Brian’s Well of ‘living water’ an amazing story of ‘hope fulfilled’

Burt Talcott

guest columnist

Writing a Gateway column has been a special privilege. I only wish I possessed the writing skills to fully describe Brian’s matchless story. (Disclaimer: I knew Brian, greatly admire his parents, Bill and Joelene Lemke, and I’m a member of Harbor Covenant, their church).

Brian was a hugely popular senior at Peninsula High School with great promise and many good friends among students and faculty. He was the only son of Joelene and Bill Lemke.

Bill was a successful and respected furniture manufacturers’ representative and a man who loved climbing and skiing; Joelene was a regional and local leader in women’s affairs at Harbor Covenant Church and now spends most of her time operating NW Furniture Bank.

The Lemke family went on mission trips as vacations. Once, on a youth mission trip to San Francisco, they visited a “food bank warehouse.”

Bill thought out loud, “Why not do this with furniture?”

Brian responded intuitively, “Go for it, Dad.”

Brian also dreamed of a mission trip to Africa after he graduated from high school.

Dreams of college, mission trips and “furniture banks” were set aside when Brian, only 17, was diagnosed with lymphoma. Friends at the Old Cannery Furniture Store in Sumner raised a fund for Brian’s medical treatment. He responded well, but he developed a lung infection and tragically died on Thanksgiving Day in 2005.

The shock, pain and despair of his parents and friends were unbearable. None of us could imagine the devastation and tragic loss of hope, which was palpably experienced by the huge crowd at Brian’s memorial service.

But “hope springs eternal” in the rest of Brian’s story.

Bill Lemke’s offer to return the medical funds to Old Cannery was declined; those and other generous gifts were aggregated “for something to honor Brian.”

The gifts were partially used to fund the NW Furniture Bank — a non-profit corporation — in space donated by Old Cannery. Other companies donated furniture. An anonymous benefactor furnished a new truck. Many volunteers helped to collect, move and assemble furniture.

The NW Furniture Bank is now fully operational and growing, serving 50 families each month. The directors have found a larger facility, and Bill and Joelene seem to be “at work” there most of the time.

The furniture bank utilizes state and county agencies to screen requests. Clients pay a $50 fee and can select furniture only once; so all participants have an investment.

This splendid charity is helping many families re-establish themselves. Thank you, Brian. Your family’s vision is thriving and serving our community in a special way.

Brian’s dream for a mission to Africa was celebrated posthumously when his parents, his friend Kevin Cannaday, Kevin’s father Scott and Brian’s hero Mike Stelle, associate pastor at Harbor Covenant church, traveled to the village of Mchewele, Zambia, on the anniversary of Brian’s memorial service to dedicate another “living memorial” to him.

The village had no fresh water. Women often walked 4 to 5 kilometers twice a day to fetch, with buckets, the only available water from distant Mukungwa streams polluted by animals and contaminated by human waste.

People died young of dysentery and diarrhea. Half the population was afflicted with AIDS. Most of the children were orphans identified only by numbers hung by strings around their necks, indicating they were eligible and anxious for “adoption” (by monthly contributions to supplement their support).

The Lemkes and friends decided to use the balance of Brian’s memorial fund to drill a freshwater well (a simple bore hole to a pure water aquifer) in Mchewele.

The ceremony that celebrated the first flow of fresh water was poignant. After appropriate dedicatory speeches of giving and receiving, Bill Lemke washed his hands, and the hands of other celebrants, with the fresh, clean water — a real and symbolic gesture that fulfilled one of Brian’s missionary visions.

The locals provided joyous singing and exuberant dancing to demonstrate their gratitude for the life-saving freshwater well.

Now, water-borne illnesses such as diarrhea and dysentery will become memories, and once-sickly children can have hope.

The local people were profusely grateful for “Brian’s well.”

I have known Billy Graham, Evangelical crusades, Chuck Colson, Prison Fellowship, Doug Coe, Prayer Breakfasts, Ray Stedman, Palo Alto Bible church and devotional books personally — all visionaries who selflessly served others.

Although young, Brian reminded me of them.

“Brian’s well” seems more magnanimous than an “eternal flame.” He was blessed by God with extraordinary parents, a mission-oriented church, a righteous mentor and a servant’s heart. His blessings have expanded endlessly — in time, distance (here and to faraway Africa) and in hope (to thousands of beneficiaries everywhere who hear his story and visions).

He died much too young, but his young life was that of a true servant and friend. RIP.

Anyone can continue to participate in Brian’s visions by volunteering work or contributing funds or usable furniture to the NW Furniture Bank, or by “adopting” an African child through World Vision. Visit their Web pages for more information: nwfurniturebank.org or worldvision.org.

You will feel blessed to follow Brian’s dreams.

Burt L. Talcott is a guest columnist for The Peninsula Gateway. He can be reached at 253-851-7955 or by e-mail at burt@talcott.org.