Greater love hath no man...

I just want to express my thoughts and feelings on the events of this past weekend. I am in TN right now and Chad is in Honduras. Chad called me on Thursday telling me that our brother and precious friend, Gerardo Flores, was in the hosptial again after many previous visits this year. I prayed for Gerardo that day asking God to comfort him and give him the relief from the horrible pain that comes with his illness each time. Friday, Chad called me in the middle of the afternoon, which was weird because he usually calls me later in the evening to tell me about the events of his day. I answered the phone and Chad said, "Shelly, Gerardo died!" I immediately lost it and asked questions about what happened and was trying to get a grip on what was going on. Chad remained very calm and walked me through the details. He told me he would let me know when he knew more.

He called me about an hour or so later with new information and still very calm and collected. I told him that I wanted to fly to Honduras to be there with him and with Sandra, Gerardo's wife and his family. We decided that would not be necessary and we left it at that. We talked a couple more times that afternoon and evening.

Saturday Chad went to Tegucigalpa and spent the day with Sandra and Gerardo's family making sure that they were taken care of. He was there comforting, offering his help, and just there as a a shoulder for them to cry on. I received calls throughout the day on Saturday and then again on Sunday catching me up on everything. All he could talk about was making sure that Sandra and Gerardo's family were taken care of.

I write all of this to say that my husband, Chad Hedgepath, is truly a servant of God. I cannot express how proud I am of him and the way he has poured out his heart to this family in their time of need. Chad was very close to Gerardo and has lost who he considers his best Honduran friend, but instead of asking for comfort from others, he was there to comfort others. Gerardo was a servant just like this and I think that is why he and Chad understood each other so well. It did not matter if he was sick or having difficulties in his own life. He was always "laying down his life" and looking out to help carry someone else's burdens. I know Gerardo is smiling at Chad and saying, "you are such a man of God, thank-you for taking care of my family."

Chad, I cannot thank God enough for blessing me with you as my husband. I am so blessed to have you in my life. You are such a strong hold for me and the greatest example of what a true servant really is. You give of your love to whoever needs it. Not just to those that you choose, but to all that God puts in front of you. Thank you for your example and for being that support for me and so many others. Know that even though I am not physically there for you right now that I will always stand beside you and support you in everything that comes our way. I love you so much.

Shelly