By Tim Cyr
Last fall I had the privilege of getting to know John Gjertsen. It started with us playing a game called “The Fury of Dracula,” which then ended up becoming my favorite game that has been created. As much fun as the game was, I also loved what we called “Monday Night Fury” because I got to spend time with John, and also get to know new people that we would play with that I had not met before. We played just about every Monday night, and the game would never get old, and I started to get to know John a lot better. The more I got to know him (and the more I realized just how awesome he was), the more I started wanting to be like him. He had become one of my best role models. Then January of 2010 came, and at this point sweet little Valor had been born, and the woman’s Bible started not meeting since they had finished their Beth Moore study. So we started to play Dracula only every once in awhile. I found myself with absolutely nothing to do on Monday nights, and kind of found how boring they were.
Then the woman’s Bible study picked up again with a new study, and so I thought we would start playing again. We did play, but still it was only a once in awhile kind of thing. Weeks later the Gjertsens went to NC after telling my family they had news they did not want to share with us. At this point I immediately new they were leaving, whether it is just a feeling I had, or maybe it was the fact I had just found out that my youth pastor/mentor was leaving, I do not know. Anyway they came back with the news, and it was like a gun shot to the chest (not that I would know what that feels like, but I’ve seen movies). I found myself alone in tears one night thinking about what I would do when I lost the two people I looked up to the most, besides my dad. Luckily, as odd as this might sound, my friend lost his truck, spent about two weeks shopping unsuccessfully for a new vehicle, and then I wanted to encourage him by giving him a good verse from Job, and while I was reading I thought about John leaving and I realized God was taking him out of my life the way he took all of Job’s possessions. I never realized how much Job could encourage me in times like these, but I’m glad I found out, and I know God will use the Gjertsens in NC, possibly in a way he could not use them here. While I hate the fact they’re leaving, I’m happy they have a missions opportunity somewhere else. I wish them good luck, and pray they would always look to God in stressful times.
