In Honor of Missy Bevers, My Friend and an Amazing Woman

Monday was one of the most traumatic days of my life. My friend was murdered. I just taught my am yoga class and my phone kept buzzing. When I checked it my friend Betsy asked if I saw the news, of course I did not because I don’t watch the news. She said a bootcamp instructor was killed at a church in Midlothian and we both knew Missy taught an early bootcamp at a church. She had met Missy through me at our the slumber party last year, for my daughter’s birthday. The girls are just a few days apart. We held it literally the day after my dad died, 5/2/15 because it was already planned and in place. We ‘broke in’ my brand new Yoga 4 Love Cabin with twenty four 10 to 13 year olds!

I immediately said I need to call Missy’s hubby and check on her and hung up. I called Brandon and he answered. I asked if Missy was ok and he just paused and said, “Well, Lisa, no, no she isn’t.” I was like what do you mean? I thought he would say that she was in the hospital. I asked him and he said, “Lisa, she’s gone.” I lost it and I said how sorry I was. He was still driving back from Florida, he was going to go fishing and just got a car and took off back home with a friend renting a car and driving. He said he was heading into Shreveport then home. I tried to call my hubby and he did not answer.

I called Connie, we all three, Missy, me and Connie were pregnant together with her sister in law Kristi and a few other friends. We did so many girls activities together. Field trips, school events, homeroom parties, soccer, basketball and so many slumber parties. She and I just cried together. I was standing on the deck on my cabin overlooking the river which had just flooded, crying, spitting, snot-ing, wailing and she said she was coming to get me. She already knew and had not sent her daughter to school. She came to pick me up because the middle girl in the Bevers family and our girls are best friends and she wanted me to bring over my daughter. Unfortunately, before we could get to the school my daughter found out and called me sobbing.

We got the three girls in the car and talked to the Middle School policeman for a moment. Meanwhile, some more details of the murder came about and the girls were in the backseat huddled and crying with Connie. I spend the next 3 days with the family with my daughter.

We had an amazing candlelight community vigil on Tuesday night at the local elementary.

Today, I feel like there is hope. I know that this is never going to be fully understood. But my role is to bring light and hope and help leave a legacy in her name.

I spoke to Brandon and I will meet with Connie after the funeral. We are starting a charity in her name for children with special needs. This was something that was very close to Missy’s heart and the family does not want money or food. This is a perfect fit.

I will keep you all updated and we will also have something up on facebook soon. Meanwhile, if you want to donate in lieu of flowers for the funeral Missy you can bring or mail a check for the Bevers girls to Citizen’s National Bank of Waxahachie.

The funeral is at Cowboy Church Waxahachie, Saturday April 23 at 11:00 am.

***NO MEDIA is allowed. DO NOT EVEN TRY!***