Survivors
of an Explosion by Virginia Frye
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BECAUSE
OF THE SAVING HAND OF GOD, WE ARE
by Virginia Frye
Buckner, Missouri
Sunday night, May 5, 2002, our family went to bed
just like on any other night. Our eight-year-old
son Manny had gone to bed about 9:00 p.m. He and
I always have prayer before he goes to sleep—and
some of the prayers are quite long. My husband Gary
often gets home late, so he misses prayers with
Manny. That night Gary and I went to bed close to
midnight.
Like other stormy nights, there was much thunder
and lightning that night. But we were warm and comfortable
in our two-bedroom house in Buckner, Missouri, a
few miles east of Independence. It had been our
home for just 13 months.
All three of us woke up about 5:00 a.m. in the back
yard about 15 feet from the house! It had been raining
all night, and there was about three inches of water
where I was standing. Before I knew what was going
on, my first reaction was to scream for Manny. I
started going in the direction where I thought he
might be. It was a terrifying and desperate feeling
to think about what might have happened to my son.
I thought I was calling, "Mi niño! Mi
niño!" But I had the feeling I have
had in a nightmare—wanting to scream and not
being able to.
Everything happened so fast. Suddenly Manny came
out of somewhere, crying and calling for me. He
was hugging his old baby blanket that somehow survived
with him. Then Gary came from somewhere else; he
was screaming and moving toward Manny and me. The
three of us hugged each other and cried. We were
still unable to comprehend what had happened. We
just knew that we were surrounded by burning debris.
Later
we learned that there had been an explosion under
the house, and we had been blown out, miraculously
landing on our feet and practically unharmed.
Gary and I had only a few scratches and bruises.
Our hair, eyebrows, and eyelashes had been singed;
but thanks to God, we were safe. Manny was taken
to the hospital for observation overnight because
he had a bruised kidney, but he was released the
next day.
Evidently, an old pipe under the house had begun
leaking natural gas, which was ignited by the water
heater. Parts of the house were blown all over the
lot; glass was in the street; and one board landed
on a roof two lots away from our house. Only three
walls remained standing around the utility room.
The explosion started a fire that was later put
out, but we lost the house and almost all our possessions.
Everyone around knows that it was a miracle because
we were blown out of the house and landed on our
feet. We know that it was God's hand that saved
us; He had His angels taking care of us. I say this
because of the dream Manny had that night in the
hospital.
Gary and I had spent that night with Manny. I could
not sleep at all, so I watched Manny all night in
case he had nightmares about the explosion. But
he slept peaceably. In the morning, I asked him
if he had had any dreams.
Manny said that he dreamed about the explosion,
and he saw five angels who took care of us.
"They were guiding us so we wouldn't get hit
or hit anything," he said. He said that he
landed by the corner of his bedroom, which was in
flames and about to fall on him. Then he saw an
angel push it away so it wouldn't hurt him. He also
saw two angels taking care of me and two taking
care of Gary. Manny later added that he saw another
angel watching our dog Rex.
I
believe in Manny's dream because it is the only
way possible that we could be alive today. I also
believe God has allowed us to come safely out of
that explosion so we can testify and show the world
that He greatly loves His creation and watches out
for them.
Our family attends the Atherton Restoration Branch.
Gary has been a member of the Church nearly all
his life. I was baptized in 1999; and Manny was
baptized in November, 2001. I like to hear the testimonies
of others very much, but I have never been able
to stand up and testify about God's goodness. Now
I will—about this experience!
