 Monday, May 6, marked the first anniversary of the Allen Premium Outlets Mall shooting that took the precious lives of the Cho family, Kyu, Cindy, and their 3-year-old son James; sisters, 11-year-old Daniela Mendoza and 8-year-old Sofia Mendoza; Christian LaCour, 20; and Aishwarya Thatikonda, 27; and Elio Cumana-Rivas, 32. Seven others were injured. The community of Allen was left shaken by this tragedy and continues to feel the trauma of that day. LCC K-9 Comfort Dog Ministry and Pastor Will Kemp, Tangible Grace Lutheran Church, Allen, Texas, returned to be there for the community one year later. LCC K-9 Comfort Dog Ministry teams for Martha (Bethany - Austin, Texas), Pax & Phoebe (St. Paul - Fort Worth, Texas), Persis (King of Kings - Glenpool, Oklahoma), and Triton (Messiah - Plano, Texas) did not hesitate to say, "Here am I, send me" when they received the request to return to Allen on this first anniversary. The Comfort Dog Ministry teams of Triton, Persis, Phoebe, Pax, and Martha began visiting with Allen High School students and staff Monday morning as they remembered and shared that day. Persis, Phoebe, Pax, Triton, and Martha also brought calmness to the morning as the students prepared to take their finals. Comfort Dogs Martha, Pax, and Phoebe then joined the students, staff, and parents of Daniela and Sofia at Cheri Cox Elementary School as they remembered and celebrated the lives of sisters Daniela and Sofia Mendoza with the dedication and groundbreaking of the Mendoza Memorial Garden. One of the handlers shared, "At the remembrance ceremony and groundbreaking, they released butterflies, and a butterfly struck me on one of the student's hands. The student was a close friend of one of Mendoza's sisters and was part of the groundbreaking ceremony. The butterfly stayed on her hand and was in no hurry to fly away. This sweet young girl was mesmerized by it. At the same time, while it had been sprinkling a bit, a tiny break in the clouds appeared, allowing some light to shine through. To me, that was a powerful God moment during a very emotional and difficult time for everyone in attendance." The Comfort Dogs and handlers also spent time with staff and the community at the Allen Premium Outlet Mall. The mall established a memorial for the eight victims killed. The eight wind chimes at the top of the memorial represent the eight lives lost in May. Later that day, the LCC K-9 Comfort Dog Ministry team spent time with the 911 dispatchers and officers of the Allen Texas Police Department, who responded quickly and professionally to the call that day. It was a wonderful opportunity for the Comfort Dogs and handlers to reconnect, appreciate, and support these dedicated first responders. The team ended the day by joining the Allen community at the Remembrance Ceremony at the Credit Union of Texas Event Center. It was a beautiful ceremony honoring the lives lost and coming together as a community. We continue to pray and support the community of Allen, Texas, as they continue to move forward from the trauma of this shooting just one year ago. "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid." John 14:27 Comments are closed.
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