A heart wrenching post from the father of Xander Hendriks. It sounds like Xander was one amazing young man, I can tell he was walking in his fathers footsteps.
Brandon Hendriks
On June 4, in Ensenada, Mexico, a beautiful, fun, family day meant to be spent enjoying time with our friends whom we were there visiting turned into the most horrific nightmare. Before heading to the beach we decided that it would be fun for the boys to see the start of the Baja 500 off road race. When we got there we walked up to the second turn after the starting line (they release one vehicle per minute), and after seeing a few trucks drift around the turn and almost lose control I wanted to take my family somewhere safer to watch for a little longer. The boys were loving it so much we couldn’t leave yet. So we asked how we could get to the straight dirt part instead of this area with such quick turns. We were given directions to go under the bridge and follow a path that would lead us to be able to sit on the side of the riverbank where we’d be safe and able to watch the racers below. As we walked under the bridge and out the other side I realized that we were near where the racers drop from the street level down into the riverbed. While trying to hurriedly make our way though that section a driver failed to navigate the turn and slid off the track and into the riverbed, running over my wife and oldest son Xander in the process. My wife sustained major injuries to her leg, foot, head, arm, and back for which she was hospitalized and will need ongoing care. My son Xander died.
Xander was a ray of sunshine from day one. Though he was born two weeks late, at 10.5 pounds, after two days of labor, he was eager to meet the world and so curious. He did not want to be in his crib and would only sleep on his mom’s chest. His desire to constantly cuddle did not wane. He loved his family, friends, teammates, classmates, church, and school. I’ve never met a child so curious about not only the obvious things of life, but the inner workings of things unseen. At his request we spoke of gravity, photosynthesis, theology, psychology and other topics far beyond his years. He also had a contagious passion for Jesus and would often become concerned about how many people he would meet that didn’t know who Jesus was. Once on a plane the person sitting next to him asked who his favorite super hero was. Xander’s response was quick, “Jesus!” The man furled his brow and replied, “Well Jesus isn’t real.” Xander has brought up that man many times since then, asking if we could pray that he would learn that Jesus is real. Whether he was surfing, body boarding, skateboarding, playing soccer, fishing, riding his bike, building something, drawing or painting, playing with his brothers, telling jokes, or having deep conversations he found joy in every moment.
These last few days have been the most difficult of my entire life. My son Xander was his brothers’ best friend and hero. Please pray for them as they process through this tragedy. Please pray for my wife as she heals physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Pray for Xander’s classmates, cousins, teammates, friends, and other children who will need to process through this to be able to heal well and completely. Please also remember to pray for the driver and his family and race team as they experience the impact of this tragedy as well. Pray that we would all rest in God’s strength to carry us through. Finally, pray that people who do not know Jesus would hear his name proclaimed and come to know his healing power, love, forgiveness, and peace.
I’ve been so overwhelmed with the love and support of our friends, family, church body, and even from those I’ve never met. Thank you for being the hands and arms of Jesus for us. We will need it for a long time to come. Seeing the church in action, as it was meant to be, is a beautiful thing. Thank you for being beauty in the midst of ashes.
I love you, son. You know that. I miss you so terribly it burns, but I will be with you again one day. 1 Thessalonians 4:13- “And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope.”
