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John
(far left)
John's father, Doug
Roberts, shared with fpcv.org the following words, written for his church:
TRIBUTE TO LORD OF LOVE: by Doug Roberts
Dear Lord
of Love Family. We said good by to John Roberts on October 17, 2007 and it was
as sad a day as I can remember in my lifetime, but it was also a sad day for
Lord of Love. To think back on what we had lost? So as Rose and I were trying to
come to grips with the reality and putting the loose ends together we ran across
a note from John that he wrote to the LOL congregation just as he was about to
head out on his adventure in the Real World. After reading it we began to
realize what we as parents had accomplished and also realized what Lord of Love
had accomplished in John‘s life when he was here and growing up. Rose and I felt
we needed to share it with you. Since we know the ending to the John’s story we
hope you will enjoy the beginning.
The story
begins at a place called “Roberts Trailhead” which is located in the Pine Ridge
National Forest of western Nebraska and is part of the US Park Service. Roberts
Trailhead (open to the public year round) is located 10 miles southeast
of Crawford Nebraska and was owned by Willis Roberts, the Great grandfather of
John Roberts. Willis and his wife Maude farmed and ranched the land while
raising a family of 9 children through the rough depression years. Five of the
children are still alive today, but when Willis passed away the children sold
the land to the Park Service to be preserved for generations to come. It is from
these roots that John got some of his zest for life and his sense of purpose.
However never underestimate the power of our own surroundings and the impact we
each can have on someone.
In his
notes he refers to Micronesia as the place he will serve his time in the Peace
Corps, but somewhere along the journey it turned into Vanuatu, which is also a
poor Island Nation in the South Pacific and needing all the things he describes
in his writings. John just told them to send him where he could do the most good
and they sent him to Vanuatu instead of Micronesia. It was on the Island of
Erromango, that John was accidentally killed by a falling tree while he was
helping the natives clear some ground for a garden project that he had
organized.
John
writes:
Hello, my name is John Roberts and standing atop the pine bluffs of
Western Nebraska you can see the curvature of the earth as it spreads
across a great expanse of prairie. My family started as simple ranchers
in this place but as we change the values which are as solid as the
hills themselves have never wavered. The views atop the pine bluffs are
truly stunning and bitter sweet poetic. I realize that I am a reflection
of this place, as the winds of the past blow at my back I look across a
prairie that is as broad and infinite as the future itself. Combined
with a forward looking family and a college education I have learned
much in my life. I have learned the value of life and the fragility of
mankind. I have seen the good and the bad that life has to offer. I have
seen the diversity of cultures across the globe and the great voids
between them which must be crossed to bring us all together. True world
peace is not achieved through diplomatic discussion or the assured
nuclear destruction of the enemies of the United States. In stead it is
cultivated from teachers in classrooms and one neighbor helping another.
I hold no grand scheme that the world can be brought completely together
in my life time but I have seen the power of one man helping another.
This is why as many of you who read the Love Letter know already I have
decided to join the Peace Corp. Lord of Love has done so much to help me
grow into the person I am today. Never doubt the light of this place
in a dark world. I pray that those who attend Lord of Love never
forget this. As my time with the church comes to an end I would like to
say thank you, from a man about to start a difficult journey. It is not
the road which shapes the man but instead it is the man who shapes the
road. So, with a heavy heart I must also say goodbye and may peace be
with you. I begin my journey for the Peace Corp. in early October. They
are assigning me to the Pacific Islands region and most indication point
to the fact that I am going to work in Micronesia. It is a small country
of islands spread across thousands of miles of ocean. It sits about
2,000 miles North of Australia. I will be working on a combination of
electrical and youth development tasks in this area. For two years I
will live and work as the people in this area do. I can only grasp at
what lies ahead for me in the future but the true test will not be from
the road ahead but the strength of my heart.
Some of you who read the Love Letter, you have known me most of my life.
Since before I could walk I have been a member of Lord of Love. As I
have grown there have been changes. The building, the pastors and the
congregations have all changed. But, unchanging is Gods love and the
love with in the congregation. I have lived for only 22 years but Lord
of Love and people who attend here have had a lasting effect on me. The
family at Lord of Love has helped me grow into the person I am today.
Yet, in life there always seems to be a little bitterness with the
sweet. For me the bitterness is the fleeting time I have with Lord of
Love. Of course I will come back and visit Omaha from time to time but
the experience will never be the same.
For
two years I will work and live with the people of the Federated States
of Micronesia. As a former US colony they lack sufficient infrastructure
to meet their population needs. I will be assigned to install and teach
construction management for electrical systems. There will be no space
between these people and me. I will live in their villages, obey their
laws and customs, while hoping to bring a difference into their lives.
Located on a series of small Island atolls North of Australia on the
equator the sense of living with these people may become apparent very
quickly. There will be many things to grow accustomed to and many
challenges to face which I can not comprehend. But, I find that it is
not the struggles in our lives which gives us the greatest trouble but
instead it is the decision in our own hearts which we struggle with
most.
Now
like with all good things my time with the Church is coming to an end. .
So, it is with a heavy heart and a tearful eye I must say good bye.
John Roberts, March 1, 1983-
October 11, 2007
Peace Corps Press Release:
WASHINGTON, D.C., October 11, 2007 - The
Peace Corps is mourning the loss of John D. Roberts, a Peace Corps Volunteer in
Vanuatu. Roberts died as the result of an accident while working at his site on
October 11.
A student was cutting branches from a tree at the school where Roberts and other
students were cleaning the garden, and when one of the branches fell, it struck
Roberts and another member of the community. Tragically, both were killed.
"John was an exemplary Volunteer who had a true heart for service," said Peace
Corps Director Ron Tschetter. "John's death is a tremendous loss for his family,
the Peace Corps, and the People of Vanuatu—in particular those in the community
where he served.
John served as a Construction and Skilled Trades Education Volunteer in Vanuatu
with the Vetumit Rural Training Center, located in a remote village called South
River, on the island of Erromango.
John was 24 years old and from Omaha, Nebraska. He was sworn in as a Peace Corps
Volunteer on December 8, 2005, and was approximately one month from completion
of his service in Vanuatu. John is survived by his parents, Douglas and Rose
Roberts, of Omaha, Nebraska.
In his aspiration statement when he joined the Peace Corps, he said: "Why I have
volunteered is a question that I do not fully know the answer to. Coming from a
stable farming family I was always taught to help my neighbors but I also feel
an internal pull to help lend a hand. Somewhere back in my short life…I made a
choice to serve and have been doing so ever since. Instead of a single moment
defining my reasons to serve, a whole life time of learning is driving me to
volunteer for the Peace Corps."
As a Peace Corps Volunteer, John is credited for helping strengthen South
River's transportation, income generation, and communication capabilities.
However, John's lasting accomplishments can also be measured by the warmth of
human relationships. As one community representative said, "John helped us
develop our rural training center and community, but what we will really
remember is that he lived with us, ate with us, played with us, grieved with us
and rejoiced with us…he was our son."
Since 1961, more than 190,000 Peace Corps Volunteers have helped promote a
better understanding between Americans and the people of the 139 countries where
Volunteers have served. In the small island nation of Vanuatu, there are
currently 101 Volunteers working primarily to increase access to quality
education, particularly in rural areas. Volunteers also focus projects on income
generation through business development, food security, sustainable agriculture,
environmental conservation and youth development. Since the program's inception
in 1990, over 400 Volunteers have served in Vanuatu.
A blog entry by a Vanuatu trainee
describing the memorial service held in Port Vila can be read
here.
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