Eternal Impact: Andrew Allard

Wanted to share with you a C28 story. I just got this e-mail and I wanted to share it with you.

Below is an e-mail from Emily Day, my Assistant Manager at C28 in West Palm Beach... rather than butcher her story, I'm just going to let her tell it.

this morning i recieved a phone call from a woman who was with her family and on her way to our store from Coconut Creek (about 45 min. away) and needed directions. The instant the Sortino family walked into the store 3 members of the family burst into tears. The story goes that last weekend a young man named Andrew Allard (age 13) came into our store and our staff showed him several shirts and told him about our ministry and how 3 people have accepted Christ in the store. Andrew was instantly in love with the store and wanted to have all of our shirts to use them to witness. Andrew had gone home and shared with two of his friends Josh and Priscilla Sortino about c28, how it was his favorite store, and that he wanted to bring them into the store "next" weekend. He was very excited about the evangelistic potential of the clothing, so that they can be used to reach the lost. On Tuesday Andrew woke up with an ear ache; he slipped into a coma later and passed away by week's end. The Sortino family purchased several shirts including the ones they remembered him telling them about specifically. As the family was in here the Lord blessed us and allowed us ample time to spend uninterupted ministering to the family. Please pray for the Allard and Sortino families. C28 has touched their lives, today is a ministry day and God is working here. Praise Him!

We will continue to pray for Andrew's family and friends, hoping that Andrew's life and testimony will continue to change lives while he worships our God face to face.

God, allow us to impact other lives like we did Andrew's, and like Andrew did to others! Thank you for getting us to this point, and we look forward to what you have for us soon.

Comments

[Jeff Towne]

As a youth leader in Andrew's Church in New Hampshire, I can picture Andrew in your store saying something like "oh man that is so cool. I have to buy these shirts so I can wear them and tell everyone about God." That is who he was and always will be...an ambassador for God! His youth group met last night and had an awesome time of sharing what Andrew meant to them. He lives on in others literally because he donated many of his organs to those in need. Thanks for sharing the story of how Andrew made an impact. Which shirt did he like the most? I would like to buy one.

[Jeff Reed]

Jeff, thanks for your response. I didn't meet Andrew, but this impressed me very much. I'm going to have my managing team Ryan and Emily get back to you. They were more in touch with the impact of Andrew at the store. I'm usually up in West Palm on Thursdays, and I'd love to get together with you in the coming week(s) to learn about your church's ministry and to talk about Andrew.

Jeff, I wanted to express this to you and the family. My blog has seen phenominal traffic increase. We are getting hundreds of visitors a day, due solely to the fact that people are googling for the name "Andrew Allard". What an incredible testimony of a 13 year old impacting lives after his death.

Please send my and C28's condolences to the family and friends. We are continually praying for them.

In View of God's Mercy,

Jeff Reed
C28 West Palm Beach