Thank You from the Whetsell Family

It has been some time since the last entry on this blog but there will be some good activity here in the weeks and months coming up. First, the Whetsell family asked for this letter to be posted here (the letter is addressed to those at Lexington Presbyterian Church but applies to all those who prayed, sent cards and contributed to the Austin Whetsell Fund).

Dear Lexington Presbyterian Church Family:

The purpose of this letter is two-fold; first, to express our gratitude to you and second, to update you on the ministry that God has opened up for us in Zihuatanejo, Mexico.

First, please know how blessed we are to count ourselves part of the Lexington Presbyterian Church family. There is simply nothing we can write to adequately express our deep feelings of gratitude for the kindness and compassion you have shown to our family since Austin passed away. It is literally impossible to quantify and properly thank you for all of the prayers you have prayed, the meals you have delivered, the words of comfort you have offered, the thoughtful tributes you have conveyed, and the kind expressions of sympathy you have provided to us.

We hope you will understand how our family has found healing in the unique and continuous ways so many of you have expressed your concern for us. While our healing has indeed been limited, we have felt God's tender love and embrace directly through you and your faithful kindness. As you continue to care for us and share your condolences, we are reminded of and comforted by the fact that many of you loved Austin also.

Secondly, through your generosity, and the generosity of friends and family across the country, more than $95,000 has been contributed to the Austin Whetsell Memorial Fund. We have decided to use this money to continue building on the work that Austin began during his short time in Mexico. We are thankful that God has formed a new and exciting relationship between our family and Guillermo and Jennie Salinas and their missions work in Mexico.

Earlier this month, we chose to use a large portion of these funds to purchase a piece of property in Zihuatanejo across the street from Nueva Vida Iglesia, the Salinas’ church that Lexington Presbyterian has been supporting for more than 12 years. Our plan now is to continue raising money to make the improvements necessary to build a multi-purpose recreational area there that will be dedicated in memory of Austin. (In the meantime, the church is happily using the property for overflow parking on Sundays.)

We deeply and sincerely appreciate your financial generosity, and we want you to know that each donation is viewed by us as a financial investment being made to further the work that Austin began during his trip to Mexico.

We believe it’s fair to say that everyone who knew Austin knew he was a fantastic young man. We find tremendous comfort in knowing he was a devoted child of God. We recall fondly his love for us and his siblings, his family and his friends. We are extremely proud that when he left this life, he was serving God and others. We have confidence that in his 15 years on earth, he built a legacy which will live forever. We find solace in knowing that in his death many he never met have come to Christ. We feel humbled that through the generosity of others his memory will impact many who otherwise may never hear the good news. And we anxiously await our reunion with him.

Before he left for Mexico, Austin wrote a few family members a letter which in part said, “Hopefully this (missions trip) will give me a sense of the Missions world and help me figure out whether this is my calling….Please join me in praying that we will be able to do our jobs well and bring knowledge of the saving grace of God’s kingdom to the people of Zihuatanejo.” Austin’s prayer was answered. As parents, we only wish we could have been there to hear Christ's words of welcome, “well done, good and faithful servant.”

Once again, our entire family sincerely appreciates your kindness. We ask that now, the most difficult time yet, you continue to keep Taylor, Trace, Emma and us in your prayers, asking God to continue to give us the strength to walk by faith.

Walter & Kim Whetsell

Keep checking back for updates about how the fund is making a difference in Zihuantenajo and the upcoming missions project back to Mexico this Spring.