A local news outlet from Wisconsin, WTMJ, http://www.620wtmj.com/news/local/80201152.html , just published a story about the family that adopted the two Ethiopian children. Their actions on the Northwest Airlines flight that was attacked by the Nigerian/Al Queda bomber were outstanding! Check out this excerpt from the WTMJ article.

“I would just like to know how to get to Ethiopia by boat.”

Patricia “Scotty” Keepman still has a sense of humor after the harrowing experience she, her husband, daughter and two new adopted children from Ethiopia had as a man tried to detonate an explosive device while their plane was getting ready to land in Detroit on Christmas Day.

“I honestly don’t think I’ve had a chance to let it sink in, because having these children with us, we’ve just got to keep them grounded, and I’m just really focusing on the kids,” said Patricia, who lives in Oconomowoc, (Wisconsin) on 620WTMJ’s “Wisconsin’s Morning News…”

“…We heard what sounded like an electrical pop to me. Everybody looked above their seats, kind of like startled, panicked. Shortly thereafter, we heard the screams. We could not see what was going on. We were too far back. We heard shouting, and you could hear the mayhem happening.

At that point, two flight attendants ran at full speed to get fire extinguishers.

“Whatever they did, it all went on for what seemed like a long to me, but what was probably a very short time.”

What Was Going On In Her Mind At That Time?

First: to convince her new children that everything was OK.

“No matter what happened, these kids would never know if we didn’t make it. We wanted them to think this was a game,” explained Patricia.

“They were very concerned when they saw the flight attendant. They were very withdrawn. So I told them that they were just being very funny and silly, and this is what they do on airplanes, since they’d never been on one, and we got them to giggle about it.

But then, the gravity of the situation came over the whole family.

“As the seriousness progressed, and we knew that this could possibly be it, my husband and daughter put their hand through their seats and we all held hands in a circle and sang ‘Jesus Loves Me’ and we prayed, and we just made it as much of a game as we could and make them completely innocent as to what was happening.”

“The holding hands gave us a real sense of peace. If it happened that point, it would happen. We were ready. We just weren’t ready for it to happen for the kids. We just kept thinking, ‘God didn’t bring us this far, to go through all of this, to shorten these kids’ lives,’ and sure enough, He didn’t.”

To see a short video interview of this brave family go to http://www.620wtmj.com/news/local/80201152.html?video=pop&t=a&bctid=CLIP_ID_164681

Leadership Take-away: Good leaders set the example. Charles and Patricia Keepman stayed calm and did their best to persuade their kids that this was all a game. I can’t help but be reminded of the excellent film, Life is Beautiful, in which a Jewish father and his son are sent to a Nazi prison camp and the father helps his son endure by persuading him that it’s all a game. The Keepmans also set a great example by leading their kids in worship and prayer, which reminds me of Paul and Silas’ response to their being wrongly thrust into the inner prison: And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.. Acts 16:25 These parents were right on! Obviously from the story we can see that what might have been a life changing, emotionally traumatic experience was minimized by the courage and example of the Keepmans. Want your children to have courage? You must demonstrate courage. Want your children to have a great relationship with Christ? Start with your own relationship with Christ. Whatever you may want from those who you’re responsible for, start with your own example. Consider the following excerpt from Traveler and the Chaplain:

The Chaplain smiled patiently and graciously.  “Traveler, everyone remembers the story of David and Goliath right?”

“Yes.”

“Are you aware of David’s men who are credited in the Bible with killing giants?” the Chaplain asked.

“No.”

The Chaplain said, “Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Sibbechai the Hushathite, Elhanan the son of Jaareoregim, and Jonathan the son of Shimeah: they were all David’s men.  They all spent time with David.  Having spent time with David they were influenced by David.  They became like David, and eventually, like David, they too became giant killers.  Their life paths led them to the same place as the life path of the leader who they followed.  You’re example to your people is one of the most powerful dimensions of your leadership.” (2 Samuel 21, and Jon Courson, Jon Courson’s Application Commentary — New Testament  http://joncourson.com/ )

The Chaplain paused then said, “You, are the future of the people who you lead.  Your wife, your children, your employees, the kids you coach in the soccer league – their life path will almost certainly be in the same neighborhood as yours.  The principle of example is a daunting one because we’re sinners with all of the flaws and frailties that come with being human.  Nevertheless Titus 2:7 says,”

In everything set them an example by doing what is good.

http://kurtbennettbooks.com/traveler-and-the-chaplain_book/