SPRUCE GROVE, AB—Joe Jespersen, 70, fought his final battle and was released from this earth to his heavenly home on July 29, 2012. Joe was a regular contributor to Indian Life for a number of years.

Joe grew up on a dairy farm near Spruce Grove, Alberta. His family was always generous to the Aboriginal people who stopped by their farm. When a Metis neighbor was evicted, Joe’s dad moved the fellow’s house to the Jespersens’ land, where he lived the rest of his life rent free.

Joe made a decision to follow Jesus at a young age but it wasn’t until he was 16 at a church meeting in Edmonton, that he knew for sure that he was a follower of Jesus.

A graduate of Canadian Bible College, he and his wife Carolyn served Native people in the North for most of their lives.

Through the years, the Jespersens served with Northern Canada Evangelical Mission (NCEM) and Joe pastored a Native fellowship in Edmonton. They were involved in teaching, Tribal Trails TV program, and prison ministry.

A month before his death, Joe wrote a letter to his Native friends. Here is an edited version of that letter.

A Message to My Native Friends

Two and a half years ago I was diagnosed with cancer which began in my colon but now has spread to my liver and lungs and other organs. Carolyn and I have been asking the Lord for a miracle of healing which is entirely in the hands of a loving God. My human doctors are saying that I just have a few months to live which is why I am sending this message to you today. I recently turned 70 years old and God has been good to me and given me many blessings through the years. One of the greatest blessings has been the many wonderful relationships that Carolyn and I have made with so many of you throughout the years during our time and visits in cities, reserves, or villages around Fort McMurray, Edmonton and throughout Northern Alberta.

I was sixteen years old when I repented of all my sin and asked Jesus to come into my life and make me a new person. From that time on I knew I would go to heaven no matter what happened or how soon I died. I was in a plane crash in northern Alberta when I was twenty-eight years old and was rescued by dog team by the Native men from Fort McKay in 40 degree below weather. We were flying in a small plane and came down on a forest cut line in deep snow but God was good to us and spared all of our lives. After the crash the men who were with me were talking about increasing their life insurance so I told them that I had eternal life insurance.

I moved back into Spruce Grove in 1992 with Carolyn and my three children. We have been living here for the last twenty years. In 2002 we lost our middle boy in a vehicle accident. You might ask, “If you believe in God why that should happen to you? The Bible doesn’t promise that believers won’t suffer as unbelievers but God asks us to keep on believing because there is a better future ahead.

If God takes me home to heaven soon or gives me more time here, I have a wonderful future to look forward to. Having eternal life is not about belonging to a certain church, doing certain ceremonies, or doing good works. I have read the Bible from cover to cover many times and the way to receive eternal life is very simple. The whole focus of the Bible is about God coming down to us in the person of Jesus Christ, dying on the cross for us to pay the penalty for our sins, rising from the dead to defeat our worst enemy, death, so that we can have eternal life. This is a proven fact of history but each person has to make a decision if they want to receive what Jesus has done for them for himself.

If you decide to follow Jesus, your life will change and you will need to start reading the Bible (start with the New Testament) and praying to God through Jesus every day.

Written by Joe Jespersen (Joe wrote this in June and passed away on July 29, 2012)