Ask Dr. Elia!

The past week has reminded me once again how fragile our life really is here on Earth.

Two of our best friends were driving to the airport Sunday night, when their car slid off the icy freeway and rolled down a 200-foot embankment. The husband flew out the window while his dear wife was stuck in the car. Miraculously they both survived, although he will be in a lot of pain for the next few days. I know that angels were watching over them.

Another friend has not been so fortunate. While vacationing with her husband in Cancun, she slipped and fell and hit her head on the ground. This wonderful wife and mother of four had emergency brain surgery and has been in a medically induced coma for the past 10 days. Although she was making progress, her condition has unfortunately taken a turn for the worse. She’s now in the deepest coma that can be induced. Our thoughts and prayers are with both of these dear families.

Of course we’ve all heard about Haiti, how in one horrific minute on January 12, around 200,000 men, women and children perished as a result of a massive earthquake. Hundreds of thousands of children have been orphaned and millions affected by this catastrophe. As you are reading this story, I’m on my way to Haiti to spend some time with 225 of those children who are being looked after by Guesno Mardy and his wife, Marjorie. He’s currently serving as a counselor to the Port-au-Prince mission president. This wonderful man, who’s been a branch president and a bishop twice is in the midst of his own trauma.

While all of the 225 orphans in his care survived the devastating earthquake, his own mother, sister and his wife’s brother perished in the rubble of the administrative building. His wife too was buried under the rubble, but after hours of digging was fortunately freed with minor injuries. To make matters worse, his youngest child, a beautiful 3-year-old boy, has been kidnapped for ransom and remains missing. It is believed that he survived the earthquake but as of yet, he has not been returned to his family. I cannot even begin to imagine the feelings he and his dear wife must be going through. How does one deal with all this grief?

Dr. Terry Lyles and I will be staying with the Mardys at the orphanage for four days and will offer whatever assistance we can. I hope we can alleviate some of the unimaginable stress and help them begin to deal with their enormous grief. I would ask for your prayers to be with them during this time of sore trial.

There is some positive news that has come out this past week as it relates to this journey: at least 12 families have expressed a sincere interest in adopting some of the children from Mardy’s orphanage. My heart delights at their willingness to provide a new life for these little ones who do not have a family on this earth. I know that God must be pleased when we take care of those how are so vulnerable.

I look forward to sharing with you my experiences at the orphanage. If you happen to be reading this Tuesday morning, I’m in Miami. If it’s Tuesday afternoon I’m in Santo Domingo. If it’s the evening, I should be in Port-au-Prince spending the first night with the Mardys and the 225 beautiful children.

Thank you for your good wishes, prayers and generosity. In the meantime, count your blessings, express your love to those around you and give them an extra hug! Remember how fragile our lives really are!

Dr. Elia Gourgouris is a nationally known speaker, relationship coach, and the president of LDSCoaching.com. With over 20 years of experience, he has inspired thousands of individuals and couples to find greater happiness and fulfillment, both in their careers and their personal lives. He holds a degree from UCLA and a Ph.D. in psychology. Dr. Gourgouris speaks to groups around the country regarding women’s issues, self esteem, communications skills, and relationships. He is also a favorite presenter at both BYU and BYU-ID Education Weeks, and Time Out for Women conferences. He is the author of “DTR: What You Need to Know Before You Get Married” and he has an upcoming CD entitled “The Multi-Platinum Marriage: Going from Just Surviving to Thriving!” He and his wife, Sona, live near Boulder, Colorado, with their children.