Rogers Update - 5/29/13
May 29, 2013
Dear Friends,
On Sunday morning, during Memorial Day weekend, my Dad, Iley Rogers, went home to Heaven. He was ninety years old. His home going was just over five months from when mom entered Heaven on Christmas morning. Dad had commented to me (shortly after mom’s funeral) that he didn’t understand why Martha (my mom) got to go to Heaven and he had to stay behind. Now, Dad is enjoying the Savior, experiencing the presence of God. He has had the joy of seeing Mom again as well as brothers, his sister, and others in the family.
Dad was born in a log cabin in Kentucky. He was born again at age nine. He grew up hunting squirrels and rabbits and running bare foot through the woods. Although, he only had a sixth grade education, he was one of the wisest individuals I have known. Dad was a hard worker like many in his generation. He spent long hours in the cold as a mechanic to provide for his family. I remember Dad helping me stack hay bales when he was in his late seventies. He also lived with a humble attitude. I once shared with him that I hoped when I had children, I would be as good a parent as he was. Dad responded, “I’m praying that you will be better.”
Both Mom and Dad loved the Lord and taught their children to love the Lord. Most important was their teaching through their lives. They lived out a practical everyday Christianity that will always influence my life before God. I grew up thinking that all Christian families enjoyed life in Christ as we did. Later, I would learn that others were not always so fortunate.
Dad passing to Heaven on Memorial Day weekend was very fitting. During World War II, he served in the Navy, and joined the Air Force afterward. (I was born on Edwards Air Force Base in California.) Dad told me of several times he almost died during World War II. During battle, he manned an anti-aircraft gun on his ship. One day he was taking a nap on deck during a break, when he thought he heard heavy rain on deck. He woke up to discover enemy air craft fire hitting all around him. He ran for cover and slipped on the deck that had just been mopped. He slid into a steel wall and split his helmet open. He felt that it was better to lose the helmet than his head! Another time, he was below deck when an explosion hit near him and some other sailors. Water started pouring in, flooding the compartment quickly. They were unable to get the hatch doors open in time. Every one of them concluded that they were going to die. Dad prayed and told the Lord he was coming up to Heaven. However, every fourth compartment on the ship had an escape hatch. One of the sailors looked up and discovered that their compartment did have the escape hatch. They all climbed out quickly. Another dangerous time was when his ship was bringing tanks and equipment to Normandy on D-Day. (Dad was at every major landing in Europe and Africa.) On D-Day his ship was supplying both Utah and Omaha beach with military equipment. On one occasion, their ship missed the tide and was stuck on the beach for eight hours. The enemy artillery shelled them the whole time, but when the tide returned eight hours later, they sailed away without sinking. After listening to these stories, I said, “Wow, Dad, it was a wonder I was even born!”
We’ve known for awhile that Dad’s condition was becoming very difficult for him. The doctors were pretty certain he now had cancer in the lungs along with his other health issues. Treatment for his cancer was not practical. It would probably kill him to treat him. The most difficult part of Dad’s illness was the pain. Pain medicine did not bring much relief.
When my sister, Judy, called on Sunday morning to let me know that Dad had gone to Heaven, we discussed the funeral. We both recognized that I would not be attending. Years ago, when I first started traveling to various places around the world, my parents shared with me that they did not want me to leave any ministry for a funeral if it would be a detriment to that ministry. After talking with Judy, Beabea and I also discussed if we should leave FortYukon with five more weeks left to minister here. (We are scheduled to leave Alaska on the eighth of July.) If we left now, it would be difficult financially to return and finish our time here. Beabea has graciously left it up to me, and I am convinced that we are where God would have us be as we serve in this village above the Arctic Circle. So much is developing here for us. We are building relationships and becoming involved in people’s lives. We have no peace to leave early. I know with all my heart that my parents would not want me to do so. I would appreciate prayer for me and the rest of our family at this time. I will miss Dad, but I am very much relieved that he no longer has the constant pain of his condition in this world.
The funeral service will be Thursday, May 30th, at 1:00 PM in the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona, located at 23029 North Cave Creek Road, Phoenix, AZ 85024. The family has asked that instead of flowers, financial gifts be given in memory of Iley Rogers to the Iley Rogers Memorial Fund at Barnabas Enrichment Ministries (see address below) for the ministry of John & Beabea Rogers.
What’s happening in FortYukon? Many of you have been praying for the ice breakup on the Yukon River. There was some flooding in the village, but it didn’t come near us. We did house some people in the church building temporarily, but they have returned home now. Most of the danger is now past. There is still some risk, but the whole village breathed a sigh of relief when the major flooding did not happen. The ice jam upriver did not break lose all at once which would have been a disaster (from a human perspective). Instead, a small section of the ice broke loose, letting the water pass more slowly. There is a positive feeling in the village that God protected them, and that is an open door for us. We had a special Wednesday Prayer Service where we discussed together why bad things happen and what does God’s Word teach.
Walking God’s path, holding His hand,
John (and Beabea) Rogers
7265 West 320 South
Russiaville, IN46979
(765) 319-3090
Commissioning Church:
Shepherd Road Baptist Church
P.O. Box 1054
Mulberry, FL 33860
Barnabas Enrichment Ministries
P.O. Box 229
Elkhart, IN46515-0229
(765) 667-2532
Please send all financial gifts to Barnabas Enrichment Ministries with a note designating the gift for the ministry of John & Beabea Rogers.
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