the aupian in cyberlink aug. 28, 2013

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    THE AUPIAN in Cyberlink August 28, 2013

    THE AUPIANIN CYBERLINK

    AUP TRAGEDY

    A Tragedy Visits AUP

    There were eight men and ten ladies, students of the Adventist Universityof the Philippines. They were young, most of them working studentswho went out of the campus to celebrate three of their friends birthdays.

    They went to the Japanese Cave about 5 kilometers from the campus.The cave is supposed to be off-limit to students because of manyuntoward incidents that happens there in the past. They hiked back to thecampus at around 3PM to save money on fares. Bordering the southernproperty of the AUP campus runs a river and they have to cross it to getto AUP campus.

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    It was around 5PM when they tried to cross the river to get back to theAUP campus. Three have successfully crossed the river that was startingto rage. Unknown to them it has been raining hard in upper Tagaytayand a flash flood was on its way.

    Then a group of five attempted to cross, but while in the middle of theriver, the rapidly rising water caught them by surprise and theyscampered up to the top of the biggest rock they could climb. Still theraging river rose up beyond their waists until it swept them into theturbulent river. One lady student luckily was pushed to the bank of theriver. Another male student was swept but was rescued by his brother,but two ladies and a gentleman were completely swept down the river.

    Their bodies were found after a couple of days in a river that spills out tothe Laguna de Bay in Calamba City, Laguna.

    Because of the badly injured and decomposed bodies, Jay Mellapis, andKimberly Guardias were cremated. The third student, KatherineTaroquin of nearby San Pedro, Laguna was claimed by her family andwas buried immediately.

    Jay Mellapis was from Occidental Mindoro while Kimberly Guardias

    hails from Palawan.

    These three students were members of the small group ministryTouching Lives, mostly composed of working students.

    This current tragedy brings us back to another tragedy that happened inthe past, some years ago, when four Indonesian overseas students of AUPperished in car accident.

    By Sam Villanueva

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    WHY?

    On the wake of the AUP tragedy, it is difficult to look up to the heavens and not ask

    why? Why do hurtful things that we cannot explain happen? Indeed, why do badthings happen to good people?

    Death is so permanent but culture and common sense have programmed our mindsto a schedule that we could follow so that when it comes we are prepared for theblow. What happened to these young people-- Kimberly Guardias, KathrynTaroquin, and Jay Mellapis, was not supposed to. They were just in their teens, atthe threshold of their future.

    We try to justify matters so that the pain of loss does not become bigger than we

    could handle and say the water was just too much, too rapid, too fast for them to beable to manage. Still the tears just flow and the sobs are hard to quench.

    To the families and friends of the departed, take a look around. You are not alone.The University family is with you, grieving with you, and are there to support you.Lean on them. Thats what they are there for. Allow them to pray with you, prayfor you, weep with you and together, start the healing process. From not so near, doaccept the significance of the Alumni of AUP who know about your pain and whoshare your loss. On behalf of EASNAC- the PUC/AUP alumni of EASTERN

    NORTH AMERICA CHAPTER, I would like to offer our condolences and sympathyand above all, our prayers that you feel the loving arms of God envelop you in, tocomfort you in this very difficult time. It may be so very tough to understand whythis tragedy happened and harder still to accept that God allowed this to happen. Intime, we all will understand why things happen when they do. But it is also duringtimes like this that we have to remember that His love is constant, all the time.

    In the resurrection morning we will all be reunited with our loved ones who havegone ahead and God will help us understand why.

    Be comforted by the thought that there are no tears on earth that Heaven cannotdry.

    Jedd Villanueva

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    Pellentesque:

    Consectetuer:

    PICTURES OF THE TRAGEDY, Photo credits: JAD QUIZA

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    Picture captions from the previous page: Top left show the students standing on the biggest rockthey could find in the middle of the river while waiting for rescue. Meanwhile the water keptrising. This picture was taken by one of their companions before they were swept in the ragingriver.

    Top right: Their bodies were taken to the morgue as soon as they were recovered.

    The other pictures show the bodies were being recovered, the other picture show some of thepolicemen who participated in the rescue and recovery team.

    Above pictures show the survivors being shown sympathy by the students during the prayersession while they were still looking for the 3 students. Above, right: The AUP Ambassadorsrendering a song during the prayer service.

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    THE AUPIAN in Cyberlink August 28, 2013

    The AupIAN IN CYBERLINK

    1751 Mill Plain RoadFairfield, CT 06824

    EASNAC SHARES YOUR SORROW