After they told the story above, Daryl stated: “So now the rest of the story . . .”
The Sanborns didn’t know anyone within FCA at the time of Jeremy’s death, but the
Indiana FCA staff reached out to the
Minnesota FCA staff to let them know of his death and involvement with FCA. FCA staff members from both states attended his memorial service. They offered anyone from FCA at Purdue if they wanted to go to FCA camp. Jamey took them up on the offer.
Marge said, “According to his wife, going to this camp confirmed that he wanted to follow the Lord. It was instrumental in his spiritual life.” Daryl added, “It was when he really gave his heart to the Lord. She was calling to thank us.” They spoke to Jamey on Mother’s Day. The experience was immensely meaningful for all of them.
But Jamey’s isn’t the only life that was changed through Jeremy’s involvement with FCA. There were other students from West Lafayette High School and Purdue University who Jeremy influenced through his faith, but there are many others.
As Daryl and Marge learned the impact of FCA in Jeremy’s life and as they were cared for by FCA staff in his death, they got involved with FCA locally where they have been donors for nearly 25 years, Daryl has sponsored a team in Jeremy’s name for 20 years, and he has served on the MN FCA state board of directors. But the impact even goes beyond the local FCA to other parts of the world.
Daryl said, “I’ve been to
Ukraine and spoken about him 13 times at sports camps. Jeremy is expanding God’s kingdom in Ukraine, and I’m just the spokesman. There are many young people in Ukraine that will see the gates of Heaven because of the story of our son.” He said, “I tell them, ‘I know something about all of you sitting here. Every one of you is living your short life and one day your short life is going to end,” Marge finished, “and your long life will begin.” Daryl said, “I tell them, ‘You have to make a decision in your short life where you will spend your long life. Heaven is not a default. If you haven’t made a decision, you’ve made a decision.”
He first gave that talk over 20 years ago when camp organizers were looking for someone to share at the closing rally on Friday evening. Daryl pictured sports camps in the United States where the campers sit cross-legged on the floor to listen to a 3-minute testimony so he agreed to be the speaker. The Thursday before he was to speak, he learned that the closing rally was different in Ukraine. They invited the entire community out to the event. The kids got dressed up. Parents and grandparents came to watch. It was a big deal.
Daryl couldn’t sleep that night, and then he thought of the short life/long life. When he arrived at the rally and saw the people, he wasn’t sure he could get through. He shared his fears with three of the young men helping with the rally. They grabbed his shoulders and said, “D, be strong!” Daryl walked to the stage and shared his story.
He became emotional while speaking about Jeremy. Thankfully, he had to pause often for translation which allowed him to compose himself between thoughts. The same happened with the interpreter. Daryl said, “We were going back and forth dealing with our emotions.”
When Daryl finished, he said, “I walk off the platform and am losing it already, and backstage these three young men are just filled with emotion, and they’ve lost it too. We’re just standing backstage, the four of us, hugging each other.” Each one was deeply moved – Daryl in sharing his heartache and the three men impacted by the message.
Jeremy’s life was shorter than anyone intended, but the decision he made in his short life of where he would spend his long life has now reached thousands. Jeremy trusted his unknown future to a known God, and God has multiplied Jeremy’s impact over and over in Indiana, Minnesota, and around the world. There is no way to measure the reach of Jeremy’s impact, but every now and then God sees fit to give a glimpse of that impact. Daryl and Marge are so thankful for Jamey’s wife, that she took the time to find them and tell them their story.
