Jesse and Mike in Dunedin Hospital

My previous post told the story of Austin, Mike & Jesse - 3 American exchange student studying at Lincoln this semester, and their horrific accident on Mt Aspiring ten days ago. They fell 400m into an ice crevasse; Austin died, Jesse left Mike in a sleeping bag , climbed out of the crevasse and tramped through the night to the nearest hut to raise the alarm. Once the alarm was raised it was only 2-3 hours before the helicopters picked them up and took them to Dunedin Hospital.

Last weekend Lizzy and I travelled the five hours south to Dunedin to visit Jesse and Mike. We went on behalf of both Lincoln Uni Christian Fellowship (where Jesse is a strong member), and Lincoln Baptist Church (who Jesse often meets with of a Sunday). We didn't get to speak with Mike as he was very drugged up and mostly sleeping; his body attempting to recover from the extent of his injuries. Essentially, the left side of his body is mangled, including his left leg amputated below the knee. He's now out of intensive care and in the same ward as Jesse.
Jesse was flat on his back as he has a broken vertebrae in his back, a damaged knee and a broken collar bone. However, it was great to see him, chat with him, deliver his favourite TimTams and pray with him.

It's a miracle they survived, a miracle Jesse tramped through the night, a miracle Jesse's not having nightmares - all things Jesse attributes to God. Although that then throws up big questions about why God would save Jesse and Mike and not Austin... Please pray for them both as they'll be thinking about that.
Do pray too for Glenda, Lincoln Uni chaplain, as she takes a small part in Austin's memorial event on Monday. Austin's best mate Pete has insisted that 'God, Jesus and that' play no part in the remembrance, and has asked the Vice-Chancellor, not Glenda, to take the lead. The VC has asked Glenda to pray, and she needs wisdom in that awkward situation.


We also had time to have a wee look around Dunedin. It was a stunning weekend, with a beautiful drive down and real sunny in Dunedin! Surely Dunedin's reputation about bad weather is unfounded? Indeed Liz even began to waver in our pact. (That I'll never make Lizzy live in Dunedin IF she never makes me live in London).

But the sunshine made all the difference and she'd sing a different tune if she encountered a true southerly and all-day ice and, above all, the miserable old ice-box houses. (Too many tales told for that not to be true.... ) But we got to stay in the cosy and hospitable home of the Barlows - big thanks to them for giving us a place to stay (great bed Tessa!).



Thanks to all around the world who've been praying for Jesse and Mike. Their bodies are healing in a remarkable way; please continue to pray for their minds as they relive last Monday - especially when they return to the USA and find themselves at either end of that country.