My good friend Jared will be truly missed and was dearly loved by all who knew him.
Jared was excited to jump right into need greating imediatly after finishing several years of volunteer relief work after the hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. Such a giving spirit he had. The day he got to Lethem I had told my friend Samantha what I knew of him which wasn't much at the time beside having always played and that he was skilled at fast card games we played at the Disaster Relief Center, we were bicycling back to meet him again for the first time I'd seen him since 2oo7. I was so excited, we did a count down the ten minutes until I'd see him again. "TEN!..." we'd cycle around a corner "NINE!"... 3... 2... 1... "Jared! Its so good to see you!" I excitedly asked about his plans and when I asked him how long he'd be able to stay he non chalontly said, "I should be able to stay 6 years or so..." Like no big, right? We had a several years to catch up on and only a few days to do it as I soon was to leave. Jared was such an awesome friend. He was a great example of faith as he put complete trust and faith in Jehovah. I wanted to share a couple of stories that he's shared as they are super faith strenthining and show clearly who he was and what he valued and loved. Enjoy these beautiful choronicles told by Jared!
These stories are just amazing arn't they? What an awesome guy. He trusted in Jehovah so completely and gave literally his all and everything. Such beautiful accounts of faith. I feel honored to have known him.
His love for Jehovah was obvious. One of his friend posted on his wall that 'the world just got a whole lot dimmer today'. I couldn't agree more. He was a very bright light in this world. Living for Jehovah. A wonderful example.
Jared would vehemently accuse you of cheating at card games. He loved Settlers of Catan. He loved talking science. He was a mad mathmatician as well and said at one point he had nothing but chalk boards on the walls of his home and calculations scribbled on them, and spoke passionately that come up with a computerized graphic of a robotic bug that came to act intelligently based on its surroundings. I asked Jared how he knew what his surroundings were, and he said he entered it into them with calculations. He had become part of my close knit family of friends in Guyana. Jared loved the creek, he felt at calm there, it was he own little world. He came across piranas and snakes there and bathed there most of the time, he couldn't stay away from it. We called it the mud puddle.
Within the first month of being in Guyana he had gotten an idea of what he was in for as he was responislbe to conduct a complete meeting, each and every part in the meeting himself. He was assigned many responsibilities. He walked the walk. He was a great speaker, very animated, motivational, and cheerful. It was so awesome having him in Lethem congregation, his abscence will surely be felt. He sang Kingdom songs from the bottom of his heart and had a beautiful voice. He loved children and they loved him. We had great times on long distance villages trips and great conversations over blended tropical fruit drinks. He had several studies and had helped one man who was a drug dealer who slept on a door on the shell of a house to over come some of his obstacles and come to several meetings. Jared was generous with his time.
It by no means feels real yet. It is still unbelievable.
Jared lived for Jehovah. He had posted an interesting poem on his page just days before his first trip to Guyana, I'd like to share:
Well the 'blow' certainly fell soon, he was only 32 when Malaria took him down. But he sought what he loved, heaven above, spiritual things, to please his Father, and the road below him the path of full time service.
Jared said about this picture...
That if people wanted to sum up his life with a picture, he hoped it would be this one.
Jared got philisophical pretty easily. One day we were talking about how people say its a sacrifice to serve where the need is great. But he disagreed. He would say "What's a sacrifice really? Isn't it giving up somthing you're attached to? Well, I was never attached to physical things, but I've always loved spiritual things, to do this, that's what I love. So are we self sacrificing, or self indulgent?"
I can't wait for the day when I can do a count down to see him again. So I'm starting now... "TEN!"
