REALLY enjoyed Nashville.  We enjoyed going to see her and she enjoys being in CHI O.  She was selected to work in a lab on campus where they studied with cutting edge microscopy the neuromuscular junctions in fruit fly larvae.  She made great friends and hosted a Friendsgiving party for her dorm.  Nashville is a great place to collaborate with other young adults and I know that she made the right choice in schools.  

This summer she was selected for an internship at Florida State where she is using nano technology in the lab to move cells throughout the body.  She's made some great friends and continues to enjoy the career she chose.  She is very independent and wise.  Truly a great experience.  

Elizabeth never meets a stranger and enjoys life wherever she is.  And she has a great and timely sense of humor.  We took a family picture while she was in Nashville and she used her mad photoshop skills to add herself in.  You can barely tell she was photoshopped in. . . . .What a great Easter memory!  We attended a few Vanderbilt baseball games and the campus and area are perfect for an 18-25 year old.  

Beth was inspired to study BioMedical Engineering because of Rebecca's medical struggles.  Rebecca memory lives on through Beth's research and passion to help those struggling with medical issues.  I think she will literally come up with a cure for majors diseases and even cancer while sitting on the beach in her quiet time. 

Charlotte is starting seventh grade and loves art, mission trips and gymnastics.  We built a chicken coop a few months ago and she realized how excited I was to finally have a cool chicken coop.  We worked on it for weeks.  Our 13 chickens love it.  For my birthday, she painted a picture or the coop with her water colors.  She has an eye for painting just like her sisters!  

Charlotte loves spending time with friends and takes every opportunity to share the love of Christ with her buddies and even strangers.  Even though she was younger than Rebecca, she is wise beyond her years. 

 This year she asked me to tell her everything that happened to Rebecca because she read the rough draft of Katherine's book and said that she did not know most of what had happened.  So I pulled over and answered every question that she had- lets just say her reaction let me know that she is much more Gatti than Lockhart.  We had to have a discussion on forgiveness and God's sovereignty.  

I realized that she came along 3 years after Rebecca was born.  She knew less than her sisters about how Rebecca was hurt.  

Charlotte is a great speaker and leader.  She enjoyed going on a mission trip to Oklahoma this year.  She is starting a club on campus at school where students are paired with special needs students to make sure they have a friend and are loved on.  God is moving in her to help others and her motivation stems from Rebecca's influence on her life.  I know Rebecca lives on through Charlotte's love of special needs children!

Susan and I planted a garden this year in memory of Rebecca.  Its in our front yard right by the cross I put up a few years ago in her memory.  I counted out 25 stones because she was born on the 25th.  Then formed a curve that tops out at the 31st stone because she died on the 31st.  Susan picked all the plants and designed the layout.  It was helpful to make something beautiful in her memory.  Everyday I try to spend a few minutes weeding it and pruning it and think about Rebecca.  Grief is such a unique emotion.  

The flower bed has been a great place to spend time.  Susan said it is important to make something beautiful out of nothing when we can.  Very wise words.  

We celebrated 26 years of marriage this year.  We enjoyed teaching the Senior Boys and Girls at Cypress.  Who lets a personal injury/divorce lawyer and a PhD Psychologist teach a group of kids!!!  Sunday morning class and then Sunday nights at the Stable with 11th and 12th graders.  Literally they are like our children.  They share the Gospel, go on mission trips, and have truly all blossomed this year into great young adults.  They have really been a great group and we will miss them. We also started teaching a Couples of Courage Class at the Stable.  We have a great time of fellowship, food and a Bible Study. 

 

Our main theme is Macro/Micro.  We need to understand that Christ had standards in the Macro, but showed love in Micro to change hearts.  For instance, Christ is against prostitution in the macro, but in the micro He loved the woman at the well.  We must practice this as Christians .  We must keep our standards in the macro, but show love in the micro.  Remember THE TRUTH IN THE GOSPEL sets people free of fear, anxiety, disorders, grief and addiction-- OUR JUDGEMENT AND ANGER SETS NO ONE FREEt.  We should nudge not judge.  Join us the schedule is on the Men of Courage Facebook page.  

 Every year gets a little harder and a little easier when we think about Rebecca.  I catch myself looking for her sometimes- its amazing the impact a timeless soul has on our limited human mind.  I wonder "why" less.  I seek strength more.  Then I cannot get rid of her wheelchair because it still smells like her and reminds me of her....Cleaning out her room a few years ago set me back a good bit.  

God's word means more when you have someone in heaven you miss.  Some days I am amazed we made it through it, and other days I can't seem to fathom all that happened to her.  I know that God's grace instills a resilient spirit during grief- it inspires, guides, provides wisdom and room for tears and questions.  Even allows for the overwhelming sadness--- even Jesus wept at the death of his buddy knowing  He would conquer death.  The pain she went through was unimaginable.   We get asked all the time if a post, a rumor or a political or legal loss effects us.  I can honestly say after watching our daughter have seizures and pain 24/7 for tens years, never walking or talking-- that God built up a strength in these girls that is amazing.  If you've been through great loss you understand what I mean- its either magic or tragic, you either get better or bitter-- there is no in between.  I experienced a normal emotion after a little set back last month-- after I processed it --I actually rejoiced that I had a normal emotion about a normal thing.  Grief is such a unique emotion.  

Forgiveness of the Doctor that injured Rebecca was the most important thing that we did.  It took a little time, but I know that allowed us to heal faster and move on through the grief process.   import

Charlotte and I planted a bunch of sunflowers on Rebecca's birthday.  They matured in time for Fam Chuch at the Stable.  I took some to Rebecca's grave yesterday.  Sunflowers are such a good teaching tool of the Gospel.  They all start with one small seed, but some plants produces hundreds of seeds and some produce a handful.  We've been "harvesting" the seeds and vacuum sealing them for next year.  We might just plant the whole front yard!!  The flowers always face the sun, just like we should always keep our eyes on The Son- Jesus Christ! AND the chicken love sunflower seeds!!

I spoke at Man Church about Rebecca for the first time.  Its very difficult to walk through the process of forgiveness and redemption.  I know God is moving though this story of Rebecca's life.  https://fb.watch/eCbx-JYxCY/Link to Man Church Sermon  

It was difficult to discuss and I hope you will go to the Men of Courage Facebook page and listen.  

Please continue to pray for our family. 

Happy Birthday Rebecca!

We had a pandemic tea party today!

     Today is Rebecca's 13th Birthday.  Not a day goes by that we do not miss her.  I am glad our friend started this blog for us 13 years ago to help us communicate with family and friends about her health after her injury.  Looking back we are glad we kept these notes.  Every year when I review it, I am reminded of God's sovereignty and His carrying us through some dark times.  Every time I read it through, over a decade of posts, it does not seem real--but the posts remind us that it is.  It is only by the love of Christ that we make it through this loss.  This year we would have had a college student, a high schooler, a middle schooler and one in elementary.  The void is heavy and the loss is real, but the promise of the Gospel is eternal life and the promise of the Gospel is the ointment for the grief.  It is sufficient.  

  We are thankful for the prayers and support.  Rebecca was joined in heaven by her grandfather Al Lockhart last month.  We miss them both dearly.  

Rebecca's grave stone was installed a while back.  The girls used their art skills to honor their sister by designing her headstone and footstone.  This took a lot of courage.  

Katherine drew the front with her perfect handwriting and quoted Romans 5:3-5.  

Elizabeth drew the back and included a sea of flowers, butterflies and a hidden lamb.  

Charlotte drew the footstone and reminded us of what we loved to do with Rebecca the most.  

Every time I visit her grave I am reminded of the great impact she has on our lives.  We've had the courage to do a lot of things because of her and weather many storms with our eyes focused on Christ.  

Today Charlotte decided to host a tea party.  We have been cooped up way to long.  We had to speak in British accents and enjoy tea and family! We had a great time.  We showered, dressed up and sipped tea.  It turned out to be a "jolly good time!

Katherine is at TCU in the honors college finishing up her second year.  She enjoys the fellows program and living in the sorority house.  She has spent a good bit of time traveling on missions and for fun.  She's been to Argentina, Europe and several other places "learning."  She enjoys Ft. Worth and has made some great friends.  We have enjoyed having her home during the pandemic- we never thought we'd be together as family again for this extended period of time.  Having Katherine home has been a blessing.  

Elizabeth is finishing up her junior year of high school. She really enjoys volleyball, newspaper, student council, and a ton of other activities.  Beth is ready for the world and has a great attitude and work ethic.    She's started looking at colleges and visited Vanderbilt- she really liked Nashville. Beth has a kind heart and quick wit.  College visits are on hold for now...

Charlotte is currently raising 9 chickens, 8 cats (3 big, 5 kittens and maybe a few more kittens on the way) and two dogs.  She enjoys gymnastics, reading and FaceTiming her friends during the pandemic.  She's finishing up 4th grade! Charlotte always has a funny story to tell.  She loves animals and reading her Bible.  

Some bad storms came through last night.  Some of the worst wind and hail we have seen in this area in a long time.  We spent an hour in the hallway taking care of new kittens and listening to the hail pound on the metal roof.  Reminded me of 13 years ago about that same time when a pleasant night turned into a major storm in our lives.  We spent the night 13 years ago in a hospital awaiting Rebecca and everything that could go wrong went wrong.  God carries us through storms and last night was a reminder of that.  

Today Beth, Charlotte and I spent the day honoring Rebecca by cutting up trees in yards after the storm.  It was great to get out and get some chainsaw therapy.  

Tea with Nana

Free Kittens in May!

Susan and I are truly blessed by your prayers and friendship.  Please keep us in your prayers.  

We have eggs everyday!

April 25, 2007- July 31, 2017

Monday morning Rebecca passed away in her sleep.  Susan went in to start Rebecca's day and Rebecca was already in Heaven.  We were quickly surrounded by all her grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and loved ones.  We wept, prayed and held her body one last time.    
It was an honor to call ourselves her family.  She without speaking a word transformed our hearts and minds and gave us the courage to speak out.   She without walking a step gave us courage to walk on mission trips.  She although blind taught us to dream about the beauty of Heaven.  We wanted her here with us, but God called her home.  She inspired us as a family. 

Your prayers, texts, calls, posts, cards, gifts and presence have been soothing like a healing ointment to a wound. 

As I looked back over this blog last night, I was reminded that God has carried us through this journey by commissioning our friends and those around us to be his hands and feet.  We are honored to receive your prayers.  You have been a blessing to us. 


Obituary:

Rebecca Leigh Gatti



A celebration of life for Rebecca Leigh Gatti will be 4 p.m., Thursday, August 3, 2017 at Cypress Baptist Church. Officiating will be Brother John Fream and Dr. Fred Lowery. Visitation will be from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the church. Interment will follow in Rose-Neath Cemetery, Bossier City.

Rebecca Leigh Gatti passed away in her sleep on Monday, July 31, 2017. Rebecca bravely battled a birth-related brain injury for over ten years. During her brief time here on earth, she impacted and inspired many. She is survived by her parents Senator Ryan Gatti and Dr. Susan Lockhart Gatti. She is survived by her loving sisters Katherine, Elizabeth, and Charlotte. Her sisters loved her every day of her life and blessed her with true compassion. She is survived by all of her grandparents Allen "Al" and Marcia Lockhart, Robert and Jean Gatti, and honorary grandparents Mel and Glenda Allen. She is also survived by her aunts and uncles Robbie and Jennifer Turner Gatti, Allen and Casey Allen Lockhart, Randy Gatti, Robert "Bobby" Lockhart, and Regan Gatti. She is survived by her cousins Allison Lockhart, Claire Lockhart, Brandon Lockhart, Amy Lockhart, William Lockhart, Hal Gatti, Hayden Gatti, Hunter Gatti, Maigen Gatti, Moregan Gatti, and John Robert "J.R." Gatti. She is also survived by numerous great aunts and great uncles.

Cathy Jacks was Rebecca's best friend and caregiver for 10 years. She spent countless hours caring for Rebecca and humming her favorite songs to her. She made a point to spoil Rebecca every day.

Honoring Rebecca as pallbearers will be Kyle Kirsch, Jeff Patterson, Josh Pettigrew, and Mark Rodie. Serving as honorary pallbearers will be the ladies who attended to Rebecca during church services and the professionals who provided her with specialized care in her home.

Special thanks to her physicians Dr. Scott Ritch, Dr. Pena-Miches Aristoteles, and Dr. Sunny Hussain for the love and compassion they shared with her.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that donations may be made to the Cypress Baptist Church Night to Shine Event or the Cypress Baptist Missions Fund at P. O. Box 340, Benton, LA 71006.

Romans 5:3-5 "Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us."

Prayers for Monday

Tomorrow Susan  and I will present "Rebecca's Law" to Senate Finance Committee. I hope you'll remember us in your prayers.

Many parents and families of brain injured children have reached out to us since the bill was filed and they've asked us how we get through it.

Katherine was 7 when Rebecca was born- she took it the hardest. She loves her three baby sisters. It's clear from her speech from church last year - there's only one way to make it through this.

Katherine and Beth love God and have not become bitter.
Katherine's video

9th Birthday- "Rebecca's Law" needs your support

Rebecca's Cousins

This week we celebrated Rebecca's 9th Birthday.  She is a fighter.  "Rebecca's Law" was written in her honor and to deter this tragedy from happening to more families.  Make a call or send an email to the members of the Senate Finance Committee and ask them to help reduce avoidable child brain injuries by supporting SB 78 "Rebecca's Law." 

Reach out to them here:  http://senate.la.gov/Finance/Assignments.asp

Rebecca sitting
at my Senate Seat

Susan and I testified before the state senate about child brain injuries a week before her birthday.  Watch the video and share it with others so that her story can help other children.  

http://senate.la.gov/video/videoarchive.asp?v=senate/2016/04/041916JUDA_0

"Rebecca's Law"

Katherine leaving Polaroid's for the
kids in Haiti 

In the 1970's the legislature agreed that a brain is worth $500,000.00. 

Katherine and Beth with
new friends from Haiti

SB 78 has started a discussion on our 40 year old medical malpractice cap of $500,000.00 for catastrophically brain injured children who suffered an avoidable brain injury. A cap means that it is the most that can be awarded by a judge or a jury for the harm the child suffers.  Simply put a child's brain is worth more than that. Rebecca's law allows a family who falls victim to an avoidable catastrophic brain injury the right to collect up to $5 million dollars only if a panel of three doctors agrees unanimously or a jury finds unanimously that the brain injury is catastrophic and caused by the error of the Doctor. A unanimous panel is rare because the doctor is allowed to pick one on the three members of the panel. 

Friends Wedding

A catastrophic brain injury means a brain injury that is moderate to severe that includes and causes the partial use of one limb, paraplegia, or quadriplegia. 

Most do not realize the $500,000 cap is universal to all citizens. This bill only allows children with catastrophic brain injuries to have a higher cap. Many families with catastrophically injured children must file bankruptcy after they "win" their case.  Although the law provides for unlimited medical expenses, it does not make up for the harms and losses a family suffers when a brain is ruined by an avoidable mistake.   
 

While this bill will not help Rebecca- it will increase safety in hospitals. Although she will never have a voice on earth- she is a voice for other children like her -many of whom have not been born yet.

Contact members of Senate Finance and ask them to help prevent avoidable child brain injuries. Ask them to pass this law to put patient safety above profits when it comes to babies who suffer avoidable catastrophic brain injuries.

 

Reach out to them here:  http://senate.la.gov/Finance/Assignments.asp

Family Update: 


Uncle Robbie, Katherine, Becca
and Hayden

The last few years have been great.  Katherine is a sophomore at Airline has maintained straight A’s thus far in High School while taking AP and honors classes.  She is also enrolled in college classes and has made all A’s so far.  She has traveled to Haiti, El Salvador and Mexico on mission trips.  She will serve a Student Body Vice President next year at Airline.  She and I went to Haiti in Nov. 2014 and then convinced Susan and Beth to join us in Nov. 2015.  She loves playing the piano and planning mission trips. 

In 2014, Katherine asked me to go with her to El Salvador on a mission trip.  While there she let me know that God was calling her to do mission work and that she wanted to go on another trip to Haiti.  I told her I would go with her.  She signed us up and in November 2014 we went with a great group from all over the country to Oban, Haiti.  We had a great mission trip and Katherine and I decided we would go back each year with a group from our church.  I went to training in Atlanta with 410 Bridge where they assigned me to be leader for an area called Bossier (Bossy -Ay), Haiti!  How awesome is God that he would pair us with a city with the same name as our home town.  We went back in November 2015 with Susan and Elizabeth and a few members of the church.  Also, it worked out that the trip was scheduled before we decided to run for office and, no coincidence here, the runoff was on a day that we were in Haiti!  So we went to Haiti and missed Election Day. 

Kauai with four adults and
six girls under 15. 

I want to do the rest of my mission work in Kauai, Hawaii- fun bucket-list trip with family and friends. 

Beth was a natural in Haiti and all the kids flocked to her.  The language barrier did not bother her a bit.  All the kids loved her.  She enjoyed going to Juarez with Samaritans’ Purse to hand out Christmas Shoe Boxes in January.  She is making straight A’s and enjoys dance, cheer and basketball.  She also helps teach second graders at church.  Beth is an excellent painter and loves the piano.  She is throwing the discus in track and keeping us busy! 

 Charlotte loves Kindergarten and had made many friends.  She is learning all about the Bible and loves to give “eye exams” to share the gospel.  She has taken up fishing and caught 19 in one outing.


Charlotte on Campaign



Charlotte giving "eye exams"

Rebecca is such a fighter and great example for our kids.  She has outlived many everyone's expectations and reminds us daily of God's grace.  Her ninth birthday was a blast with all the cousins.  Her seizures are getting pretty severe and the medicine change recently did not change the frequency or duration, but we have hope that she will respond. 


Hope you'll review the blog, read it, share it and keep us in your prayers!

Haiti 2015