Remembering Joy in the Midst of Pain
By Bethany Joy Hargis

Linda Hunt,'78, knows what it means to lose a child.

Krista Ausland Hunt, the daughter of Linda and Jim Hunt, was killed in a bus accident while serving as an international volunteer in Bolivia. Traveling to a retreat in Santa Cruz, the bus that carried Krista and her husband, Aaron Ausland, sped over a cliff. Aaron survived.

Close friends told Hunt and her husband about Krista's death. These same companions provided housing for Krista and Aaron's friends, who came from all over the country to pay their respects. They also helped coordinate food and provided emotional support.

"They had kindness in everything they did," Hunt said.

Encouragement came from complete strangers such as Isabel Allende, an author originally from Chile who lost a daughter near Krista's age. After reading Hunt's article on Krista's loss, Allende wrote Hunt a personal note of comfort.

The Whitworth English Department gave the Hunts a weeping cherry tree. Hunt and her husband built a garden around the tree, complete with a stone angel and the dates of Krista's life.

"It gave us a beautiful place to remember her," Hunt said.

The Hunts traveled to Bolivia with Aaron and saw where their daughter spent the last six months of her life. Returning home, Hunt could not speak about her emotions; instead she wrote. Recently, when reviewing her writings, Hunt recognized that for several years she experienced profound mourning. But through those years she also encountered great gifts of grace through encouraging letters, inspiring quotes and from seeing a single flower in the early spring.

"I saw God's faithfulness in the midst of sorrow," Hunt said.

Exactly one month after Krista's death, the Hunts' other daughter, Susan, was married. Even though there was thought of canceling the wedding, the family decided they needed to experience some joy.

"It was wonderful to see our daughter in love," Hunt said. But because the wedding was so close to Krista's death, love and sorrow mingled together, Hunt said.

After a year of deep grieving, Jim Hunt was in San Salvador. He visited the chapel where Bishop Oscar Romero, a Salvadoran advocate for the poor, was assassinated in 1980. In the chapel, Jim turned and lit candles for all their children, a tradition for both him and his wife.

That night he had a dream about Krista, remembering her jubilant spirit as a child. He called Linda and together they agreed that though the death of Krista resulted in much sorrow, they wanted to remember Krista in a positive way.

"She was a joyful, generous and spirited young woman," Hunt said.

As a result, they decided to form The Krista Foundation for Global Citizenship as a way to honor Krista's life.

Now retired from the Whitworth faculty, Hunt devotes all her time to directing the Krista Foundation, an organization that seeks to encourage and support young adults involved in long-term service, particularly in the inner city and developing nations, as well as those working for environmental stewardship. The young adults work with established service organizations such as Jesuit Volunteers, the Mennonite Central Committee, the Peace Corps and Presbyterian Mission. Each year, the foundation selects 15-18 young adults who plan to engage in volunteer service after graduation.

"They meet wonderful friends who encourage their desire to live with a spirit of service in the world," Hunt said.

Once a year, the foundation holds conference to gather Krista colleagues, previous grant recipients, in a mentoring community. Debriefing retreats are also planned for those returning from their time of volunteer service.

Along with her work with the Krista Foundation, Hunt stays busy as an author and speaker. In the summer of 2006, she travels to Oslo and Berlin to speak about her book Bold Spirit, the historical account of Helga Estby, a Norwegian immigrant who made a 3,500-mile journey across the American continent to win $10,000 to save the family farm. The book focuses on the importance of keeping family history and memory alive.

"I like stories that encourage the human spirit," Hunt said.