Please join the Engineering Department in expressing our deepest sympathy to Professor Rich DeJong for the very sudden loss of his beloved wife Judy during the night on Thursday.

Judy was the much loved and recently retired Principal of Ada Christian school. Rich and Judy have five wonderful children and three precious grandchildren. Their daughter Christy is in the graduate teacher education program, son Nathan is student teaching in Rehoboth, NM, and their son Andy is a senior in the Engineering program here at Calvin.

Please remember the entire family in your prayers.

On August 2, two Calvin students were involved in a car accident in Colorado. The students were part of Calvin's Snow Mountain Ranch program and were returning from a hike when a car crossed the center line, they swerved to avoid it and their truck flipped.

Andrew Dykhuis of Kalamazoo suffered lacerations on his right arm and face, a broken clavicle, and compression fractures of his vertebrae. Eric Rottman of Grand Rapids suffered a severe break of his right leg and foot as well as compression fractures of his vertebrae. The driver, Nick Campbell, is a student at the University of Minnesota and and an adopted member of the Snow Mountain Ranch program. He has bruises but no further injuries.

We praise God that the injuries were not more severe. An officer on the scene said it was a miracle that anyone survived.

Eric had successful surgery on Aug 3 and again on Aug 11as surgeons realign his leg and foot. Andrew has returned home to Michigan.

We thank God for the generous care and hospitality shown to our students by the Calvin community in Denver. Please pray for healing of bodies, minds and souls for Andrew, Eric, and Nick, and for God's grace to comfort them and their parents.

Frank Eberhard, father of Christine Mulka at Calvin Seminary, has learned that the bone previously eaten up by cancer is now growing back. There is however, a new lesion on his lumbar vertebrae, though the doctors have a plan and are optimistic. Praise God for the healing that has taken place. Pray, too, for continued healing and that Frank Eberhard may be a witness of God's presence to those around him.

Please pray for God's Holy Spirit to move in the minds of all students who will be taking final exams beginning on Friday, May 15 through Wednesday, May 20. Pray, too, for the Holy Spirit to move in the minds of professors as they discern the work of students and assign grades.

May God grant everyone a fruitful & fulfilling Summer.

Update: On Thursday afternoon Stephen Okeyo walked out of Mary Free Bed joyfully looking forward to his move back to Calvin. Thursday night will be his first night of sleep out of a hospital in over two months. He still has to go to physical therapy every afternoon and prayers are still welcome and needed since there is much recovery ahead of him. Specifically, muscles need to get stronger and the part of his brain that processes motion used to be much faster.

Pray for freshman Simon Kaschner who is flying home to Japan, where his parents are missionaries. His father may be close to death, due to a rapidly developing cancer. Pray for the entire family, for a turn-around in his father's health and for an uncomplicated two-day flight home for Simon.

The Calvin community grieves with Miriam Wambua, graduate student from Kenya. Her brother Kavesa Wambua, died of malaria earlier this week in Kenya.
Miriam traveled back to Kenya on Saturday, April 3, for the funeral and will return Saturday. Miriam has been in Grand Rapids for the past year so hasn't seen her family in that time. Please pray for God's presence to comfort the Wambua family, in the days, and months ahead. Also pray for safe travel for Miriam.

We grieve the loss of Ann Baker, a former Calvin staff member in the parent relations office. She died on March 5 of extensive injuries suffered in an automobile accident on January 17. Her bright smile, cheerful disposition and heart for others was God's gift to many people. She is survived by her husband Dan and children Adam and Ingrid, along with many family members and friends. Remember the Baker family in your prayers.

Update: Steve Okeyo is improving.The main concern is possible brain damage as a result of the second emergency heart surgery. At times Steve speaks normally; at other times, he's nonsensical or answers simple questions incorrectly. He has limited hand strength but is beginning physical therapy today. The current goal is to sit up. He is eating ok but is not sleeping well at all. Pray for continued improvement in these areas.

Esther Waid (husband Andrew), a member of our Calvin Campus Store, after feeling ill for several days, underwent heart  surgery  this morning.  It is apparent she has a viral infection of her heart and lung and is currently on a ventilator at Butterworth Hospital. Please remember Esther, Andrew and their family in your prayers, asking for God's healing hand to restore her.

Our prayers go out to Daniel Vang who is grieving the loss of his father. He covets our prayers for him and his family.

We lament with Matthew Gardner (SR) who was notified late Wednesday night that his older brother died unexpectedly. Join in praying for a strong sense of God's presence for the Gardner family.

Update: We thank the LORD for Tom Snyder's cancer free CT scan...and also that it found a lung blood clot that is now being treated in the hospital. Please continue to pray for God's gracious and powerful presence and rest.

Update: Tom Snyder, father of Laura (sophmore) will have his quarterly CT scan on Wednesday, Jan 14. Please pray NO CANCER and that this obstinate disease will be eradicated completely. They desire strength, grace, and peace and to be anxious for nothing but able to bring glory to God in all things.

The father of Christine Mulka (Calvin Seminary), Frank Eberhard, has been diagnosed with an aggressive cancer in his kidney, lungs and leg. He will meet with an oncologist and surgeons on Friday, Jan. 9th regarding surgeries to remove the kidney and put a rod in his leg. Pray these surgeries go well and he is able to fulfill his calling to speak about faith to his doctors. Christine's mother, Rosemary Eberhard, has COPD and is on oxygen for most of the day. They both desire and are thankful for your prayers to lift them before the throne of our Lord.

Please lift up all of the students and professors who are traveling abroad for 2009 interim. Pray for safe travel and for our loving God to watch over them and work through them during their time of study/mission.

The Calvin community grieves with Dan (History Dept) and Kate Miller. Dan's father, Robert G., passed away on December 30 at the age of 93. He loved the Lord and was able to testify to that until quite recently, so Dan and Kate know he died in Christian hope. But please remember the Millers in your prayers.

Dr. William Spoelhof, president of Calvin College from 1951-1976, died peacefully in his sleep at 1:45 a.m. on December 3.

We praise God for his long and fruitful life, his love for his family, and his long and loving service to Calvin College, service which continued well after his official retirement three decades ago. Dr. Spoelhof would have celebrated his 99th birthday on Monday, December 8, but now rests instead in the arms of his Lord and Savior.

The funeral will be held at Neland Avenue Christian Reformed Church for family and his church community at 11 a.m. on Monday, December 8, followed by a private burial.

A public memorial service will be held in the Calvin Chapel at 3:30 p.m. on Monday, December 8, which would have been his 99th birthday.

The Calvin Community mourns the passing of Ricky Mosher, this past Saturday. He was an Audio-Visual Technician at Calvin for the last 19 years. Please remember the Mosher family: wife Leslie, son Max, a freshman student; as well as a son, daughter, and grandchildren from a previous marriage.

Visitation with the family will be this week Wednesday at 6:00 pm in the New Life Christian Fellowship Church, 2777 Knapp St. NE., followed by a memorial service at 7:00 pm.

Update: President Emeritus Spoelhof remains hospitalized following a fall two weeks ago. He was able to have a procedure last week to treat the compression fracture he suffered in one of his vertebrae, but he has had some rough days recently with significant confusion and agitation. Monday & Tuesday he was more stable and restful, but his doctors continue to request no visitors. Pray for peace and rest for him and for an increased interest in eating.

Members of the Calvin community can send cards or words of care and encouragement via mail or email.

You can send your cards to his apartment:
2121 Raybrook St SE #352
Grand Rapids, MI 49546

Or send email to his granddaughter, Lisa Spoelhof Schra, at lschra@grcs.org Lisa will print your messages and ensure that they are read to her grandfather.

Ben Schaafsma, graduate of Calvin College, and brother of Corinn, who is currently a freshman at Calvin, died October 25, due to injuries sustained in an accident. Ben was living in New York City where he had a job working for the Elizabeth Foundation as a program director. Please pray for the family--Corinn, brothers Jake & Alex, and parents, Joel and Judy.

Please pray for our engineering students taking the FE exam this Sat. Oct 25. Please pray for God's guidance, encouragement to prepare, helping them to stay focused and for strength for the day. Thank you.

The family home of first-year student Mary Ellen Mathews in Lombard, IL, was seriously damaged in a fire last Friday. The family is thankful they are all safe, and the entire house was not lost. They desire your prayers as they seek temporay housing, assess the loss, and negotiate with insurance. They ask for God's strength and peace through this time.

Her father was, at the time of the fire, on his way to a meeting of the Navigator's new Chicago Metro Leadership Team where they were launching a new team to lead the work in Chicago. He states, "We are in a battle against an enemy who opposes all we do to advance Jesus' Kingdom and would appreciate your prayers for protection for us and our family."

Pray for God's support and presence on Jon Kuiper, a junior, and his family. Jon's father is battling lung cancer and the struggle is difficult.

Pray, too, for the many other students burdened with concern for family members. The students are often pulled between their concern for family and the need to focus on their studies.