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The memorial service was held at First Assembly of God Church in Deland because Community Covenant Church, a three-year-old congregation where the Slusses were members, does not have its own building.<\/p>\nDELAND, FL (February 12, 2007) \u2013 More than 450 people packed a local church on Friday to remember Covenanters Michael and Melinda Sluss, who died February 2 when a tornado destroyed their home.
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\nThe memorial service was held at First Assembly of God Church in Deland because Community Covenant Church, a three-year-old congregation where the Slusses were members, does not have its own building.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was standing room only,\u201d says family friend Jim Gathings.<\/p>\n
Michael, 54, and Melinda, 49, were among 20 people killed by three tornadoes that cut through central Florida earlier this month.<\/p>\n
Friends spoke of the couple\u2019s strong faith. Many of the mourners wept as Carol Wickham shared the words of a prayer card she found while searching the rubble of the Sluss family home: “My presence shall go with thee and I shall give thee rest.”<\/p>\n
The couple\u2019s son, Aaron, 16, survived the storm and had been hospitalized with arm and wrist injuries until last Tuesday. He sat during the service with his youth group, several of whom shared Scripture.<\/p>\n
Gathings addressed Aaron specifically and acknowledged the confusion that always surrounds tragedies.<\/p>\n
\u201cAaron, I’m sorry. I don’t know why God chose to do things this way, and no one else does either, but you will know someday,\u201d Gathings said. \u201cIf someone comes up to you and says they know why this happened, don\u2019t believe them.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s OK to be angry with God,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n