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Dear Friend,

The past few weeks have been among the most bittersweet of our lives. On Saturday, September 26, Alirio Gómez Galvis, Ricardo’s father, went to be with the Lord. We are grateful that God allowed us to arrive in Colombia in time to be with him before he died.

When we arrived, he was unconscious, having worn himself out talking to Mamá the night before while struggling to breathe. However, the doctors said he could linger in that state for anywhere from a day to two weeks. Therefore, much of the time we spent at the hospital that day, Ricardo was working to fulfill Papá’s wish to go home. He ordered a hospital bed to be set up in the living room and arranged for an ambulance to transport him. The last step was to speak with the pain management doctor and obtain the medication necessary to keep him comfortable. The doctor arrived at 4:00 p.m. and, after confirming the medication we would need, agreed to sign the discharge papers.

Ricardo told Papá that he had been released from the hospital and was ready to go home. I promised him that we would take good care of him and of each other. With that, he took his last breath and went home to be with “Papito Dios,” his affectionate name for God.

The bitterness of losing him is real. We miss his smile, his laughter, his stories, his love for fishing and the farm, his quiet acts of service, his deep gratitude for every gift and blessing, and the simple joy he brought into our lives. Yet, amid the tears, there has also been extraordinary sweetness—the gift of having our family together, remembering his life, celebrating God's faithfulness, and rediscovering the precious inheritance he left us.

During the week that followed, all six of his children, along with some of his grandchildren and great-grandchildren, gathered together. We shared stories, laughed, cried, prayed, and celebrated his life. On Monday, Ricardo had the difficult privilege of leading his funeral and preaching a message that became deeply personal: The most precious inheritance Papá left us is the hope of the Gospel.

Later in the week, we gathered by the Sogamoso River for a ceremony with his ashes. It was where Papá loved to fish and where the children loved to play during the summers—a most appropriate resting place for Papá. It was also most appropriate that the boat used to spread his ashes is named "the Victory".

Forty years ago, Papá, a broken and struggling alcoholic whom doctors had sent home to die, walked into a church and surrendered his life to Jesus Christ. Not only did God save his life, but He also changed the trajectory of his life and that of his entire family. Through that decision, all of his children came to know Christ, and today his grandchildren and great-grandchildren are growing up under the influence of that same faith. Ricardo’s calling to serve the Lord is part of the spiritual legacy that began with Papá’s decision.

Papá was not a perfect man. None of us are. But his life is a beautiful testimony of God's transforming grace. As Ricardo reflected during the funeral, Papá handed us a torch. Now it is our responsibility to carry it forward. His greatest inheritance is not something we can possess, but rather a relationship with Jesus Christ.

The Apostle Paul reminds us that we do not grieve as those who have no hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13). We grieve because we love. But we rejoice because Jesus conquered death, and because of His resurrection, our separation is not the end of the story.

Thank you to everyone who has surrounded our family with prayers, messages, encouragement, and love during this difficult time.

It has been bitter because we had to say goodbye. But it has been sweet because we know Papá will be there to greet us at the gates of heaven, just as he always was at the gate of his house!

For the precious inheritance he left us, we give God all the glory.

With gratitude and hope,

Ricardo & Beth

PS. Ministry continues....lots of great things we will tell you about another time. For now, we are on our way to meetings in the Middle East with other Area Directors and FM Leaders. We would appreciate your prayers.

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