The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away

We were informed yesterday morning that our son Mark Joseph Waleza Layton has passed away. Suddenly and unexpectedly, Mark started having a hard time breathing. He died on the way to the hospital in Pastor Didiers arms. He did not appear to be sick before this began. Although we do not understand God's plan we trust and love Him. Our hearts are heavy, but we praise Him for He is good, all the time.

Please pray:
-for our children to comprehend God's grace in this
-for Pastor Didier and his wife Annie, and the family in Congo, who have loved Mark as their own for 3months

We love you and we are so thankful for you all, we treasure your prayers on our behalf!

'And he said, "...the Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away. BLESSED BE THE NAME OF THE LORD." In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.' Job 1:20-22

"God is our refuge and strength a very present help in trouble." Psalm 46:1

Below is the update we also sent out today by email

Dear church family and friends,

It’s been less than 24 hours since the sudden news of our son Mark Joseph’s death was shared with many of you. God’s grace and comfort has already been abundant and though we can’t respond to every person who has expressed love and prayers to us, please know how thankful and blessed we feel and how merciful our Sovereign Savior is and has been to us already through you.

I (Phil) am still leaving this Saturday for my trip, arriving in Congo Monday, with a different type of ministry and mission in mind than originally planned (humanly, but our God is big and good and has His wise ways which are not ours, He has planned this before there was time). My mission is to travel with our dear family friends the Wilmarths as originally planned to support them in the adoption of their twins and to be of ministry to the family of Christ in Congo and the orphanage in any way I can. For those who have asked how you can help or pray, here is the update for now:
- Thank God with us for His mercy in so many things, that we want to remember, rehearse to our hearts and our children, and recount for others for the glory of Christ
- Pray for God’s manifold grace and purposes in my son’s funeral/burial I will get to be a part of in the Congo next week.
- Pray that I would be of great encouragement to Pastor Didier, his wife Annie, and his family, in the spirit of 2 Corinthians 1:3-5, 7, 11, 15, 2:4, 8, 3:5, 4:7-10, 15-18, 5:7-9, that they would not lose heart in doing good and that God would heal them in every way from the trauma and tragedy of witnessing the loss of one who was a son to them as well
- Pray that I would be a good ambassador for Christ (2 Cor. 5:20) and to comfort the depressed with my coming (7:6, 8:6-12), that even with the language barrier the love of Christ would come across
- Pray that I would be able to express the love of our family and church to our church family in Lubumbashi in some way on Sunday, Sept. 4th (Saturday evening our time)

We do have some room to still bring a few things to Congo, and it may be easiest if you drop them by the church for now and I will pick them up sometime tomorrow. Lord-willing I or Jaime will be sharing updates at our blog as able.

http://lifeatthelaytons.blogspot.com

We continue to treasure your prayers and care and love and we rest in the sweet and Sovereign hands to whom we give all our children and all things, and pray God will use us weak vessels to magnify our Strong Savior.

Love in Christ,
Phil and Jaime