On November 28, 2007, Dan Cruver interviewed Anthony Mathenia about trans-racial adoption and about Anthony and his wife Amber's own Ethiopian adoption journey. Three days ago, January 22, Amber's life was taken in a car accident. Our prayers are with Anthony and his children.
We commend Amber's life to our readers as a model of "religion that is pure and undefiled before God" (James 1:27).
Thank you to those who have shared remembrances of Amber in the comments section of Dan's interview with Anthony. Updates from Anthony are available at his weblog, Cold Water News.
Almighty God, we give thee thanks for this thy servant, whom thou hast delivered from the miseries of this wretched world, from the body of death and all temptation. And hast brought her soul which she committed into thy holy hands, into sure consolation and rest: Grant, we beseech thee, that at the day of judgment her soul and all the souls of thy elect, departed out of this life, may with us and we with them, fully receive thy promises, and be made perfect altogether through the glorious resurrection of thy son Jesus Christ our Lord. (Adapted from BCP 1549)
[Update: In lieu of flowers, the family is asking that monetary donations be sent to Christ Community Church in New Albany, Miss., where the Mathenias receive their support. Gift cards from Target, Wal-Mart or Babies R Us are also needed to provide for their children. The church's address is P.O. Box 795, New Albany, Miss., 38652.]
(Mrs) Amber Mathenia was (and, since we are believers and sharers in the same hope as she, still is) a dear friend to our family. I wanted to say here that she was instrumental in our family's realisation that the Lord was leading us to adopt. As my mother told my brother the night after the accident, 'The Lord used Amber to change our family tree forever.' Keep the family in your prayers.
[...] Grace Church of Memphis recently established the “A.M.B.E.R. Adoption Fund.” “A.M.B.E.R.” stands for “Adoption Magnifies the Beauty of Eternal Redemption” and was named in honor of Amber Mathenia, the wife of Anthony and mother of two adopted children. Amber went home to be with the Lord in January, 2008. [...]
[...] June 9, 2008 by Jason Kovacs Grace Church of Memphis, our newest church partner, recently launched the “A.M.B.E.R. Adoption Fund.” “A.M.B.E.R.” stands for “Adoption Magnifies the Beauty of Eternal Redemption” and was named in honor of Amber Mathenia, the wife of Anthony and mother of two adopted children. Amber went home to be with the Lord in January, 2008 [...]