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Feb. 3, 2010
On Jan. 31 the remains of our son, Ben Larson, arrived in Dover, Delaware. Ben left the dear people of Haiti and began his journey home from Haiti to Dover, to Philadelphia, to Minneapolis, and finally to Decorah, Iowa.
At Decorah, Renee, Judd and April, Ben’s two sisters, Katie and Amy, and family and friends will gather for a third time, laying Ben to rest in his beloved Decorah, Iowa. Visitation will be 4:00-6:30 p.m. Friday Feb. 5, at First Lutheran Church, Decorah, Iowa. A simple worship of song and prayer will be held at the church at 1:00 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 6, with internment immediately following at Phelps Cemetery. Arrangements by Fjelstul Funeral home (www.fjelstul.com for details.) Fellow mourners are welcome at the Friday visitation, the Saturday worship, and the internment immediately following the worship. Luther College Nordic Choir will sing at the Saturday worship and at the internment.
The words that echo in my heart daily, since we’ve heard of Ben’s death in Haiti, is the Air for Tennor #30 in Handel’s Messiah. It rings in my ears. The tenor stately steps forward and sings the haunting, heartbreaking Air, “Behold and see if there be any sorrow.” Yet I keep changing one word as I hear it: “Behold and see, Behold and see, if there be any sorrow like unto this sorrow.”
Thank you for your compassion for the people of Haiti, and your compassion for our family. We continue to covet your prayers for us and for the recovery of Haiti.
Rev. Rafael Malpica said, “Now we can lay Ben to rest.” His earthly journey in Christ comes to an end and he rests in God’s arms until Jesus comes again. We remember words from the hymn that Ben so dearly loved and requested for his funeral “some day”: Evangelical Lutheran Worship #808
Lord Jesus, You Shall Be My Song
Verse 1:
Lord Jesus, you shall be my song as I journey;
I'll tell ev'rybody about you wherever I go:
you alone are our life and our peace and our love.
Lord Jesus, you shall be my song as I journey.
Verse 4:
I fear in the dark and the doubt of my journey;
but courage will come with the sound of your steps by my side.
And with all of the family you saved by your love,
we'll sing to your dawn at the end of our journey.
Your sister in Christ Jesus,
Rev. April Ulring Larson
Jan 29, 2010 A personal statement from the family of Ben Larson -
Thursday evening at 8:30 pm, ELCA Executive Director of Global Mission, the Rev. Rafael Malpica-Padilla, informed the family of Ben Larson that Ben’s remains had been removed from St Joseph’s Home for Boys near Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
As his beloved wife of two years, Renee Splichal Larson said, “What would we do without the church! What would we do without the church!” Renee and Jonathan saw the top two floors of the six floor building collapse on Ben and knew exactly where he was. Several Senators and congressional offices applied pressure for Ben’s speedy recovery. Due to the overwhelming task at hand, the U.S. Embassy in Haiti, the U.S. State Department and U.S. military informed Ben’s wife, Renee, that they could not even begin to consider removing Ben for at least a month. So the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s International Development and Disaster Response Director, Louis Dorvilier,hired the dear people of Haiti to remove rubble and the concrete beam which had fallen on Ben, in order to return his remains home. The recovery effort began on Tuesday, January 26, and was completed Thursday evening, January 28. Louis received this request for action from the Rev. Rafael Malpica, Executive Director of ELCA Global Mission, at the direction of the ELCA Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson.
What the U.S. government and military were as yet not able to do, the ELCA and the loving people of Haiti did. After the church had begun this work, the family received concerned phone calls from Terry Krinvic of President Clinton’s office. She offered U.N. personnel to assist the church and the people of Haiti who were digging for Ben. Terry and President Clinton’s office have been compassionate in assisting to expedite government procedures required for the return of Ben’s body to his family in the U.S. This morning Rev. Rafael Malpica personally thanked Congressman Jim Oberstar for his communication, support, advocacy and direct contact with the U.S. Secretary of State, as Oberstar was personally visiting in the Larson home. The next step is to bring Ben to the local mortuary in Pention-ville. From there he will be brought to the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince. Eventually he will be flown on a military plane to a city where he will be officially identified, then returned to the Midwest where he will be buried. Rev. Rafael Malpica said to the family last night, “Now we can put Ben to rest.”
Ben so dearly loved the people of Haiti, and it was these loving resourceful people, together with his beloved church, the ELCA, who joined hands to bring Ben home. His family is deeply grateful.
“Whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.” Romans 14:8
P.S. We just received this word from Haiti, 10:50 am:
“Renee...
I know you know this already, but they removed Ben's body from St. Joseph's last evening. Michael said it was very dignified and respectful. The person leading them down was holding candles.
Know you are loved and supported and constantly in our thoughts and prayers.”
Peace,
Renee Dietrich, St Joseph’s Family
Jan 24, News from the ELCA News Service
Memorial Service
A memorial service for Ben Larson was held Friday, January 22 in the Center For Faith and Life at Luther College, Decorah, Iowa. The memorial service was broadcast live on KDEC 1240AM
Eulogy from the service.
Jan 18, News from the ELCA News Service
The Life of Ben Larson
An Informal Gathering and a Memorial Service for Benjamin Larson, son of Pastors April Ulring Larson and Judd Larson, will be held later this week at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa where Ben attended school.
Thursday, January 21, 7:00 p. m. – Informal gathering and story telling - Marty's in the Centennial Union at Luther College, Decorah, IA
Friday, January 22, Center for Faith and Life (CFL), Luther College, Decorah, IA
1:30 p.m. Singing with Ben
2:00 p.m. Memorial Service
The Larson family has requested that memorials be directed to one of the following places –
Jan. 14, 2010 6:30 p.m.
A personal statement from Pastors Judd and April Larson
As an infant Benjamin Judd Ulring Splichal Larson was wrapped in the arms of God in the waters of baptism, and from those waters, his life was an outpouring of love and joy, laughter and play, in response to God first loving Ben.
Ben’s love of God, walking in accompaniment, passionately loving others, listening and learning from those who are poor across the globe, drove his serving.
We give thanks to God for the incredible joy of knowing Ben. His laughter, playfulness, passionate heart for those who are hurting was manifest in his daily life. He delighted in the privilege of serving and knowing God, laying out his life in joy.
We are blessed by still being able to hear Ben‘s music. His father Judd says, “If you want to know Ben, go to his music.“ In his tender music remains some of the treasure that is Ben: what he believes, what he cares about, his deepest soul.
Most of the people who died in this deadly earthquake in Haiti are the poorest of the poor in this hemisphere. Ben went to Haiti to teach theology and scripture in the new Lutheran Church of Haiti; but more deeply to learn from these people loved by God. In his young death his life joins the bodies of the poor. In the Haitian rubble Ben’s life joins these dear beloved people of God: all those parents crying for their children; young widows calling out for their husbands; new orphans searching for their parents.
God have mercy on us.
January 14
Dear Members and friends of First Lutheran Church:
Pastors April and Judd Larson wish to share with you, their fellow members in the body of Christ, the profound sorrow with which they are living, and to ask for your prayers.
The Reverend April Ulring Larson (Senior Pastor at First Lutheran Church in Duluth) and the Reverend Judd Larson (Interim Pastor at Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Duluth) received a message after midnight this morning that their son, Benjamin Judd is dead in Haiti. He and his wife Renee Splichal Larson and his first cousin, Jonathan Larson, had together gone to Haiti to help with the new Haiti Lutheran Church. Ben was teaching at the Pastors and Lay Leaders Theological Conference.
All three are fourth year seminarians, now certified for ordination. At the time of the quake, the three were staying at St. Joseph's Home for Boys on a mountain in Port-au-Prince. During the earthquake the building collapsed on all three. While they had been together, Ben's wife Renee and cousin Jonathan were able to get out, but they could not find Ben. The people had to flee down the mountain immediately. The next morning, at great danger and personal risk, Renee and others returned to try to find Ben. Rafael Malpica, Executive Director of the ELCA Global Mission Unit, told Pastors Judd and April Larson, "We will do everything they can to help find Ben and bring him home." Pastor April Larson says, "Ben was so excited to become a pastor. Ben loved Christ and he loved people."
We cannot imagine the anxiety that our Pastor Larson and Pastor Judd Larson are feeling. Please keep them in your constant prayers.
As relayed by Pastor Larson, by way of the First Lutheran Church Executive Committee
Bishop Thomas Aitken will be assisting with a worship service this evening (Thursday) 7:00 p.m. at First Lutheran Church as we gather as a community and pray for everyone affected by the tragedy in Haiti.