- Robert and
Carole Janecke (Samuel, Hannah, Rebekah, Lukas)
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Commended from: Brookwood Bible Chapel, Longview, TX '02
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- Bob & Carole Janecke are "...missionaries commended by our church (Brookwood
Bible Chapel) in Longview. Many of you might not know them personally. They
have been in India for two years. A few days ago they lost their nine year
old son to rabies. They are scheduled to be back in the states for a time
beginning in June, in part to get their oldest son enrolled in college."
Please pray for the Janecke family. - Fred Klerekoper
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- From: "Bob & Carole Janecke"
- Janecke - India (Day 6)
- Sent: Thursday, April 29, 2004 8:49 PM
- Subject: Luke
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- --------- Forwarded message ----------
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- 30 April 2004
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- It is difficult to know how to write about Luke. He was with us on
Sunday. Monday he woke up itching. Toward evening he had a fear of drinking.
We took him to the hospital Tuesday morning. By Wednesday evening he was
gone. It happened so quickly, yet went on too long. It’s hard to watch your
son die. Luke loved to play on our wooded mountain slopes. He had names for
all the stray dogs and wandering cows. One of his dog friends must have
gotten rabies. Luke never got bit. Most likely a lick on the face.
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- Our neighbor drove us to Delhi on Tuesday, looking for hope. It’s a
difficult, hot, 6 hour trip on dangerous roads. A/C cooling, or open
windows, made Luke panic. He talked the whole way there. His personality had
started to change. He was sure that he just had sunstroke. Before we found
the recommended hospital, I had to hold him down physically. They wouldn’t
take him. We had to find the Infectious Disease Hospital in evening Delhi
traffic. It was near 9 when we finally got there. They were afraid of him.
Their option was to put him in a dark room with an iron bar door, and lock
it. We could watch him die from outside. "He will die soon. Decide quickly
if you want the room because it’s time for us to go home." We started on the
long trip back home.
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- They gave Luke a shot to help calm him down. It didn’t seem to do much.
He was still talking continuously. Now in more random sentences. Usually he
spoke about family members, or the neighbor’s dog. Sometimes in Hindi. I had
to hold him down the whole way. I knew it could be the last time that I got
to hold my son. He was already leaving. We got back to our small Christian
hospital at 4 a.m. Everything was quiet. By the time I carried him up to a
room, our doctor was there. Nurses got an I.V. drip going. Luke was soon
resting calmly. Our doctor, and the whole staff, had been praying all day
long for Luke. They all showed such love and compassion as they took care of
him that day. He consciously rested, without pain. We could still talk to
him. Our neighbor brought Sam, Rebekah, and Hannah to the hospital at 7.
Soon others started to arrive to visit and pray. All day long people kept
coming with food, prayers, love. One lady sat outside his room all day
praying. All over town people were praying. Others sent messages to prayer
groups around India and the world. So much prayer. The hospital gave us an
adjoining room for food and guests. Most were staying, filling the hall,
waiting with us. We could still be alone with Luke when we wanted to be. I
had that chance before he died... to talk, cry, pray.
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- Finally, exhausted, at 6 p.m., I laid done to sleep. The doctors came
back shortly after. Luke had gone.
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- Luke is with Jesus. He took him home. I had a chance to talk with him
alone before we left for Delhi. He had made Jesus his Savior sometime
earlier in his young life. On our trip home from Delhi I talked with him
about going to heaven. What would it be like? Luke only knew that Jesus
would be there. It would be a good place. We had his funeral the following
morning (yesterday). Swami arranged to have a casket built for Luke that
night. Three of the older boys from Lancer Lodge orphanage dug his grave in
the Christian cemetery... a beautiful quiet spot on a wooded mountain ridge
close to our house. We all helped to cover the hole... put flowers and
candles on top, and sang. A week before Luke left I wrote in our monthly
email, "Our town of Mussoorie is a place of constant change, with new people
coming and going. We may get a few months, or only one conversation, to
influence the destinies of people’s lives. Is it worth the pain?" Our visas
were renewed for another year that week. We had left that decision to God
also.
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- Thank you for your love and prayers. I’m sorry that we couldn’t let you
know about Luke earlier. It all happened too quickly. Luke was only 9 years
old. None of us has the promise of life tomorrow, but we all have God’s
offer of life eternal. He had to watch His son die to give us this gift.
Luke had taken it. He was ready to go. Bob, for the Janecke Family Carole,
Sam, Hannah & Rebekah
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