ANTHONY CADENA
This is Anthony Cadena. He’s 16 years old and was the most joyful kid. He had a smile that goes for ages, which you can see. We were immediately friends. He’s so easy going and can understand English pretty well, which is always a plus! 🙂 I used to tell my whole team that I want my son to be exactly like him. He’s a punk 16 year old with the sweetest heart and spirit. Although he didn’t play too well or often he loved throwing the football. He was always around the church just hanging out. He was baptized 3 years ago and has been seeking the Lord ever since.
On April 19th abut 8 of the youth went to a beach called Corinto. It was our day off and we were in Leon that day. Anthony never got in water – he knew he couldn’t swim, but for some reason he did that day. I don’t believe the kids had been there long when a number of them were in fear of their lives in the water. Emerson, who I wrote about earlier, was such a brave boy and hero. He pulled a number of the kids out and saved their lives. He had Anthony’s hair, but just couldn’t hold on. A man from the beach saved Emerson’s life. Anthony went missing in the ocean that day. We got the phone call around 1pm and I personally didn’t even know what to do with the information. My first thought was “why Anthony?” That night we just went back to church and just prayed and worshiped the Lord. The boys stayed at the beach all night. In Nicaragua it’s tradition to stay up all night when a funeral happens, but the girls came back from the beach. I was sitting there journaling and crying and will never forget looking up to see Gema standing in the doorway and her face. I just ran to her and held her. Some of the other girls started trickling in. I just held Gema as we both just mourned for Anthony for hours. It was surreal. It was and is still so unfair. The boys came back from the beach on Wednesday morning and we all just held each other and cried. I will never forget that night. All of the youth came to the church. We had a slideshow of pictures of Anthony. Emerson was screaming Anthony’s name and asking why. Abel was crying and praising the Lord at the same time. Cristofer and Gato just looked dazed. We were all messes. Asking the Lord why. Throughout that whole time, the Lord kept speaking life to me and some other teammates. It was crazy. I know I believe in a big God, but I never thought I would be one to really when the time is in front of me believe that God could actually raise the dead. I didn’t only believe it. I knew it. I know it with all my heart. I just kept seeing him walking along the beach in his jeans, wife beater and hat with that smile. On Thursday morning around 7:30 we got a phone call that his body had been found on the beach. Such a miracle that was. To find him, with the whole ocean, but just as it says in scripture, the Lord rules the sea. He does! We all piled in the truck, emotions running high. There was anger – I was saying not nice things to the devil to get him out of there. We got to the beach and just waited. The earth under me was shaking. My flesh was telling me that he’s dead, but my spirit was speaking such life. It was the weirdest day.
Finally the brought his body back to this side of the water. He was already in his casket. It was so strange to me that he was in the casket and not living. We went straight the funeral home after that. The funeral was sweet. We all just cried more and held each other more. Emerson, Gato and Abel threw themselves on the casket screaming for Anthony. The kids there love each other – they are more than friends. They live life together, support each other and truly love each other. The Lord was still speaking so much life to me. I watched as they lowered Anthony’s body into the ground and poured cement over it, still knowing that the Lord is bigger than the grave.
I miss Anthony with everything I am. I love him so much. He was and is such a light for the Lord. Just his smile screams joy. I’ve since asked the Lord so many times why He was speaking such life to me. Anthony is not walking this earth today, but he still has such life. Life with the Father. Life without the struggles that he had on earth. Life without pain and disappointment. Perfect life. And I also know that the Lord was speaking to life in the community. We had the honor of staying there an extra month. And man oh man did the Lord bring life. There is still sorrow and mourning but so much life too. Andres is back around the church and back where he was, Abel is stepping so much into his leadership, Emerson is seeking the Lord and got his first bible of his own. I still ask the Lord why. Why Anthony? Why did he get the water? Why did he have be so young? But I know that the Lord has a plan and purpose. Anthony’s verse was Jeremiah 29:11. The Lord does have a plan and a purpose and he’s using Anthony’s life in so many ways.
This blog has taken me so long to actually get the guts to write. I just couldn’t do it before. I’m still crying now. I just miss him so much. Please pray for New Song in Candelaria and for Anthony’s family and friends!
