Greater Portland Baptist Church

Kevin and Stacy Byers: March 2007 (second update)

Thank you to all who prayed for my grandfather. Today, Anthony "Tony" DiBiaso went home to be with the Lord at 8:15 am. I got the call around that time from my little sister Tiffany. I immediately left the house to go and comfort her. Neither Hospice nor the funeral home had arrived yet, so my mom asked me to help get my grandfather cleaned and dressed so he could leave the home "with dignity". I was sad to hear of his death, but the Lord gave me peace and thankfulness that Grandpop is no longer suffering, but is home with Jesus.

Grandpop was 89 and in the last stages of Luekemia. The doctors could not offer him any hope because of his age and they tried to make his last weeks comfortable for him. I prayed for many, many years that my Grandpop would accept Christ. He was a devout Catholic all of his life and he always made statements on how his goodness will get him to Heaven. As Kevin said in the last prayer letter, toward the end something changed in him. After all the witnessing that we had done, we were taken back when Grandpop assured us that he was accepting Christ and Him alone to take him to Heaven. What a change we had seen in him. Grandpop knew that he was dying for two weeks now, and we saw peace in him. He was so open to the gospel and allowed me to pray with him and read him the Bible when I was with him a few weeks ago. I read many passages from Romans, Ephesians, Hebrews, I John, John, and Psalms. I gave him the plan of salvation again to make sure that he understood. He was confident that he was trusting Christ alone and that he was on his way to Heaven. He even allowed my Pastor from Lighthouse Baptist Church to come over and visit with him.

My mom was very upset when she told me the story of Grandpop's passing, but it gave me a lot of comfort. At 3:30 in the morning my mom heard him talking to someone at the foot of his bed. She saw him pointing and talking but couldn't make out what he was saying. He then looked at her and said "come on Lynn, its time to leave. We have to go now, get ready." My mom told him to get back in bed and relax. He kept saying "no, no, its time to go home now, get ready, we have to leave!" My mom told him to lie back down and get some rest and then gave him an anxiety pill. My grandfather turned to whoever it was he was talking to at the foot of his bed, waved his hand away from my mom and said "forget her, she doesn't want to go!" My mom called my sister in to help calm Grandpop down. He kept saying its time to leave and pointing up to the ceiling. My sister Tiffany who is 17 kept telling my Grandpop "If Jesus is calling you grandpop, go to him! Don't stay here for us, go home." By 5:30 in the morning his voice was completely gone. He was moving his mouth but nothing would come out. He kept pointing his finger to the air, and tried to squeeze the horn that hospice had given to him if he needed someone. At 8:15 in the morning Grandpop took his last breath and went home. My Grandfather was a wonderful man. He came over from Italy when he was a child. A while after becoming an American citizen, he joined the army and fought in World War II under General Patton. He had so many wonderful stories to tell. I am so glad that he chose us to be his family. He and my Grandmom became foster parents to my mom when she was a little child. They could not have children of their own so they took my mom in to raise her. They were wonderful Grandparents.

I thank God that I got to spend this last time with my Grandpop and was able to be here for this past year. Thank you all for praying for him. The rest of the family is Catholic so Grandpop will have a Catholic funeral. But among all the wicked religious traditions that the church will perform during the funeral, I take comfort in knowing that Grandpop finally decided to trust Christ as his Saviour instead of the Catholic church. Please pray that I can be a witness to my lost family members during this time.

Satan has been using my family here in New Jersey to attack us and our ministry during this past month; But Praise God, Satan did not get the victory over my Grandfather!

Stacy Byers