Prayer vigil starts healing process

They were hard to count in the dark but hundreds of people from Superior and the surrounding towns gathered in Superior's City Park Sunday evening to pray for healing as this area struggles to deal with the tragic shooting in the Agrex elevator office that claimed three lives on Thursday afternoon.

For most, the shooting was something they thought only happened in big cities, not something this area would ever have to deal with.

The Nuckolls County Ministerial Association organized the candlelight prayer vigil. Rain clouds which had dumped a freezing drizzle on Superior during the morning had cleared away, the temperature had warmed and the winds were calm as the people assembled.

In her opening remarks, the Rev. Natalie Faust of the First United Methodist Church of Superior, said the organizers were overwhelmed by the turnout.

Ministers serving church congregations in Nuckolls and Jewell counties took turns praying for the various groups affected by the tragedy.

The Rev. Daniel Waide, pastor of the Formoso Community Church, offered a prayer for the families of the victims affected by the incident. He asked God to provide comfort through this trying time. One of those killed, Sandy Nelson, was a member of his congregation. He said, "We are hurting. We're confused." He encouraged those present to turn toward God.

Pastor Matt Ehlers of the Olive Hill Church prayed for the agricultural community. He said seeing the community come together for the vigil showed the heart of the residents and their willingness to support each other. He made reference to farmers coming together to assist a fellow farmer in times of crisis.

The Rev. Ethan Feistner with Salem Lutheran prayed for Hoskinson's family and reminded the audience of the loss his family was suffering.

The Rev. Jon Albrecht with Living Faith Fellowship prayed for the Agrex family. He said he was still in shock following the news but noted he was encouraged to see messages saying, "Together we are better" in the aftermath of the tragedy and pointed to his faith as a guiding light in the darkness.

He said, "It is hard enough to do this for those who know Jesus. It is next to impossible to go through something like this and not know Jesus." He encouraged those in the audience who had not accepted Jesus Christ to do so that night.

The Rev. Lori Kitzing of Superior's First Presbyterian Church and Ruskin's Bethany Lutheran Church, prayed for the first responders and well as the doctors and nurses who cared for those who were injured. She noted in a small community like Superior many were dealing with friends.

The Rev. Robert Hopkins of Centennial Lutheran Church, prayed for the community struggling to make sense of the tragic loss of life.

The Rev. David Johnson with Grace Community Evangelical Church encouraged people to remember everyone was affected by the shooting. "It is our prayer that we not take this hurt and lash out at others. We pray we have tender hearts toward one another.

The Rev. Jeff Kimberly of Lighthouse Community Church of the Nazarene told of driving a school bus to Hastings for the Friday night football game and being encouraged by the moment of silence held during the game and the kind words offered. He said this showed the tragedy affected people beyond Superior.

"As people from Hastings filed by the bus , there was an outpouring of people saying 'We're praying for you,'" he said.

Pastor Mike Sander with the Church or Christ, asked the audience to look forward and find ways to help one another heal.

After the prayer vigil all were invited to visit the Superior Bowl where the proceeds from a taco bar were pledged to help the families directly affected by the tragedy.

Elsewhere in this newspaper the obituaries of Sandy Nelson and Mike Koepke, two of the three people killed are published.