Rest in Peace Morgan

4:05 PM

It's strange how the world can go from a semi-normal routine to crashing down around you in the time it takes to read one e-mail.

A few weeks ago, I received the news that one of the YES Abroad scholars in Indonesia had passed away while swimming in Bali with some host family members. Morgan Lide was only 17.

The day when I first heard the news was hard. It was hard for everyone. Everyone just kept saying "oh my gosh" over and over, at that point there was little else we could do. It didn't quite feel real.

Morgan was a sweet and beautiful girl. While we were never really close, she was a treasured member of the YES Abroad family. A wonderful, clever, insightful group of people that still aches for the loss of Morgan. It's surreal knowing she's gone. Even though she was in Indonesia for such a short time, it's obvious she touched many lives. After the news came out, her facebook and twitter were flooded with posts about how caring and full of life she was.

Thoughts and prayers are with her host family, natural family, and friends, especially the other YES Abroad students in Indonesia. If you're religious, no matter what faith, please pray for them. If you're not, please keep everyone affected by this tragedy in your thoughts.

This year is for Morgan. She lived a life where she never judged by appearance and genuinely cared about those around her. We should do the same.

Selamat jalan Morgan and jumpa lagi. The Earth may have lost an amazing person, but Heaven must have gained a beautiful angel.