To whomever evidently shared some memories of Pete (This thread was listed as having two responses), your posts are not there anymore; I was just wondering who else shared my memories.
For whomever evidently shared some memories of Pete (This thread was listed as having two responses), your sharings are not there anymore; I was just wondering who else shared my memories.
I remember Pete's fight. It had a tremendous effect on my life.
I had a hard time digesting all I read on Waydale and GS as I realized that I had been so manipulated by twi leadership, to make a long story shorter. I stayed away for long periods of time as I discovered, for one thing, that the reason I divorced my husband was not entirely my own free will decision. I was manipulated by highly skilled people who had been trained to make one such as myself believe it was my own decision.
I have always considered myself a strong, independent individual, and to read others' stories of what twi had done to them was too close to what I had lived through to be coincidences. This bruised my ego as much as the original pain of being M & A'd. I almost could not bear seeing myself as a victim of twi.
When I peeked in one day to see if there had been any new developments toward the closing down of twi, I found the community of believing that I used to feel in twi - pretty much the reason why I loved twi once upon a time. That common goal was Pete's recovery. It was such a beautiful thing.
His sister's selfless devotion to her brother, along with the energy from the GS in general reminded me that God's kids are still God's kids and we ARE all a family, regardless of twi's failure.
I'm so sorry that Pete passed away. It was a terrible loss for us all, of course mainly for his kids and the rest of his family, but also, for God. I can only figure that he would have been so miserable had he continued to live that he passed away - I sure don't understand his death any other way. I was stunned when he did not recover.
Having said that, I will not forget the pride I felt when reading how much love and concern and believing and praying went on here.
lcm thought it was a bad thing to be a greasespot. I disagree.
God bless Pete's family. I continue to pray for them all.
Lifted - Thanks for this thread to publicly remember someone who warrants remembering.
I think one reason Pete made such an impression on me is that I had never seen anyone who had gone through such a horrible experience...that is being burned so badly. Seeing pictures, no matter how horrible, is not the same. Yet he kept going for so long.
Yea, I know about the trigger word thing; evidently in this case it is Pete's last name.
Robi if you stop by and read this, Thank you for making me aware of your brothers great need. I didn't know him from a hill of beans when I first heard of his accident. But I chose to get involved because I had something to offer. I'm glad I did. It changed my life forever.
I remember the pictures that were posted. You could see his smiling eyes and tender heart.
This is truly a sweet post. I have tears now as I did when I read about Pete when he was going through his battle.
It is a good thing that we can not choose our battles. He fought a great fight and taught many of us here how petty so many little things are compared to what he went through.
God bless him and all those who were touched by his life. nknative
Thank you, Lifted for the thoughtful post. It means a lot to me that Pete has not been forgotten.
I will never forget the outpouring of love and prayers that Pete and my family received. I could not have made it without so many of you being there for me.
I stayed with Pete for most of the 3 months or so that he lived. I was in a city away from any of my family yet God saw to it that I was not alone. So many of you wrote everyday, or called, or posted a message and/or prayer.
Some of you came from miles away to visit Pete and I. I think Lifted drove 8 hours to stay for a few days so I could get some rest. Karl Kahler visited from California (he was visiting his own family in Arkansas and made an extra 7 ot 8 hour drive). He stayed a couple of days and took me on a picnic and exploring caves in the area.
There were wonderful believers who came from Illinois to spend time with me and take me to lunch. There were believers from the Kansas City area who came and brought me a home cooked meal (that was heaven). There was even a believer who worked in the very same hospital. She met me there the night I arrived to see Pete for the first time the day after he was burned! She visited me often and was so helpful and cheerful. There was a guy (another ex-Wayfer) who lived in the same city who visited me and brought me wonderful coffee and treats.
There was a wonderful woman who sent me a little money that she'd been 'saving up for something like that'. She said it was the way she chose to abundantly share these days (I think that's how she phrased it). It was so wonderful. There were a couple of people who had the foresight to send me stamps and phone cards! One or two offered me their frequent flyer miles and vouchers for tickets. All those things were so appreciated. I missed close to three months of work and with that, the flights, the hotel rooms, and other expenses, I used up much of my savings.
Then there were the people who weren't ex-Wayfers. I met many of them in the waiting room of the burn unit. None of them had family who were burned. It was combined with a surgical unit, so most of them were there with traumatic injuries, a few of them as long as me. We became very close. We became each other's backbones. A few of them became like family to me. Sometimes I think they were angels. I still keep in touch with a few of them.
Oh, there was the one woman who 'just happened' to be in the hospital the day I arrived to make decisions about my brother. She was the one who took care of her brother when HE was burned in a way similar to my brother. He had been discharged weeks before, but they 'just happened' to be in the hospital for physical therapy when I got there (they lived two hours away). They allowed me to ask them questions about his recovery. They allowed me to touch him and look at him closely. She brought me a survival kit...paper, colored pencils, a journal. She told me to write and draw how and what I was feeling. Every once in a while she would pop in the hospital. I'd say, "What are you doing here?" She'd say, "I came to take you to lunch. You need to get out of here a little." So off we'd go to the mall.
I got to know my half-brother and sister who had grown up in Missouri and I didn't know well. I lost one brother, but I got to know my half brother who is 17 years younger than me, and my half sister who is 15 years younger than me.
Although they couldn't be there as much as I'd have liked, they were there quite a few times and I am thankful that we were able to build a relationship.
I also got close to many of the nurses, doctors, and employees at the hospital. Some of them would come in on their days off and sit with me or take me to lunch (it sounds like I spent a lot of time going to lunch but I really didn't! In the space of 3 months, there were many times that I didn't leave the hospital much at all). I think they appreciated that I didn't go in and say, "I'm a critical care nurse. You need to do this, this and this and you need to do it the way I say." Instead, I told them, "Forget that I am a nurse. First of all, I know nothing about burn patients. Second of all, if I did know anything, at this point I am stupid and I can't think of a thing that I know. I am here as his sister and nothing else."
I didn't go in and grill them about his lab values, his ventilator settings, his medications and doses, or anything else. I went in and sat with him, held his one good hand or stroked his unburned face, and I read the bible to him or I sang him songs...you know the ones, "Peace, peace, wonderful peace..." or "Amazing grace, how sweet the sound."
Their favorite time was when I would get all the emails that you all sent to him everyday and I would read them to him. Some of them were so wonderful! Lifted and Righteous brother wrote nearly every day...wonderful, loving, and sometimes funny stories and tales. Krysylis let my brother get closer to her beautiful heart than she's ever let anyone here get (ask her about the spider sometime). Plotinus was always thoughtful, loving, and full of hope and sunshine.
There were so many emails! I can't think of all of them right now because I've had to shut the thoughts out of my mind as much as I can but I have saved every one of them. I have a three inch binder full of emails mostly from you all. They were so incredible. I read each one to Pete. The hospital volunteer and marketing offices deliver the email to patients and they sought me out to meet me and Pete because they say they never received as many for one person in the history of their email program! Those were just the ones you wrote to Pete at the hospital. Then there were the ones you all wrote to me personally, plus all the messages on his website and this website! Everyone of them brought me such joy and comfort. I know they did to Pete, too. I know he heard and knew people from all over the world were thinking and praying about him.
Pete never regained conciousness after he was burned. Part of the time they kept him down with pain medicine and medicine that kept him in a 'twilight' sedation and made him forget things (a blessing, I'm sure). Other times, they would back down on his medicine and I could see him beginning to respond a bit, but it was just too painful...or maybe too much for his brain.
With the help of all of your prayers and emails, I was able to spend much time there talking to Pete about God. Since my mother and I were both in TWI, and two sisters took the class, and since my father was a methodist minister, Pete had heard a lot about God before. He'd always had a life that he thought was tough and I'm not exactly what his beliefs were. I am absolutely convinced that during the 3 months he lived after his burn, he had time to make his peace with God and with himself.
One of the nurses that took care Pete a great deal came in on his day off and sat with me as I talked to Pete about being born again. The nurse talked to him from his perspective (he was not ex-Way but his beliefs and understanding were similar to mine. When we said what we needed to say, Pete had tears running down his face. I am convinced that he heard us and I am convinced that it changed his life.
Not too long after that, it became clear that he was taking a turn for the worse. I don't think Pete gave up. I think maybe he finally felt like he could rest and go to God. I think he knew he'd see us all again one day.
I was with him when he died. The doctors and nurses were doing everything they could to save him. They were hustling and trying everything, but Pete had an overwhelming infection that roared through his body and was eating up some of the many grafts he'd had. My last words to Pete were that it was ok for him to sleep and be peaceful. I told him that when he woke up, I'd be there and we'd be with God.
This experience severly tested my beliefs about God, but then again, God seemed to prove himself over and over again by the way he worked in so many people to help us out. I can't say that I have any concrete beliefs...I am still sorting...but I cannot deny the things I saw.
Thank you so much to all of you who were such a wonderful part of the whole experience. I think many of us learned so many things. I know I learned to be very thankful for the people God surrounded me with. Pete was a very special person and you all would have loved him as much as I did, and still do. Not a day goes by that I don't think about him and about those of you who brought so much to us with your love and prayers.
Thank you.
with much love,
Robi
(p.s. Unfortunately, the name that is a 'trigger' for the filters is 'Robi'.)
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Kit Sober
A man who made the world a better place.
Thank you, Robi, for letting us be a part of his life.
Praying and hoping for Pete was a life-changing experience here at this keyboard as well.
Thank you Robi, Excathedra, and you, too, Pete!
Rest in peace.
Kit Sober
I love to hear you laugh -- God
[This message was edited by Kit Sober on December 10, 2002 at 22:42.]
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Lifted Up
To whomever evidently shared some memories of Pete (This thread was listed as having two responses), your posts are not there anymore; I was just wondering who else shared my memories.
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Lifted Up
For whomever evidently shared some memories of Pete (This thread was listed as having two responses), your sharings are not there anymore; I was just wondering who else shared my memories.
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bowtwi
I remember Pete's fight. It had a tremendous effect on my life.
I had a hard time digesting all I read on Waydale and GS as I realized that I had been so manipulated by twi leadership, to make a long story shorter. I stayed away for long periods of time as I discovered, for one thing, that the reason I divorced my husband was not entirely my own free will decision. I was manipulated by highly skilled people who had been trained to make one such as myself believe it was my own decision.
I have always considered myself a strong, independent individual, and to read others' stories of what twi had done to them was too close to what I had lived through to be coincidences. This bruised my ego as much as the original pain of being M & A'd. I almost could not bear seeing myself as a victim of twi.
When I peeked in one day to see if there had been any new developments toward the closing down of twi, I found the community of believing that I used to feel in twi - pretty much the reason why I loved twi once upon a time. That common goal was Pete's recovery. It was such a beautiful thing.
His sister's selfless devotion to her brother, along with the energy from the GS in general reminded me that God's kids are still God's kids and we ARE all a family, regardless of twi's failure.
I'm so sorry that Pete passed away. It was a terrible loss for us all, of course mainly for his kids and the rest of his family, but also, for God. I can only figure that he would have been so miserable had he continued to live that he passed away - I sure don't understand his death any other way. I was stunned when he did not recover.
Having said that, I will not forget the pride I felt when reading how much love and concern and believing and praying went on here.
lcm thought it was a bad thing to be a greasespot. I disagree.
God bless Pete's family. I continue to pray for them all.
Lifted - Thanks for this thread to publicly remember someone who warrants remembering.
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Lifted Up
I think one reason Pete made such an impression on me is that I had never seen anyone who had gone through such a horrible experience...that is being burned so badly. Seeing pictures, no matter how horrible, is not the same. Yet he kept going for so long.
Yea, I know about the trigger word thing; evidently in this case it is Pete's last name.
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Righteous Brother
I too remember. He fought a valiant fight.
Robi if you stop by and read this, Thank you for making me aware of your brothers great need. I didn't know him from a hill of beans when I first heard of his accident. But I chose to get involved because I had something to offer. I'm glad I did. It changed my life forever.
I remember the pictures that were posted. You could see his smiling eyes and tender heart.
Miss you bro.
RB
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nknative
This is truly a sweet post. I have tears now as I did when I read about Pete when he was going through his battle.
It is a good thing that we can not choose our battles. He fought a great fight and taught many of us here how petty so many little things are compared to what he went through.
God bless him and all those who were touched by his life. nknative
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Robi
Thank you, Lifted for the thoughtful post. It means a lot to me that Pete has not been forgotten.
I will never forget the outpouring of love and prayers that Pete and my family received. I could not have made it without so many of you being there for me.
I stayed with Pete for most of the 3 months or so that he lived. I was in a city away from any of my family yet God saw to it that I was not alone. So many of you wrote everyday, or called, or posted a message and/or prayer.
Some of you came from miles away to visit Pete and I. I think Lifted drove 8 hours to stay for a few days so I could get some rest. Karl Kahler visited from California (he was visiting his own family in Arkansas and made an extra 7 ot 8 hour drive). He stayed a couple of days and took me on a picnic and exploring caves in the area.
There were wonderful believers who came from Illinois to spend time with me and take me to lunch. There were believers from the Kansas City area who came and brought me a home cooked meal (that was heaven). There was even a believer who worked in the very same hospital. She met me there the night I arrived to see Pete for the first time the day after he was burned! She visited me often and was so helpful and cheerful. There was a guy (another ex-Wayfer) who lived in the same city who visited me and brought me wonderful coffee and treats.
There was a wonderful woman who sent me a little money that she'd been 'saving up for something like that'. She said it was the way she chose to abundantly share these days (I think that's how she phrased it). It was so wonderful. There were a couple of people who had the foresight to send me stamps and phone cards! One or two offered me their frequent flyer miles and vouchers for tickets. All those things were so appreciated. I missed close to three months of work and with that, the flights, the hotel rooms, and other expenses, I used up much of my savings.
Then there were the people who weren't ex-Wayfers. I met many of them in the waiting room of the burn unit. None of them had family who were burned. It was combined with a surgical unit, so most of them were there with traumatic injuries, a few of them as long as me. We became very close. We became each other's backbones. A few of them became like family to me. Sometimes I think they were angels. I still keep in touch with a few of them.
Oh, there was the one woman who 'just happened' to be in the hospital the day I arrived to make decisions about my brother. She was the one who took care of her brother when HE was burned in a way similar to my brother. He had been discharged weeks before, but they 'just happened' to be in the hospital for physical therapy when I got there (they lived two hours away). They allowed me to ask them questions about his recovery. They allowed me to touch him and look at him closely. She brought me a survival kit...paper, colored pencils, a journal. She told me to write and draw how and what I was feeling. Every once in a while she would pop in the hospital. I'd say, "What are you doing here?" She'd say, "I came to take you to lunch. You need to get out of here a little." So off we'd go to the mall.
I got to know my half-brother and sister who had grown up in Missouri and I didn't know well. I lost one brother, but I got to know my half brother who is 17 years younger than me, and my half sister who is 15 years younger than me.
Although they couldn't be there as much as I'd have liked, they were there quite a few times and I am thankful that we were able to build a relationship.
I also got close to many of the nurses, doctors, and employees at the hospital. Some of them would come in on their days off and sit with me or take me to lunch (it sounds like I spent a lot of time going to lunch but I really didn't! In the space of 3 months, there were many times that I didn't leave the hospital much at all). I think they appreciated that I didn't go in and say, "I'm a critical care nurse. You need to do this, this and this and you need to do it the way I say." Instead, I told them, "Forget that I am a nurse. First of all, I know nothing about burn patients. Second of all, if I did know anything, at this point I am stupid and I can't think of a thing that I know. I am here as his sister and nothing else."
I didn't go in and grill them about his lab values, his ventilator settings, his medications and doses, or anything else. I went in and sat with him, held his one good hand or stroked his unburned face, and I read the bible to him or I sang him songs...you know the ones, "Peace, peace, wonderful peace..." or "Amazing grace, how sweet the sound."
Their favorite time was when I would get all the emails that you all sent to him everyday and I would read them to him. Some of them were so wonderful! Lifted and Righteous brother wrote nearly every day...wonderful, loving, and sometimes funny stories and tales. Krysylis let my brother get closer to her beautiful heart than she's ever let anyone here get (ask her about the spider sometime). Plotinus was always thoughtful, loving, and full of hope and sunshine.
There were so many emails! I can't think of all of them right now because I've had to shut the thoughts out of my mind as much as I can but I have saved every one of them. I have a three inch binder full of emails mostly from you all. They were so incredible. I read each one to Pete. The hospital volunteer and marketing offices deliver the email to patients and they sought me out to meet me and Pete because they say they never received as many for one person in the history of their email program! Those were just the ones you wrote to Pete at the hospital. Then there were the ones you all wrote to me personally, plus all the messages on his website and this website! Everyone of them brought me such joy and comfort. I know they did to Pete, too. I know he heard and knew people from all over the world were thinking and praying about him.
Pete never regained conciousness after he was burned. Part of the time they kept him down with pain medicine and medicine that kept him in a 'twilight' sedation and made him forget things (a blessing, I'm sure). Other times, they would back down on his medicine and I could see him beginning to respond a bit, but it was just too painful...or maybe too much for his brain.
With the help of all of your prayers and emails, I was able to spend much time there talking to Pete about God. Since my mother and I were both in TWI, and two sisters took the class, and since my father was a methodist minister, Pete had heard a lot about God before. He'd always had a life that he thought was tough and I'm not exactly what his beliefs were. I am absolutely convinced that during the 3 months he lived after his burn, he had time to make his peace with God and with himself.
One of the nurses that took care Pete a great deal came in on his day off and sat with me as I talked to Pete about being born again. The nurse talked to him from his perspective (he was not ex-Way but his beliefs and understanding were similar to mine. When we said what we needed to say, Pete had tears running down his face. I am convinced that he heard us and I am convinced that it changed his life.
Not too long after that, it became clear that he was taking a turn for the worse. I don't think Pete gave up. I think maybe he finally felt like he could rest and go to God. I think he knew he'd see us all again one day.
I was with him when he died. The doctors and nurses were doing everything they could to save him. They were hustling and trying everything, but Pete had an overwhelming infection that roared through his body and was eating up some of the many grafts he'd had. My last words to Pete were that it was ok for him to sleep and be peaceful. I told him that when he woke up, I'd be there and we'd be with God.
This experience severly tested my beliefs about God, but then again, God seemed to prove himself over and over again by the way he worked in so many people to help us out. I can't say that I have any concrete beliefs...I am still sorting...but I cannot deny the things I saw.
Thank you so much to all of you who were such a wonderful part of the whole experience. I think many of us learned so many things. I know I learned to be very thankful for the people God surrounded me with. Pete was a very special person and you all would have loved him as much as I did, and still do. Not a day goes by that I don't think about him and about those of you who brought so much to us with your love and prayers.
Thank you.
with much love,
Robi
(p.s. Unfortunately, the name that is a 'trigger' for the filters is 'Robi'.)
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