To address the tragedy in the Batchelor Family, This was the letter he released. Please read in detail to honor his son.
Dear Friend,
We have received several messages and calls inquiring about the recent tragedy that has befallen our family, so I would like to take a few moments to share a personal account of what happened. Please feel free to circulate this message to anyone who may be concerned.
While conducting a challenging evangelistic meeting in Manila, I received the kind of phone call every parent dreads. My oldest son, Micah, had been in a serious accident with a bulldozer and was being rushed by air to the nearest emergency room, which happened to be the Ukiah SDA hospital.
During this time, my wife Karen was on her way from San Francisco to join me in Manila for the final week of our meetings. In a state of perpetual prayer, I went to the airport to meet Karen with the heartbreaking news that our son was in critical condition and that we needed to catch the next plane back to San Francisco.
Fortunately, Gary Gibbs, the senior vice president of Amazing Facts, stepped in to continue the meetings in Manila.
Before we left the Philippines, we received word that Micah had not survived. The journey back home was long and sorrowful.
A few words about our son Micah:
Micah Levi Batchelor was born on November 4, 1977, in Fort Bragg, California. He was a beautiful, curly-headed boy with large, confident blue eyes.
From a young age, he was fascinated with anything airborne—whether it was being tossed as a baby, hang gliding, swinging from trees, or jumping motorcycles. Micah loved flying.
When he was 19 months old, Micah became critically ill with spinal meningitis. The painful spinal taps broke my heart as I watched him look up at me with those big blue eyes, wondering, “Why are they hurting me?”
By God’s grace, Micah survived, and from that moment on, he seemed to develop a deep compassion for anyone in pain. He was especially fond of children and the elderly, always defending the underdog.
Micah’s adventurous spirit shone brightly throughout his life. When he was just seven, he hiked with me up to the cave high above Palm Springs in a single day—a feat that made me proud of his athletic ability. Later, in 1995, he hiked the same trail with our family, helping to carry his little brother Stephen on his back.
Micah attended various schools, from The Little Red Schoolhouse in Covelo to institutions in Delta, Colorado; Redding and Sacramento, California; and even some homeschooling.
He graduated from Sacramento Adventist Academy in 1996 and later attended Pacific Union College, where he earned his pilot’s license while studying industrial arts. In 1999, he began working full-time as a contractor in Covelo.
Micah had a zest for life, with countless hobbies and interests. He loved waterskiing, jet skiing, snow skiing, kayaking, riding motorcycles, participating in rodeos, and driving dune buggies. He also enjoyed drawing, playing the guitar, building, and doing auto mechanic work.
Most importantly, Micah had a deep faith in God. He believed in the Bible and had a personal relationship with Jesus, frequently talking to Him. The first song he learned on the guitar was “Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God.”
Micah was an incredibly hard worker with ambitious dreams. Tragically, his life was cut short on Monday, April 30. While loading a Caterpillar onto a trailer, the tractor slid off and rolled over completely.
True to his nature, Micah held on through the rollover, but the canopy collapsed, causing severe internal injuries. Despite his injuries, Micah remained calm and alert, even managing to stand as his friends transported him to the clinic.
While being airlifted to the SDA hospital in Ukiah, a place he loved to fly over, Micah experienced traumatic cardiac arrest. Although the medical team at the hospital made heroic efforts to save him, after several hours of surgery, he was pronounced dead.
On May 3, Micah was laid to rest at Valley View Cemetery, with what seemed like half the town of Covelo attending the service.
Micah was strong, intelligent, brave, and kind—a tall and handsome man with unlimited potential. Karen and I are deeply thankful for the outpouring of kind words and prayers from so many.
We are devastated by his death, yet we continue to trust in God despite our grief and confusion. The emotional and physical pain from this loss is profound and indescribable, but through it, we have gained a deeper understanding of the love our Heavenly Father showed in giving His Son.
Micah had joined the Amazing Facts evangelism crew in 1999 for a mission trip to India, where he was deeply affected by the poverty he witnessed. He had wanted to join me for the evangelistic effort in Manila, but he had pressing construction commitments.
I am grateful that I had the chance to speak with Micah from the Philippines just a few days before his accident. We loved each other dearly. The day before he died, Micah called Karen, and they spoke for 45 minutes. During their conversation, he expressed a desire to return to Pacific Union College and find a Christian wife.
In lieu of cards or flowers, a memorial gift in Micah’s name to Amazing Facts would be much appreciated.
Please continue to pray for Karen, me, and Micah’s five siblings. We deeply feel the prayers of God’s people.
Doug Batchelor & Family
Let us continue to hold the Batchelor family in our prayers during this difficult time.
