To all the family and friends of Joshua Leo Engle 

Five years ago on a Tuesday before Thanksgiving, just like today, classmates and teachers at Bondurant Farrar schools were told that Joshua had died the night before. Unfortunately details were not completely correct at that time and rumors spread. Even family outside our home incorrectly told stories of what happened. Students heard he had killed himself on purpose. …

NO, Joshua did not purposely kill himself. He was doing something called the choking game also known as the passout challenge. A way to get an adrenaline rush but it can be deadly. Youth think they are invincible and Joshua was no exception. This “game” always does damage to the youths body and the damage shows up as severe head aches. (We all remember Josh complaining about head aches.) There are outward signs too. Itchy eyes, similar to allergies with redness.(Yes Joshua had often told teachers his eyes hurt) Those are also some of the warning signs. In the hospital we were told about this activity and told to see if there were other warning signs in our home. Yes there were. We never knew of this potentially deadly game. If you know someone trying the game, tell them about what happened to Joshua. Tell a parent or guardian, a teacher or coach. Just tell someone before it’s to late.

We would like to say a prayer for all Joshua’s classmates friends and school personal again because they are always in our prayers and you can say this to;

Dear Father in Heaven, 

Be with the classmates and teachers of Bondurant Farrar today as the memory of coming to school and finding out Joshua had gone Home to Heaven still brings tears to their hearts. Give strength and courage to the seniors in their last year of highschol to make good choices about their future. Guide the Juniors and protect them so they have futures. Comfort the teachers and give them the wisdom to console each other and the right words for their students. And the rest of the staff, coaches and administrative personal, give them too the encouragement when they encounter students to comfort. Almighty God be with Joshua’s siblings and protect them from all unrest. Be with his cousins there and at other schools. And last we ask for blessings to the pastors of them all,  that they recognize saddness or the out of sorts feelings and that they give assurance that You, our Creator have a plan and Joshua was a good and faithful servant and although he played a game that took his life, Joshua is in Heaven because he has Your Son Jesus as his Savior.  

Lord we ask these things in prayer and in the name of Jesus; Amen..

God bless all of Joshua’s Family and Friends~

Love to all, Chad & Wendi Engle

Feel free to share this post if you are moved by it. This is how we spread awareness to other families so they will know what we did not.