In an incredibly moving and powerful post on Facebook, Allyson Phillips, the mother of murdered Augusta University nursing student Laken Riley, spoke out about how important a personal relationship with God is and how Laken’s murder was an entirely avoidable tragedy. In the post, Phillips reflected on her Christian faith, Laken’s death, and the incredible kindness that so many strangers have shown the family.
Beginning the post, Phillips first noted how painful and heart-wrenching her daughter’s death was, but that thanks to her relationship with the Lord above, she was able to make it through the pain of the tragedy intact.
She said, “As I sat down to write this message, I really just have no words. My family has faced the most devastating, unimaginable loss that anyone could ever be force to endure. I would like to thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for being with me and my family during this heartbreaking time. I encourage everyone to have a personal relationship with Jesus. I give Him all the glory for getting us through this. 🙌”
Continuing, she wrote that she could have lost faith in humanity because of the horrific murder of her daughter, one she described as both “senseless” and “avoidable,” the kindness of so many people she had never met before helped restore her faith and let her make it through the nightmare news.
Making that point, she wrote, “It would be really easy to lose our faith in mankind because of this senseless and avoidable tragedy. The amount of love, support and help that we have received during this horrific nightmare is overwhelming. I can’t begin to tell you all how much we appreciate all of the text, calls, flowers, meals, groceries, bows, pictures, personal gifts, memorials, gift cards and donations to Laken’s foundation.”
Phillips then added that the outpouring of support for the family has been tremendous, saying, “We are beyond grateful for everyone who has stepped up to be here for us through this difficult time. The outpouring of love has been so enormous – that I felt this was the best way to thank you all in a timely manner. I hope that each and every one of you know how much we love you and appreciate all you have done. We have no words to possibly express our heart felt gratitude.”
Concluding, she again thanked all those who helped out for their incredible kindness, saying, “Please know that every act of kindness has warmed our hearts and brought us joy during our worst nightmare. We appreciate all of the time, effort and prayers that our family, friends and community have showered us with to help ease our pain. We love you all and hope that you feel from the bottom of our hearts how much every single thing that has been done for us has meant. I love you all. Please continue to pray for our family as we put one foot in front of the other moving forward. 🙏🏼”
Woodstock City Church lead pastor Samer Massad, Laken’s pastor, commented on her incredible faith in a statement to Fox News Digital. “When the world loses someone like Laken, whose light consistently shined so bright, it seems that much darker in their absence,” he said.
He continued, “Laken was special. She was a gift to anyone who knew her. Smart, kind, compassionate, and thoughtful don’t even begin to scratch the surface. She was a loving daughter, sister, and friend. She had a gift for making anyone she was around feel comfortable and seen. But the most special thing about Laken was her faith in Jesus.”
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean Pierre did her best to help the Biden Administration dodge responsibility for Laken’s death and blame Republicans for the sorry state of the border in a recent interview on CNN. Watch her do so here:
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