“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭147:3‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Now that the news has been widely disseminated, I can share more about my friend’s son who was tragically killed over the weekend. Perhaps you have seen the story on the news. Jay Austin and his partner, Lauren Geoghegan, were the two American cyclists killed in Tajikistan over the weekend. They had just completed their first year riding their bikes and living a life most can’t even imagine.

Jay worked for HUD in Washington, DC. He had revolutionary vision regarding urban housing and development. He was a huge proponent of the tiny house movement and was featured in a short documentary film on the subject. You can view it here:

When he decided to quit his job and go on a cycling adventure around the world, he talked Lauren into joining him. After touring around Iceland on two wheels, they headed for more adventurous places. You can read their blog here:

www.simplycycling.org

They had recently entered Tajikistan and found it to be both stunningly beautiful and incredibly challenging to travel by bicycle. The thin air in the higher elevations actually made Lauren sick so she went ahead in a van while Jay rode the highest pass yet…on his own. He described the journey as arduous and could only ride five feet at a time, then desperately suck in air while he pushed his bike forward.

On the other side, Jay and Lauren were reunited. They joined some other Western cyclists and were riding in a group of seven when a car suddenly, purposefully ran into the pack of cyclists. Amateur video footage actually caught the car turning around and deliberately hitting them again, at which point, the passengers jumped from the car and stabbed the cyclists. Three riders, including Jay and Lauren, were killed at the scene and another died at the hospital. Two were injured…one admitted and the other treated and released to a safe house. The seventh was a cyclist who had lagged behind the group and only received minor injuries.

Jay had recently written on his blog that, while bad things can happen, the world is generally a safe place and people were kind-hearted everywhere they went. According to the news, ISIS has claimed responsibility for this heinous act, but Tajik authorities think it is likely the work of the Islamic State, a related group of Tajik citizens who are ISIS sympathizers. At any rate, the news also reports that four of the five suspects have been “liquidated” and the fifth is at large.

I met Jay’s mom, Jea, while camping with the Girl Campers a few years ago at Blackwater Falls. She is quiet, a bit introverted, and kind with a heart the size of Texas. She raised her three children as a single mom and they all have beautiful hearts. She is one of those people you meet and you just “know”. This has obviously been a devastating blow for her and her family.

Lester Holt was supposed to highlight Jay’s life on his news program last night, but I think the story got bumped because of the plane crash in Mexico. You might want to try to catch it tonight to see if the segment airs.

As Jay and Lauren wrote on their blog…”Life is short and the world is a big place.” They wanted to see it on wheels while they still had their youth and their health. May God give them rest and peace in Paradise. And may He hold Jea and her children in His loving arms as they navigate the coming days…weeks…months……years. ❤