?afta?: In Memory...

I lost a dear friend and Christian brother on March 2, 2014, though I wouldn’t learn of Claude’s passing until a few days later. Our family was in a part of Tanna that does not have cellular reception, and therefore we were cut off from the news of the world for several days. As we were shifting from south Tanna to central, and came within range of a cell tower, my phone gave the familiar “ding” indicating a text message had been received. The screen image is still burned in my memory, as I read the text from Flexon: “SORI BLO TALM SE CLAUD KALSAKAU I BIN DED LO SANDE MORNING MO FENERAL BLO M LO MONDAY.TA.” (i.e. sorry to say that Claude Kalsakau died on Sunday morning and the funeral was Monday. Thx.).

I immediately called Flexon in order to gain some details, and learned that Claude had an episode relating to his diabetes that Friday, had gone to the hospital very weak, and ended up dying a couple of days later as a result of his blood sugar levels. To say that I was shocked would be an understatement. My mind went racing back to the last time I talked to Claude. After being gone from Vanuatu for six months, I had a lot of catching up to do with the local brethren, but not having our own transportation made this somewhat difficult. Flexon normally takes care of the lawns at the church building in town, and I had told him I would take a weekend to give him a break. Since Claude and Rosemary live fairly close to the church building, I decided to walk over and say hello when I finished mowing that Saturday morning. We had a good visit, and I remember thinking afterwards that they both seemed to be in especially high spirits - life was good. Looking back, I am SO glad that I decided to stop by and see them that day, rather than waiting a month or so for our truck (which I had considered), as that was the last time I will ever see Claude here on earth.

I still remember meeting Claude for the first time back in 2006. Several of us were working on the church building construction in Vila, and he pulled up on the land and started looking around. I assumed he was with the government or something, and there to make an inspection. However, he introduced himself, and I then realized that he was married to a Christian we knew from Eton Village. He asked what time we assembled on Sundays, and announced his intention to begin coming once the building was finished, since he lived so close.

A few weeks later I began studying with Claude, and in the midst of those weekly Bible studies he came to have faith in Christ and was baptized. From that point on, he made a conscious effort to live for Jesus. He had grand plans for his own life and for that of his children. He greatly desired that his family be useful in God’s service. A highlight for him was a mission trip to Tanna in late 2012 with Aaron. During a brief stint as a political advisor to a government minister, he was constantly looking for ways to use his position to God’s glory. Claude himself would have admitted that he was far from perfect, and one of things I appreciated most about him was his willingness to receive instruction and correction. He was constantly asking others to keep him accountable, and genuinely repented when something came to light in his life.

In the last year or so, Claude and Rosemary begin spending most of their time serving with the Christians in Etas Village. We were in the States for most of that time, but the stories I’ve heard from the Etas Christians prove that the church and community were richly blessed by their time together. Claude will be sorely missed by many people. His son, Tari (9yrs), and daughter, Liz (4yrs), were positively affected by their father in the few years they had together. We also recently learned that Rosemary is pregnant with their third child. The whole situation breaks our hearts, and were it not for the fact that we witnessed Claude’s strong faith in Christ, we would be distraught. We have been encouraged by the way the church family has stepped in and cared for the family. We are praying for wisdom to know how to best work with and bless Rosemary and the kids going forward.