A Tribute to Roberto Nuñez

I met Roberto Nuñez, a faithful Latter-Day Saint from East San Salvador, El Salvador, in December of 2004. We were both serving in the Guatemala City North Mission. I had been in Guatemala only 4 months and was in my second area, a small Pokomchi village in the northern mountainous region of the country. Just after Christmas, transfers were announced and I went to Coban to pick up my new senior companion from the bus station. Elder Nuñez had been in Guatemala for about 15 months, and my first impression of him was that of a fun-loving, caring, hard-working, experienced missionary. We served together for 3 months, enjoying the cold weather (no heaters!) of the mountain village and walking many miles together in the rain and in the sun. During the time I got to know Elder Nuñez, we worked hard and faced many trials, but we also had spiritual experiences and saw miracles. I will always remember Elder Nuñez as the companion who kept a good attitude at all times and made me laugh constantly. Elder Nuñez honorably completed his full-time mission in September 2005. He returned home to El Salvador and was soon married and started working as a policeman in San Salvador. I soon stopped keeping in contact with him as we both moved on with our lives, but I've always remembered him as one of my favorite companions.
Last Friday night, my mission president informed me that Roberto Nuñez, this faithful funny friend of mine, was recently killed while on the job. I was obviously shocked to hear this news. My heart goes out to his wife and his family - I wish I had a way to contact them. While his life was taken too soon, he lived his short life to the fullest. It was a reminder of the impact that one person can have, even in only a few short months or years. In the three months I really knew him well, I learned from his example of how to be a good missionary and how to keep a happy attitude. Elder Nuñez, thank you for your life and example, and for the good memories.