WTC survivor to speak at local church
On Sept. 11, 2001, Sujo John was working at his office on the 81st floor in Tower One of the World Trade Center when he heard a loud explosion. A short biography of the Calcutta, India, native who had moved to New York City just a few months earlier reported, “The entire building shook and began to tilt. Screams of terror were heard throughout the suite of offices. The first aircraft had hit a few floors above Sujo’s office. In just seconds, debris from the aircraft and explosion flew into Sujo’s office and everything started going up in flames.’
As John took to the stairway to escape the building, he tried to reach his wife, Mary, on his cell phone. She worked on the 71st floor of Tower Two. But his phone did not work and he had no way to reach her.
On his way down, he passed firefighters and police officers going up. As he reached the mezzanine level, Tower Two collapsed.
John’s story has a happy ending: he made it out alive and his wife never made it to work because her train was late and she reached the first tower five minutes after the first crash.
The couple was reunited within hours. They are now expecting a child.
“Our story is too good to be true,’ John stated in the biography. “Live each day as if it could be your last.’
John, who is now involved in full-time evangelistic ministry, will have the opportunity to tell his story to local residents this Sunday when he appears at Faith Assembly of God, 690 Morgantown Road, Uniontown. John will speak at both the 8:30 and 10:30 a.m. worship services.
“I think most people would be interested to hear from a person who experienced the tragedy first hand,’ said Rev. Don Immel, pastor of Faith Assembly of God.
But he noted that John’s story will tie in with the theme the church is studying this fall: “God Gives Hope.’
“A lot of folks in our community are without God, without hope. We are working to convey to these people that they can find God; they can find hope,’ said Rev. Immel. “We all face times of crisis, so it’s nice to have a connection with God before the crisis as opposed to seeking a connection to God during the crisis. Sujo already had a relationship with the Lord, which gave him a foundation during his crisis.’
John’s biography makes mention of his belief in God: “With God’s help, Sujo was directed to a man on the ground who had a search light.’ … As he left the building with an FBI agent, the biography noted, “Like walking in a blizzard, they could barely see anything; however, the Holy Spirit directed them to a flashing light on top of an ambulance so they headed in that direction. Although the ambulance was badly crushed, the light continued to flash … a beacon of hope for Sujo – a divine beacon of hope.’
For more information, phone Faith Assembly of God at 724-437-8101.