Andy

It is with great sadness that I write of the death of one of our founding members, Andy Ruhlin.

Andy has been an integral part of the Adult Mission trip from its very inception, traveling with us to the 'hollers' of West Virginia and the plains of South Dakota.

His understanding of, and commitment to, community building led to the decision of the Steering Committee to chose Rosebud Reservation as the place for our ongoing ministry.

As I was getting images of Andy together to share here, I rarely found one in which he was not actively engaged in work or surrounded by others; that reality speaks volumes.

He was the heart of our group.

He worked tirelessly every day to bring about the Kingdom of God - by his words and deeds.

He played just as hard - and just as well.

I know I speak for all members of our group when I say we are also profoundly grateful for his friendship.

We were blessed with a friend whose smile made us feel known and accepted and whose words were capable of making us laugh, bringing us to tears and making us think.

We couldn't have asked for a more faithful partner in our work.

His absence will be mourned and deeply felt.

We know he'll be with us as we continue the work to which he was so devoted...

and we won't see a sunset at Ring Thunder without knowing he's there.