Sarah Buller, an AIM participant in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, was killed in an automobile accident on Sunday. And though they're rejoicing in heaven, we're all the poorer for it. 

Her passing reminds us that God has called us to a road that is sometimes more than we can bear. Sarah set an example by following God's call in her life and ministering to the poor in South Africa. She loved Jesus and died serving him. We can't help but praise God for her life.
 
Her last blog entry a few weeks ago gives us a picture into her life:  "We work with kids in the townships and I work with babies. Life is good here. some days are more crazy then others!!! My parents just come to see me! And it was GREAT! They got to see the whole team. We went to Swaziland a country with in South Africa. I LOVED IT! My Dad got to see old friends. I'm in love."
 
"In love" describes Sarah's life well. She was in love with life and with those around her. And they couldn't help feeling it. Recently she got a tattoo on her foot. It said love, and it had a bunch of stars around it. Each star represented one person in her family, one for mom, one for dad, and one for each of her eight siblings (four of whom are adopted). She wanted them to be with her wherever she went!
 
Teammate Nicole Eckenroth describes Sarah like this:
Sarah was one of the sweetest people I have ever met. She was accepting of everyone. She loved to have fun, and she had no fear. We jumped off of a bridge together, bungee jumped that is. She is a night owl. She liked to stay up later than most, and sleep in later than most.

Sarah was precious when we were in ministry. We worked together at a children's home, with abandoned and beaten babies and toddlers. She was so good with all the kids. She wanted to be a mother so badly. She could handle toddlers better than most people.
 
She loved nature, and being outside. She loved the beach... and having ministry right next to the beach. She was blown away by the beauty of creation.
 
She was artsy... always seemed to have her camera on her... then she would photoshop them.
 
She loved music. She had a beautiful singing voice.
 
She loved youth. The youth group we worked with, Firehouse, was blessed by her. She really was able to invest in the girls... to help grow them up in Christ.
 
Sarah loved to worship God. Her life was worship.

I had fun with her. One night, we didn't want to go to bed, so we sat outside in the yard. We laid in the grass star gazing, while Kevin played guitar. It was a perfect night!
 
Then another night, we stuck our head out the window while laying on a bed and looked at the stars... or tried to look. the whole time we couldn't stop laughing... we were sooooo giddy!
 
Sarah just liked to have fun. She brought joy wherever she went. She was never negative. She loved what she was doing. She loved God and loved people.

She was amazing! And it's so hard to think that she is not around anymore, but I know, she is in the Lord's presence. She has no pain. She has complete and perfect joy! She is missed. But I can't wait to see her again!
Teammate Beth Lynch wrote this about Sarah, "I think one of my favorite stories of her was when she and a few other girls drove to a lion park for the day. Sarah went into a  cage with a lion cub and he pounced on her. She came back with a torn shirt and minor scrapes on her arm and stomach. She was so excited about it! We all laughed about how when she got home she could say that when she went to Africa, she was attacked by a lion."

"During Thanksgiving break, we went to Cape Town. We spent eight long hours in the car but it was so much fun! We goofed off and sang at the top of our lungs as we drove. That weekend we visited Table Mountain and it was the most gorgeous site any of us had ever seen."
 
*                     *                        *                   *                     *                        *
The local paper in Minnesota, where she was raised, posted an article about Sarah.
 
If her home-going leaves us overwhelmed by sadness, we have the consolation of knowing that sometimes God loves us so much, he asks for our best. And in receiving Sarah into his loving arms, he got the best we had.