From the Moon family:
“We are overdue with an update, but we hope all of you had a wonderful Memorial Day holiday! Evan was moved back to rehab on Sunday. We were delighted to hear Evan talking and singing worship to our Father!
We spent today with the doctors and are inundated with information. We have been advised of a long recovery. The pathology report was reviewed with us and Evan’s tumor is Stage 3. Treatment will include chemo and radiation. Evan needs everyone to keep praying for his complete healing. We have shared some amazing sunshine with Evan and he has made a few videos. Here’s a mini video to all of you from Evan:”
A Message from Evan (Click <—–)
As we move forward in this journey with Evan and his family, we will intentionally share updates and God stories to remember Jesus in the midst of difficulty. Evan would want all of us to keep our eyes focused on the One who holds all the power.
“Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the LORD has helped us.” – 1 Samuel 7:12
Let us begin to stack those stones of remembrance.
A testimonial of God’s work in Evan’s life:
“On Thursday we felt very impressed to go sing and play worship music over Evan. His parents gave us special permission to come since Jason was leaving the country for several weeks for Zambia. When we saw Evan that day, he could open his eyes to look at us, squeeze our hands, and tap his foot to the beat of “Good Good Father.” He only said “mama” during our time with him. When we left, we prayed even more for Evan to be able to communicate with words to his family and friends.
On Friday, we began our annual community camping week. We posted signs reminding us to pray for Evan and to honor him since he typically is an active participate of this annual gathering. We all talked, remembered and prayed for Evan throughout the camping weekend. However, on Sunday morning, we all gathered around the tree where the encouraging notes were displayed and we begged God to heal our brother. We cried out to God to allow Evan to talk. We laughed at the thought that we would ever be praying asking God to help Evan talk. (If you know Evan, he talks a lot!)
Well, guess what?! Sunday afternoon Evan started talking in paragraphs to the doctors and he even sent videos to us, with him talking or singing, for the rest of the weekend. We all yelled, screamed, smiled and thanked God because we have seen a MIRACLE. A man who was talking very little is talking again, telling stories, treating the nurses to sodas, and reminding us that he loves us.
Camping week wasn’t the same without Evan and we begged God that he would be there with us next year. BUT for this year, we celebrate that Jesus gave us a miracle!!! Evan talks!! And that’s the Jesus that has Evan for the long road of this recovery. That’s the Jesus Evan serves!! That is our Jesus!!! If you don’t know Him, please meet Him and hurry up about it! Jesus is the comfort that is holding Evan, his family and many of us, and He wants to hold you too!!” – Jenny Waltman
Here’s the prayer team from camping week!
“Moonbeams” for Evan:
“We continue to pray for full recovery, for Terry and Evan.” Lilia Manangan
“Continued prayers for Evan and his family. Continuously for speech and consistent movement! The Holy Spirit is surrounding Evan.” – Malinda Henderson
“We will keep Evan and his family in our prayers.” – Rhonda Cheek
“Evan, you are the awesomest! Can’t wait to hear your funny jokes again. God has chosen you to do great things. He will not forsake you!! God will use the realness you are sharing here to bring others to him and to encourage others that there is real hope in the Lord.” – Renee Linderman
“Thoughts and prayers are with you, my friends. Love to all. Praying for strength for Terry and Denise, and that Evan’s bed is surrounded by angels that will assist in God’s will to make him better. May His healing hand be on Evan every minute of every hour of every day.” – Ninfa Riley
“Hey Evan!
I’ve been thinking about you a lot over the past few days. Here’s why: This time last year Zach and I were staying with you in Atlanta over Memorial Day weekend. You took us on a personalized, Pinzgauer tour of downtown Atlanta, making sure you highlight all of the neat graffiti under the bridges. I was also in Banner Elk last weekend, and we took the curvy road down to the Mast General Store. I remember years ago when you stopped, made us get out, and recorded you driving down the hairpin turns. And finally, yesterday I was stranded on the side of the road after my car broke down. No one stopped to help me, but I knew that you would have. You always stop to help people in need. We love you so much, and are consistently praying for your recovery, and that this season on life can be used to glorify the Lord. Much love” – Zach & Sheila Wright
“I moved to Atlanta not knowing a soul, not having a place to sleep and not having any sort of income. It was brash, but I was young. Atlanta is a big city, especially to a young Midwestern kid. Without a car you’re almost certainly going nowhere. Luckily for me I had a car- a minivan- and I was on my way to the first day of work.
Salted winter roads are eager to devour the underbelly of cars and so if you’re from the Midwest I’m sure you understand what happens next. So I’m on my way to the first day of work, it’s a new city, a big city, I’m in a minivan and I get lost. Somehow I’m at the intersection of Buford Highway and Lenox, I should not be on Buford Highway, sitting in the left turn lane at a red light. It just so happens I am at the head of the line waiting to turn left at this red light, during rush hour on Buford Highway.
To shed some light, I have had experiences of sitting in that line for upwards of 10 minutes, no lie.
The light turns to green and I’m giddy to go. I hit the gas pedal and my beloved minivan lurches. I’m frightened, I hit the gas a second time and again, lurch. Horns are blaring, voices are yelling and when people decide to drive around me I get the scariest stares of rush-hour crazed eyes. All this time I’m holding my foot on the brake. I have to hold my foot on the brake because this intersection is on an incline. My van can’t move forward, but it can still roll backward. I find out later that the front axle busted in half from rust.
Traffic clears and I roll backward into the raised median to stop my roll.
Hours pass, I wait for the police to show up. Never happens. I wait for a tow truck to show up. Never happens. (Thanks Atlanta.) I’m freaked out. It’s my first day of work, in this big city, I know no one and I’m in the middle of the highway. That’s when, out of the blue, a different minivan stops beside me. The gentleman asks if I need help, I definitely did need help. He drives up to the red light, that same red light. Does a U-turn to head back to my direction, hops the median in his minivan and pulls up behind me.
This man is Evan Moon.
Of all the places I could have been in Atlanta on that day and time I happened to be in just the right place to meet Evan, or more rightly I happened to be in the right place to be rescued by Evan. If you know Evan then you know that wasn’t a strange occurrence for him, to stop in the middle of the highway to help a stranger. It was just a Tuesday, or a Wednesday or a Sunday for Evan.
So he pulls up behind me. We chat for a moment. He doesn’t hesitate and pulls out some heavy duty strap he got off a semi and tows my minivan with his minivan around the corner where we get to his parents’ pizzeria. From there I had the great honor of meeting Evan’s mother, Denise. They feed me. While I’m eating, Evan is calling his father Terry to try and diagnose what might be wrong with the van. They come to the conclusion that the van should be taken to Evan’s uncle, who owns an automotive repair shop.
Evan stopped his day to help me and not just that day but several days after, helping me arrange the fixture and payment and return of my van. And he didn’t stop there. Over the next 3 years I lived in Atlanta he was the one who helped when I had car troubles. Evan and Denise and Terry took me in as one of the family. They had me over for holidays and birthdays.
Thank you Evan, for being a friend and a brother.” – Matthew Miller
“Shaggy is such an amazing guy. I was the worship leader for GT Campus Crusade while Shaggy was in school and man what a tremendous impact Shaggy had on me during my time there. Lots of people are coming out and talking about how selfless Shaggy is and that could not be truer, but he is also super smart and loyal. He never got caught up in dramas because his motivations were always so pure. To love God and serve and love others. He gave us his time every week doing the thankless work of setting up and moving the sound system so that the people who came to our “Real Life” meetings would have a space to meet with Jesus. From pizza after Real Life, cramming for exams, and bringing his monster truck to camp everyone was blessed and served by Shaggy.
I’ll never forget how when I needed a vehicle he asked his parents to sell me his beloved old brown Nissan. I loved that truck and it served my family well for the years I owned it. Shaggy and his family are a treasure and I am praying in solidarity with them as they go through this challenging time. May this time be brief and looked back in the coming years as a time God used to reveal himself.” – Andrew Tucciarone
Reminder on how to give to towards Evan’s financial needs:
Mail checks to:
Grace Klein Community, Inc., 1678 Montgomery Hwy #104, Birmingham, AL, 35216
Memo: Evan Moon Assistance Program
OR via our website:
gracekleincommunity.com/donate