Leaning on God in the Midst of Life’s Great Difficulties
inspiring story of standing together
Carlos Evans grew up in a family where many of his family
members had served in the military over the years. Like many others, after
9/11, Carlos had a deep yearning to do his part to serve his country, so in
2004, he joined the Marine Corps. “During my
deployments, I don’t think I ever considered that anything was going to happen
to me. I personally knew others who had died and some who were badly wounded,
but as a Christian, I figured God was with me and would protect me from every
kind of harm. On my various furloughs, I said to friends and family members,
‘I’m not going to die in Iraq or Afghanistan. God has a bigger purpose for my
life,’” he shares.
However, during his fourth deployment, on May
16, 2010, Carlos stepped on an IED. As a result, he lost use of both legs and
his left hand. As his fellow Marines attended to him outside of camp in
Afghanistan, Carlos’ fight for his life was just beginning. For the next two
years, he and his wife, Rosemarie, went through the rehabilitation process
together. As a nurse and mother of two young children, Rosemarie was used to
caring for people, but the task of taking care of her triple-amputee husband
brought new challenges every day.
“I had the
knowledge of what should I expect to see when I met Carlos at the hospital.
Being a nurse helped me understand procedures and prognosis, but I felt the
same uncertainty, desperation, sadness and helplessness any other family member
feels when a love one is going through a difficult time,” explains Rosemarie. “Before
leaving to go to Afghanistan, Carlos and I talked about what should I expect if
I saw the Marines at the front door, but we never talked about him coming back
home seriously injured. We didn’t expect that and weren’t aware of how many
service members were injured in the war. When I stepped into Bethesda Hospital,
it was eye opening to see how many wounded service members came back and how
many families were affected.”
At first, family and friends needed to take
care of Carlos and Rosemarie’s two young daughters, and Rosemarie felt pulled
between her responsibilities as a wife and mother. She knew they needed to come
together to face their new normal as a family of four as quickly as possible.
In addition to his limb loss, Carlos faced PTSD and developed an addiction to
painkillers. He was sure Rosemarie’s life would be better without him—and that
it might have been better if he hadn’t survived at all. But unlike the majority
of marriages put under similar strain, Carlos and Rosemarie stayed together. With
the help of family, friends, and—most importantly—a strong faith, they’ve built
a solid marriage and discovered a ministry they never expected.
By the hand of God, their story, which began
in devastation, has turned into one that draws in and lifts up more people than
either of them would ever have dreamed. Not
only will disabled veterans and their loved ones find help in reading Standing
Together, Carlos and Rosemarie’s captivating journey also speaks to those
who long for stronger marriages, care for loved ones with disabilities, or are
facing a new normal in their own lives, small or large. It is a powerful
resource for leaning on God in the midst of life’s great difficulties—and for
finding ways that, through faith, profound loss can bring incredible blessing.
“One day I was
trying to put on my prosthetic hand and legs. I was struggling and getting
frustrated. I wanted to look like I used to,” writes Carlos. “I believe the
Holy Spirit touched my heart, and I received this message: ‘I am touching more
people with one hand then when I had two. Today, I am leaving more footprints
than when I had feet because all you need to touch someone is heart.’”
Advance Praise
“This
is a tremendous story of resilience and hope. Carlos and Rosemarie Evans tell a
powerful personal account of overcoming trauma and tragedy. In so doing, they
give hope to all who have experienced and are experiencing the wounds of war.”
~
Timothy J. Demy, ThD, PhD, professor of military ethics,
US Naval War College, and retired chaplain, US Navy
“Carlos
and Rosemarie will bring you to tears—and cheers—with their frank story of
hardship—and victory—after major trauma.
Their vivid narrative of tough times, tough love, and God’s grace shows the way
through both terrible circumstances and
struggles of the soul. They don’t give you a feelgood formula or how-to tale.
They do share how they beat the odds against survival and recovery by leaning
on God and all the good people in their lives. You don’t have to love God or
love marines to be enriched here, but you cannot read their story without
coming to love Carlos and Rosemarie and being grateful for this time spent with
them. You’ll learn from them that with Christ all things are possible!”
~
Mark A. Jumper, PhD, director of Chaplaincy &
Military Affairs and assistant professor, Regent Univ. School of Divinity
About
the Authors
Sgt.
(Ret.) Carlos R. Evans is a minister with the Assemblies of God USA, a Wounded
Warrior spokesman, and a motivational speaker. Born in Puerto Rico, Carlos was
an avid athlete through his high school and college years. At university, he studied Theology and was
very active in his church. When the tragic events of September 11th occurred,
he felt compelled to join the family legacy of service in the US Marine Corps,
and originally planned to join as a Chaplain.
Carlos served three tours of
duty in Iraq and was assigned to Afghanistan for his fourth deployment. In May
2010, he was the squad leader on foot patrol when he stepped on an improvised
explosive device. The blast took both of his legs and his left hand. Medically
discharged after his rehab at Walter Reed, Carlos served in the Marine Corps
for eight years.
Rosemarie
Evans, also a native of Puerto Rico, is an experienced nurse. She is now a
full-time caregiver and student working toward a master’s degree in marriage and
family from Liberty University. Carlos and Rosemarie live in Orlando, Florida
with their two daughters.
Learn more about Carlos and
Rosemarie Evans at CREvans.org as well as on Facebook (CR Evans), Instagram (@crevans923) and Twitter (@crevans923).
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