It’s often said that families are blessed when they have a missionary serving in the field.I felt this was true for our family when Webb was in Russia and Julie Holland mentioned it last week when Rachael (Hermana Holland) was released.
While my nephew, Alex, has been serving in Armenia, his older brother, Andrew, became a dad when Caitlin delivered James McNally Olsen last September.
Last week, Andrew, Caitlin, and baby James went on vacation to the Grand Canyon. When they were heading home on Saturday a driver across the median fell asleep and crossed over into their lane. Caitlin was driving and tried to swerve out of the way but they hit and their car rolled.
They were taken by ambulance (Andrew & baby James) and a Life Flight helicopter (Caitlin) to a hospital in Flagstaff, Arizona. Miraculously, other than some scratches, baby James was fine. Andrew’s neck is hurt but he was released the following day. And Caitlin, who suffered the most serious injuries, had a concussion and some head trauma.
But, they’re now all out of the hospital and healing at home. It was really touching to read my sister’s email about how much they feel like Alex’s mission service blessed their family through this frightening ordeal.
In another tender mercy, when the hospital in Arizona (where the Olsens knew no one) learned they were LDS, they sent members over to give them blessings AND a family in the local ward took James to their home and cared for him while Andrew and Caitlin were hospitalized.
Thank goodness for Elder Olsen in Armenia and church members in Arizona who reached out to help!
