Pastor grieves the loss of friends killed in Cuban plane crash

A pastor in P.E.I. said he is grieving afterfiveof his friends were killed in a plane crashinCuba.

The crash, the worst aviation disaster in the country inthree decades, happened late last week, killing100 people.

Eddie Rossiter is a pastor at Summerside Church of the Nazarene. Hehad travelled to Cuba to for the past two years to work with pastors in Holguin Province.

There, he became friends with several other pastors. He was particularly close withRonnie Pupo Pupo and his wife Yurisel Miranda, both of whomdied in the crash.

"He and his wife were just fun and open people," he said. "That was the kind of guy he was. Just happy and just a loving guy, who loved Jesus and loved serving the people."

They, along with 18 others, were part of a group that had been on a retreat for ministers and their wives and wasreturning from Havana at the time of the crash.

'You get pretty close'

Rossiter said he is still processing what happened to his friends.

"Just overwhelming shock and grief," he said. "At the same time, there is a hope and joy of where they are today, in heaven, with Jesus."

Rossiter said he will return to Cuba in Februaryto work with the new leaders of the churches.

"It'll be different, the leaders will be different," he said. "There will be a level of absence we will feel."

"These people that you make connections with you get pretty close," said Rossiter. "It's a real empty spot in your heart."