Today, August 11th would have been my nephew, Shiloh's 30th birthday! After talking to his Dad, my brother, Tim this evening, as well as some other members of our family, we all were reminising about Shiloh and our memories of him. Shiloh was taken suddenly on October 12, 1994 in a car accident at the age of 16. His sister Cheyenne was with him and was seriously hurt, but God allowed us to keep her. That night will forever be marked in the life of the Foster family. Shiloh and Cheyenne were on their way to church. In thinking of Shiloh's life, I will never forget the phone call that came one evening after a mission's conference in Stockton, when he told me at the age of 12 that he felt a call to preach. I remember the night at a youth congress the year before his death, that the preacher said that night that there were young men in that service who had never publicly acknowledged their call to preach and that God was bidding for them that evening. I watched Shiloh get up and walk to the front in dedication to God. He may have never preached a message like he dreamed, but his life has touched hundreds of young people as his story has been preached across the county by his uncles, cousins, his aunt, his granddad, and many friends.
At the Variety Youth Conference in West Monroe, LA. the July before his death, Shiloh gave his testimony of how he went from a Christian School of around 250 to a public high school of over 5000 students and how you can live for God. Part of his testimony is on his footstone of his grave as shown above. (click on picture to read) Shiloh, we miss you so much. We know that one day we will all be together again in heaven.
