| Luke Haidle |
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Position: TREK Coordinator Location: Western Canada - International Office Abbotsford, BC Project #: C0413
Biography:
Luke, and his wife Joanne, were married on March 15, 2008, in
Whitewater, Kansas. They were friends in college, but after graduation
it was seven years before they saw each other again. Luke was in
Wichita doing mobilization for TREK and decided to take Joanne out for
coffee to "reconnect." A year and a half later they were married.
“To prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the
body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith
and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to
the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” - Ephesians 4:12-13
Story:
The Lost Wedding Ring
(My story of how I lost my wedding ring while spear fishing)
We arrived in Panama to connect with the TREK team. We were to be there for one week. Upon arrival we were escorted, by boat, about 30 miles into the jungle, where the team was working. A key aspect of visiting a team is to meaningfully connect with each participant and hear how things are going. So Chris (the team leader) and I grabbed a face mask and a spear and walked two miles to a “nearby” river to try our hands at the native style of fishing. Along the way we had a wonderful discussion. Once there, I swam around in cold water intent on nabbing supper, Wounaan style. After catching nothing, we had a nice walk back to the village. Later that night while talking to Joanne, I was puzzled to see that my right hand wore it’s usual ring, while my left wore…nothing. My wedding ring was gone. Joanne dealt with the situation better than I. We looked in our belongings and gear and found nothing. Convinced that the ring lay in the riverbed, I was eager to get back that night before darkness set in. During this time, I had watched as villagers talked to other villagers, and then seemed to look our way. I gathered a facemask, headlamp, and a few other supplies for the walk to the river. By that time, several villagers had decided to go and help us search. Here I was, jogging through the Panamanian jungle behind 30 or more villagers to look for my wedding ring, which I lost spear fishing. All of this little more than two weeks after our wedding. Needless to say, the situation seemed surreal. Those of us with lights looked amongst the dark, underwater rocks in search of the elusive band of silver & gold. We found nothing. The search was called off and we returned to the village. The next morning found me less anxious (thanks to Joanne) but still determined. A small group of us gathered facemasks and returned to the river. The sun was high and created for good underwater visibility. The area was the size of a small sports field. In one area, large rocks lay jumbled on the river floor, creating dark crevices that were hard to see into. In another area, four inches of silt and leaves layered the river floor. When one dug through it, silt was stirred up and visibility was eliminated. The situation looked grim. We searched for awhile, then gathered to say a prayer, then separated to search areas individually. Joanne was swimming in the shallow part of the river, where the bottom was lined with gravel. She was praying, “Lord, if you help us find this ring, I will give you all the praise.” She looked up, and there it was, perched on a rock, in shallow water, glistening in the sun. How any of us missed it, we don’t know. I was twenty yards away, underwater, and I could still hear her yelling with joy. As a group, we thanked Jesus, took goofy pictures, and returned to the village triumphant. Later that night the church asked me to preach, and I was able to recount the full story of the ring to the villagers who had helped in the search.I have since acquired a ring that fits. Our praise to Jesus – for returning the ring, and for giving us a good story that honors him. Spouse: Joanne
Home Church: South Abbotsford MB Church |
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