I just got a call from my room mate in college, whom I haven't spoken to in several years. It was great to catch up with Brian and hear about his family. There are just some people that you can go years without seeing and feel like you pick up where you left off. It was great to hear from him, but after a few minutes, he told me why he was calling.
At UT in Knoxville, we were pretty involved in the Baptist Student Union with a lot of great friends. One of those friends was Bill Eubanks. He was just a great guy. Everyone's friend and would do anything for you. There are very few people that really care about others and are completely genuine with everything they say and do, but Bill was.
We spent 3 months in Ganado, Arizona together working with Native American people groups and their children. The day before we left, the news broke about the Henta Virus killing people within 24 hours of contracting it and Ganado was the hot bed. We were going with three other friends, Spencer, Elizabeth, and Kim and after some frantic calls, we all decided we still needed to go despite the danger. Each day we would put on baseball clinics for the local kids and then put on a children and youth ministry at a local Presbyterian church. I have to say that it was one of the best times of my life.
One of my fondest memories of Bill happened when we were getting ready to head out for some sight seeing. He was one of the neatest people I had ever know. Every thing had creases in it. You never saw a wrinkle and I think he was the only person that brought an iron with him on the trip. While we were getting ready to head out, he couldn't get the flap that covered the zipper of his shorts to lay flat so, instead of taking them off like any sane person would do, he just plugged in the iron and ironed them while he was wearing them! How completely nuts is that! I took plenty of pictures and had plenty of laughs.
Like so many other friends from the past, I lost touch when life happened. We all moved to different parts of the country and got involved in our careers and families and stopped catching up. Bill became a missionary with the International Mission Board and then the North American Mission Board of the SBC and worked all over the continent.
At 35, Bill was diagnosed with colorectal cancer after a missed diagnosis a year earlier and was apparently given 6 months to live. He died last week and the funeral was last Saturday. There are events in life that make you completely stop in your tracks, forgetting every other thing in your life that has your attention as you try to wrap your mind around the news you've just received. The rush of memories, the feelings of regret for losing touch, the absolute disbelief that this could possibly be happening, and all the things that you wish you could do for the family left behind.
I will miss you, my friend. We learned to eat Frito Nachos with mustard together. Snuck past security at the medical compound in Ganado after curfew together. Met with the CDC together. Loved some kids that had noone else to love them together. And taught each other about friendship and ministry. I always thought we would reconnect and do life together once again. I'm sad that God had another plan but so incredibly thankful that he promised you life forever with Him in heaven. It is an honor to have known you and to continue telling people about God's love with the same commitment that you had. I don't know when I'll see you again, but I will one day and I look forward to catching up.
