Dear Brother Florian,

I saw this terrible tragedy in my news feed. Praying for all concerned - the first responders, the children, their families, and the community.

Sr. Anna Grace

Sent from my iPhone

> On Apr 30, 2025, at 8:08 AM, Joe Campbell <brotherjflorian@gardencanals.net> wrote:
>
> Dear Companions,
>
>     It's kind of tough to pray for everyone sometimes. Right now a couple of guys I met back in Nov 2024 are dealing with the loss of four kids at a daycare camp in Chatham IL. They were the first paramedics on the scene for the car that drove through a building there. I have a long history in that town.
>
> Verdell's brother Merlin ,lead the Methodist church there for 10 years and retired there. I was on the county rescue squad (Sangamon County) and helped fight two house fires there in 1983, one across the street from this event. Those guys came to my aid after I was attacked by a pit bull, they even brought a shot gun just in case.
>
> While we always pray for the victims and their families, I worry about fellow responders. Calls like this are forever burned into our memories. I still remember my first kid's body recovery after a house fire. He was hiding behind a door in his bedroom. A four year old. It's moments like these that our faith holds us together.  I am heading to Chatham on Monday to help Verdell's niece rebuild a yard fence and lay new vinyl floor in her house.
>
> Thanks for listening.
>
> Florian
>