At first, we were all very shocked to hear this news. Unbelief and grief struck us in this past few weeks, but after hearing about the funeral that happened last week in California, we realized that we truly can celebrate this amazing man's life for he truly ran the race well and lived every day to the fullest for the glory of God.
There is to be a memorial here in Taiwan on Dec 8th, where we can thank him for his profound impact on our lives, as well as the lives of the Taiwanese. He was a hero to many and it will be difficult to say goodbye.
Here is something that was written about him and wanted to share:
Tribute to a Great Man, Don Gillman
by Gina Fadely on Monday, November 12, 2012
“The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord”.
The world is dimmer for we have lost one of our great lights, Don
Gillman. Last night, while out for a run, Don ran straight through the
pearly gates of Heaven and into the arms of the Lord he loved. While
surely it is a day of happiness in Heaven, for us remaining on Earth it
is a grievous loss.
This weekend in the United States of America, it is the holiday “Veterans Day”, in which we remember our war heroes for their sacrifice and service. Amidst this national focus, we grieve and remember Don Gillman, a hero from a very different kind of war – The War of the Ages – the war of good and evil. Don exuberantly gave everything he had for the Great King, his Lord Jesus Christ, and, to all of us privileged to have fought in battles side-by-side with him; he gave us courage and hope. He was a wise leader of leaders. Indeed, we have lost a mighty general, our North & East Asia Regional Director and a top global leader. It is hard to imagine our international frontier mission effort without him.
Bold as a lion and unashamed of the Gospel, Don well knew its power to change lives. Who’d believe that Don had been a gang leader and drug addict in his youth? Until that amazing day at a Billy Graham crusade when the Holy Spirit shoved him up to the altar, forgave his past sins, and radically transformed his life – then, in 1985, led him into foreign missions. The Bible says that those who are forgiven more love more. And yes, no one could doubt that Don loved God with all his heart, soul, mind and strength. But he also loved people and modeled to us all what love can look like.
Fun as a barrel of monkeys, Don could bring any gathering to laughter. Who could forget the way he’d flex his head muscles to move his hair and scalp forward and back? Who can forget his slowly delivered “monkey-face” across the room in a meeting, crossing his eyes and pulling his ears out? His legendary humor and mischief buoyed us all and lightened our loads. We loved Don but we also liked him very much and, incredibly, he made us all to feel that he liked us too.
Magnetic as a pop star, it would be rare to meet anyone who could surpass Don in charisma. Energy entered a room with him and it was evident that the anointing and power of the Holy Spirit was there. No matter how dull a meeting might be, put a microphone into his hands and it would instantly bring the whole room to rapt attention. When Don Gillman spoke, we listened… and we usually ended up either moved to laughter and/or tears. He was a truly gifted speaker, teacher, and storyteller in either the English or Chinese language - actually, in any language, because his spirit shone through to any audience, young and old alike.
All over the globe, in Asia, Africa, Europe, Pacific Islands, North America and South America, Don has inspired us to know God and to make God known – particularly where He is yet unknown. He shared his faith in Christ everywhere – even if the laws of the land forbid it. He taught us to study God’s Word, helping to found various Bible training schools in Singapore, Taiwan, and China. As Don himself said, his life goal was to see those people groups that “never had a chance to hear the name of Jesus come into a saving relationship with Him” and, with contagious zeal, he challenged us all to participate in that Great Commission no matter what the cost – and thousands have responded. He was known to say something like, "If you are sitting around waiting for God to call you into missions, then just come wait with us in China!"
Don nearly died in Thailand when crushed and wounded inside an imploding container filled with the bloated putrid bodies that he and his son had been stacking after the great tsunami. On another occasion in China, he was drug down numerous flights of stairs unconscious to a hospital in China after being found close to death from a poisonous gas leak. In the amazon of Brazil, Don went through a regime of rabies shots after being bitten by a feral dog. Somehow, we hoped that today’s horrible news is merely another close-call story that Don will add to his list and that he’ll miraculously come through. But the day clouded up, the sun has now set and there is no reprieve. Our beloved Don Gillman is gone and we cry out “why?” knowing that a satisfactory answer will not be found on this side of eternity.
Don Gillman was a caring son, brother, husband, father, grandfather, and uncle. He fervently loved his family and easily shared his pride in them, whipping out family photos and praises without any need for prompting. Don was a leader, teacher, evangelist, disciple-maker, counselor, pioneer, church planter, pastor, and mentor to multitudes of people. As an ambassador of the Kingdom of God, he represented us with excellence and in 2010 was awarded our highest international honor, “The Order of St. Paul Award”, for a lifetime of outstanding achievement. And truly, what a lifetime he lived – with gusto, seizing the day as the gift it was. Oh dear, dear friend Don, how we will miss you!
Today we are overwhelmed with grief, yet imagine Don laughing and jumping around in a beautiful place pictured as being heaven. Hear the voice of His Lord saying, “Well done, good and faithful servant”. Hear Don’s voice joining in with that “great cloud of witnesses” that have gone before us cheering us on to “lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus…”
The world is dimmer for we have lost one of our great lights, Don
Gillman. Last night, while out for a run, Don ran straight through the
pearly gates of Heaven and into the arms of the Lord he loved. While
surely it is a day of happiness in Heaven, for us remaining on Earth it
is a grievous loss.This weekend in the United States of America, it is the holiday “Veterans Day”, in which we remember our war heroes for their sacrifice and service. Amidst this national focus, we grieve and remember Don Gillman, a hero from a very different kind of war – The War of the Ages – the war of good and evil. Don exuberantly gave everything he had for the Great King, his Lord Jesus Christ, and, to all of us privileged to have fought in battles side-by-side with him; he gave us courage and hope. He was a wise leader of leaders. Indeed, we have lost a mighty general, our North & East Asia Regional Director and a top global leader. It is hard to imagine our international frontier mission effort without him.
Bold as a lion and unashamed of the Gospel, Don well knew its power to change lives. Who’d believe that Don had been a gang leader and drug addict in his youth? Until that amazing day at a Billy Graham crusade when the Holy Spirit shoved him up to the altar, forgave his past sins, and radically transformed his life – then, in 1985, led him into foreign missions. The Bible says that those who are forgiven more love more. And yes, no one could doubt that Don loved God with all his heart, soul, mind and strength. But he also loved people and modeled to us all what love can look like.
Fun as a barrel of monkeys, Don could bring any gathering to laughter. Who could forget the way he’d flex his head muscles to move his hair and scalp forward and back? Who can forget his slowly delivered “monkey-face” across the room in a meeting, crossing his eyes and pulling his ears out? His legendary humor and mischief buoyed us all and lightened our loads. We loved Don but we also liked him very much and, incredibly, he made us all to feel that he liked us too.
Magnetic as a pop star, it would be rare to meet anyone who could surpass Don in charisma. Energy entered a room with him and it was evident that the anointing and power of the Holy Spirit was there. No matter how dull a meeting might be, put a microphone into his hands and it would instantly bring the whole room to rapt attention. When Don Gillman spoke, we listened… and we usually ended up either moved to laughter and/or tears. He was a truly gifted speaker, teacher, and storyteller in either the English or Chinese language - actually, in any language, because his spirit shone through to any audience, young and old alike.
All over the globe, in Asia, Africa, Europe, Pacific Islands, North America and South America, Don has inspired us to know God and to make God known – particularly where He is yet unknown. He shared his faith in Christ everywhere – even if the laws of the land forbid it. He taught us to study God’s Word, helping to found various Bible training schools in Singapore, Taiwan, and China. As Don himself said, his life goal was to see those people groups that “never had a chance to hear the name of Jesus come into a saving relationship with Him” and, with contagious zeal, he challenged us all to participate in that Great Commission no matter what the cost – and thousands have responded. He was known to say something like, "If you are sitting around waiting for God to call you into missions, then just come wait with us in China!"
Don nearly died in Thailand when crushed and wounded inside an imploding container filled with the bloated putrid bodies that he and his son had been stacking after the great tsunami. On another occasion in China, he was drug down numerous flights of stairs unconscious to a hospital in China after being found close to death from a poisonous gas leak. In the amazon of Brazil, Don went through a regime of rabies shots after being bitten by a feral dog. Somehow, we hoped that today’s horrible news is merely another close-call story that Don will add to his list and that he’ll miraculously come through. But the day clouded up, the sun has now set and there is no reprieve. Our beloved Don Gillman is gone and we cry out “why?” knowing that a satisfactory answer will not be found on this side of eternity.
Don Gillman was a caring son, brother, husband, father, grandfather, and uncle. He fervently loved his family and easily shared his pride in them, whipping out family photos and praises without any need for prompting. Don was a leader, teacher, evangelist, disciple-maker, counselor, pioneer, church planter, pastor, and mentor to multitudes of people. As an ambassador of the Kingdom of God, he represented us with excellence and in 2010 was awarded our highest international honor, “The Order of St. Paul Award”, for a lifetime of outstanding achievement. And truly, what a lifetime he lived – with gusto, seizing the day as the gift it was. Oh dear, dear friend Don, how we will miss you!
Today we are overwhelmed with grief, yet imagine Don laughing and jumping around in a beautiful place pictured as being heaven. Hear the voice of His Lord saying, “Well done, good and faithful servant”. Hear Don’s voice joining in with that “great cloud of witnesses” that have gone before us cheering us on to “lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus…”
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Don, thank you so much for all of your wisdom and love that you unselfishly gave. You were a great leader to us as well as a great friend. We are privileged to have known you and to hear so many of your crazy stories and adventures with God. We are thankful to have been taught by you in and out of the classroom. Our favorite thing about you is how "real" you were. You also really knew how to make everyone laugh!
We love you and we will miss you. You were like a father to us here in Taiwan.
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