RAS: Robert A. Schuller

EH: Evelyn Husband

RAS:

Hi Evelyn. Why did you come back today?

EH:

I'm very honored to be here. My goal from the time that Rick died until the day I die is to tell people about the Lord. That was Rick's heart and desire. He loved being an astronaut but his faith was the most important thing to him and to me as well.

RAS:

Remind the people, some people may not know that you were married to and what happened.

EH:

My husband was Rick Husband, he was the commander of the Space Shuttle Columbia and he perished on February 1, 2003 along with the other six members of the Columbia crew. The shuttle disintegrated upon re-entry. And we were there that morning in Florida, my children and I waiting for Rick's return. And stood there on the landing site and watched the clock tic to zero and the shuttle did not ever land.

RAS:

Then when did you get word? A minute later or..

EH:

Oh I initially had a gut feeling that something was horribly wrong because there's a sonic boom that occurs about a minute prior to the scheduled landing. So I knew something was wrong, but I wanted very much to.. I was hoping that that was not the case. But immediately when the clock went to zero and we knew that something was wrong, we were ushered away from the landing site very quickly and taken back to crew quarters to await official word to find out what had happened.

RAS:

Are your children here this morning?

EH:

Yes they are, I'd like to introduce them.

RAS:

Please let's have them stand, where are they?

EH:

Laura and Matthew would you stand up please?

RAS:

So as I said to you privately, you haven't loss all of him. A big part of him is living in those two children.

EH:

Absolutely.

RAS:

And will be with you.

EH:

Absolutely.

RAS:

And a huge part of him remains in your memory with happy memories and with the proud feeling every time you drop a tear, you're proud.

EH:

Very much so.

RAS:

There are tears of shame and then there are tears of pride. Yours are healthy tears. How has your faith helped you through this period?

EH:

My faith is the only way I've made it through this period. I became a Christian when I was 13 and yet on that day, when it first happened, I had no idea how I was going to make it through. I knew that I would, but I had no idea how. But I just, I have found, and I've talked to so many people since that have been through crises, and I think the reaction is you either run to the Lord or you run away. And we chose to run towards Him and to hang on with everything we had. And He has sustained us. It hasn't been easy. I still grieve very much for Rick, as do Laura and Matthew, but He has provided a grace and a faithfulness that we would not find any place else. And an assurance and a hope that we would not find any place else.

RAS:

I'm sure the last written word that he left, which you didn't read until after he was gone, right?

EH:

That is correct.

RAS:

It's done a lot for you, tell the people.

EH:

Well at NASA in case of a contingency and you don't ever want that to happen, but they have a form that they fill out with private instructions for the family and what their wishes are and Rick wrote in big capital letters, tell them about Jesus, He's real to me.

RAS:

Wow.

EH:

It was the most important thing to Rick.

RAS:

At this point, as of this morning, is Jesus real to you?

EH:

Oh absolutely.

RAS:

More real than when he died.

EH:

The intimacy; I've paid such a high price for this.

RAS:

Yeah.

EH:

And so it's something I never would have never asked for. But as a result, God's faith was and the intimacy I've felt in my relationship with Him is nothing I ever experience prior to Rick's death because I've had to lean so heavily and be so dependent on the Lord to make it through every single day. And He has never, you know before that I can remember so many times in my spiritual journey where some days I really wondered if God was real. I knew that He was, but you still go through those doubts. I have not felt that one second since he died.

RAS:

Is that right?

EH:

Not one second. God has been so faithful. I hope I never do, but I just, He has just been so tangible in my life, and so palatable.

RAS:

I'm so happy to hear you say that. That's real pride of Christ in you.

EH:

He's amazing, I couldn't do it without Him.

RAS:

Wow, now do you look ahead, do you have goals or do you live from day to day?

EH:

I live from day to day and I have goals as well. I want to raise Laura and Matthew in the Godly home Rick and I planned to raise them in and they both know Jesus is their Lord and Savior and that's very important to me, that's the most important thing in my life is just to raise them in a Godly home. And I just, I want to do whatever the Lord wants me to do. I've been put in places I never thought I'd be standing on this stage so I have no idea what God has planned for me but I'm open to it, so I just want to do what brings Him glory.

RAS:

Well you have millions of people that are listening to you right now in English and in Russian and in Chinese and in German, Dutch and if you have one last word to say to the world, the living wife of the commander of the shuttle. Just look into that camera and tell them what you want them to remember, what you want them to remember.

EH:

Well, there's nothing more important than a relationship with Jesus

Christ. When there's so many priorities that we think are important at the time in our life, but there's nothing that's going to be more long lasting or more eternal and I think it's very important not to put off that decision. It's very important to accept Jesus now because there's an abundant life that can be lived here on this earth, not just in eternity with Him. And that was a priority of Rick's and it's sustained me and Laura and Matthew through all of the grieving we've had to do because of that relationship with the Lord Jesus and that's my prayer for you today as well.

RAS:

Lock eyes, Dear Lord, thank You for being so real to her. Amen.

EH:

Amen, thank you.

RAS:

Love you.

EH:

Thank you very much Dr. Schuller. Thank you.