Tragedy at TBC - Funeral Arrangements
 

Official word:

The tragedy has been reported as an accidental death of a TBC faculty member. His name is Cai Larsen, Dean of Christian Education.

We have heard that he was working in his yard and either a large branch or a tree fell on him and took his life. He has 3 children and his wife surviving him. We need to ask prayer for the family and the college.

pray'n...

how sad for the family..

Praying!

We're praying for Gill and the kids.

This is very sad! My prayers are with the family!

This is heartbreaking.

What a horrible tragedy. I am praying for the family. Let us know if they set up a memorial fund for the kids.

Praying also

this is very sad news! i have known Cai for years. Knew him before he was in church. He was a GREAT guy so fun to be around. Never a dull moment with Cai. He will be missed!

How did you know him before he was in church?

:praying

he went to la tech when he first came here (he is from Denmark). i had friends from the church in Hodge. We all became friends. played volleyball and did everything together. he got in church and was in ALL THE WAY! never looked back. i took him to the airport MANY times :-) we had many fun times. he was a NUT!!!! we all got married and did our own thing. we kept in touch via email.

perhaps I will post a few Cai JCM pictures later tonight....

Devastating ... will mention this family in prayer

Oh this is so sad...My mind just can't even grasp it...

From JCM Class of 2000

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From my JCM 2001 Graduation

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Cai Larsen as a JCMer

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Cai Larsen as a youth

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That hurts. I don't know what to say. I didn't know him, but just to think of this. Praying.

He was a classmate of mine; graduated one year ahead of me....
he taught Christian Education classes my Sr. year and was also our Sr Class advisor....

I will miss him greatly....

This is terrible news for all-especially this young family.
We will understand it better by & by.

Praying.

Bro. Cai Larsen, Dean of Christian Education at Texas Bible College, died in a tragic accident while cutting down a tree in his backyard on Wednesday morning. Bro. Larsen touched many students’ lives in his years at Texas Bible College and formerly at Jackson College of Ministries. He was 34 years of age. He is survived by his wife, Gillian, a seven year-old son Caleb, a three year-old son, Nathaniel and a one year-old daughter, Neiel.

Funeral Arrangements will be handled by Carroway-Claybar Funeral Home of Lufkin. The funeral home is located at 2704 S. John Redditt Drive (Loop 287) in Lufkin. The funeral home website is http://www.carroway-claybar.com/main.html. The funeral home can be reached at 936-634-2255.

Visitation will be at the Carroway-Claybar Funeral Home from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM on Friday, June 15, 2007.

The Funeral Service will be held at Eastview United Pentecostal Church at 5:00 PM on Saturday, June 16, 2007. Eastview United Pentecostal Church is located at 1407 N. Medford Drive (Loop 287) in Lufkin.

You may leave a message of condolence for the family at http://www.legacy.com/LufkinDailyNew...Page=GBGateway.

In lieu of flowers, a memorial fund to assist the family has been established at the Texas District UPC. Your contributions to the fund will be very meaningful as Bro. Larsen’s life insurance was limited to the $10,000.00 provided by the UPCI for its ministers. Please make your contributions payable to the Texas District UPC, 4109 S. First Street, Lufkin, TX 75901 and mark the memo “Cai Larsen Memorial Fund.”

Very Sad indeed...

THanks for posting this.......

Anyone going to the funeral. I think I am.

Malvaro,
I sense your deep feeling of loss. I am praying for his family. I am also praying for you as well. It is so hard to lose a close friend and in such a terrible way.

Neckstadt

I see donating to the family as an honorable thing to do.

Neckstadt

Ditto what Brett said - not even knowing him hurts. I am praying for his family.

This is an article about Cai. http://www.lufkindailynews.com/searc..._memorial.html

Cai Larsen's Everyone's Connected Guestbook:

http://www.everyonesconnected.com/De...183&Category=G

A Poem written to Cai Larsen
 

Why couldn't I have died instead?


There are those who have gone on to meet their Maker much too young,
perhaps with an unwritten song in their heart waiting to be loosed & sung.
Why couldn't I have died instead?


There are those who could have discovered the cure to life's diseases,
or boldly guarded our coasts and shores while sailing the dangerous seas.
Why couldn't I have died instead?


There are those whose names and needs I never even knew to pray,
It is through the language of flowing tears and weaping do I now say,
Why couldn't I have died instead?


I'm ready to face my eternity because I have learned to know the Lord,
yet there are those that haven't yet grasped the crimson, scarlet cord.
Why couldn't I have died instead?


There are those who to no fault of their own crossed pathes with Death,
Oh I. For that soul would I willingly give my blood and very last breath.
Why couldn't I have died instead?


There are those whose purpose in life was not completed nor at its end,
not understanding why it all happened, my heart is now torn and rend.
Why couldn't I have died instead?


My dear friend Cai, I will miss you greatly in this short time we call life,
I know you're in a better place now, yet your loss still cuts me like a knife.
Why couldn't I have died instead?

Because God isn't finished with you yet.

Can't imagine the pain of those who knew and loved Cai must be feeling.

Iam blessed to have a pastor that is also 34 and also has a 1 year old daughter and 3 and 7 year old son's.

Due to a recent wind storm we had much tree damage at the church and adjoining parsonage and have been dropping what's left standing of a giant soft maple behind the parsonage.

I can not phathom what our pain would be had this happened here at our home church.

Our prayers have went out today to those of you who knew and loved Cai and especilly for his wife and children.

Mal,

I've been where you are right now ... I laid in ICU with a breathing tube in my throat begging the doctors to take me back into the operating room after learning that the live donor transplant that would have saved my father's life was aborted ... I begged them to take my whole liver ... I insisted he was a better man than I.

I knew this would end w/ his eventual death ... and this very question haunted me for months after his death in November 2005.

Cai must've been as special as he. This poem gives a glimpse of his greatness and your love for him.

The questions are legitimate ... and great men of God have asked similar questions to He who knows all things
... among them Job, David, Isaiah ...

Yet Renda's answer ... is the right one ...

The writer of Ephesians tells us ...

For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

I also encourage you to read God's answer to Job's litany of questions ...

Job 38 and Job 39

I know our Redeemer lives!!!!


P.S

To those who knew Cai ... I'm sorry for your loss ... May God hold you and be reminded He's been by our side the entire time.

WOW! DA, What an incredible story. May God bless you and give you a full life to continue his witness in you.

H2H,

my witness pales to men that lived a Christ-like life ... like Cai Larsen and Manuel Alicea.

My prayer is to be able to share what God has done w/ me ... and love those who have tough questions ... knowing I don't have the answers but to share Him who is THE ANSWER.

In the Master's workshop,
Dan

Brother I am praying for you.Its not easy to lose a close friend.Today
we were speaking of Sister Larsen and praying for her.It would be so
good if she could be with her family for the time being.She has very loving
parents and alot of support from them.God is good.

This is the second family we know of this year who has lost someone very
significant to the Kingdom of God.Our dear friend James Randall was in his
late forties and now his wife and daughter are having to fight the fight without him.It does not seem fair I know but we never know what may
have happened to someone down the road.Jesus is in control.God knows each of our hearts and when its time to call us home He will.