A Tribute from His Home Assembly
How very saddened and empty we felt when we heard of the homecall of our esteemed and beloved brother Peter Orasuk! His seat will be vacant in the Charlottetown assembly and a great sense of weakness engulfs us. However, the graces Peter manifested sweeten our souls and we praise the Lord for the memories of his devoted service.
Peter came in contact with the gospel in 1976 when a sister in the Charlottetown assembly took Peter and Maxine’s daughter to the Friday night children’s meeting. As a result, two of us from the assembly, Eddie and I, visited their home. Peter was then a hopeless drug addict and a derelict of humanity. After speaking to the two of us for two hours on his views of every subject under the sun, Peter permitted us to read Isaiah 53. Peter said, “I know the Jesus story. Anyone could write something like that.” I said, “But not seven hundred years before it happened. And besides, who told you this passage was talking about Jesus?” Peter’s mouth was stopped and it made him fearful to realize that everything that God said would happen.
” The Word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword” (Hebrews 4:12).
One night Peter attended the weekly prayer meeting and Bible study. That meeting became gospel-oriented for Peter’s sake. Peter was deeply convicted of his sins and mentioned afterwards, “I can never live knowing that I am going to hell with all the sins I will have to account for.”
That night, Peter saw those three words, “It is finished” (John 19:30) and believed the truth that the “blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). The next night, Peter’s wife, Maxine, was saved. A couple living in an apartment above the Orasuk’s was so impressed with the change in Peter that, after they inquired, a Bible study began and before long they also professed to be saved.
Peter yielded his life immediately to the Lord. His zeal for souls and his ability to relate to people were admirable. He developed in the things of the Lord under the close eye of our late beloved brother Albert Ramsay. In 1986 Peter was commended full time to the work of the Lord. His wisdom and spiritual discernment in preaching to his audience were manifested as many souls were saved under his pointed gospel messages. In 2001 and 2002, Murray McCandless and Peter saw more than 80 souls profess in Northern Ireland and most are now in assembly fellowship.
He had a burning desire and ambition to foster the development and teaching of young brethren and sisters. Our brother’s wisdom and knowledge of the Scriptures will be greatly missed in the Charlotte-town assembly and in the Lord’s work.
Peter’s passing away could be described in the language of King David, “Know ye not that there is a prince and great man fallen this day in Israel and I am this day weak, though anointed king?” (2 Samuel 3:38-39).
