Hugo Liborio. He was such a great man. Not becuase he was nice and smiled all of the time, but because he truly loved the Lord and showed that love in all that he did. I met Hugo last Spring Break in the Dominican Republic. He and his wife Sarah and their son Mattias were our missionaries and we basically spent a week with them. While we were only with them a week, I learned enough from them to impact my life forever. I learned that we should follow our hearts. God tells us what we should be doing with our lives. He guides us and lets us know what we should be doing -- even though the task in front of us may seem daunting or may go against what the world says will bring us success. Hugo also taught me about having fun, loosening up and truly enjoying those around me. I had the pleasure of seeing the family again this summer and once more in September when they came by our school for a quick visit -- something that Sarah told me they had never had the opportunity to do before. Hugo was only 29 when he died. He wasn't sick and all I can say is that it must have just been his time to go. He had touched the lives of the people that God intended for him to impact and he will forever be in Heaven with God. I am sure that he will be missed by so many people... his family, his friends and some that maybe he only knew for a week. About a week after his death, his wife called me. She wanted to make sure that I knew that Hugo had died. She wanted to make sure that the girls that were on the trip were able to reflect on his death and learn from his life. Every time I think about it, it strikes me as purely amazing that Sarah could call me at a time when she must be grieving and feeling so sad. But, she is a God-fearing woman and in her actions, she taught me the importance of thinking about others and living for them. We should live every day as if it is our last, we should praise the Lord in all that we do, and we should love unconditionally and whole-heartedly.
