Celebrating Dale

Submitted by Jason;

     Four days after my most recent post, my friend and Buena Vista ministry partner, Dale Loy passed away from an apparent heart attack. With all due respect to the Loys and their extended family, I'd like to preface this blog by offering my condolences to any and all of you who happen to read this blog. I'd also like to recognize that the challenges that I'm presented with regarding the future of our ministry pale in comparison to the challenges that the Loy family now face in Dale's absence.
     Having said that, I'd like to share a bit about how Dale and I met and grew together as friends and eventually ministry partners.
     In August of 2012, after several months of prayer regarding entering the missionary field, a woman from Belize who was selling 80+ acres of jungle offered to allow us and our friends, the Reeds, to host us in Belize and show us her property in hopes that we could reach an agreement on the possible purchase of her land. She also offered to introduce us to a few other like minded families that may be willing to rent us some land or work out an agreement that would provide us with a place to live for a season.
     The Loys were one of these families. Our first visit to their home was very nice. We sat and talked about the vision that God had given us for the upcoming season in our lives and shared a meal with them.  I sensed at that time that Dale really wanted to help us, but didn't know quite how to trust complete strangers. In the end, we reached an agreement with another family on a rental that we never wound up living in.
     Once here, in Belize, Dale and I became friends. Dale was a tremendously educated man in the field of agriculture. He studied at Penn State University in Pennsylvania, United States. Our conversations would always revolve around the challenges that we, Americans, faced in gardening and farming in this tropical region. After many failed attempts to successfully grow food for his family, Dale decided to build a few greenhouses and grow inside. At this time, I had agreed to come out and help him with this project. We agreed that it would be beneficial to both of us. Dale was getting an extra hand on the farm and I was getting some, much needed, first hand experience in farming.
     In September of 2013, Dale and David Nelson, of Buena Vista, had discussed the possibility of starting a youth ministry in Buena Vista. Dale approached my son Brendan, and I, about the possibility of our help with the music ministry side of this youth ministry. Brendan and I agreed to get involved and help out in whatever way we were needed.
     The music part of this ministry was very short lived. The kids were better off just singing the songs without the leading of a guitar. Brendan's commitment to the ministry faded when he and his wife went to the US for an extended visit in November of 2013. My commitment remained with Dale and David in Buena Vista.
     We met every Saturday night in Buena Vista for the first few months. Dale was consistent in his love and compassion for the children from this village. We quickly recognized that the target age that Dale and David had originally intended to reach was not becoming involved because there were too many young children attending. So, we decided to make Wednesdays youth night for ages 13 and up. Saturday nights became all ages night.
     Dale, David and I continued to hold two meetings per week for the next 5 months, or so.
     In May of 2014, David Nelson, informed Dale and I of his intentions to move back to the US in June. Since the ministry was taking place on his property, we knew that we would need some other facility to use for our growing ministry in the village. Some nights we would have over 70 kids in our original, temporary, make-shift sanctuary that consisted of a shipping container, some 2*3s, screen and a few tarps.
     In June, with the support of two ministries in particular from the US, we were able to transition our ministry into a two story building that was formerly used as a church building. The ministry continued to grow. With the additional space and the addition of two billiards tables, and internet access, the ministry was continuing to grow in numbers.
     Dale and his children, particularly Micah, Hope and Charity, were faithful in their service to the village for almost a year leading up his unexpected passing. Dale had discussed his vision for the village and how to offer hope to those who wanted to do better for themselves.
     During the last few weeks of his life, Dale was driving into the village early on Saturday mornings and picking up a few of the teenagers. He would then, take them to the biggest marketplace in our part of Belize and set them up with a table and goods to sell. Dale was interested and committed to teaching these young men and women business principles that they were not otherwise afforded the opportunity to.
     On Sunday, September 28th, 2014 Dale collapsed on the porch of his home. He was 56 years old.
     I was in no way prepared for how his death would affect me in the following days. I somehow underestimated how much his friendship meant to me and how closely I was bonding to him as we ministered side by side for the better part of one year, mostly twice a week. I was previously unfamiliar with the bond that forms between people that minister together, but I can now identify with those who have experienced something similar.
   
     Many critical decisions will be necessary for me to make regarding several areas of our lives in the coming weeks. I would like to postpone sharing this information until my next post out of respect for the Loy family.
     To the friends and family of Dale Loy; I, along with the body of Christ, stand with you in celebrating a life devoted to the advancement of the kingdom of Jesus Christ.