We are devastated by the loss of Nate in the terrorist attack in Uganda, and the pain is immense. We are blessed that by the grace of God we did not lose our second son, Kyle, when the plane bringing him to be with our family crashed Monday. Our prayers and wishes go out to the men that died and were injured in providing help to our family.
Nathan’s death shocked and hit us hard. A parent is not designed to lose a child. It is important to us that we make clear Nathan’s purpose in being in Uganda at that time. We could not be more proud of our son and brother, and of the man that he was and the life that he lived. He died doing the ministry that brought him the most joy, following Christ to reach and help the children of Northern Uganda.
Nate’s legacy is the pursuit of peace and a future for the children of Uganda and the Congo. His hard work at Invisible Children was integral in the passing of a landmark bill that provides support to rescue the child soldiers caught in Joseph Kony’s war. The bill, the Lord’s Resistance Army Disarmament and Northern Recovery Act, was signed into law in the second week of May. The law calls for Obama to create a plan of action within 180 days of it being signed that ensures that the leader, Joseph Kony, is responsibly apprehended and that the focus is put on recovering and rebuilding in Northern Uganda. After working selflessly to serve the people of Northern Uganda for the past year and a half, Nathan finally got the chance to go see it for himself.
On his Facebook status posted on the day of his death he wrote that “he has never had a happier time in his life.” On the day of his death, he was with friends including some of the very children that Invisible Children has helped and have grown to be advocates themselves. His life ended too early, but we look at the few years God gave him on this earth, and we are humbled that he was used in such a powerful way. Many people live their whole lives hoping to make some sort of impact. And with just 25 years, Christ blessed him with a heart for the oppressed, and because of that he has touched lives in the U.S. and in Uganda. We fully expect that God will use this tragedy to continue to change lives, reminding us all how short life is, and how important it is to live sacrificially for something bigger than ourselves.
In the shadow of this heart ache, we know that God has welcomed His son with open arms, and a ‘well done, my good and faithful servant.’
Our family is grateful for the outpouring of love and support we have experienced over the last twenty-four hours, both for Nathan and for Kyle. We would like to thank the community at Invisible Children for their support and for being a family to Nate, as well.
The Henn family remains strong as we live by faith and rally around one another in the spirit of family. Though certainly still in shock, and we are so thankful to everyone for your love and support.
People ask us how they can help or what they can do, and we know Nate’s heart was for the people of Uganda. So we ask that if people feel compelled, that they would make donations in Nate’s honor to Invisible Children at www.natehenn.com where a fund has been created. The purpose of this fund is to continue Nate’s legacy of advocacy by providing for others to do the same. For more details please check the website.
We would appreciate some time to be a family right now, to process this through prayer, and to mourn the loss of our son. We ask that the press respects this wish, and if we wish to make any further comment we will contact you. For further information about Invisible Children, refer to their website at www.invisiblechildren.com.
