A few days after our San Jose trip where we stayed at my friend, Andrea's home, Andrea called me with the horrible news that her (recently divorced) husband of 16 years and father of her six children's had died that day in a single car accident. She called me from the middle of Nevada where she had just gotten the call while driving her children home from Utah. Jordan had hit a tree while intoxicated and the news was devastating. I could listen and cry with her, but I prayed for a way to serve and love her in the upcoming days and weeks ahead. The next day while shopping I found a beautiful yellow blanket that I wrapped with a special note reminding her on hard days and nights to wrap herself in this blanket and feel of my love for her and more importantly the Savior's love for her. I had offered to watch her youngest kids, twin girls, during the funeral and so I prepared a bag full of stickers and paper, pink crayons and a last minute thought (I'm sure inspiration from Heavenly Father) Polly Pockets which proved to be a huge hit!!
A few days later I drove to San Jose for the viewing and funeral. It was a unique experience where Heavenly Father blessed me. I felt His love for this daughter of God and her family. I was there when she brought her six children (age 5 to 16) into the viewing room to see their Dad's body. It was so sad. No child should ever have to have that experience. I was touched as she held them and pulled them close.
A few days later I drove to San Jose for the viewing and funeral. It was a unique experience where Heavenly Father blessed me. I felt His love for this daughter of God and her family. I was there when she brought her six children (age 5 to 16) into the viewing room to see their Dad's body. It was so sad. No child should ever have to have that experience. I was touched as she held them and pulled them close.
I posted this picture on my instagram and wrote, "Today I sat with this beautiful girl during her father's funeral. I loved watching her play with Polly Pockets and have them dance to the musical number. I was tearful as she watched the slideshow with pictures of her Daddy. She laughed out loud at his silly faces and described in detail how they loved to fill their cheeks with grapes and pretend to be chipmunks. And then my heart broke as she asked me if I could remember her Dad's voice, because she "can't remember what it sounds like". I am so grateful this innocent sweet girl will be OK. She has an amazing mother and the Gospel of Jesus Christ in her life."
The next week Andrea posted this beautiful testimony and amazing story on her Facebook page. I already knew of the details and had been mentioning prayers of gratitude for this "Julie" in the middle of no where, Nevada. It is such a beautiful reminder that our Heavenly Father knows us, is aware of our needs, and although He won't take away our trials He will lighten our load and help bear our burdens.
"Sleep is evading me tonight. So I will share a little story. Eight days ago I was driving home from Utah where my kids had been at a family reunion with the Fowles family just the weekend before. We were in the middle of nowhere in Nevada- not a single bit of civility in sight. My phone rang and it was a San Jose number so I thought I had better pick it up. In that moment my life changed. It was an investigator from Santa Clara county, where I live, informing me that Jordan Fowles, my husband for 16 years and father of my 6 children, had been killed in a car accident earlier that morning. I received this call with all six kids in the car with me. I pulled over to the side of the freeway, too upset and distraught to drive, and bawled while my kids, confused and worried, watched me from the car. I was desperate. I couldn't believe what I had just heard. In that moment I felt desperately alone. Stuck in Nevada, desolate and alone with children who were about to learn that their father was gone. As I stood there, keeping the investigator on the phone as I questioned her in disbelief, wondering what I should do, a car pulled up in front of me. A woman got out of the car, came to me and said, "I am here. For whatever you need, I am here." I told her through my tears what had happened. She was calm and peaceful, hugged me and told me she lived an hour and a half away and that if I followed her she would take me to her home where I could stay as long as I liked. She also offered to bring me to her husbands' work where he could give me a Priesthood blessing of comfort and peace. I took her up on it. I followed her, went to her husband Sam's workplace, made some calls from there while the employees passed out Popsicles to my worried kids and I was given a blessing. Then I went to their home. They fed us. They played with the kids. They hugged me. They gave my twins stuffed animals to keep. I delivered the unhappy news to my sweet children in the basement of their home, then they played games with them till bedtime. I couldn't sleep. I was so, so exhausted but couldn't sleep. I was supposed to get up and drive my children 9 more hours to get home and lay in bed, wondering how on earth I was going to safely do that. The next morning. Julie told me she had had trouble sleeping and that if she did, I most certainly must have too, so could she drive me home? Really??? Yes, she drove me nine hours home to San Jose. I dropped her off at the San Jose airport and drove home from there. Because of her I was able to snuggle up in the back row with my grieving children and make necessary calls. Her goodness and the goodness of her family was so crucial. In that moment of absolute despair, my loving Heavenly Father sent an angel to show me immediately that I am in His hands, that we are being watched over, that He was aware of where I was and what I was dealing with and that we would be okay. I will forever, forever be grateful for this woman. I am so grateful she followed the prompting to stop. I will forever try to be like my angel friend Julie. God hears us. He know us and sees us. He is in the details every minute of every day. I am so grateful for her and all the countless others who are our angels right now."
"Sleep is evading me tonight. So I will share a little story. Eight days ago I was driving home from Utah where my kids had been at a family reunion with the Fowles family just the weekend before. We were in the middle of nowhere in Nevada- not a single bit of civility in sight. My phone rang and it was a San Jose number so I thought I had better pick it up. In that moment my life changed. It was an investigator from Santa Clara county, where I live, informing me that Jordan Fowles, my husband for 16 years and father of my 6 children, had been killed in a car accident earlier that morning. I received this call with all six kids in the car with me. I pulled over to the side of the freeway, too upset and distraught to drive, and bawled while my kids, confused and worried, watched me from the car. I was desperate. I couldn't believe what I had just heard. In that moment I felt desperately alone. Stuck in Nevada, desolate and alone with children who were about to learn that their father was gone. As I stood there, keeping the investigator on the phone as I questioned her in disbelief, wondering what I should do, a car pulled up in front of me. A woman got out of the car, came to me and said, "I am here. For whatever you need, I am here." I told her through my tears what had happened. She was calm and peaceful, hugged me and told me she lived an hour and a half away and that if I followed her she would take me to her home where I could stay as long as I liked. She also offered to bring me to her husbands' work where he could give me a Priesthood blessing of comfort and peace. I took her up on it. I followed her, went to her husband Sam's workplace, made some calls from there while the employees passed out Popsicles to my worried kids and I was given a blessing. Then I went to their home. They fed us. They played with the kids. They hugged me. They gave my twins stuffed animals to keep. I delivered the unhappy news to my sweet children in the basement of their home, then they played games with them till bedtime. I couldn't sleep. I was so, so exhausted but couldn't sleep. I was supposed to get up and drive my children 9 more hours to get home and lay in bed, wondering how on earth I was going to safely do that. The next morning. Julie told me she had had trouble sleeping and that if she did, I most certainly must have too, so could she drive me home? Really??? Yes, she drove me nine hours home to San Jose. I dropped her off at the San Jose airport and drove home from there. Because of her I was able to snuggle up in the back row with my grieving children and make necessary calls. Her goodness and the goodness of her family was so crucial. In that moment of absolute despair, my loving Heavenly Father sent an angel to show me immediately that I am in His hands, that we are being watched over, that He was aware of where I was and what I was dealing with and that we would be okay. I will forever, forever be grateful for this woman. I am so grateful she followed the prompting to stop. I will forever try to be like my angel friend Julie. God hears us. He know us and sees us. He is in the details every minute of every day. I am so grateful for her and all the countless others who are our angels right now."
written by Andrea
Fowles
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