Remembering Nick

Last week I received news that was a shock to me.  One of the boys that I had in my youth class at church a number of years ago had been shot to death in Oklahoma City.  He was just 23 years old.

Around 9 p.m. on Wednesday, police were called out to the apartment complex on NW 25th and Penn on a shots fired call with a man down.  On arrival Nick Scott was discovered in the courtyard of an apartment complex.

A neighbor told police that they heard 5 or 6 shots. "I ran outside, everyone says Nick, it's Nick! He's dead, he's dead!" the neighbor said.

Oklahoma City Police report that an arrest has been made in the shooting death of Nicolas Scott.  Sam Neal, 45, was taken into custody Thursday afternoon.

As the realization of what had happened sank in I was very upset.  I had been very close to Nick and his family.

Nick's family moved to our area and started attending the Mena Seventh-Day Adventist Church in 1999.  As the youth leader and the Pathfinder Club leader I got to know Nick and his sister Marci.  His parents had been missionaries in Africa and had adopted him there. When they retired, they moved back to the U.S. You can read more of the story of Nick's parents on my blog post written when Nick's mom, Tillie Scott, passed away in February 2011.

Nick enjoyed being a member of the Mena Wildcats Pathfinder Club. Pathfinders is a church based, co-ed, scouting type organization. Twice a year we would go on campouts, and Nick loved to go. He was a friendly boy and always made lots of friends. Every five years Pathfinders hold an International Camporee.  Nick was scheduled to go to the Faith on Fire Camporee in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Over 33,000 Pathfinders from over 100 countries attended.  Shortly before the Camporee he injured his foot and was afraid that he would miss out, but he was able to go with a special boot.

He had a great time at the Camporee and never complained even though we had to do lots of walking, (our campsite was almost a mile from the main events hangars), on his sore foot.  I'm very glad that he was able to be a part of  the Faith on Fire Camporee.

In 2004 Nick was a part of a mission trip that our church made to San Pedro Belize.  While we were in Belize we helped start the construction of the New Horizon SDA Chapel.  We spent a lot of time at the New Horizon School that was next to the construction site.  Nick was happy to be a part of the project, and carried lots of cement blocks to those who were laying block.  He loved the ocean.  This is one of my favorite photos of him taken while were were in Belize.

I am so saddened by this senseless loss of life.  I know that I will never forget Nick.  My thoughts and prayers are with his family.