Help Our Youth Recover After a Devastating Bus Fire

On our journey home from an unforgettable week at youth camp, our lives changed in an instant.

Our youth group from Iglesia de Dios Ebenezer in Snellville, Georgia, had spent several days at our annual church camp in Simpsonville, South Carolina. Filled with joy, new friendships, and a stronger faith, we boarded our charter bus on Saturday to head home.

Just minutes after entering Interstate 85, near Exit 32, disaster struck.

A fire suddenly started near the rear tires of the bus. Within moments, one of the tires exploded. Our driver immediately pulled the bus to the side of the highway, and everyone was rushed off the bus as smoke and flames spread rapidly. Seconds later, another tire exploded, and the fire quickly engulfed the bus.

By the grace of God, every passenger made it off safely.

There were youth ranging in age from 13 to 24 years old, along with four adult leaders and our bus driver. Thanks to the quick response of law enforcement, firefighters, paramedics, and our brave bus driver, no lives were lost.

While we are incredibly grateful that everyone survived, nearly everything on the bus did not.

Many of our young people lost all of their personal belongings in the fire, including:

* Clothing and shoes

* Luggage and backpacks

* Cell phones and chargers

* Prescription medications

* Eyeglasses

* Toiletries and personal hygiene items

* Bibles, journals, and other treasured keepsakes

* Other essential personal items

For many of these young people, these belongings represented months or even years of saving. Some families now face the unexpected financial burden of replacing necessities that were destroyed in just a few minutes.

We are starting this fundraiser to help our youth recover from this devastating loss. Every donation, no matter the amount, will go toward replacing essential items for the youth and adult leaders who lost their belongings in the fire.

We also want to express our deepest gratitude to the police officers, firefighters, paramedics, and the many compassionate strangers who stopped to help us that day. Your kindness reminded us that even in the midst of tragedy, there is still so much good in the world.

If you are unable to donate, we completely understand. We simply ask that you keep our youth and their families in your prayers and consider sharing this fundraiser with others.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for your generosity, your prayers, and your support. Your kindness will help our young people begin to replace what was lost and move forward from this traumatic experience.

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” — Psalm 46:1

With sincere gratitude,

Iglesia de Dios Ebenezer

Youth Ministry Coordinator

Snellville, Georgia

Yadira Rodriguez