Friday, August 7, 2015

A tribute to Roy Vasquez

I have great memories of Roy. He was my neighbor for several years. It all started from when he invited me to the prayer meetings on Tuesday nights at First Assembly of God on Mountain View Ave in 1999. I was helping Jon L. with the office work for the youth group on Tuesday Mornings. Roy said if I would stay for prayer, he would buy me some tacos.  When he came back to the church,  we talked in the foyer and he presented me with two tacos for me and two for him that he bought at Jack in the Box. I was thankful for the tacos, but those were the greasiest tacos.  Yet he loved eating them which made me laugh.

There were times that I would bring my lunch and eat it on the stairs outside of the church that were located on the side building.  Roy and Woody would walk by because they were always working around the church.  One time they saw me eating cucumbers along with my lunch . They each laughed and told me that what I was eating was rabbit food and I need to eat bigger meals. (I was trying to eat healthy meals).

I would laugh when Roy would talk about his lunch. Before he was married,  he often ate his so-called burritos. He would put any leftovers in a tortilla, including spaghetti, and call it a burrito.

Then there was this time that I poured my heart out to the members in the prayer meetings and tell them of the horrible physical pain I was going through. The next day, Roy told me that he could actually feel the pain that I was going through in my jaw for a few seconds that last night. He said God had him  experience it so he knew how to pray for me more. I don't want anyone to suffer like I do, but it meant so much to me that he did. I saw so much compassion and sympathy in my brother's eyes. 

I had this amazing dream in June of 2015, which was about seven months after he entered Heaven.  In my dream, I was at a retreat with a bunch of people I knew. We were waiting for the next session to start.  Then Roy stopped by to say hi.  He gave me the biggest brotherly hug (that I even felt when I awoke from my dream). I was trying to do a selfie picture with Roy, but everyone wanted a picture with him.  He began to tell us all the amazing miracles that happened in the inner city and how God used him so much. He saw his brother Bobby and then they started wrestling. It gave us all a chuckle.  We ended up doing a group photo but Roy kept picking up the remote control to take the picture and we had to show him that the newer cameras do selfie group shots.  And then I woke up from my dream.  I felt like my dear Brother Roy had just come to my home.  I still felt his hug when I woke up. Thank you God,  I needed that from my brother from another  mother,  as he would tell me.

I have great memories of my dear brother Roy and I cherish the time I knew him on this earth.  One day I will see all of my brother and sisters that went to Heaven before me and it will be a time of reminiscing about great memories we have with God and the people he brought in our lives here on earth.