| Madrid plane crash claims SEFOVAN graduate |
|
| Spain | ||||||
| Written by Editor | ||||||
|
The deadly plane crash at Madrid Barajas International Airport on August 20, 2008 claimed 153 lives. One of those was Ruben Santana, a 2004 graduate of SEFOVAN. We would appreciate your prayers for Ruben's family, his wife Mari Carmen and children, Herica, Dónovan and Jonás. With the Evangelical family being so small in Spain, and the SEFOVAN family being smaller yet, we have gotten very close with each of our students and graduates. We are standing close to the family in their time of sorrow. Yet even while we sorrow here, we have joy knowing that Ruben is now in the presence of the Lord! The following is taken from an article which appeared in El Pais, a Madrid newspaper.  Ruben Santana was not going to be on that plane. His plans were to leave Wednesday evening rather than the afternoon. But he found out there was one seat left on the flight at 1:00pm and he decided to change his flight to get in sooner. Once he was on board, while waiting the departure, he sent a message to his family in which he told then that the plane was "damaged" and they were delayed. "His wife didn't think he was on the plane at this point," said Javier Chevasco, a friend of the family. "She texted back for him not to get on the plane. A few minutes later he texted back: ‘They won't let anyone get off, everything is closed.' That was his last message."
Ruben, 45 years old, was a trucker who recently married his son. "Who will take me to the alter now?" cried his daughter Herica, 22 years old, in the pavilion where the victims family came a few hours after the tragedy. Ruben was on his way to the Canary islands to see his family. He was born in Mogan and he was the youngest of 14 children. He had the dream of finally buying his own house. He was renting a home in Tres Cantos, on the outskirts of Madrid, where he worked as supervisor in a transportation business. But in the town he was better known for his work in the evangelical church, where he was a co-pastor. "He was a good man, loved and respected, with an impressive faith. The best person I have ever known. Every time an opportunity came along I told him so," shared Chevasco. Elizabeth Suarez, friend of the family and Director of the Ministry of Social Work for the Baptist Community of Madrid, has visited with the affected frie Ruben Santana, suffered from epilepsy but was married with three kids: Herica, 22 years old, Dónovan, 20 years old, and Jonás, 18 years old. Yesterday, a viewing was held at the funeral home in Tres Cantos and tomorrow his body is being taken to the Canary Islands. In the funeral home there was an atmosphere of desolation. According to the family, everyone was composed until they saw the body, then everything really began to sink in. Ruben's wife was struck with a panic attack and she had to be attended to by the local EMTs. One of his sons had to lay down and fan himself for air; he was seemingly unable to talk or respond to anyone who approached him.
Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites        
Powered by !JoomlaComment 3.25
3.25 Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved." |
nds and families since the accident. "He was an evangelist, he was given to the work of the church; may his death serve to help people understand that it is different to die with God rather than without Him."
