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Next to my own dad, Bro Gan was the only other father figure in my life that I could actually look up to. I saw him for the first time when I was 10. Until that time, I had been enamored with stories of this spiritual hero named 'Gan'. My dad always said he was a David to this generation's Goliaths. And I agree. At the 1994 Nasrapur Convention in India was when I first set eyes on this spiritual giant of a man with so much to tell us, so much to impart, that sometimes even words and gestures failed. As a little girl of 10 I had heard numerous sermons from many men of God, but at that Convention, the words that flowed from his mouth touched my heart and made me want to give my life to God. It was with some invisible fingers that the Lord reached out towards me through his messages and stirred me onto the path of everlasting life. There were many gatherings after that where I always treasured meeting him, unable to put into words the depth of my love and respect for him and his work. My dad, Bro Vally, came to know him in the 1980s and since then, he had been a constant source of inspiration and guidance to our family. When I was a bumbling teenager and had no one else to voice my doubts to, I went to him as a sounding board, and he helped me clear the clouds from my mind regarding many things. When I began witnessing to my friends, his books made me understand and put into words things I found hard to explain. As I turned into a woman and took on the responsibilities of a pastor's wife, I knew there was always someone I could turn to for guidance, advice, and counsel. As I began fighting against false doctrines and slanderings alongside my husband, I took comfort when I went through Bro Gan's testimonies and articles of all the opposing spirits he had faced in his time, and it gave me strength to know that he understood what it was like to struggle against the tide. While dealing with the youth, no question was too silly, no doubt too light for him to clarify. He always made us feel comfortable voicing our conflicts to him. I don't think he really understood the huge impact he had on me and many other young people of my generation. His teachings on the Logos, From Eternity to Eternity, Glory to glory, The Foundation and the Wall, and The New Jerusalem have a special place in my heart. His exposition on false teachings, his exhortations on strange winds of doctrine, and his strong campaign for the present Work of God being established in our days through the 5 Fold Ministry have managed to pull down many Jerichoian walls of our age. He was a strong motivator for those of us in ministry, honouring all those who sincerely labour for the Lord. When my husband Bro Shadrach Joseph began his All-India evangelization in 2014, many brethren in the message were skeptical of his vision. At that time, my mother saw a dream. In it she saw Bro Gan working in a field alongside my husband and some other Indian brothers. His clothes and hands were grimy with the mud from the field. He just wiped off his hands on his pants and continued working with us. It was a confirmation to us of the surety of the vision that had begun in our hearts that year, and Bro Gan in the course of time became our greatest supporter and encourager. Our dear Bro Gan had to bear a lot of criticism, belittling, and discouragement from those who came against his ministry, betrayals some, slanderings many, and was more often than not, misunderstood. Through it all he maintained his calm, his feet planted firmly on the Rock of Ages, always saying, "He who has called me is faithful. He is my defense. He is my refuge." He was always concerned about others, even in his suffering. Even when he was afflicted, I remember him asking about how my husband Shadrach was doing in physiotherapy. He was so concerned, it was heart warming. After recovering from Covid, when I told him I was losing my hair, he was so sad about it, he said, 'Don't u worry, I'm praying that it will all grow back.' and a little after that conversation, it started to grow back again. I lost my dad in 2011, and Bro Shadrach grew up without one. So Bro Gan was 'dad' for the both of us. As he grew older and his travels grew less, he turned his energies to upholding ministers and ministries all over the world with the power of prayer. He believed most reverently in the Power of the Holy Spirit and the restoring grace of The Spoken Word. He was a simple man of God, with simple tastes, humble in his knowledge of the Word, never putting on airs, never a diplomat, 'piercing even to the dividing asunder of the joints and marrow' when he had to, always ready with a word of advice and encouragement when we needed it, always prepared to help those in need, always ready with counsel and instruction, a strong soldier of the cross, contender of the faith, "a servant of God - thoroughly equipped for every good work." - a man of God with a beautiful heart. It was in March of this year that I told him, "Dad you aren't dying. You're going through Metamorphosis aren't you?" He laughed so much. And now he has! Left his pupa, and gone onto the next stage of metamorphosis before us. He always said he wondered what it would be like to fly, to float through dimensions without any limitations. Well, now he knows. He has left us all with 'Bro Gan - shaped holes' in our hearts, but he'll be rooting for us on the other side, I'm sure. Best of all He's with His Saviour, who he loved and served so much while on this earth. Rest in Peace Dad. Waiting to meet you again in glory.
Sis Benita Maria Joseph, |