Blais
“I want the Christians in America to know how I came to understand the Gospel so more of them will be missionaries and I want my family to know my testimony so that they will also believe that Jesus died to pay for their sins so that they can be in His family like I am,” was the response that Blais gave me. I had my recorder with me and had been asking him questions about his life and his testimony, and had asked him what he wished could be accomplished through telling his story.
That was just over a month ago when he could still talk well and get around. Since that time the cancer growth (we think it was cancer) on his neck began to grow at a rapid rate and started affecting his speech, breathing, and ability to get around. Three weeks ago he made his way to the believers’ meeting. You wouldn’t have known that day that he was a man dying with little energy. He couldn’t stand still as he lifted his hands and sang praises to God for what Jesus had done for him.
That was his last big outing. From that time on eating became difficult and his voice disappeared. His body became frail, but every time I went to see him, despite the pain, the joy in his life seeped through his smile. Today, early in the morning, he breathed his last breath here on earth and went to his new home in heaven. The pain is gone, the sickness is gone, he is all better now.
We are praising God for his testimony and that he is in heaven now. We are able to reflect on the many things he helped us with at our house, his salvation, the Bible lessons he helped us write, his baptism, the land he gave for the literacy building and many other things.
Thank you to many of you who have been praying for him. Continue to pray for his family who are mostly unsaved.
Left behind for now,
Aaron
PS. A note from Lori- Our first two weeks of literacy are finished and have gone well. We have many more to go! Thank you for your prayers…more to come on that subject.
Fact – Traditionally in their animism, the Patpatar bury people with their feet facing the East, so that their spirit will be able to see the sun come up the next day and be able to leave the body.
Pic 1: Butch and Tammy Kunzer with Blais and Desi
Pic 2: Lori comforts Desi while Jon hugs the body of his father