I’m writing this letter to publicly thank one of your members, Eric Forny, and also thank your church for your obvious part in making this man who he is today. I first ran into Eric in Maine a few years ago during a blizzard. I was driving a semi truck, and was stuck on the side of a hill in the middle on the interstate. I was pretty panicked when Eric called to me over the CB radio. He had used his semi truck to block off the traffic on the highway and talked me backwards down the hill. I was then able to follow him over the hill going fast enough to maintain enough momentum to climb the hill with out getting stuck, yet slow enough not to loose control in the severe winter conditions. I got to know Eric over the next couple of days following him down through New England and into Ohio. This is how I know his family is from Berlin Center and is a member of your church. He not only got me out of that situation, but he has set an example that I’ve tried to follow everyday since.
People who spew Bible quotes and shove Christianity down your throat always turned me off. Eric never once said he was a Christian, but I sure could tell he was one through his actions. He was constantly checking stuck and broke down cars along the road for people. We must have stopped eight or ten times just to help out people along the road. When I finally got home, my wife and I had a long talk about Eric and we both dedicated our lives to Jesus that Sunday in church.
I never saw Eric again after that trip, but I always try to ask about him over the CB when I am in Ohio. For a long time I heard a lot of stories about “Opie”, Eric’s CB handle, saving people. Driver’s used to say that he doesn’t actually deliver freight, he just drives around saving people. So many that at times I’ve doubted that all of them could be true or if Eric is a real person. Real or not, Eric is definitely a guardian angel.
This is my reason for writing you his letter at his time. My niece has been having a difficult problem with a stalker. The police have said he hasn’t actually done anything illegal that they can trace back to him, so they can’t do anything with him. This past week my niece’s stalker tampered with the gas in her car causing it to break down along the interstate. He was following behind her and when she pulled off the road he passed her, pulled off the road not too far in front of her broke down car and started walking back to her. Praise God, Eric stopped to see if he could help. When Eric arrived my niece’s stalker turned around and drove off without incident.
Praise God Bill Zimmer
PS. To my shock, my niece said that Eric is a Freemason. Did you know that he was one? If Eric Forny is what Freemason’s are about, maybe my Church needs to reevaluate Freemasons.
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