My Brother,
I was visited by a memory of you in a dream recently. We were back in the Philippines, riding a jeepney with all our friends, the humid air filled with laughter. We were sharing Tanduay Ice and passing around a bottle of Red Horse. You were sitting across from me, and I can still hear you saying, as we reached your street, "This is my stop. I gotta get off here."
At the time, it was just a simple goodbye. Now, your words feel profound. You lived your life with a courage I always admired. You were fearless. I often think back to when I was struggling with panic, and you would calm me with your simple, strong faith. You told me, "We can't be scared of what we can't control. Just trust that God brought you here, with me, right now. If He did that, what else can He do?"
That memory means even more after everything that happened. I'll never forget the look on your face when I picked you up and told you I had become a missionary. Your willingness to come to church with me, even before you found your own faith, meant the world. And when you decided to get baptized, I was overjoyed. But after your passing, that joy transformed into a profound gratitude. I find immense comfort in knowing you had made your peace.
Your departure was sudden and left a void I can't fill. The whiplash from your baptism to your funeral was a pain I couldn't comprehend. It changed me forever.
But today, I choose to focus on the light you brought. Save a place for me up there, brother. Until we meet again.
RIP GAUDE PAUL ASANZA
AKA GWIDIT/G$WEAT x FOBz
7/15/1989 - 09/01/2017
