Vikki Napier, Guildford Anglican, and her sister, Gail Dibley, Narellan Anglican,  share the impact their father’s faith had on their lives.

Our dad, Colin Napier, was a typical Alpha male. Retired policeman, a bloke’s bloke, healthy and fit. We kept speaking to Dad about the gospel but we suspected God might need to bring him to his knees in order to save him. God did just that: Dad was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 80.

Our prayer when he was diagnosed was, “Please save him and please let us enjoy him as a brother in Christ as well as our dad before you take him”. Dad became a Christian on Christmas Day in 2018. He was only a Christian for two years before he passed, but it was a gift of two years! 

Dad was such an evangelist. He wanted everyone to know Jesus, his buddy who had saved him. Sadly, his best friend of 60 years rejected him because of his faith and their friendship ended. Dad, although devastated, stood firm in the faith. We could see that the gospel had fallen on good soil with Dad. 

Dad's advice was... "You need to know Jesus, get a Bible and find a church." What an evangelist!

Dad was an avid Bible reader and read the Bible cover to cover six times before he died. Our vivid memory of Dad is with his Bible. We saw the discipline of him in reading God’s word, in showing patience and humility in his love for his Lord and for his church. 

He had an old workmate, Pete, who came regularly to visit, which was a real encouragement to him. Dad’s advice to Pete, and to anyone who would listen, was “You need to know Jesus, get a Bible, and find a church”. What an evangelist! 

Eventually he deteriorated with his illness, and he came to live with me [Vikki]. It was a huge blessing to Gail and I as we could take care of him and enjoy our time with him. 

Dad was interviewed by his pastor on the day we found out his illness was terminal. He was asked how he was feeling about the news. Dad said, “I’ve got to be honest, I’m a little bit excited. I think the girls will miss me, but I can be a bit of a bugger. They might be jealous because they want to go where I’m going.”  

Dad died on December 18, 2020, almost two years to the day from when he became a follower of Jesus. 

I look back and see God's fingerprints over every detail...

We pray to a God who is all powerful and who hears our prayers. We prayed for Dad consistently for 35 years. Salvation was the priority. I look back and see God’s fingerprints over every detail, from removing obstacles to providing the right people at the right time. 

We were praying for Dad to be saved and God said “Yes”! How good is God!

Dad was right; Gail and I are a little jealous of him. Dad’s journey has made us both hungrier for heaven. We’re not to waste our time on earth, because people need to hear the gospel, but we can understand Paul’s quandary when he said, “to live is Christ, and to die is gain”. 

We had the privilege of loving our Dad until his last breath. We were able to serve and honour him, to love and pray for him. It helped us both see that this life is not what it’s about. It’s the next life. That’s what Dad was looking forward to.