Adventists in Belize Honor the Life of Late Master Guide and Youth Leader

December 6, 2023 | Corozal, Belize | Francisco L. Zetina and Libna Stevens, Inter-American Division News

Seventh-day Adventists in Belize honored one of their Master Guide leaders and friend during a memorial service at the Calcutta Spanish Adventist Church in Calcutta, Corozal on Dec. 4, 2023. Axel Arhel Rodríguez, age 23, died last month from cancer, family members said.

“He was a leader of the Pléyales Pathfinder Club here in the Calcutta Adventist Church and was a very active member, always supporting events at mission and union levels,” said Pastor Gelber Gamboa, youth ministries director of the Belize Union, as he addressed the more than 350 gathered for the memorial service. “He fell in love with Jesus through the [Pathfinder] club’s activities and decided to give his heart to Jesus in 2017.”

Born in Mexico, Axel grew up in Belize. After graduating with a degree in elementary education from the Belize Adventist Junior College, he was hired to start teaching at the Nuevo Horizonte Adventist Primary School on the island of San Pedro, Ambergris, of Belize in September.

“For our family, Axel was an example to follow,” said his brother Javier Rodríguez. “He followed and fulfilled his dreams and taught us not to give up and to be brave.  Rodríguez thanked the Adventist Church in Belize and in Chetumal, Quintana Roo in Mexico “for every act of love you did for our Axel.”

District Pastor in Calcutta Jaido Gutiérrez said: “Axel always kept a song in his heart and rested as a brave young man after speaking to Jesus—his friend.”

As he showed up to his first day of the school year in September, Axel was taken ill and travelled to a hospital in neighboring for treatment. He died there on Nov. 30, 2023.

“We saw him leave and today we welcomed him with honors because he was always a warrior for Jesus,” said one of the members of his Pathfinder Club.  Dozens of Pathfinders and Master Guides escorted the body of Axel through the streets of Calcutta enroute to the memorial service at the church.

“I will miss him very much,” said Magali Tzul Bustillos, Axel’s second cousin. “He used to come to my house all the time, loved serving at church and was always willing to help others in need,” she said. Axel was always positive and never complained about his situation, said Tzul. “He started to not feel well in April and had worked hard mowing and cleaning up lawns so he could make it to the Inter-American Division’s Pathfinder Camporee in Jamaica. He came back and said the camporee was life transforming for him and soon after he began to need blood transfusions.”

The church in Belize and in Chetumal assisted in organizing blood drives and raising funds to help cover his medical expenses once he was admitted to the hospital, said Tzul. “He used to tell me how he missed church and wanted his family to join church.”  Axel was the only Seventh-day Adventists in his family, said Tzul. “He touched so many hearts and was always available to serve.”

Axel is the third youth leader that has passed away this year. “This year has been really challenging after the Camporee losing three powerful young leaders who impacted children and youth in Belize,” said Gamboa. Jael Spencer, 23, a Master Guide and youth leader, died in July. Carey McCalla, 43, a youth leader and high school music teacher, died in August. “These three youth leaders have really impacted my life and we know that we will see them in the glorious morning when Jesus will come again,” Gamboa said.

Axel Rodríguez is survived by his parents, three siblings and extended family members.