Celebrating John Jones

This past Thanksgiving Break Kurt and I found out that one of our friends from our ward (church congregation) at BYU passed away. John Jones died after getting stuck in a passageway in the Nutty Putty caves and rescuers were unable to extract him. Read article here. When Kurt first told me, I didn't believe him. I had to read the article myself. I still have a hard time believing it. John was one of the most genuinely good people I have ever met. He and his wife, Emily, are the kind of people you can't know and not have the greatest love and respect for. I feel especially connected to them because they got married the same month as us and were applying to Medical School the same time as us. John went on to med school in Virginia while we headed for New York. John and Emily were home visiting family for the Thanksgiving holiday when the caving accident happened. They have a little girl who is just over a year old and I found out Emily is expecting their second child in June. I know this must be a very trying time for Emily, but I also know that God will not leave her comfortless. I know that John and Emily are strong in the gospel and that they were sealed in the temple for time and all eternity. I hope and pray for Emily and John's family that they will have God's love to comfort them.

For those interested in helping Emily Jones out, John's family set up memorial funds in her name through Wells Fargo and Utah Community Credit Union. You can also donate online here or participate in a fundraiser here.