Steven and Connie were engaged to be married. Like many other young folks they were foot-loose and fancy-free, giving no heed to their Creator and Saviour-God, or to the salvation of their souls. Connie was in her last year of college, and Steven, in his last year of medical school. He was awarded a Christian scholarship to take his last semester of school working in a jungle hospital outside of La Paz, Bolivia, in the Alto Plano. It was very ironic for him to have a Christian scholarship since he was Jewish. No one wanted him to go, yet no one could bring themselves to even say anything against it.
Steven finally reached Bolivia and went up into the highlands. It was cooler up there, and he complained of being too cold at night. That same night he was moved to another hut which was warmer. In it was a space heater. Unknown to him, the heater was faulty and leaked gas continually during the night. Steven inhaled the gas and by morning light was found dead in the hut.
When Connie heard about his death, she was beside herself with grief and also wished to die. In her state of misery she went to Maine to visit her brother, whom she heard was a Christian. He had come to know the Lord Jesus as his Saviour and was happily going on for Him. He always wanted his sister to visit him, but she never had gone. Now in her extreme need, she finally went to see him in order that she might relax and be able to forget her sorrow.
She saw the happiness and peace of her brother and that of the other Christians there, and found they all trusted in Jesus. She had already had many chances to accept the same Saviour as her own, but had constantly put it off. The death of Steven made the question of life and life after death very real to her. The time came when Connie also accepted the Lord as her Saviour, and now she is going on happily for Him who died for her.
ML-04/30/1978