Hannah Zimmerman | Contributing Writer
Ain’t no mountain high enough, ain’t no valley low enough, ain’t no earthquake strong enough, to keep God from working through Ken.
Our dear Reverend Ken Meissner, made his first trek to the beautiful country of Nepal to marry two BVU alums, class of 2011 Bikash Pandey and Lauren Whitt, class of 2013. As you’ve probably heard at this point, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit Nepal on Saturday morning and it has done a number on the capital, Kathmandu. The death toll and number of injuries is rising everyday, but according to SkyNews, it currently sits at 3,700 dead and over 6,500 officially reported injuries. At this point, we have word from the wedding party saying everyone is safe. Praise the good Lord!
Ken is scheduled to come home on May 2nd, but with the airport traffic and relief activity trying to come in and out of the country, we’re not sure if that’s going to happen. At this point, we’re just thankful he’s okay.
I woke up on Saturday morning and a post from Ashley Farmer-Hanson on the IMPACT page was the first thing I saw. My groggy eyes, immediately shot open, read the post three times and proceeded to search three other sources for information about the earthquake. At that point, the death toll was around 800.
In talking with Ken the day before he left, he was a little apprehensive for the flight and experience as this was his first major international trip. He was excited to be with Bikash and his Boo, but he was also looking forward to the opportunities to minister to people. That’s Ken. He talks to just about anyone, asks questions, invests in the conversation, and blesses people with his presence. As traumatic as this experience is, I can guarantee Ken is over there cracking jokes, praying for people, and serving in any capacity he can. This was a tragic and terrible event, but God is going to use our favorite little man in a very big way.
Pray for him. Pray for the people of Nepal. Pray for those involved in the relief efforts. Donate to the cause. Though we are half a world away, they can use our help and support right now.
I invite you to stop by Ken’s office from 12-3 on Thursday afternoon to leave a note of encouragement, blessing, gratitude, or appreciation for the man we often take for granted. Let him know we’ve missed him and are so glad he’s safe. If you have questions about this, talk to Faith Prichard or myself and we’ll be happy to clarify.
