It’s ironic that Friday’s post on this blog was about death. Friday evening I received word of the death of a friend and colleague, Rigoberto Vargas.

Rigo, as his friends called him, was an energetic evangelist in Tegucigalpa. During his course of study at the Baxter Institute in that city, back in the 1980s, Rigo developed a passion for prison ministry. He worked tirelessly in the prisons of Tegucigalpa, establishing congregations within the prison walls and converting hundreds. It would be interesting to know how many preachers in Honduras were converted in the prison; I know that the number would surprise many.

Rigo extended that ministry to a radio program called “Jesus Christ in the Prisons.” It was widely listened to by prisoners and their families as Rigo would use that space to communicate important information between those two groups. He would also teach them the gospel as they listened to him on the radio.

Rigoberto had dreams of expanding this ministry beyond the walls of the prisons. He started a halfway house that was funded for a time by our ministry, Herald of Truth. He had obtained some land near the prison and had a vision of establishing a center for vocational training, preparing ex-prisoners to go out into the world with occupational skills.

One dream that was realized was the Reinsertion Church of Christ. This congregation is made up largely of ex-convicts and families of prisoners, many of whom would have been uncomfortable in other churches.

In addition to these activities, Rigo volunteered his time to work with Herald of Truth. He helped us set up projects in Central America. I’ve worked with Rigo in Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Guatemala. It will be hard for us to find someone who can do all that Rigo did.

The last year or so, Rigo has had health problems. He was gravely ill during much of 2013. In addition, he was viciously attacked on social media by a dishonest man in Nicaragua who calls himself a believer. This man spread shameful lies about Rigo in an extortion attempt, even going to the point of accusing him of faking his illness. The vengeful part of me wanted to find that false brother on Friday night and ask him if he would dare to repeat those false accusations. Yet there was no need. Christians from many places assured me that they recognized that greed-driven man for what he is and had no problem in seeing that the accusations against Rigoberto were false.

We’ve lost a great man of God. Yet the effects of his work will live on for many years to come, throughout all eternity. Rigoberto Alejandro Vargas, we will miss you. And we look forward to seeing you again.