The news of the tragic car crash that killed two children in Wimbledon, London, broke the hearts of many. Last week, a vehicle crashed into a school building where an end-of-term tea party had been taking place which killed two schoolgirls and injured many more.

Chaplains from The Billy Graham Rapid Response Team (BG-RRT) have deployed to Wimbledon to minister and pray with those impacted by the devastating incident.

Came Troubled, Left Beaming

Since the accident, people have travelled to the school to lay flowers and pay their respects. One of them was Rose.* Having previously worked as a teaching assistant and having children herself, she felt the loss of the two girls deeply. She sparked a conversation with a chaplain and began to share challenges from her past. Rose lost her husband and mother within three months apart. Through her own experience of loss, she felt heartbroken for family and friends of the victims.

The conversation turned into the subject of faith. Rose she that had no faith but understands that doing good deeds will earn her salvation. Using the Steps To Peace With God booklet, the chaplain explained our separation from God through sins, and no amount of good works can ever redeem us, the only way is through Christ our Redeemer. Shortly after, Rose prayed to receive Jesus Christ as her Lord and Saviour. “She came as a troubled person, but left beaming,” a chaplain said.

“Crisis-trained chaplains have been able to provide emotional and spiritual support to a suffering community—offering a listening ear and prayer to witnesses, teachers, and relatives of those who passed away,” Nigel Fawcett-Jones, UK manager of BG-RRT said. “During this heartbreaking time, chaplains will be amongst the local community to extend the love and hope of Jesus Christ and stand as a beacon of light during this dark time.”

During the second day of the deployment, chaplains had the opportunity to speak with immediate relatives of the victims. They spoke with a grandmother whose daughter and granddaughter were present when the accident happened.

The grandmother was deeply troubled by her feelings of relief that her loved ones were spared from the accident whilst others lost their lives. After a long conversion with distressed grandmother, a chaplain was able to offer the comfort and peace of Christ and pray with her.

Countless members of the local community expressed their gratitude for the chaplains. School staff thanked them for providing emotional care at such a time of need. “Thank you for your care and just simply being there,” one person said as they embraced a chaplain.

GIVE TO THE BILLY GRAHAM RAPID RESPONSE TEAM