Passing of a Servant of God

Frank Jertberg
It was October, 2005. Itacyara, Mikey and I were at Fellowship Batist Church in Lakeland, saying our final goodbyes before embarking on our Brazilian adventure. After the hugs and tears, I was about to walk out the door when an old friend–veteran missionary of many years in Brazil–motioned for me to come over.
He was sitting down, even back then his energy level was not what it once was. He indicated a chair next to his, and I sat.
“Andrew,” he began, “I want to give you two pieces of advice. First, never forget that you are not in Brazil to serve your mission agency. You are not even in Brazil to serve your sending church. You are in Brazil to serve Christ.
“Second…” and at this point he drew out of his pocket a $20 bill and placed it in my hand “…always carry one of these with you. You never know when it will come in handy.”
Frank Jertberg was an encouragement to me from the day I walked into Fellowship Baptist Church, up until the last time I saw him, on our last visit to the US in 2010. At that point he didn’t see me because his eyesight had all but left him, yet he still recognized my voice, and we still spoke of missions in Brazil.
Frank went to be with the Christ he so faithfully served last week. The fruit of his life will continue, both in Brazil and the US, for many generations.