Tom Origa the Community Veterinarian, husband and father, son, brother, and uncle died suddenly on May 19, 2019. He left early Sunday morning deciding not to attend Church Service because the cow in distress that needed his medical attention could not wait. It was rare for Tom to miss Church after committing his life to Jesus in February 2018. He’d grown up around Christians his whole life even the son of a pastor, but he held out on receiving Jesus as his Savior because in his young teen years, he had become an alcoholic and desired it far more than the lifestyle of a Christian. Though intelligent and well educated, he couldn’t break the addiction that held him captive for almost 35 years.

In February 2018, the Run Away Brides International Team was on a five week mission in Kenya and Uganda. Tom’s parents were hosting the RAB International Team in Homa Bay, Kenya. The first night the team arrived it was late, everyone was exhausted and hungry. Tom zeroed in on Pastor Cyndi and followed her all over the compound and talked nonsense the entire time. At first she thought he was mentally challenged, she smiled politely and listened to him.

Then it became apparent he was drunk! The team members all busied themselves and she was at God’s mercy sitting with Tom. Annoyed she wanted to get away from him, but the Lord told her to stay and endure it. Long last dinner was served and while eating Tom said, “Pastor Cyndi, I have decided to follow you!” She replied, “Well, I follow Jesus so if you follow me, you will be following Jesus.” He answered, “Then I will follow Jesus, too.” The very next day at the first RABS meeting, Tom gave his life to Jesus–and he was completely delivered that moment from alcoholism.  He understood his value was set by the life and death and resurrection of Jesus Christ❤️

There is a mystery around the circumstances of his death. He treated the sickly cow and took a motorbike taxi toward home, but suddenly he was feeling very ill and asked the driver to take him to the nearby medical clinic–there he asked for prayer and there within minutes he died. He went home to Jesus–to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.

Tom never turned back to alcohol and he made amends with everybody and so many gave their testimony at his burial service that because of him, they had received Jesus or had come back to Jesus, including his wife and his eldest children. He was born again at 49-years-old and passed into glory at 50.  But not before he evangelized and turned some of his old drinking friends to Jesus along with many others in his community.

Truly Brother Tom is missed, but we are all grateful to Jesus that we will see him again in heaven. We are thankful that he took his Christian responsibilities serious in the short time he had left after his salvation.

ONE SOUL AT A TIME–IS WHAT JESUS ASKS US TO DO–DISCIPLE THEM–BAPTIZE THEM–TEACH THEM HIS COMMANDMENTS.