Darren LeBlanc

A few years back when I was in youth ministry, I became close with a man named Joel Parker. His daughter and son (Alyssa and Ryan) were involved in my youth group and Joel soon joined the team as one of my youth leaders. He had quite a bit of experience in that area and proved to be a huge asset. Actually, he was a really dynamic speaker and even more importantly, he had a heart for teenagers like few people I know. He had a heart for people in general..and he gave of himself so selflessly.

I am speaking in the past tense, because I haven’t really known Joel as friend for over a year now. He has been in the hospital for a 17 months. A routine surgery in January ‘07  that went awry has left him battling for his life. He was discharged to a rehab center a few months back, but that only lasted briefly. He had to be admitted to the hospital again and there doesn’t seem to be any upward progress. His daughter writes “we honestly do not know how long this will be for”.

Well, I’m kinda sick of this. I don’t believe there is any good that can come out of him staying there any longer. Joel is a hero of the faith and I’m ready to see God reward him with his health. So, I’m going to be praying for Joel everyday (yes, I should have been all along, but I’ve been distracted with my own problems). I hope you will join me. Let’s expect to see something great happen in him.

You can contact me if you want to send condolences to the family, or get an update. I will put you in touch with his family.