Mr. Roger Butland is a friend whom we (Missionaries at Macau) have never met. We have seen only a photo of him, sent to us by his secretary Seiko. In fact, we have been in correspondence with him for the past six years, but only by email! 
Mr. Roger Butland [on the right]
Mr. Roger Butland [on the right]We understood immediately that his passion was the word of God and he wanted to make It awailable to the immigrants, the students and the prisoners. Thus, together we put ourselves to work around four Gospels. Roger wanted bilingual books, in English and another language… . Throughout this time, he was sending us his suggestions and instructions. For his project, he founded “Xaverians Charitable Trust”. You may visit the Xaverians' web page below:
In the last couple of months the communication with Roger was almost daily… His suggestions, his corrections rained to us… And, finally, at the beginning of November came a mail, saying: “I just returned from the doctor, and he says, the most I have three months of visa; I have cancer for 6 years”. His last e-mail was on 3 of December. It deserves to be presented here:
Dear Alberto,
Thank you for your email regarding my suggestions. I am very humbly grateful, that you felt able to accept all of them.
Alberto, I must tell you that two nurses from hospice came to my home this morning, and both were very insistent that I enter hospice today. I do not want to enter hospice for a couple of weeks, because there is so much work to do. I want to keep plugging away for as long as I can outside the health-care system.
Had I entered hospice today, I would not have been able to discuss with you two other points, which perhaps need clarification.
I will prepare something and send it off on Monday.
In the meantime I will look over your own corrections to Matthew. Thank you very much for them.
With kind regards and good wishes,
Roger
Thank you for your email regarding my suggestions. I am very humbly grateful, that you felt able to accept all of them.
Alberto, I must tell you that two nurses from hospice came to my home this morning, and both were very insistent that I enter hospice today. I do not want to enter hospice for a couple of weeks, because there is so much work to do. I want to keep plugging away for as long as I can outside the health-care system.
Had I entered hospice today, I would not have been able to discuss with you two other points, which perhaps need clarification.
I will prepare something and send it off on Monday.
In the meantime I will look over your own corrections to Matthew. Thank you very much for them.
With kind regards and good wishes,
Roger
But finally, Roger had to be admitted in the hospital, from where he continued to go through the hand-written manuscripts and give us his corrections and suggestions. On 21 December, Roger wound up his earthly duties to the Word of God and left for the House of the Father, for a celebration of Christmas in Heaven with the Word of God. Roger, along with Bernardo, is our “saint” - who, from the heavens, accompany us in the ministry to the Word of God.
1 comment:
I knew Roger from my youth. He used to supply the chessboards for a local park right next to the State University. He was gone for the summer(back to NZ), but had been leaving the boards at the local bike shop right nexxt to the park. I didnt know the guy, but I felt some reason to make sure all the pieces were put back into the boxes, and that they were returned. I waited almost three months to meet this guy.
One day, I see a fellow in a black leather jacket sitting talking to my friend, Larry.
I said, "Roger?"
He nodded! I gave him a huge hug, much to his immediate stiffness..Roger was a very smooth guy, but you could do things to make him feel uncomfortable.
Everyone at this park was considered to be socially different. Either a teenager against conformed society, or a person who hadn't found a direction in life, but none of us were bad people.
Roger was a great man.
A large group of young adults, back in the late 1990's got to enjoy his civility and his thoughtless acts.
And because of this we are all better people.
From across the world and back again.
WE ALL MISS YOU.
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