Well Done

On March 6th, we celebrated the life of our beloved mentor, brother, pastor, and friend—Tony Didlo—right down the street from where he dedicated himself to the Freedom for Youth Promise House. Despite some challenges leading up to the event, everything came together beautifully that night, showcasing the strength of our community. Even though the weather was challenging, with a tornado warning in place, it felt like a reminder of the love and support we have for one another, bringing those who could attend even closer together.

We shared joyful and heartfelt memories that transported us back to the golden days of his ministry, particularly from Freedom for Youth. It was a wonderful time of fellowship, delicious food, and uplifting reflections on a life richly lived, dedicated to spreading the gospel to countless individuals. We exchanged stories filled with laughter and even shed some tears. Above all, we worshipped the Lord and expressed our gratitude for the gift of Tony, celebrating the incredible man he had become.

Only a handful of us ever experienced his Christ Farley impressions, especially from the Saturday Night Live skits—featuring Matt Foley, telling us to get off drugs and become evangelists so we don’t live in a van down by the river. He even attempted to run in the Des Moines Marathon (unofficially), but he still ran.

One of the remarkable aspects of his ministry that many people highlighted was his dual focus on both evangelism and discipleship. While many evangelists concentrate solely on numbers, Tony dedicated himself to meaningful follow-up, always making time for those eager to deepen their newfound faith. His commitment inspired many to leave behind sinful lifestyles, embracing the transformative power of the Holy Spirit; one individual I know even pursued seminary, got married, and is now flourishing as a Pastor in Cedar Rapids, IA, blessed with several children. A life he wouldn’t have had before coming to the Promise House led by Tony.

He also introduced many of us to Precept Inductive Bible Studies which he led at Calvary Chapel Des Moines, First Family Church, and elsewhere. To this day, many of us can’t imagine studying the Bible any other way.

What now?

Tony encapsulated the evangelism and discipleship with many of us the way Jesus did mapped out through the gospels. When he discipled me in particular:

He did, I watched: He shared the gospel and I observed.
He did, I helped: He shared the gospel and I helped when given opportunity.
I did, he helped: I shared the gospel and started conversations, he helped when needed.
I did, he watched: I shared the entire gospel and he watched to critique afterwards.

But, with ministry and discipleship there comes a time when the teacher leaves and is not there anymore. Elijah was taken up with the whirlwind and Elisha was left. Paul was executed and left Timothy to be in charge of the church of Ephesus. But this is nothing new, for it’s natural for the parent to leave children behind in death so that they can raise their own kids and model what was modeled to them.

Therefore, this is where we are:

You do, they watch
You do, they help
They do, you help
They do, you watch

We need to take the gospel into Des Moines, and the whole world to restore sinners to their Creator. We need to disciple those we minister to and equip the saints for the work of the ministry. As Mikey said in the movie, The Goonies—

“Our parents want the best of stuff for us. But right now they gotta do what’s right for them because it’s their time, their time—up there. But down here it is our time, our time down here.”

So, go share the gospel and make disciples you little Goonies. Reach out if you would like help with that.