Let the Adventure Begin
This is the cover of Krista’s main journal. There was just something about the title that seemed, in a weird way, appropriate for this unwanted journey of ours.
It is nearly impossible to imagine that we will be celebrating Krista’s third birthday since graduating to heaven. On April 22, 2021, we were still in shock celebrating what would have been Krista’s 22nd birthday. We are so incredibly grateful for our family, friends, and so many others who cushioned our loss in so many ways … including pouring out donations in Krista’s honor that went to a rainforest project in Costa Rica and 18, yes EIGHTEEN, water systems built and now in use in Kenya (among other things)!!!
Found in Krista’s papers from school. How appropriate to go with the rainforest project!
God surprised us and blessed us immensely (another “cushioning of the blow”) when we found several journals that Krista had written since high school. We did not even have a clue she was keeping a journal. There she recorded her reflections on life as she was experiencing it, trips she had taken, people she had met, things she was grateful for, things she learned from God/Bible, and her perspective on this great adventure she was fully immersed in.
We are sure Krista never dreamed anyone other than herself would ever read what she poured out in her journals. She wrote for an audience of one and she was brutally honest. But we have been so blessed by this incredible insight into who Krista was that we would like to bless others by sharing it with the world. (yes, there are a few things we won’t share… so if you are a friend of Krista, you don’t have to worry about anything that should be kept private, staying private).
We found this entry from Krista’s 19th birthday … “I feel like I keep hearing ‘keep a journal’, ‘write everything’, ‘you’ll look back on it later’. I won’t do that, but I will record my thoughts at this moment in time because things are happening and changing and hopefully looking back, I will be able to see progress and God’s hand at work.” I (Jenni, Krista’s mom) am sitting here reading this with tears in my eyes as I feel like that “whisper” was God … knowing the future … knowing that we would need these words to help us in our grief … and maybe to help inspire others one day (who knows?).
By what would have been Krista’s 23rd birthday (in 2022), we decided that we should start a foundation in her memory. Not only does raising funds for “Krista causes” help others it honors Krista’s legacy and helps all of us impacted by loss. It also helps realize Krista’s plans for the future which we found all throughout her journals. She wanted to, “help solve the world’s water crisis”, “make as many people’s days better as possible”, “be the most generous person possible”, “tip big”, “give rides”, “be the best hostess”, etc. ... How can we not continue on in that spirit and encourage others to do the same?
In 2022 Krista’s Legacy Foundation received final approval from the IRS as a non-profit charity (501(c)(3))! But we were unable to spend much time getting the foundation off to a grand start because of issues relating to the unexpected war in Ukraine, our remaining daughter Kayley & her Ukrainian husband Roma moving to Germany and having our first grandchild there. However, we formed a board, started working on a website and did a quick facebook fundraiser or two. We are now in 2023 and are moving forward with the foundation in order to carry on Krista’s spirit of generosity, positivity and making a difference.
In the meantime, we have been working on this website and blog, getting it ready to share with the world. We invite you to take a look through the pages … and let us know if you see any links not working, typos, etc! In coming months and years we hope this will be a place to remember Krista, encourage everyone who visits, and inspire us all to follow Krista’s example of pouring herself into the causes she was most passionate about.
There is so much more we plan to add, especially when it comes to Krista’s journals! We also want to share our reflections on losing a child, what we are learning and some of the God stories we have encountered in this journey.
Share your own Krista stories.
Share your prayer requests and we will pray for you! Krista’s journals are full of things she was praying for others in her sphere of influence and around the world.
And thanks again for all your love and support! We look forward to sharing the treasures of Krista’s journals and Krista’s heart with you. In the ending words of Krista’s first journal entry, “I feel I have heard a lot about journaling this past year and would like to look back and know where I was at, where I came from, and what I thought the future may be like. So high ho, here we go!”
Tom & Jennifer Roth (Krista’s parents)