The Fire

Job 23:10 "But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold."

As remembered by me...
We were prepping to have 30 people over to our house to share about the incredible work that HOPE International is doing around the world in the lives of the poor. (www.hopeinternational.org) Grace had 2 pots on the gas stove top with about an inch or so of veggie oil in both. We got home from church and they were put on high. We changed and came downstairs. We were both in the kitchen, me at the sink and Grace went to pull the lid off of the metal pot and flames just flew straight up as wide as the pot and about 2-3ft high into the vent cover. She got singed in the face at that moment and that is where she must have taken heat or smoke that made the blisters in her throat. She screamed and jumped back and I was unsure what to do. I said I'll throw water on it and thankfully she knew that was a bad idea. So with flames still pouring up I grabbed towels or potholders and grabbed the pot to go throw it outside. When I grabbed it the flames hit me in the face and I dropped it...at which point burning oil was all over the kitchen floor and her feet got nailed. We had jeans and slippers on which now proves to be incredible as her jeans had a ton of oil spots and mine had a few but we really could have been burned bad if we had shorts on or another material or were barefoot. She got out the front door and started screaming for help. I didn't know what to do so I ran around the house to come in the back door so I could grab the pot w/o getting burned. Realized I didn't have a pot holder, ran back around the house in the front to get pot holders, back around back and grabbed the pot from the patio door and threw it out into the yard. I ran back around front and Gracie was having a hard time on the cell phone with 911 so I got the phone to finish the conversation with info and whatnot. I went back into the house got towels and started beating out the oil fires on the floor and turned the stove off. The guy on the phone said to have cold water poured on the wounds for 10 minutes so I went back in to get cups and started filling water, but he told me to get out of the house...I didn't really listen, but he made me think of the spicket out front so I sat down with Grace and kept giving her water for her feet and face. The cops came, then the fire trucks, then the albulance. Grace was able to walk to the ambulance but they knew she was worse than I and got her in the stretcher quickly. I ran back and forth a few times getting wallets, and phones before we headed to LGH.

We thought all was cool...Grace was doing great as I think adrenaline kept the pain away. At LGH they took her into the trauma unit and me into regular ER. I got a hold of Laura Lebo (nurse and ss leader's wife) and asked her to come in. I got discharged pretty soon with 1st degree on my face with a blister on my nose and singed beard/eyebrows. I can't remember what point they let me go see Grace in trauma but I think it was right before they put her under to put the breathing tube in and cedate(sp?) her...put her under. She was crying but seemed to be ok. Waiting then in the room with Laura we didn't know what was going on. Finally we were told the burns were bad and that she needed to go to Crozer Burn Center in Philly. They let me ride in the front of the ambulance and my brother came to our house and broke in the screen so he could get some clothes for us and the keys to drive our car down so I would have it.

After the 1.75 hr ride to Crozer they took her right in the ICU. My parents were able to meet us there and saw Gracie as we came in the emergency doors. Then it was just waiting to hear. They bathed her and bandaged her for a little over 2 hours and eventually I got to go in and see her with Jules her sister. The details are still fuzzy...but Grace is still in the ICU right now and I'm staying at my parents.

Visitors are not welcome, sorry. But just be praying. She will love the visits I'm sure at some point hopefully next week when we get home and things settle down. Thank you for your prayers and we are trusting in our Lord. It's all going to be ok and we will be more like Him through this and hopefully people will come to know Christ as their Savior.

If you want to send a card to our house please find someone who you think would know our address as I don't want to post it on here.

Thanks again!!!
Lamar