This urgent prayer request message came in this morning from Don Byers, former pastor at Grace Church, Orange, CA. Current pastor Ed Trenner is on the scene–check website for updates.
We just learned that a good friend from our church in CA is lost in the Sequoia National Forest. It’s almost been 48 hours and they have not found him yet. Bob Gnewuch (knee-wah) and Diane were teenagers in our church in Orange, California. God has done some tremendous things in their lives over the years…and Bob is a wonderful young man. Now Bob is a deacon and father of five. He headed up a church family camping trip into the Kings Canyon and when his wife, Diane, didn’t come back from a “run”…went looking for her. Diane ended up coming back safely…but now Bob is lost. Search and rescue, including helicopters, are on the scene…as well as many from the church, who drove seven hours to be there. But nothing yet. Our hearts are grieving for this family and we would appreciate any and all prayers on their behalf. Please feel free to pass along this e-mail.There is already a website established for updates. You can view it at http://home.pacbell.net/jslazas/
Here is part of the update as of noon Monday (ET).
Bob has still not been found, and has been out in the forest since Saturday morning. Bob, his family, and several other families from Grace Church of Orange were camping in the Dorst Creek Campground in the Sequoia National Park. He is not equipped for a long stay in the forest, since he only intended on taking a short walk. The weather in the forest has been favorable, with daytime temperatures in the mid-80’s and nighttime temperatures dropping only into the mid-50’s. There are a several small creeks in the area and the terrain is generally not hazardous.
Please pray for:
– Bob’s safety
– The Lord’s guidance for the rescue teams
– Comfort for the Gnewuch family: Diane, Rachel, Jacob, Ben, Anna, and Abby – all are still at the campground