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Funeral Program |
Testimonials - Part 1
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Testimonials - Part 2
A Message from Janey Abraham:
Vinoo was my loving husband, my best friend, and
Baby Micah’s father.
Vinoo was a very simple man. He had no desires
to be like anyone else or have what everyone else had. Usually
whatever I bought him for his birthday or for our anniversary
ended up sitting on our dresser because it was too fancy for
him. I once bought him a watch with leather straps, but it was
still a little too much for him and he was still very fond of
his large digital black strapped watch. For some things, he
just couldn’t change and for others it took him a long time to
get used to.
He never sought to be popular or famous. He
loved to hang out with the people closest to him and dear to his
heart. He never wanted to miss out when there was a gathering
in any place. He loved to joke around, tell stories and laugh.
He didn’t just hang out with the young people, he
had no reservation in spending time with anyone of any age,
among family or friends. He could have an in-depth conversation
with someone who was years older than him just as he could with
the small children. I have seen him frequently giving undivided
attention to his nieces.
He was a very generous man. He cared for anyone
who was in need. He would not hesitate to give money to those
in need, even though we really didn’t have much. When people
owed him money, he never went to them and asked for the money
back. He always volunteered to pay for expenses for people in
need.
Vinoo was very strong in his faith. He never
wavered or lost faith in Jesus. He made Jesus the Lord of his
life. It never ceased to amaze me how Vinoo was so free when He
was in God’s presence. During any prayer meeting, he would get
on his knees, pray in the Spirit, clap and raise his hands.
Every morning, he would pray before going to school, work or
church. It was never a long prayer, but it was a sincere prayer
that came from his heart. He especially prayed for his family,
the dear ones who were sick and in need, for those who needed to
be saved and for the strength to go through each day. Every
morning, he would always read a small portion of Scripture. He
especially loved the Psalms and read it everyday.
From a very young age Vinoo loved planes. It was
his dream to be a pilot. He knew all about planes, the many
different kinds there are. As a hobby, he collected many model
airplanes. Though he studied computer network engineering, and
worked at a communications company, he left all of that and
decided to pursue his dream. He loved planes so much that our
screensaver on our computer were only pictures of planes and
over the last three years he must have saved over a thousand
pictures of planes. I used to complain that he didn’t even have
pictures of Micah on his screensaver.
Vinoo loved his family so much. He was always
willing to drop whatever he had to go and visit his Mom and
Dad. Even after he left home, he still made his parent’s place
his home. He treated his family and house as if he had never
left home. He always had time for his brother, Vineet. Anytime
Vineet would ask Vinoo for help, he never hesitated to say yes.
He would drop whatever he was doing to so that he could go and
help Vineet. He loved his Mom, Dad and Vineet so much and so
dearly with all his heart. In the last week before he passed
away, except for one night, he went to visit his parents and
brother every night.
Vinoo loved Micah so much. He used to always say
that we were so blessed to have such a good and happy baby. For
several days, in the days before he passed away, he would take
Micah outside. He spent time talking to Micah, showing him the
flowers, trees and the cars driving by. It was amazing how
Micah loved his father too. Sometimes Micah would just look at
his father and smile or laugh. Vinoo didn’t have to do much to
make Micah laugh. Just looking at him was enough to make him
laugh. Vinoo loved to talk about how he was growing and what
new thing he did every week. He was very proud of him and loved
to show Micah to everyone who saw him. Vinoo also knew that God
would take care of him. He trusted and believed that Micah was
in His hands.
Our short three years of married life was
wonderful. I very affectionately called him my Darling and he
would call me Jane or his Sweetheart. He used to tell me that
he knew, from the age of sixteen when he came to Canada, that
one day he would marry me. Honestly, when I was a teenager I
didn’t even think twice about him. But God gave me a love for
him. We were very much in love with each other. Though we had
our share of disagreements and arguments we always made up and
apologized to each other soon after. It was very hard to be mad
at him for a long time. He was very loving and always wanted
the best for me. If we didn’t have the money for something I
would have liked to have, he would always say, “God willing, in
the future when we have more money I’ll get you that.” Anything
he would get for me was always the best kind. He always bought
for me what we needed and if it was within our budget what we
wanted as well.
Before we got married, he thought I was quiet,
neat and organized. But he was in for a surprise. I was very
different than he expected; I was so crazy around him because I
loved him so much, and definitely not neat! Often I asked him,
“Do you have regrets marrying me?” He would always say “No”
with a big smile.
We’ve shared experiences as a couple where we had
to only rely and trust in God. God brought us to a time in our
married life, where we had a large financial need. At that
time, we couldn’t ask our parents to help us because they
couldn’t and we had decided that we weren’t going to use the
credit card to pay for our need. We could only look to God to
provide for what we needed. Miraculously, God gave just a
little bit over what we needed to pay for the expense that we
needed. Many times, when I was sick, he would lay his hands on
me and pray for my healing. And likewise, when he wasn’t
feeling well, he would ask me to pray for him.
We shared many conversations together. One time
he asked me if I loved him more than I loved God. I couldn’t
answer. I knew that I loved him more than I loved God. He told
me that I needed to love God more than I loved him. That was
how strong he was in his faith. I know he loved God more than
he loved me.
While married we had the chance to travel and
visit many places, such as India, Jamaica, Newfoundland, New
York, Philadelphia, Washington, and Kingston. We did everything
together. We went through many experiences together in the three
years we were married, including having a baby. We did so many
things in such a short time, more than what most people do in
maybe 10 years. On August 9th, 2006, we were supposed to celebrate
our third wedding anniversary.
In the last few days after Vinoo passed away, I
was wondering as to whether Vinoo was really ready to go. After
hearing stories about Vinoo from many people and remembering and
seeing the hand of God over many things that has happened
recently I know Vinoo was ready to go. It’s really weird how
Vinoo’s plane collided with another plane on such a beautiful,
clear day. It’s strange how it happened in that space of
all the massive sky and at that millisecond. Many may say
it’s a coincidence, a freak accident, but I believe that it was
planned by God. I believe that it was the way God wanted
to take him. He was doing what he dreamed of doing and
what he loved doing the best. I take comfort in knowing
that he didn’t suffer and that it was instantaneous. I
know many may be questioning God and asking why did you take
away a husband from a young wife and a father away from a small
baby. But I am asking God and want all of you to ask to
God, what do you want to teach me from his life? What are
you trying to tell me or show me? Are you
trying to get my attention to focus on You? What blessing are
you going to do for me now? God is not trying to hurt us, He is
trying to do only what is best for all of us because He loves us
so much.
I know Vinoo is with the Saviour he loved more
than me. It is such a loss for Micah and myself. It’s going to
be so hard in the next long while. It’s going to be so
different for me. I know I’m going to miss him so much
especially when I’m lonely. I just want to ask you all to
continue to pray for us. We very much value all your support,
love, comfort and prayers. It has been so helpful. Thank you.
Janey
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A Message from Vineet Abraham:
My brother Vinoo, or “Acha” (short for “Achacha”), was basically
everything to me. He was older by 4 years, and ever since I was
a baby, he took the responsibility of taking care of me. He was
more of a father figure in my life, than a brother. There are
countless stories I could share. However, I would just like to
share a few things about his character in regards to our
relationship.
He was unselfish – he would drop everything for me and help me
out whenever I needed him. The time or place didn’t matter. I
could give him a call late at night and tell him that I needed
some company for a ride and never did he hesitate, even after he
was married and became a father. He somehow always had time for
‘us’. We enjoyed the times we spent together as brothers, and
would often make the time to get away from our busy lives. We
definitely had and needed to do things in a ‘just the two of us’
kind of way.
He was confident. And the source of his confidence was God.
With this confidence came extreme braveness – hence the decision
to fly. Most of the time, I fed off his confidence; as long as
I knew he was around, I was fine with whatever stunts I pulled
in life. Any trouble I got myself into, or any problem I had to
encounter, he was my God given answer. At the end of the day,
he would help me with all the various issues of life.
He loved his family and friends. Since he had this selfless
love, he would do anything for his family and friends. He loved
to hang around with us. (Something that I’m still learning to
do and appreciate.) Ever since he passed away, thing have been
totally dead at home. Our family always felt full when he came
home, and oh the days I would just be waiting for him to come,
since that’s when both of us would crack jokes and make our
parents and anyone around laugh. I don’t do solos. Many people
said that they enjoyed coming to our house just to see our
family interact with each other and show love. I can’t believe
he is gone!
It was about two years ago that I realized how precious our
relationship was and how lucky we were to have each other as
brothers. And it was at the pinnacle of our relationship, that
God took him. Just the night before he passed away, we spent
time together, looking at some pictures, and having tons of fun,
as usual. I was playing around with his bald head, rubbing it
with my hand. At that moment, I realized that I really did not
deserve someone like him to be my brother. I could never pay
him back for all the awesome things he did for me – selfless
love.
I believe one of the reasons God perfected Acha and took him
home quickly was because some people loved him so much and
needed him every moment. When you love someone so much, more than God, and when you
rely on someone, putting your confidence on them, rather than
God, God will take that out of your life. I’ve seen that in
other people’s lives and now in mine. He is a jealous God.
However, I thank God that He is a friend that sticks closer than
a brother. “It is well, It is well, with my soul!!”
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FAMILY
Reena Rachel
I am Vinoo's cousin, Reena, much
older than he, but we got the privilege of growing up together
in Kuwait which was our second home as we spent a major part of
our life over there. Lovely memories loomed up when I got
to visit Toronto with my family last month. Every nook and
corner of the house seemed to evoke wonderful memories of Vinoo
who had a hand in everything. The time spent with his
parents, wife, son and brother made me realize that Vinoo was a
young man who left an indelible impression in the hearts of all
those who loved him and those who he loved.
Little Micah's innocent smile and
babblings touched our heart. My daughter remarked that
Vinooachachen left a beautiful gift for us in his memory.
The fact that he spent his short life well and fruitful makes us
realize that though snatched away at the prime of his life, he
has left memories worth remembering and worthy of emulating.
We can't question our Creator who has the right to give and take
away . Let's comfort ourselves with the fact that He nurtured a
beautiful flower in the garden of Earth and plucked it when He
thought that it had served its purpose. May God give the
family courage and confidence to keep his memories a glowing.
Usha Philipose
Vinoo is my cousin's son and so in a way, I am his aunt. To me,
Vinoo personified the word 'gentleman' - the perfect son,
perfect brother, perfect husband and finally a perfect dad! In
hindsight, I guess Vinoo had perfected his life on this earth in
every role. My last meeting with him was at my home, and as 3
generations of that family walked in, their happiness, unity and
above all their strong faith in God was a sight to behold! I
know Vinoo was a believer and he is in the presence of his
Creator. Micah will grow strong in that knowledge. No words can
provide comfort to Janey and the whole family; only God can do
that and I know He will.
Jobby John & Bijuna John
Vinoo was a kind and loving
soul. Always kind and patient. I know i have lost a dear brother
and it reminds me once more of how little time we have in this
world. His life is a testimony of faith.
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FAMILY
FRIENDS
Britto Family
Dearest family in God, How can one humanly replace the moments
of all Vinoo has been sharing with each and all of us - his
family, his friends and with whom-so-ever he was led to share
his life - with our family - it's a blessing to have met him -
with " All
what he was brought up with - the love, goodness, his joys, all
the countless blessings he has shared by his presence " - which
each of you have shared here too about Vinoo.
Vinoo is as The Bible says is in God’s presence "is fullness of
joy" (Psalm 16:11).
Our God, "Jehovah the Good" in Psalm 145:5-9. Since God is love,
then He must be perfect and complete in loving us in the way
described in these verses (1 Corinthians 13:4, 7, 8). God
"endures long" with you. He is "patient" with you and "kind" to
you. God is "ever ready to believe the best" about you.
For we have need of endurance - in this time of loss, so that
when we have done the will of God, we may receive what was
promised" (Hebrews 10: 35-36) We have the privilege of serving a
good and loving GOD. And what a privilege it is!
Since God is Our Loving Father in Heaven - we as HIS children
will cry out our sorrows,and continue to Praise and Thank HIM
for Vinoo's precious time with us - till we learn HIS joys
again.
Dearest Family - we are with you in this journey of life - as we
Pray "Dear Lord Almighty GOD of Abraham, Isaac and Moses -
please be with us - fill our hearts of all needs by your Holy
Spirit we beg each and every moment - let us not despair for any
reason in the name of your beloved son Lord Jesus for your Glory
Alleluia Amen."
Jobin & Nisha John
I only knew
Vinoo for short time while my wife went to the same school with
him while he was in Kuwait.
It was last Christmas that he invited me and my wife to their
baby shower. I was actually surprised he invited us but
recalled that at a wedding reception he said "we'll have to get
together sometime"
Honest to a fault Vinoo made sure we were invited. I think
that's what stood out for me about Vinoo. Sincerity, generosity
and a true love for others.
I also remember it wasn't long before our night's conversation
got into flying and planes. He was very passionate about it and
I admired that a lot.
I was looking forward to getting to know him better. My wife
and I are truly sorry to not get that chance now. He will be
missed greatly.
But we know that he is in heaven and one day we will meet our
friend again and continue our conversation.
Jobin & Nisha John
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CHURCH
Jacob, Gregory and Denise Guiang
Vinoo was a kind and gracious gentleman. Anytime
he saw our family he would always make it a point to greet us in
a warm and friendly manner. He would inquire about the welfare
of our family...especially Michael and Jacob. His thoughtfulness
was unending...for example, without being asked, preparing a
cubicle so that Jacob and I would be more comfortable. We will
miss Vinoo's open and friendly demeanour. His humble and caring
spirit was an example to us all. His life was a beautiful
testimony of the love of Jesus. We pray that God will continue
to shower his blessings on his family.
Jenet & Joy Poopalan
We want to thank God for the exemplary life led
by our dear friend Vinoo. Although it was a short life, he
lived a full life with many accomplishments. If we could
describe him in a few words, I would say Vinoo was a genuine,
dedicated and a compassionate person with a consistently good
character. We do admire him for the life he has led in this
world and definitely leaving behind an example so all of us
could follow in his footsteps. According to Psalms 37:37, God
saw him as a perfect man and found it fit to take him Home. At
this time we want to extend our love, prayers and support to
Janey, Micah and to the Oommen & Abraham families.
Jason Jacob
I have been blessed to know Vinoo….and have fond
memories of him. Vinoo was genuine in all walks of his life. He
was one of the first who made the effort to get to know me when
I was new to this church. He had this smile and charisma that
made me feel comfortable like I had known him forever even if it
was just the first time. I remember the barbeques for his
younger’s brother birthday and the basketball games and the
laughter from the fellowship that we brothers had. Vinoo was a
vital part in making that happen and in doing so kept the
collective fire strong….He loved his family especially his
younger brother…He would have done anything for him....He didn’t
look for any praise or glory for himself but wanted to see
happiness in others.
Vinoo was one of the few that had the strongest
walk with God. It was a big part in his life. He has found
eternal peace free from the cares of this world. I am still
coming to grips with how real this situation has become and how
death has hit so close to my heart. While I am deeply sad, he
is gone, I am encouraged by the thought that he is in a better
place. I want to strive to take the same spiritual path that
Vinoo did and meet him and Jesus if God wills it in my life. I
know Vinoo would have wanted us to not waver in our faith in a
midst of confusion that arose from this tragic accident. I have
been tempted to ask God why? The more questions I am left with.
I know God’s plan is not to be questioned but to be a part of –
no matter if it is good or bad. I thank God for having known my
brother – Vinoo and pray to God at the same time for peace in
the heart and rest for the soul from any suffering.
Vinoo – I am going to miss you old friend. I wish
I could have talked to you a little longer the last time we met.
If I had seen the future, I probably would have never ended our
conversation. Therefore, I am not saying good bye and ending it
now but see you soon in God’s time where we can pick up where we
left off. This is a new eternal beginning for you with no end.
You ran your race faithfully. I hope I can do the same too. Give
my regards to all the saints. Love…….your brother in Christ……
Jason
Betsy and Niju Koshy
There are a lot of things we would like to share
about Vinoo. A few things about him is that he had a good sense
of humor,very helpful and had interests in maintaining a good
relationship with everyone he came across.
We will always remember to clap our hands loud in church.
Vinoo and Janey were among the family members who came to the
Airport after midnight of Oct 3, 2005 to receive us when we
first came to Canada; then once we travelled together to
Kingston, where I (Niju) spent most of the time with him and I
have one of the rarest pictures of him lying under a huge tree
(he actually wanted to take the picture from the bottom of the
tree, in a different angle) thats how I came to know how he had
a vision of seeing things from a differerent angle. at that time
he lost his present
cellphone in the conservation area where we were playing ball
and feeding birds. We searched the whole conservation area and
at last we found it with an old lady, who spoke to him in an
unpleasant way, but Vinoo just grinned and thanked the lady. I
had the oppurtunity to be the official photographer of Vinoo and
Janey's baby shower, and he thanked me calling me "PAPPARAZZI"
how he used to call me often.
He was the one who persuaded Benson to buy his present vehicle
just like his.Vinoo and Janey arranged and organized Blessy's
baby shower, taking Betsy along with them, which was a great
succsess and which we can never forget. Vinoo and Janey helped
Benson and Blessy a lot during Blessy's pregnancy and after
Joshsua's birth
He was the only person who told us that he would like to stay
overnight in our apartment in Kitchener after he came back from
Convention
Though the days we spend with him were least among all the
relatives we had a strong relationship
He is deeply missed by all of us
Niju & Betsy
Benson, Blessy, and Joshua John
Our fondest memories of Vinoo is him and his
coke. Recently Vinoo and his family were at our home. My
parents came in at that time with groceries. He went to help
and went directly for a bag of rice and case of coke, and walked
in one in each hand. He was a very loving and simple man who
always had time for his family and church. We will miss him a
lot especially when we go to Mandarin and Le Biftheque.
We will miss you a lot Vinoo and we know you are
in a better place. See you there.
Jaison (Finny) John
Vinoo was a person who I always looked up to as
an example. He always carried himself with simplicity and
maturity. My dearest memories of him goes back to a time, when
through a personal experience he taught me the meaning of
“Jehovah Jireh”.
Shawn Jacob
Every time I think about Vinoo, all I can say
is..."What a guy". He had an exceptional character, corny but
lovable humour, an unmistakable but humble presence, and
rock-hard faith in God. I began to know and admire Vinoo during
the summer of 1996, when I used to go over to their house for
sleep-overs almost everyday. Vineet and I, had become close
friends since then, and from that time, I've looked at Vinoo as
an older brother.
As the years went by, I saw how mature and
level-minded of a person Vinoo was. He would promptly take over
any task at home that needed to be done; always there for his
family. He was a person who loved his family superbly and loved
his brother unconditionally. Since I used to always be at their
place, I would see the arguments that Vinoo and Vineet would get
into, but after a few minutes it would all be forgotten and they
would continue on like nothing ever happened. During all those
years, I can’t remember a time when he argued with his parents;
he treated them with the utmost respect. As far as I could see,
he was a firm foundation for his family to rely on. They always
had the confidence, as did I, that Vinoo knows how to take of
anything that might come in their way.
He was a great cook and especially loved to
barbeque. Vinoo and Vineet hosted countless barbeques at their
place over the years and Vinoo was always in the forefront of
those. He would always be around the barbeque, taste testing a
little bit here and there, and we would joke that after Vinoo
finished barbequing, only half the food that went in, would come
out. He was a guy that you joke around and poke fun at so much,
but would always take it in stride and smile. He would try every
once in a while to say something back, but would usually get put
down. But he didn’t mind, he would still smile and then tell you
to shutup.
After he was married, I saw a man who loved his
wife with a perfect love. They were always going places
together, doing things together and just, always together. Even
after their three years of marriage this didn’t change; he loved
just as much if not more than when they had just gotten married.
I still remember how excited Vinoo was, when he
found out that he was going to be a dad. He kept telling me how
he couldn’t believe it and didn’t know what he was going to do
or how he was going to bring up a child. But after little Micah
was born, he took over his role of parenthood like he’d had 10
children. I’ve never seen a guy who loved his boy so much.
During the first few weeks of Micah’s birth, loads of people
came to visit, and Vinoo would proudly present his son. Janey
would tell me how quickly Vinoo took over the role of lovingly
changing Micah’s diapers like he’s done it so many times before
and fed him and burped him and put him to sleep. When I had gone
over there during that time, he had the biggest smile on his
face and he kept saying, “That’s my boy, that’s my boy.” He
loved him so much. I am so thankful that Vinoo was able to leave
a little Vinoo, who’s already a mirror image of his father,
which we could always look to remember Vinoo by.
Another memory I have of Vinoo is his love for
planes and flying. He had tons of model planes and pictures of
model planes in his room and all over the basement. Any plane
that we saw fly by, he would be able to tell you exactly what
plane it was, it’s specifications, applications, and
limitations. He knew anything and everything about planes. His
love for flying was only superseded by his love for God, his
family and his wife and child. When I found out that Vinoo was
going to flight school, I was so happy for him. As his dad said,
it was his dream since he was a child to fly a plane. He was
able to fulfill that dream before he left this world and I am so
thankful for that.
One more thing that I can’t leave out is his love
for God. Over the years I had glimpses of Vinoo’s walk with God
and how it matured to the level of perfection that God found fit
to take him home. Back in the day, I remember Vinoo used to sit
during the tarrying meetings and pray for a little bit and then
stop and maybe look around and then pray for a little bit more.
But the last few years, I would see him really crying out and
praying continually during the meeting. Every Sunday, you could
see him sing and praise God, lifting up his hands and truly
worshipping God; he was a spiritual father and husband, who
fully put his life and family and plans into God’s hand, and God
respected that and perfected him and took him to be with him.
Vinoo has a left an amazing testimony for all of
us -- of a person with remarkable faith and love,
characteristics that we must try to attain in our personal
lives. I’ve always loved him as a brother and still always will.
What a guy.
Shawn
Kevin Joy and Shannon Jacob
As the young brothers of this Church, we all saw Vinoo as a
fatherly figure towards us. He would often give the younger ones
advice as to what we were to do, whether it was in the Church,
or not. He also was a brotherly figure towards the youth as he
would always be laughing and sharing jokes with us. His
love of flying and aviation was always shared with us, whether
it was educational or humorous. His kind-heartedness and sense
of humor will be some of the values that will be missed in the
Church. Vinoo will greatly be missed by all.
Kevin Joy and Shannon Jacob
Tanya and Louisa Varatharajan
We will always remember Vinoo for:
His unique sense of humour – Showing up at the
Faith Home for dinner when he ran out of restaurant options.
We will always remember Vinoo for:
For his concern – Giving priority to other’s
needs before attending to his own. We are so thankful for the
countless rides Vinoo has given us to and from school and work
despite his busy schedule. Vinoo always wanted to pick us up on
time so that we didn’t have to wait for too long. That is
something we will never forget because many times we told him to
take his time but he insisted he would be there and we would
only have to wait a couple of minutes at the most.
We will always remember Vinoo for:
For his spontaneous visits to the doorstep which
always kept us attentive for that “knock on the door.” That
“knock on the door” led to an action that blessed so many people
and even gave us an opportunity to be a part of his ministry.
Vinoo was faithful in doing his ministry every week, even until
his last moments as he had planned to come to the Faith Home
after his training. On Friday August 4, 2006, we were waiting
for Vinoo at the door as mom insisted he will be here any moment
however, it so happened he had a better place to go to that
day.
There are many cherished trademark moments our
family had with Vinoo. We will never forget his ability to
lecture on infamous topics such as insects, or to share his
knowledge on any random topic that came up at the spur of the
moment, or for being the first one to inform us with the latest
“top of the hour world news,” or for the initiative and
leadership he demonstrated in the Uganda project, or for being
the person you could always call when you need help because
Vinoo was the type of person who was always willing to lend a
helping hand.
Tanya & Louisa
Daniel, David and Vania Kurikesu (Detroit)
Even though the times we spent with Vinoo were
few and far between they were always enjoyable. Vinoo was a
real easygoing down to earth guy and around him you could be
free to be yourself. Even though he was just a few years older
than us, his knowledge and maturity made it seem like he was
much older. Unlike ourselves, he would never behave improperly
or make an inappropriate comment. He was always humble,
genuine, well mannered, and an example for us younger youth.
Above all, Vinoo will be remembered for his unselfish love for
Janey, Micah, and the rest of his family.
Our last memory of Vinoo was at this past
convention. There, Vinoo was eager to share his experiences in
flight school and his dream of becoming a pilot in the airline
industry. He had so much to say about being a new father and
all his experiences with Micah.
We thank God for the life of Vinoo and for the
example he set for all of us.
Love,
Daniel, David & Vania
Jerry Philipose
I clearly remember meeting Vinoo for the first
time when his family emigrated to Canada. I looked at him and
estimated his age at much more than it was, thinking him to be
far ahead of my high-school years, perhaps in the later years of
a University career or maybe having already graduated and
joining the work force. The surprise was mine when I learned
that he was a just shy of a year younger than me, and that we
would be starting the same year of high school. From that time,
he would just laugh when I tried to advantage of my position as
the elder, insisting that he had to call me “Achachen”. In
spite of the dates, he was definitely the more responsible,
mature and godly of the two of us, and I regarded him as my
elder…
Our camaraderie really only began shortly after,
during his first Youth Camp. As some of the young brothers in
the church may recall, due to some misunderstanding Vinoo had
arrived somewhat ill-prepared for the 10-day event. I was able
to lend him some items that he needed, and he repaid me in kind
with his friendship. We spent the remainder of the days in
fairly constantly in each other’s company, and returned home
with many comic events and stories that served to cement our
friendship…
Looking back, I can recall the many times we
discussed various decisions and events that life brought our
way. I remember the time we both decided to leave home; I went
to San Francisco and he went to Windsor. I remember his
uncertainty, but also his confidence and trust in God. At that
time, I wasn’t so sure that he had made a good choice, and I was
doubtful of how things would turn out for him. However,
whenever we had the chance to catch up during these times away
from Toronto, I realized that my doubts were unfounded, and that
his life was one of uncompromising faith in God…
I recall the time after he finished his schooling
when for a spell he was unable to find employment. He was
considering a position that required him to be in good physical
form. At that time, he began to train, and he surprised me with
his perseverance. He kept at it in spite of others’ teasing
(good-natured as it was), and achieved a measure of success.
But of course, as Vinoo never bothered himself with anything
unnecessary, once he landed another job, the physical training
was no longer a priority…
From then on, the events comprising the major
stepping stones in his life came almost continuously. I
remember the excitement in his voice the day he called me at
school to say that he and Janey were getting engaged. I
remember his happiness on the day he and Janey were married. I
remember his beaming face when he and Janey told me that they
were expecting a child. And I remember the pride and joy on his
face when he displayed Micah to me for the first time, holding
him in his arms…
Recently, some of the church youth were
discussing that Vinoo had accomplished far more in his 26+ years
than we would or had within the same span of time, with respect
to family, career, and most importantly, his walk with God.
Vinoo usually kept me in the loop about his various endeavors
and projects, but it came as a surprise to me, when this past
Sunday we were told of his active involvement in ministry to the
poor, both financially and in the distribution of food.
The Bible says in Matthew 6: 3,4:
3 But when thou doest
alms let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth,
4
That thine alms may be in secret. And thy father which seeth in
secret himself shall reward thee openly.
This, then, is our greatest joy. We rejoice in
knowing that he lived not only in the pursuit of his dream, nor
yet that he lived with care and affection toward his friends and
family, but we rejoice also in knowing that he lived his life
for God. More than all his accomplishments in this life, we
know Vinoo will be rewarded eternally by the Father for his
labour for the kingdom of God…
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Index
|
Funeral Program |
Testimonials - Part 1
|
Testimonials - Part 2
|
