It had been three years since I’d walked the campus of Taylor University in Upland as a student. On Saturday, I walked that campus again, but this time as an onlooker to the changes that have occurred since April 26, 2006.

On that date, the families of Laurel Erb, Brad Larson, Betsy Smith, Laura VanRyn and Monica Felver were forever changed as their loved ones were taken after a tractor-trailer truck crossed the median on Interstate 69 in Grant County and struck the Taylor van in which they were riding.

Those families returned to campus Saturday to witness a convergence of prayer and support, not just from students, but from a complete Taylor community, more than 1,200 in attendance, for the dedication of the Memorial Prayer Chapel.

As documented in the best-selling book, “Mistaken Identity: Two Families, One Survivor, Unwavering Hope,” all these families have been unwavering in their faith despite this tragedy – and I was a witness to that this weekend.

After the 30-minute service, Dr. David Larson, the father of Brad Larson, answered media questions. I introduced myself, explaining that I had attended Taylor at the same time as his son and that I didn’t know him well but did know him by face and name.

I will never forget his response.

“Thank you. That means so much to me when I hear people say that.”

And that was what finally got me. I had tears in my eyes, and the reality of what happened two years ago swept over me once again.

I was barely a year out of Taylor when I heard the news about the accident. When I turned on my computer to see the names and the faces of the victims, my heart dropped. These were people I saw on a regular basis. I had classes with some, saw others in the Dining Commons and knew all of them in passing on campus.

Those same people are now the faces that hang in the center of a prayer chapel that has become a symbol of faith.

“I don’t think the tragedy turned us into a praying community. It revealed that we already were (one),” campus pastor Randall Gruendyke said during a program preceding the dedication service.

The Memorial Prayer Chapel sits at the heart of campus but is unique from the other buildings. It is the only building on this Christ-centered campus solely devoted to prayer.

Half of the structure is enclosed to serve as a chapel large enough for 75 people. The other half is open to the campus at-large, encouraging those outside to pass through its walls on a daily basis.

The $2.4 million building was paid for through donations – another outpouring of support from the Taylor community.

With two years passed now, the campus still aches at the loss of five of its own. But as Jim Garringer, university relations director, said, the campus hopes this chapel will grow into more than a memorial of a loss, but a tribute to the hope of Taylor’s future.