The students at CSC are putting together a book of letters for Kerstin Taylor's parents. The book is full of memories of her & her legacy at CSC.
Here is the letter that Barry & I wrote for her memorial book:
I (Barry) first met Kert in the summer of 2007. I was in the gal’s hallway of the CSC house working on some apartments broken plumbing when this new face comes bouncing down the hallway toward me. She introduced herself to me, telling me she was a resident of the house and I remember her telling me how she would look forward to getting to know me and my family. Little did I know at the time just how well she would get to know me and my family.
I (Christi) first met Kerstin during move-in weekend in 2007, the year Barry & I moved back to Macomb. She was living at the Campus house and Erica Polley, a friend of mine since childhood, was her new roommate. In the course of visiting Erica & helping her get settled in her room, I had my first conversation with “Kert.” I knew that day that Kerstin would be one of those students that we would be particularly close with. She was the first friend that I made amongst the campus house students and has been my closest friend ever since. Within a few weeks of meeting, we had Kerstin visiting our house and taking care of our Dog Aly when we were gone on weekends. Aly typically is very wary of strangers, but warmed up to her so quickly and loved to snuggle in her arms so much that Kert became our regular dog-sitter. Later in October of 2007, our son Gavin was born and Kerstin was the only campus house student that came by to meet him in the hospital, she was nervous to hold him, but we made her do it anyway. We didn’t often leave Gavin with a sitter until after he was a year old, but the first time he stayed with someone, it was Kerstin. He was about 9 mos. old, and we had a good laugh at how Kerstin put his diaper on backwards (the Velcro straps were in the back). She was so proud to tell me that she even changed his diaper all by herself, and then felt silly when I showed her how much easier it would be if the straps wrapped around toward the front. We knew then that she hadn’t had a ton of babysitting experience with really young babies, but we really didn’t care. We trusted Kert more than anyone. We would often receive a call from a person in the community asking for a college student that could babysit, and she was always our number 1 recommendation. People were always thrilled with the attention she would give their kids. We remember when she babysat Grant Downin one summer, she did a bible study lesson with him every day that summer. She mentioned that he was like the little brother that she never had, and I reminded her that most people don’t love their little brothers near that much! She would have been an amazing mother, and raised her kids to love the Lord and people as passionately as she did. I am saddened to not have gotten to have seen that dream realized for her.
We often find ourselves thinking of many of the college students as though they were our own children. Seeing them grow & develop into adults is one of the greatest parts about working with college students. There are many times that we feel so proud of who they have become (knowing full well that we have had very little to do with that growth), some memories of Kert that have made us proud include:
• The week of 5-6th grade camp that she worked at with me last summer. She talked during the mission’s time about all the mission work that CSC is a part of and all the various trips she has been one. It was then that Barry & I realized that Kerstin in her 4 years at WIU & CSC had gone on every trip that we have taken at least once. She truly had a heart for serving people, even though going on one of these trips would require her to scrimp & save to come up with the cost. After this years’ mexico trip, I was told that she has now officially built every part of the Casas por Cristo house, each year having taken on a different portion of the building project. Which having built these houses myself tells me that she has volunteered to take on the least desirable parts of the process, which many students try so desperately to avoid (i.e. pulling the chicken wire, insulation, tarring on the roof, stucko). In addition to that, I know she was always willing to help get dinner ready, pack sack lunches, and wash dishes, while the other students were off playing cards or taking a nap. Many people take a short-term mission trip, but Kerstin had missions as a lifestyle.
• Kerstin had quite a reputation around campus to an extent that I did not even realize fully until this past few weeks. She worked in Sherman Hall, essentially just shredding documents & making copies, but there isn’t a person that I’ve spoken to that doesn’t know exactly who she is and how friendly she always was. Kerstin was always that way, 5 minutes into a conversation with her & you knew that you liked her. Others around Sherman have stopped through mentioning that they had heard that we had lost a student, but weren’t sure if they knew who she was. As soon as I would pull out a picture of her, EVERYONE knew her… ”Oh, she was the girl that would always be humming as she hauled boxes up & down the hall” or “she would always have her ipod in, looking like she was jamming out to something” or “she met me one time, but always remembered my name and ALWAYS said hi when we passed each other in the hallway.” Even the president remembered when she had stopped by for a piece of candy from our reception area and made a point to introduce herself and shake his hand. She was always so personable with everyone and I know I will continue to hear of how people remember having met her.
• She had a very special friendship with my son Gavin. In addition to having babysat for him off & on, she was one of the only people he would always give a hug to. He knew, as did the rest of us, that her hugs were very special & just made you feel so loved. I have so many funny memories of the two of them… Kerstin dressed as a mime for Halloween one time & had her face all painted white, Gavin got really scared & wouldn’t believe that it was her & that it was ok to give her a hug. He kept telling her to wash that icky stuff off her face, she was trying to not speak but mime everything, but took a break from that to explain to him that it was just silly paint on her face & that it wasn’t scary. Last fall, Gavin gave Kert a big hug after bible study & then patted on her chest with both hands as he looked up at me & said mommy “what’s dis?” We laughed for a long time… oh, the funny things kids say.
• After being to Juarez, Mexico just one time, it seemed obvious Kerstin had left an impression with those we worked closely with who live in El Paso. I can remember the first Casas por Cristo mission trip I took with Kert, and it was her second year going. As soon as we got out of the van in El Paso, one of our team leaders who lives in El Paso sees Kert, and calls her by name as they give each other a big hug. This is not a surprise since hugs were one of Kert’s specialties. I would venture to guess that if we were to revisit the homes where Kert helped build, she would be one of the few people the family members could remember by name. Kert’s actions in Juarez are just another example of her impartial love for people.
• Kerstin was also one of the favorite people with the kids who lived at Shiloh Christian Children’s Ranch in Kahoka, MO. Kerstin made three trips to Shiloh with CSC, and just as was the case with the people in El Paso/Juarez, it was the case with the children of the Penfield home at the Shiloh Ranch. She was remembered by the kids each year she came back. They would greet her by running to her and hugging her. She also spent time with these same kids out at Lamoine Christian Service Camp where Kert helped one or two weeks each summer.
We are so thankful to have known and loved Kert over the past 3 years. We are better for having known her & her tremendous heart. We won’t ever forget the impact that she left on our lives, the ministry of CSC, and the WIU campus. Thank you for allowing us to borrow her for these past few years, for allowing us to be her family, and for allowing her to be a part of ours.
