From Pastor Joemel

Four years ago, after a youth event in Spring Valley, a tall high school student with a bright smile came up to me and said, "Hey Pastor, my name is John. I'm kind of an atheist, but I had a really good time tonight. Is it cool if I keep coming?"

That was the beginning of John's journey in following the beautiful way of Jesus. John was faithful in attending and eventually made a decision to believe and give his life to Jesus.

When we began planting GraceWay Church, John was the first young man we baptized. Over the years, he became so much more than an attendee. He was family.

On Monday night, after a tragic road accident, God called John home into His presence. John was in his senior year at UCSD, as an Aerospace Engineering major.

As a church family, we grieve deeply-the loss of our brother, the pain of his mother, and the heartbreak of his friends. But as Paul reminds us in 1 Thessalonians 4, we do not grieve as those without hope.

Our hope is in Christ. We have hope knowing that John belonged to Jesus, that His Spirit lived in John's heart, and that our goodbye is not forever. One day, we will see his smile again in the presence of our Savior.

This Sunday, 10/19, at 5:30pm, we'll gather to worship, remember, and honor John together. We invite you to join us as we celebrate his life and cling to the hope we have in Christ.

Please continue to pray for John's family and for our church during this time. Details for memorial services and ways to support the family will be shared soon.

Psalm 73:26 - "My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."

Revelation 21:4 - "He will wipe every tear from their eyes... for the old order of things has passed away."