The memory of a Kansas teen who was killed in a horror church bus crash last year continues to live on as a result of her unshakeable trust in Christ and love of the Bible. Hannah Foy, 14, was killed August 10 in Bolivar, Missouri, when the van she was traveling in experienced a tire blow out and veered off the road. Two other teens were killed after the vehicle flipped over and hit a tree.
A faith-filled young woman, one day before her death, Hannah had excitedly explained to her mom that she had finished reading her entire Bible.
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“She turned to me and she said, ‘Guess what, mom?'” Jennifer Foy told WDAF-TV. “She had this excitement in her eye, and I said, ‘What?’ and she said, ‘Mom, I finished the Bible.’ That was really exciting because she’d finished a week early, and in that moment I was just so proud of her, and then I told her when she got back we would celebrate.”
Just 24 hours later, Jennifer received a text that is the greatest fear of almost all parents — her daughter was dead.
“How could it be?” Foy said. “How could it be that I saw her the day before and now she wasn’t there? And now I’ll never get to see her again. I was crying out to God.”
Teen Finished Reading the Bible Day Before She Died#HannahsBestYearEverChallenge @sheraehoneycutt @fox4kc https://t.co/mVbBqhjGu0
— Bible Gateway (@biblegateway) January 15, 2019
But despite the abject devastation of losing her precious daughter, Jennifer has decided to use Hannah’s legacy and love of God’s word for good. She recalls Hannah’s wonderful enthusiasm and excitement at finishing her year-long Bible plan a week early, so she decided to use her daughter’s funeral to issue a challenge to her friends – can they read the entire Bible in the space of one year?
Jennifer explained that Hannah had previously declared that the twelve months prior to her death were the best of her life.
“I believe part of that was because she was reading the Bible,” Foy said. “I think that that transforms our hearts and our minds, and her having that daily read — I think that puts our hearts in a good perspective in living our lives.”
Now, Hannah’s “Best Year Ever Challenge,” has really started to take off.
#hannahsbestyeareverchallenge Kit and I finished Judges and Ruth today. Judges shows God telling Judah to go to battle. They obey God 2 days in a row and lose 22,000 and 18,000 & get incredibly humble the 3rd day and win. Obeying God without the proper attitude can be costly. Wow
— Dusti Howell (@dustihowell) October 21, 2018
Honored to celebrate the life of Hannah Foy this morning @Visit_Grace Church. What a story of God's presence & hope & healing & joy in the midst of terrible circumstances #hannahsbestyeareverchallenge
— Tim Howey (@TimHowey) August 18, 2018
#HannahsBestYearEverChallenge Numbers-we as a people are so unfaithful-over and over yet God continues to be faithful and give Mercy-over and over.
— Julia Hemsley (@JuliaHemsley) October 28, 2018
Jennifer said that the success of the challenge has given her a “lot of joy.”
It is wonderful, she said, to “know that through Hannah’s death something good is coming from it,” she said. “I think that she would love nothing more than to know that so many people are in God’s word every day.”