Author to speak about loss of family, faith in God

Robert Rogers' story is difficult to hear.

While returning from a wedding with his wife and four children late one August evening in 2003, the family minivan was swept off the road by a flash flood on the way home to Kansas City, Kan.

Rogers was the only survivor. In a matter of minutes, he had lost everything.

Everything but his faith.

Rogers said when he was tumbling in the waters facing death he actually felt peace. That peace came from faith, and it has sustained him through the darkest days of grief.

He will be sharing his story of heartbreak and hope during the 9 and 10:30 a.m. services Sunday at the First Baptist Church, 1310 N. Main St., Wheaton.

Faith in God had helped him and his wife, Melissa, through tough challenges in the past, including the birth of one child with serious health problems and the adoption of a daughter from China who had a heart defect.

"Through all those struggles, that really galvanized our family and our faith," Rogers said. "I've learned you either trust God or you don't."

He's also learned that talking about the fateful day and the days that followed have helped him heal while helping others.

Rogers said he's always been quiet and shy and never envisioned himself as a public speaker. But when he started sharing his story with congregations around the country, he saw that it had a profound impact on people.

"When you hold it in, it can rot and fester," he said.

But Rogers' efforts go beyond public speaking. He wrote a book, "Into the Deep: One Man's Story of How Tragedy Took His Family but Could Not Take His Faith," which was released last summer by Tyndale House Publishers in Carol Stream.

He also opened Melissa House, an orphanage in Russia named after his wife. He hopes to open others on other continents and name them after his children.

The flash flood that killed his family changed his life in so many ways. It's hard to imagine Rogers as the quiet electrical engineer living in Kansas.

After his family died, Rogers returned to work but found that his motivation for a job he didn't really enjoy was gone. He quit and returned to music, a passion he pursued as a young man.

"Strangely, I feel like I am doing what I was meant to do," Rogers said.

He also remarried, moved to Ft. Wayne, Ind., and has an infant son born this summer.

Rogers said starting over was daunting. And while there were some moments of fear, his faith in God and the future carried him through.

Tyndale publicist Maggie Rowe, who is also the wife of First Baptist senior pastor the Rev. Mike Rowe, said Rogers' message is especially pertinent for their congregation now.

Many families lost loved ones in 2007, and there were 12 funerals for church members this year, including many longtime members, a 25-year-old and an infant, she said.

"Very few in our flock have been unaffected," Rowe said.

The darkest days of winter can also be the toughest for many who are grieving, she said, noting that all are welcome to attend Sunday's services to hear Rogers speak and sing during the services.

"The period after the holidays is the worst months for many people," she said. "As a church, we want to acknowledge that."

But while Rogers' story includes the most horrific of tragedies, it is also one of hope and healing.

"The source of his strength is not himself. He leans strongly on his faith in God," Rowe said. "We hope his presence will be a catalyst for people to deal with their grief from a biblical perspective."

For details, call (630) 665-0330. More information about Rogers and his ministry is also available online at www.intothedeep.org.

If you go

What:Robert Rogers, author of "Into the Deep: One Man's Story of How Tragedy Took His Family but Could Not Take His Faith"

When:9 and 10:30 a.m. Sunday

Where:First Baptist Church, 1310 N. Main St., Wheaton

Call:(630) 665-0330