Church Camp Death

[Kenya]

Sharita just called me from LIFT Camp in Cedarville, Ohio - Awesome Church Camp mostly made up of Baptist Churches. She and Denine are both there this week.

A young man was participating in a Sumo Wrestling game yesterday and landed badly on his neck. He was rushed to the hospital. He died this morning at 1:30. Curtis was just 15. Thankfully he was a strong Christian and his family also from what we hear.

Please pray that God will use this tragedy for His glory this week and for many days to come. That the youth at this camp will be affected by this event in a positive way that will bring them closer to the Lord. That the young boy's youth leader will not feel responsible for his death. And that this family will rise to know that their child was used for a greater good and peace surround them.

[KBevangelist]

Praying here.

I could only imagine what that youth pastor is feeling and the family

KB

[paul]

praying here forthe family and the young campers. We stand in agreement with you.

[one love]

I will be praying for them and the family.

[PastorDaniel]

praying for the family, the campers, and the camp....tragedies like this can be devastating in many ways.

[Kenya]

Here's the news article......

The Montgomery County Coroner is investigating the death of a teenage boy at an Ohio church camp.

Police say Curtis Geesaman of Morrow was involved in an accident at the camp at Cedarville University in Cedarville, Ohio on Tuesday.

Witness say the 15 year-old boy collapsed while he was mock sumo wrestling.

Geesaman was rushed to Children's Hospital in Dayton where he later died from his injuries around 12:45 a.m.

A preliminary autopsy concluded the teen died from a neck and head injury.

[MacUser]

Dear Jesus.. please bless and comfort this family and church.

[Ilovebigcats]

I have thought about this several times and pray for the family every time.

I do have a question though.... were they wearing the blow up sumo suits? My mommy radar makes me not like those. They look like it would be easy to roll right to your head.

[Kenya]

Updated article - doesn't say about the "suits"....

CEDARVILLE — A 15-year-old attending a Christian camp has died after an accident caused a serious head injury Tuesday, July 15.

Curtis Geesaman, 15, of Hamilton Twp. in Warren County, was participating in a "Sumo Wrestling" event inside an inflatable ring and dove on top of another student.

He landed on his head causing a severe head injury, said Dan Brown, executive director of LIFT Youth Ministries.

"The way he landed he hit his head and caused some bleeding," said Brown, whose organization is holding a camp for 1,300 high schoolers at Cedarville University this week.

Geesaman was pronounced dead at 12:45 a.m. Wednesday, July 16, according to the Montgomery County Coroner's office.

The accident happened about 3:30 p.m. Tuesday afternoon, Brown said. Geesaman was taken to Greene Memorial Hospital and then transfered to Children's Medical Center in Dayton, where he was put on life support.

LIFT Youth Ministries, based in Kentucky, holds summer programs for thousands of high school age students across the country. The organization has rented out facilities in Cedarville for eight years, said John Davis, university spokesman.

[Kenya]

Okay, know a little more.

He was wearing a "suit". Apparently, he fell on top of the other guy. Stood up, felt fine. Took the suit off and then passed out.

His family was moving to Texas but he begged them to stay in Ohio long enough for him to go to church camp. Wow.

Since his death, 75 teenagers at camp have given their lives to Christ.

Keep praying.

[DeWayneTN]

Ever since my own accident, I have heard horror stories of neck injuries with sad consequences. I am so much more aware of risks when roughhousing in the pool, for instance. Prayers go out for the family.

[Ilovebigcats]

Okay, know a little more.

He was wearing a "suit". Apparently, he fell on top of the other guy. Stood up, felt fine. Took the suit off and then passed out.

His family was moving to Texas but he begged them to stay in Ohio long enough for him to go to church camp. Wow.

Since his death, 75 teenagers at camp have given their lives to Christ.

Keep praying.

WOW. That makes it that much harder for the parents... that just adds to the "if onlys."

This just seals the deal for me on the Sumo suits.

That is AWESOME about the 75! I would say, he would think his life was worth the sacrifice! That is amazing!

[dolfan]

When my 19 year old niece was killed in a car accident about 3 years ago (well, an 18-wheeler basically mowed over the top of her car, so I don't know that it was a car accident, per se, but that's another story), she had just made a prayer list that included her father being saved. The night after her funeral, he did just that.

I've often thought about that since then. How do you respond to the death of your child? For my sister and her husband, it has been indescribably horrific. She is just not the same person, interminably sad and somewhat confused. Her husband, though saved, is in much the same way but, being a man, he's handled it differently than she has.

They turned her grave into a virtual shrine. Her tombstone has her picture actually in the stone (something new, apparently, at the time had been developed using computers --- astounding, really). She has three markers on her grave. Actual photographs are maintained. I have never seen anything quite like it. There is a bench next to the grave.

Now, my niece was very, very loved in her community. She had been her high school's mascot. She was, at the time she died, the mascot for her junior college. The high school now conducts a camp each summer for mascots and it is named for my niece. People really loved this girl and her death impacted a lot of people in a small community.

All that, though, is window dressing. I, and this is just me, don't see how all that helps the parent. I think, as in my sister's case, having other children gives you strength to carry on, wounded and irreversibly ripped open as you may be. You find a way to survive. I'm not so certain how parents, like myself, who have only 1 child might do that.

And, that's not to be morbid or anything, but you know, I've looked at my sister and I can't see her or think about her without all that sort of rolling through my head for a while. Then, I see this story about this kid sumo wrestling, and boom --- gone. I share the applause of people responding with commitments to Christ, really and I am not going to question that at all. That's just not my place. But, the reason I've said all this in a really long-winded and personal way is, how do the parents take comfort in the salvation of any number of these other kids? Really, how? It is nice to think that they would, but I really don't think it would move me that much as a parent whose child was just killed. I don't know that I would ever get to a place where I would care that that was a result. Maybe I would, I don't know. But, I'm going to be honest and, knowing me, I say I doubt it.

The son is in the arms of everything good, eternally. But, the parents. I just don't know what you can do for someone who loses their child. I've seen it, I've been close to people whose lives were pretty well destroyed afterward. The redemptive effect of carrying on will probably be known only to God. I don't know how parents who do bear up under that can look back and say "Oh, yes, I've made that count eternally." That's just a confession.

[Kenya]

Everyone handles grief differently. Here's a few words from this young man's father.....

The Geesaman family, which has only lived in Ohio little more than a year, delayed moving back to Texas because Curtis wanted so badly to participate in the LIFT Youth Ministries camp along with his friends at Heritage Baptist Church in Lebanon.

"He really has grown to love the kids in his church," said Troy Geesaman, Curtis' father.

As much as Curtis loved his Ohio friends, he was excited to go "home" where there were more opportunities to perfect his ice hockey skills and meet up with old friends, his father said.

"The fact that he was at a church camp having an awesome time, that gives us some comfort," said his father. "Curtis loved to learn about God, play sports and be with friends."

"I think he just loves the fun and fellowship," Geesaman said. ". . . Our biggest comfort is knowing where he is now."

Other children at the camp decided to stay at the camp and mourn their loss as a united group, said Ellen Powers, an executive assistant at Heritage Baptist.

In addition to his father, Troy, Curtis is survived by his mother, Kim Geesaman, and two younger sisters, Ellen, 11, and Natalie, 8.

[one love]

When my 19 year old niece was killed in a car accident about 3 years ago (well, an 18-wheeler basically mowed over the top of her car, so I don't know that it was a car accident, per se, but that's another story), she had just made a prayer list that included her father being saved. The night after her funeral, he did just that.

I've often thought about that since then. How do you respond to the death of your child? For my sister and her husband, it has been indescribably horrific. She is just not the same person, interminably sad and somewhat confused. Her husband, though saved, is in much the same way but, being a man, he's handled it differently than she has.

They turned her grave into a virtual shrine. Her tombstone has her picture actually in the stone (something new, apparently, at the time had been developed using computers --- astounding, really). She has three markers on her grave. Actual photographs are maintained. I have never seen anything quite like it. There is a bench next to the grave.

Now, my niece was very, very loved in her community. She had been her high school's mascot. She was, at the time she died, the mascot for her junior college. The high school now conducts a camp each summer for mascots and it is named for my niece. People really loved this girl and her death impacted a lot of people in a small community.

All that, though, is window dressing. I, and this is just me, don't see how all that helps the parent. I think, as in my sister's case, having other children gives you strength to carry on, wounded and irreversibly ripped open as you may be. You find a way to survive. I'm not so certain how parents, like myself, who have only 1 child might do that.

And, that's not to be morbid or anything, but you know, I've looked at my sister and I can't see her or think about her without all that sort of rolling through my head for a while. Then, I see this story about this kid sumo wrestling, and boom --- gone. I share the applause of people responding with commitments to Christ, really and I am not going to question that at all. That's just not my place. But, the reason I've said all this in a really long-winded and personal way is, how do the parents take comfort in the salvation of any number of these other kids? Really, how? It is nice to think that they would, but I really don't think it would move me that much as a parent whose child was just killed. I don't know that I would ever get to a place where I would care that that was a result. Maybe I would, I don't know. But, I'm going to be honest and, knowing me, I say I doubt it.

The son is in the arms of everything good, eternally. But, the parents. I just don't know what you can do for someone who loses their child. I've seen it, I've been close to people whose lives were pretty well destroyed afterward. The redemptive effect of carrying on will probably be known only to God. I don't know how parents who do bear up under that can look back and say "Oh, yes, I've made that count eternally." That's just a confession.

After reading this, just the thought of losing one of my boys brings tears.......
I lost a lot of friends that should not have died. It was hard then and it is still hard , some more then others. I have problems when I see a chinese resteraunt I want to cry because how one of my dear friends was shot to death....
My sons middle name is after a friend that died "kincaid" that friend dying is the one that got my attention. I looked at him and realized it could be very soon that I could go, I knew I was not saved. So one could say I got saved as a result of his death but I still morn him and the others, these are just friends, not children...........

I dont really know why I posted all this but it was on my mind...