Robert Tebow, a Filipino Baptist missionary and father of NFL star Tim Tebow, has died at the age of 78. Tebow passed away after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease.
Tim Tebow shared the news of his father’s death in a Facebook post published Friday, calling his father a “hero of faith” who was “welcomed home last night.”
“While many will be sorry for your loss, the fact is, he is not missing. We know exactly where he is,” the younger Tebow wrote. “He’s home. Forever! I asked him last week what he was most looking forward to about heaven, and he simply said, ‘Yes.’ ”
“He couldn’t wait to meet Jesus in person,” the athlete wrote. “Praise God that his wait is over. Death has been swallowed up in victory. He is now healed and made whole. So we will not mourn like those without hope. See you soon, Father!”
Robert Tebow and his wife, Pam, immigrated to the Philippines with their family in 1985, where they began serving the local community. Pam described it to the Gainesville Sun as “amazing.” Their efforts were part of the Bob Tebow Missionary Society, a ministry founded by Robert Tebow.
“We learned a lot,” she said. “I always learn a lot when I visit third world countries. It makes me appreciate everything I have.”
While abroad, they began praying for another child – Timmy.
Pam Tebow said her pregnancy was difficult. Just before she found out she was pregnant, she contracted amoebicosis, a bacteria transmitted through contaminated drinking water, and fell into a coma. To recover, she was given a series of powerful drugs. But once she found out she was pregnant, she stopped taking them.
But doctors told the Tebows that their newborn baby already had a disability. They told Pam Tebow that her placenta had separated from the uterine wall, potentially depriving her baby of the nutrients and oxygen it needs. They advised her to have an abortion, expecting a stillbirth.
“They thought I should have an abortion from the beginning to the seventh month to save my life,” Pam Tebow told The Sun.
But it was their faith, and Robert Tebow’s beliefs and prayers, that got them through.
“My husband just prayed that if the Lord would give us a son, He would let us raise him,” Pam Tebow said.
Eventually, Tim Tebow was born and the family returned to the United States when he was three years old.
A few years after Tim Tebow was born, the Tebow family moved back to their home state of Florida. Robert and Pam homeschooled their children in Jacksonville, where Tim Tebow enjoyed success as a football star before attending the University of Florida. He led the Florida Gators to two national titles in 2006 and 2008.
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