Tribute to a Fallen Soldier

It’s a surreal moment whenever you get the message that someone close to you has been tragically killed.  It’s almost as if time freezes for a split second and you aren’t able to think.  Two weeks ago I got an unexpected text message on my phone that stated that Garnett Gomez (our bible worker and good friend) had been tragically killed while working in Venzuela.

Little by little we began putting the bits and pieces together.  Garnett was trying to make a little money running a shop in Venzuela, in order to support his family across the border in Guyana.  It was only a temporary job that he was doing, just to support his wife and two girls who were attending the primary school in Paruima.  His plan was to move back to Shea Village to continue the bible work that he had begun, but he was waiting for his daughters to raise their grades in school.  They had tried enrolling their girls in the primary school in Shea Village, but the education was so bad, that they felt forced to come back to Paruima for their girls education.  How could I argue that?

Two weeks ago today Garnett was about to close up the store when two masked gunmen rode up on motorbikes and burst into the store, holding everyone at gunpoint while they robbed the place.  As they were trying to make their get away, in a rash split second decision, Garnett went after them and tried to restrain one of them.  Shots were fired, and he died on the way to the hospital.

Its very hard for me to write about this because I worked very closely with Garnett, and we grew to be very good friends.

As with anything in life (even the painful areas of our lives) there are always lessons that we can take away.  And here’s a few things for each of us to seriously consider from this tragedy.

1.  I’ve determined that if someone pulls a gun on me and just wants to take my stuff, they can have it.  It’s just “stuff” and most of us probably have too much junk anyway.  Let it go… Let it go…  Let it go…  The apostle John said: “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world…the world passeth away, but he who does the will of God abideth forever.”  1 John 2:15,17.

2.  When one soldier falls, others need to fill the gap.  For years, Garnett worked alone on a bible school in Kaikan.  We’re getting close to finishing it up what he began, but now we need to locate some Godly directors for this project.  Please keep this in your prayers

3.  I’m tired of this world, aren’t you??  But we can’t sit back and relax.  We’re in a battle, and before things completely wrap up, this gospel must go to all the world (Matt. 24:14).  The sooner this happens, the sooner, “…the end will come.” and we will be reunited with our loved ones who have passed away.

Let’s keep pushing towards the finish line.  We’re on the last lap. Let’s not give up now.