In Memory of John Prado

Yesterday, we heard the news of the homegoing of John Prado, a fellow GMSA missionary co-worker. To many of us he was a mentor, an adopted uncle, an example of faithfulness, and a witness for the Gospel. After quietly singing "It Is Well With My Soul", John fell asleep and passed into the loving arms of His Savior after a long battle of liver problems and cancer.

We would like to honor him by sharing
how he has impacted our lives in many ways.

John has impacted our lives
by his love for the Bible and the God of the Bible.

The above picture is of John and his wife, Helen, during a preaching session at missionary conference (2004). He cherished the Word of God and it fleshed out in his practice of weekly handing out Bibles to Chileans. His favorite thing to do was to go to the local police station and give Bibles as gifts to the officers and inmates.

John has impacted our lives by his unique ability
to share Christ with people.

Above is a picture of John in a small town in the Elqui Valley during my visit in Jan. 2007. His mannerisms, his smile, his countenance, his patience with people have impacted many lives.

John has impacted our lives with his love
of the camping ministry at El Molle.

His contributions to the camping ministry in the North have impacted many for Christ. Only few know of the many hours and labor John personally put into the camping ministry. After some have said that the camp property was too small or not effective, John continued to have a vision and continued to impact children and adults for Christ. Above is a picture of John sharing his heart for the camp ministry to my dad during our visit in Jan. 07.

John has impacted our lives with his love
for the ministry in the small towns located in the Elqui Valley.

We will always associate the Elqui Valley with John Prado's name. His heart for this difficult ministry was drilled into my heart during our visit with him. I am sorry we couldn't have made it to Chile faster, so that our family could have assisted in some small way with his ministry to this needy valley.

John has impacted our lives
with his social and friendly nature.

Simply put, John was always talking to somebody...young or old. His special ministry was to the MK's. He loved them dearly, and often would tell them funny stories, and buy them candy without their parent's permission. Kristi has fond memories of "Uncle John" and will miss him. If only our children could have been more exposed to Uncle John.

John has impacted our lives
with his constant and silly sense of humor.

John was genius at turning a phrase with English and Spanish.
You would always laugh around John. He was always a joke-ster.

The story behind the above picture is: When my dad and I were visiting John, he took us up the Elqui Valley to visit some towns and sites. He wanted us to see the statue of the Virgin Mary that overlooked the valley. While there he told us of the stories and superstitions of the people in how they actually believe that Mary protected the Valley and provided prosperity to the people.

During this rather serious talk, John started to get a bloody nose (signs of his illness). He stopped what he was saying and turned to the statue and jokingly asked Mary for forgiveness for saying bad things about her.

We ask you to pray with us for his wife, Helen, during these upcoming days as she goes through the grieving process and the transition to life without "Her Jonny".

We thank you, Father, for your servant, John Prado. He has been a faithful and humble servant for You for many years. We don't necessarily ask for him to come back from your Holy presence, but we desire to communicate our feelings of loss. He is with You now and we are confident in Your promise of Eternal Life to all who believe in Your Son, Jesus Christ. Guide and direct Helen's paths now as she continues to serve You.

May all who knew John remember to press on with the same fervour, heart, humor, and love that John fleshed out on a daily basis. In the wonderful name, and through the mighty blood of Your dear Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.