TO CONTINUE ABOUT THE JAIL VISITS EACH WEEK...... We meet for prayer together in the entrance room when we arrive - after getting our official badges to wear for our visit. Men and women form a circle together and we give requests and someone prays. We also get frisked at that point. At first they went over us with a very careful search, but now that we are known, they just do a cursory search. You cannot have a pen which clicks in and out because the prisoners get hold of those and make weapons, so you have to have a straight pen. We can take in our Bibles and a note pad and can get permission to take in songsheets, helpful literature, etc.
A man officer leads the men down the long halls and a women officer leads the women and those guards stay with us in the pods while we are visiting. We are not supposed to make any noise in the halls, no talking, etc. We have a few guards who know us well and they seem to enjoy being with us for our services and visiting with the girls. First Alliance has more workers than any other church. We have a couple very nice Assemblies women also. The Jehovah Witnesses used to come each week and were very disturbing. They kept themselves apart and taught their doctine loudly to a couple of girls. But lately - especially after one girl left their class and joined us - those women do not come. A couple men also go in and they confuse the prisoners with their teaching. So we are always glad when none of their people come.
The guard opens the door of the pod where we visit and calls out "church!" and the girls put up what they are doing and appear out of their cells. There are two rows of cells in one pod, upstairs and down. The girls are very affectionate and all hug and kiss us and then start talking indiviually. They give us any in-prison news they have. And we give them a bit of news of the outside - the cells are totally sealed from the outisde, so they have no idea of what the weather is like or anything going on out in the community. They spend their days sleeping or playing cards or other games or fixing each other's hair or just chatting. Sometimes arguments break out and that causes problems for them with the guards. They can be put in solitary if they cause a serious problem.
After everyone spends a little time chatting, someone gathers us together in a circle around the pod, and we start to sing. The girls also have prayer needs. We have prayed for salvation with a number of women. Some give testimonies, some want to talk personally with one of us or present a serious personal need to the group and we gather around and pray. Last week one girl who had been let out - and had even attended church with us at our church - was contacted after a couple of days and told they had made a mistake and she was brought back in after being free two days. She was so angry, and asked us to pray for her to be delivered of her terrible anger. Last week just as we were about to begin our little service, a guard came in and called out for three girls to return to prison - after they thought they were going to be released. They had to run and pack up quickly - they own almost nothing, but have to strip their beds and bundle up their mattress and follow the guard. Everyone was hugging and crying and it started off our time together on a bad note. All the girls were crying! One was a girl very close to me.
During our meeting, we do not have a speaker per se - although one week they had asked Valerie and me to dress in our national dress and speak about missions. But we all give Scriptural advice and whatever we feel led to give to the girls. We stop and pray with individuals for special needs. It is a very informal situation. We sing quite a bit also. Then we go into groups usually one visitor per table and spend time answering spiritual questions and listeing to them. The backgrounds some of these people have is unbelievable. Just yesterday Dad had a seventeen year old boy who came from a terrible home situaion - his thirteen year old sister is several months pg with HIS child. He has just so many problems and the only bright spot is when he sees Dad to talk with him. The men also go on Thursday evening and have a more formal meeting when they have preaching.
Just want to copy here something someone just wrote to Dad:
"Well, I just need to write to someone. I'm really depressed, the jail has charged me with some damage I did not do plus my girlfriend with whom I have two baby girls told me she was moving on. She wasn't waiting on me. With all this I'm depressed. I've been praying and reading my Bible. I hope things get better. I am going to prison and all (as opposed to jail) but I'm afraid I will never get out....I'm hurting deep inside. You know how physical pain is, well spiritual pain is much worse. It never goes away. I'd trade a broken arm right now for a little peace in my heart. I'm not a bad person, I just had a drug problem and that made me bad. My heart is so broke I pray it gets better soon. You help a lot. You really have made my faith stronger. I thought no one cares, but Jesus cares whether anyone else does or not and I hope he makes me feel better about life. Right now I don't like it!
Somewhere it says life is full of troubles but to put your trust in God. I believe that. I need some prayers though. I'm losing it, I'm about to snap but that will be more trouible for me. The thing is now that my girls are gone I'm starting to not care. I'm ready to give up, my spirit is so weak right now. Pray for me please, I need it. Well, with love I'm going to try and go to sleep."
As I have said before, this is a heavy ministry as well as being an opportunity to help some people who would never get help elsewhere.
The men stay longer in their Wednesday morning time than we women do, and often we women will go downtown and have coffee together and share prayer needs and have fun and plan for a future when there might be a halfway house within reach here to help some of these poor souls when they get out. One girl I have worked with a lot is totally homeless. She has a drinking problem and so her two older children were taken from her and no relative wants to take her in. When she gets out of jail, she walks around town and looks for an empty house where she can crawl in an unlocked window or just sleep on an open back porch, trying to keep warm all night.
The Bobos were easier to work with I think! They at least have an orgnized society and they take care of their own. But in Toccoa we find many people - men and women - who have no one who cares for them. It is very sad.
Friday, June 29, 2012
Friday, June 22, 2012
JAIL VISITATION
Jail visitation occupies a great deal of our lives - not just the visits we make there every week - Wednesday mornings for both of us - and Thursday night as well for Dad. I will share with you a little bit about the process of being in jail ministry. First of all, these are very needy people. Many of them will never hear the true gospel from anyone else. Others have been in church most of their lives but have never had a real experience with the Lord. Still others have been scorned or disappointed by the organized church and are totaly turned off to Christianity.
There are about three times as many men as women in our county jail and so our visitation is different. There are three "pods" of men and only one pod of women. So each Wednesday morning when we visit the women, we have time to talk personally with prisoners, and in the women's pod we also have a little service - singing, testimonies, words of counsel - it is different each week. Dad changes pods every twenty minutes and talks and listens to the men on Wednesdays. Then on Thursday nights he goes to preach or back up someone else who goes along to preach. The TFC students love to go with him for this.
We have to remember the rules of the jail when we go in each week. You have to have personal ID (I use my driver's license) and a simple pen, none of these which click in and out. The prisoners can use those to make weapons! You have to have a patdown, usually in the large bathroom - female guards for the women and men guards for the men. Then the first door to the cells is clicked open by the lead guard and we follow behind, being quiet in the halls. We go through four locked doors before we get to the women's pod. As we enter, the guard calls out "church" and everyone who wants to join us comes down out of their cells. One thing we have been able to do is to require that all prisoners are free to come to talk with us. It used to be that the upper tier of cells was on lockdown one day and the lower tier on lockdown the next and so on...even on our visitation days. But we asked that that be changed and they complied so now everyone is free to come to church, unless they are on lockdown for misbehviour.
Just about everyone in there comes and hugs us as they greet us and then follows a time of chatting with the girls (women). There are about twelve steel tables in a pod, with little steel stools around the tables, all stationery and VERY uncomfortable! And that is where we sit and talk. For many, it is a high point in their week. These prisoners have no contact with the outside world - they have no light from outside in their cells, there is no newspaper or TV. They do have visitation rights one day in the week when they are called out to visit through a glass with their family. There is also a row of phones where they can talk with their family, if they have the money to do so. They have no idea what the weather is like outside. They live in complete isolation. We have found that the majority of the guards are kind to the girls and many of them are even Christians. When there are no visitors, the girls either stay in their rooms or else put together puzzles on the steel tables, play cards, etc.
There is a certain camraderie that builds up among the girls, and if one girl is sick, the other girls will take care of her needs. Each cell has a toilet, one girl to a cell. They are not allowed to cover up, so wear sweaters or whatever they have which is warm when sleeping. Each one does have a pillow. The uniforms are for the most part, faded (sometimes even ragged) and very unbecoming! The girls do each other's hair to pass the time and they are required to be hygienically clean. Often girls come into jail pregnant and usually the other girls take care of these prenant girls. Several times we have been there when a girl had just lost a baby and the others all try to comfort her and take care of her in her physical pain and mental anguish. Unfortunately, there is also a lot of lesbian activity tht goes on in the cells and homoseuxality in the men's side.
Several women volunteer to be on kitchen duty and so they are dismissed early from our meeting with them. If they have personl money from their families, they are allowed to order available snacks, plus special prison Bibles for a reduced price. Many of us who are involved in jail ministry put money on the prisoners' acounts so they can buy a Bible. For a long time, we had some Jehovah's Witness women who also came in and had couple of prisoners whom they were indoctrinating. They went in with us, but stayed apart from us. One of the girls saw the light and left the JW's and after tht the JW women did not come back again, so now we are all one big group.
Our Alliance church has also been instrumental in starting a good library for these in the prison. We have given money for bookshelves and a cart to take books around to the pods. The women spend hours now reading good books of all kinds. And people in our church continue to donate good books to this cause.
Being in jail work is a whole new culture for us! Our church has more people who come for visitation than any other church in town and so there is a ccertain camraderie among those of us who go each week. Our pastor's wife is one of them. There are also some AG ladies with whom we have gotten close, and after jail time we often all go out for coffee or lunch together. More later on jail... but suffice it to say this is a whole new culture that we have entered! It is certainly a very needy world. The housekeeping lady whom you kids have provided for us came yesterday as we were on our way to the court. She hugged me and said how happy she is for people like us who care enough about those incarcerated to spend time with them. She herself was in jail because of drugs when she was younger, and she shared about how she looked forward each week to the church people coming to meet with them. She is now living a drug free life and very involved in an evangelical church. It is good to know we are making a difference in the lives of these unfortunate people! (to be continued)
There are about three times as many men as women in our county jail and so our visitation is different. There are three "pods" of men and only one pod of women. So each Wednesday morning when we visit the women, we have time to talk personally with prisoners, and in the women's pod we also have a little service - singing, testimonies, words of counsel - it is different each week. Dad changes pods every twenty minutes and talks and listens to the men on Wednesdays. Then on Thursday nights he goes to preach or back up someone else who goes along to preach. The TFC students love to go with him for this.
We have to remember the rules of the jail when we go in each week. You have to have personal ID (I use my driver's license) and a simple pen, none of these which click in and out. The prisoners can use those to make weapons! You have to have a patdown, usually in the large bathroom - female guards for the women and men guards for the men. Then the first door to the cells is clicked open by the lead guard and we follow behind, being quiet in the halls. We go through four locked doors before we get to the women's pod. As we enter, the guard calls out "church" and everyone who wants to join us comes down out of their cells. One thing we have been able to do is to require that all prisoners are free to come to talk with us. It used to be that the upper tier of cells was on lockdown one day and the lower tier on lockdown the next and so on...even on our visitation days. But we asked that that be changed and they complied so now everyone is free to come to church, unless they are on lockdown for misbehviour.
Just about everyone in there comes and hugs us as they greet us and then follows a time of chatting with the girls (women). There are about twelve steel tables in a pod, with little steel stools around the tables, all stationery and VERY uncomfortable! And that is where we sit and talk. For many, it is a high point in their week. These prisoners have no contact with the outside world - they have no light from outside in their cells, there is no newspaper or TV. They do have visitation rights one day in the week when they are called out to visit through a glass with their family. There is also a row of phones where they can talk with their family, if they have the money to do so. They have no idea what the weather is like outside. They live in complete isolation. We have found that the majority of the guards are kind to the girls and many of them are even Christians. When there are no visitors, the girls either stay in their rooms or else put together puzzles on the steel tables, play cards, etc.
There is a certain camraderie that builds up among the girls, and if one girl is sick, the other girls will take care of her needs. Each cell has a toilet, one girl to a cell. They are not allowed to cover up, so wear sweaters or whatever they have which is warm when sleeping. Each one does have a pillow. The uniforms are for the most part, faded (sometimes even ragged) and very unbecoming! The girls do each other's hair to pass the time and they are required to be hygienically clean. Often girls come into jail pregnant and usually the other girls take care of these prenant girls. Several times we have been there when a girl had just lost a baby and the others all try to comfort her and take care of her in her physical pain and mental anguish. Unfortunately, there is also a lot of lesbian activity tht goes on in the cells and homoseuxality in the men's side.
Several women volunteer to be on kitchen duty and so they are dismissed early from our meeting with them. If they have personl money from their families, they are allowed to order available snacks, plus special prison Bibles for a reduced price. Many of us who are involved in jail ministry put money on the prisoners' acounts so they can buy a Bible. For a long time, we had some Jehovah's Witness women who also came in and had couple of prisoners whom they were indoctrinating. They went in with us, but stayed apart from us. One of the girls saw the light and left the JW's and after tht the JW women did not come back again, so now we are all one big group.
Our Alliance church has also been instrumental in starting a good library for these in the prison. We have given money for bookshelves and a cart to take books around to the pods. The women spend hours now reading good books of all kinds. And people in our church continue to donate good books to this cause.
Being in jail work is a whole new culture for us! Our church has more people who come for visitation than any other church in town and so there is a ccertain camraderie among those of us who go each week. Our pastor's wife is one of them. There are also some AG ladies with whom we have gotten close, and after jail time we often all go out for coffee or lunch together. More later on jail... but suffice it to say this is a whole new culture that we have entered! It is certainly a very needy world. The housekeeping lady whom you kids have provided for us came yesterday as we were on our way to the court. She hugged me and said how happy she is for people like us who care enough about those incarcerated to spend time with them. She herself was in jail because of drugs when she was younger, and she shared about how she looked forward each week to the church people coming to meet with them. She is now living a drug free life and very involved in an evangelical church. It is good to know we are making a difference in the lives of these unfortunate people! (to be continued)
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
LIVING BY PRAYER..............................................
Living by prayer has become a lifestyle for me since childhood. My parents were great believers in prayer. We saw God so many times provide and heal for us in our family. We always had prayer together in the morning after breakfast. Then at noontime, we prayed for the countries and peoples of the world after lunch: Monday - India, Tuesday - Africa, Wednesday - Southeast Asia, Thursday - South America, and so on through the weekend. We kids all took turns praying and so knew the names of countries and people we had never seen. Then each evening we had bedtime prayers together.
Dad and I also have always prayed together in our marriage and family life - and we still do. Through the years we have been comforted, helped, healed and amazed to see how our Heavenly Father has answered those prayers and the prayers of so many people who have prayed for us! We are rich in praying family and friends.... I have been thinking of the many times in our life when we had major needs, and prayer was our salvation to get us through difficult times.
When we had to send our first daughter off to boarding school - three days trip away from where we lived - I thought sometimes I just could not stand that separation. Maybe it prepared us for many more separations from you, Cheryl: off to college in the States, then off to Beirut as a missionary. I will never forget the terrible war in Beirut when we were waiting news of the birth of your first baby, Nathan. We could hear the gunfire when we talked to you on the phone. And then the phone lines were cut....this happened so often. The time you escaped in a boat with Rachel - we got the news at Council, the night I was giving the missions message. All communication was going through us by phone to Dave Moore...and finally I had to go to another hotel and concentrate on prayer and also my message while Dad took over the Lebanon message service.
I will never forget the morning you were so horribly burned, Debbi, falling into a pot of hot yogo. Or the time we got word that you had been sick for some time at ICA and we had not heard about it. Or the time we had to bring Elin home from ICA as she was so sick. In all of those boarding school situations, we had to depend on prayer to get us through. No one ever understands the anguish of a parent sending a child so far away unless you have gone through it! And pray we did - always.
Remember the rabies shots?? The night before you kids took off for ICA, Cheryl was bitten by our new little puppy, nd the very night that you had left, the little dog went rabid and had to be killed. That meant rabies shots for everyone who had been near the dog. We had to call the school and have you all have shots down there. John was pre-school and he hated going to the doctor each morning for those shots! I wonder who was praying for us when we went through that experience??!
Many people prayed me through my bad bout with hepatitis. When Dad took in my blood sample, the doctors wanted to know who this lady ws - the count was so high! Again many people were praying for me, and through prayer and obeying the nurses, I was able to stay right there and finally got back to normal again after almost two months!
When we got word, Cheryl, that you were being suspended from school in eighth grade, we were devastated, and all we could do was cry ad pray. And it was a good time for you, being home with us. Mark was born then and you were there - and he was always your baby.
Towards the end of our time in Burkina, we made that famous trip to Abidjan when I was driving along the paved highway, still in Burkina, and a child ran right out in front of me and hit the car and fell by the side of the road. I was terrified and just cried out to God. The child lay there lifeless but then started to move and to cry. It took us a long time to take care of the details of that accident and meant taking more time for the journey. We were headed for Abidjan to make corrections in our Bible manuscript and this seemed like one more trial in keeping that Bible from getting published! What an experience! Many people prayed for us in the translation of that Bible for the Bobos, and how thankful we are for them.
I think also of the months and years we prayed for our dear Jennie when she started her cancer. We prayed personally and with her and our friends and all of you prayed. And finally we had to submit to God's will for our dear daughter-in-law, and she went to live in heaven with Jesus. Prayer sustained us all during those times and especially you, John.
All of these incidents and expeienced remind us that our family has been bathed in prayer all of our lives. We continue to pray each day - praying together for each of you our children and grandchildren, and now great grands in the morning - and then many times during the day as you come to mind.
It is certainly true as the old saying goes - "More things are wrought through prayer than this world dreams of"! We are fortunate to be a praying family.
Dad and I also have always prayed together in our marriage and family life - and we still do. Through the years we have been comforted, helped, healed and amazed to see how our Heavenly Father has answered those prayers and the prayers of so many people who have prayed for us! We are rich in praying family and friends.... I have been thinking of the many times in our life when we had major needs, and prayer was our salvation to get us through difficult times.
When we had to send our first daughter off to boarding school - three days trip away from where we lived - I thought sometimes I just could not stand that separation. Maybe it prepared us for many more separations from you, Cheryl: off to college in the States, then off to Beirut as a missionary. I will never forget the terrible war in Beirut when we were waiting news of the birth of your first baby, Nathan. We could hear the gunfire when we talked to you on the phone. And then the phone lines were cut....this happened so often. The time you escaped in a boat with Rachel - we got the news at Council, the night I was giving the missions message. All communication was going through us by phone to Dave Moore...and finally I had to go to another hotel and concentrate on prayer and also my message while Dad took over the Lebanon message service.
I will never forget the morning you were so horribly burned, Debbi, falling into a pot of hot yogo. Or the time we got word that you had been sick for some time at ICA and we had not heard about it. Or the time we had to bring Elin home from ICA as she was so sick. In all of those boarding school situations, we had to depend on prayer to get us through. No one ever understands the anguish of a parent sending a child so far away unless you have gone through it! And pray we did - always.
Remember the rabies shots?? The night before you kids took off for ICA, Cheryl was bitten by our new little puppy, nd the very night that you had left, the little dog went rabid and had to be killed. That meant rabies shots for everyone who had been near the dog. We had to call the school and have you all have shots down there. John was pre-school and he hated going to the doctor each morning for those shots! I wonder who was praying for us when we went through that experience??!
Many people prayed me through my bad bout with hepatitis. When Dad took in my blood sample, the doctors wanted to know who this lady ws - the count was so high! Again many people were praying for me, and through prayer and obeying the nurses, I was able to stay right there and finally got back to normal again after almost two months!
When we got word, Cheryl, that you were being suspended from school in eighth grade, we were devastated, and all we could do was cry ad pray. And it was a good time for you, being home with us. Mark was born then and you were there - and he was always your baby.
Towards the end of our time in Burkina, we made that famous trip to Abidjan when I was driving along the paved highway, still in Burkina, and a child ran right out in front of me and hit the car and fell by the side of the road. I was terrified and just cried out to God. The child lay there lifeless but then started to move and to cry. It took us a long time to take care of the details of that accident and meant taking more time for the journey. We were headed for Abidjan to make corrections in our Bible manuscript and this seemed like one more trial in keeping that Bible from getting published! What an experience! Many people prayed for us in the translation of that Bible for the Bobos, and how thankful we are for them.
I think also of the months and years we prayed for our dear Jennie when she started her cancer. We prayed personally and with her and our friends and all of you prayed. And finally we had to submit to God's will for our dear daughter-in-law, and she went to live in heaven with Jesus. Prayer sustained us all during those times and especially you, John.
All of these incidents and expeienced remind us that our family has been bathed in prayer all of our lives. We continue to pray each day - praying together for each of you our children and grandchildren, and now great grands in the morning - and then many times during the day as you come to mind.
It is certainly true as the old saying goes - "More things are wrought through prayer than this world dreams of"! We are fortunate to be a praying family.
Friday, May 18, 2012
DELIVERED THROUGH PRAYER.............
I was reminded recently of how our lives have been surrounded by PRAYER - our own prayers and also the prayers of God's people. At the time of my unexpected brain surgery and the aftermath of all that, Dad wrote a daily report of what was happening in our lives right then, and I found a copy of what he had written in a file just the other day. He wrote far and wide to ask people to pray for us at that time of our deep need, and people responded by praying and writing encouraging letters. God DID answer their prayers.
People who walked with us through that time of trouble see me now and cannot believe how well I am and what I am able to do again. I have always had a lot of energy, but during those uncertain days - weeks, even a couple of years - I wondered if I would ever feel normal again. But God answered prayer and it was nothing but a miracle. At (almost) age 79, I am able to do a lot more than some of my peers who did not have to go through the trauma I experienced during those three years. I just recently had a perfect doctor's report, and he commented on how far I had come. The first time he saw me after my brain surgery, I visited him in a wheelchair. A good doctor is a blessing, but without prayer I would never be where I am today physically.
The Bible tells us a lot about prayer, and as Alliance missionaries we have been abundantly blessed by the prayers of hundreds of Alliance (and other) people. The Apostle Paul had this experience of living by the sustaining prayers of God's people. He says, "(God) delivers us from deadly peril...and will continue to deliver us as you help us by your prayers." Like Paul, we as missionaries have been delivered from peril, trouble and heartache even as he was, and you children have also been the recipents of this deliverance many times in your lives. David tell us in the Psalms, "He will deliver the needy who cry out, the afflicted who have no one to help."
I have already mentioned how devastated Dad and I were when our entire month's allowance was stolen out of our apartment in Bobo while we took you little girls out for a Sunday afternoon walk. What a shock for brand new missionaries. We soon learned that we belonged to a good mission which would advance us enough money to live on until we could pay back what we borrowed.. But God helped us to put all of that behind us, and not live in constant fear of robbery. In fact, during our years in Africa, we were robbed so many times that we lost track. But it did not deter us from the joy of living and serving in West Africa for more than forty years. Credit for this goes to those who prayed so faithfully!
During our first term, Dad was often sick with malaria - the old fashioned kind that lasts! But many people were praying for us in our missionary life and prayed for his health. In answer to prayer, Dad had less and less bouts with malaria and was fairly free of the sickness during our later years in Africa.
As a child, I had often had the old fashioned malaria and I can still remember the chills and the burning fever, and my mother wiping my face with a cool washcloth by the hour. But during those early childhood years I must have built up an immunity in my system, as I was seldom bothered by a malarial attack in my adult life as a missionary. We had a lot of praying friends who prayed faithfully for us during our long life of service in West Africa. Prayer support is so important for international workers in our day even as it was for the Apostle Paul who spoke of those "who helped me through your prayers" as he traveled and preached the Gospel. It has alwaqys been an encouragement for me to have someone tell me, "I prayed for you...."
And now WE are on the praying end. We pray for all of you children and grandchildren and now the "greats" every single day, and we also have a big photo album filled with prayer cards from workers all over the world for whom we pray faithfully. Prayer is a privilege for the one praying and a blessing to those for whom we pray.
to be continued...............................................
People who walked with us through that time of trouble see me now and cannot believe how well I am and what I am able to do again. I have always had a lot of energy, but during those uncertain days - weeks, even a couple of years - I wondered if I would ever feel normal again. But God answered prayer and it was nothing but a miracle. At (almost) age 79, I am able to do a lot more than some of my peers who did not have to go through the trauma I experienced during those three years. I just recently had a perfect doctor's report, and he commented on how far I had come. The first time he saw me after my brain surgery, I visited him in a wheelchair. A good doctor is a blessing, but without prayer I would never be where I am today physically.
The Bible tells us a lot about prayer, and as Alliance missionaries we have been abundantly blessed by the prayers of hundreds of Alliance (and other) people. The Apostle Paul had this experience of living by the sustaining prayers of God's people. He says, "(God) delivers us from deadly peril...and will continue to deliver us as you help us by your prayers." Like Paul, we as missionaries have been delivered from peril, trouble and heartache even as he was, and you children have also been the recipents of this deliverance many times in your lives. David tell us in the Psalms, "He will deliver the needy who cry out, the afflicted who have no one to help."
I have already mentioned how devastated Dad and I were when our entire month's allowance was stolen out of our apartment in Bobo while we took you little girls out for a Sunday afternoon walk. What a shock for brand new missionaries. We soon learned that we belonged to a good mission which would advance us enough money to live on until we could pay back what we borrowed.. But God helped us to put all of that behind us, and not live in constant fear of robbery. In fact, during our years in Africa, we were robbed so many times that we lost track. But it did not deter us from the joy of living and serving in West Africa for more than forty years. Credit for this goes to those who prayed so faithfully!
During our first term, Dad was often sick with malaria - the old fashioned kind that lasts! But many people were praying for us in our missionary life and prayed for his health. In answer to prayer, Dad had less and less bouts with malaria and was fairly free of the sickness during our later years in Africa.
As a child, I had often had the old fashioned malaria and I can still remember the chills and the burning fever, and my mother wiping my face with a cool washcloth by the hour. But during those early childhood years I must have built up an immunity in my system, as I was seldom bothered by a malarial attack in my adult life as a missionary. We had a lot of praying friends who prayed faithfully for us during our long life of service in West Africa. Prayer support is so important for international workers in our day even as it was for the Apostle Paul who spoke of those "who helped me through your prayers" as he traveled and preached the Gospel. It has alwaqys been an encouragement for me to have someone tell me, "I prayed for you...."
And now WE are on the praying end. We pray for all of you children and grandchildren and now the "greats" every single day, and we also have a big photo album filled with prayer cards from workers all over the world for whom we pray faithfully. Prayer is a privilege for the one praying and a blessing to those for whom we pray.
to be continued...............................................
Sunday, May 6, 2012
A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE ..........................
Dad and I went to college at the time that Billy Graham was getting started in his ministry and so we have many memories of the excitement in evangelicalism as this new young evangelist began to preach and rocketed to evangelical stardom. We had heard of the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte, NC, about three hours from us, and Aunt Jessie had often invited us to come visit her and she would take us to visit the Library. She is a volunteer there one day each week.
So last week we finally set up an overnight with Aunt Jessie in Charlotte so we could visit the Library. We had no idea what to expect. This is not just one library building full of books, but an enormous park which contains the original old Graham family stone home, acres of lovely park and beautiful flowers, the graves of those from the BG team who have gone to be with the Lord, including that of Ruth Graham, and then this huge building which contains all the mementos of Billy Graham history, including his enormous library, with his desk, etc.
What an atmosphere of both peace and excitement pervades the whole facility. We entered first into the original Graham home, perfectly restored with all of its (re-upholstered) furniture and original appliances in the kitchen. From there we went on to the main building which houses both the library and all of the oral and pictorial history of this evangelistic team who has influenced the entire world.
The entire building is electrically controlled and you go from room to room, being closed into each room to listen to the oral and electronic history of this evangelistic team. You hear Billy preach and Bev Shea sing, you travel around the world to Asia and Russia and Europe and of course the United States, watching and listening to what God did in these many countries. There is a whole room dedicated to the ministry of Ruth Graham who stayed at home to pray for the ministry and care for the children. She joined her husband when she could and often gave him advice about the ministry.
Giant videos show Billy Graham's time at Wheaton College and his courtship of Ruth, the many U.S. and world crusades. Billy being interviewed on US TV by well known personalities is all there to see. There are dozens of glass cases burgeoning with mementos of the Crusades and the people who made them possibe. In every instance, all glory is given to God for the success of this great ministry. Many Alliance leaders in the world - like Sami Dagher and others - are also pictured, and you hear their actual voices giving testimony to what God did in their countries.
For people like us who lived through that period of history, it was an exciting, uplifting experience, as we identified with so many of the people and events portrayed. It was well worth the trip! And we had the additional blessing of spending time with our dear friend, Jessie. We go back a long ways together!
So last week we finally set up an overnight with Aunt Jessie in Charlotte so we could visit the Library. We had no idea what to expect. This is not just one library building full of books, but an enormous park which contains the original old Graham family stone home, acres of lovely park and beautiful flowers, the graves of those from the BG team who have gone to be with the Lord, including that of Ruth Graham, and then this huge building which contains all the mementos of Billy Graham history, including his enormous library, with his desk, etc.
What an atmosphere of both peace and excitement pervades the whole facility. We entered first into the original Graham home, perfectly restored with all of its (re-upholstered) furniture and original appliances in the kitchen. From there we went on to the main building which houses both the library and all of the oral and pictorial history of this evangelistic team who has influenced the entire world.
The entire building is electrically controlled and you go from room to room, being closed into each room to listen to the oral and electronic history of this evangelistic team. You hear Billy preach and Bev Shea sing, you travel around the world to Asia and Russia and Europe and of course the United States, watching and listening to what God did in these many countries. There is a whole room dedicated to the ministry of Ruth Graham who stayed at home to pray for the ministry and care for the children. She joined her husband when she could and often gave him advice about the ministry.
Giant videos show Billy Graham's time at Wheaton College and his courtship of Ruth, the many U.S. and world crusades. Billy being interviewed on US TV by well known personalities is all there to see. There are dozens of glass cases burgeoning with mementos of the Crusades and the people who made them possibe. In every instance, all glory is given to God for the success of this great ministry. Many Alliance leaders in the world - like Sami Dagher and others - are also pictured, and you hear their actual voices giving testimony to what God did in their countries.
For people like us who lived through that period of history, it was an exciting, uplifting experience, as we identified with so many of the people and events portrayed. It was well worth the trip! And we had the additional blessing of spending time with our dear friend, Jessie. We go back a long ways together!
Saturday, May 5, 2012
GROW OLD ALONG WITH ME..............................
Americans have many expressions about growing older - as we live in the "youth culture" of this century, like:
- The old grey mare ain't what she used to be!
- Old age ain't for sissies!
- Grow old along with me - the best is yet to be!
Modern American society tends to push aside the elderly, hoping that perhaps their children or the government will somehow take care of their needs. Special communities are planned where only people "over 55" can live, an abnormal kind of place where the voices of little children are seldom heard unless someone's grandchildren come for a visit.
In the United States, aging parents used to live with one of their children. Dad remembers his Pierce grandparents living in his home when the children were growing up. In other societies, the older generation is revered, looked to for advice, caretakers of the small children, storytellers and the repository for the family history. They remain very valued members of the family until their death. In our Bobo culture, an old person has a funeral lasting many days, and people come from other villages to greet the still living for the honored dead.
But American society has changed and homes and apartments are smaller, everyone works outside the home and life seems more complicatd. And so special provision is made for the elderly to live together. Older parents are perhaps more independant than they used to be. So those 55+ communities - and whole neighborhoods - flourish in our American society today, places where the elderly can live - and die - togther. It is a different world.
At this point, I need to add that you, our five children and spouses, have always had open homes for us, and even wanted us to live closer to you when we retired. We chose the home we live in, made friends here, and have never been sorry we did. You sons and families have long since moved away from the area, and we feel at home where we are. All of our children are good Africans and keep in touch with us and provide for many of our needs. We salute you for your love and care.
I remember an old friend - a former missionary from Africa - who was starting to lose her memory when we visited her in Carlisle. She tried to remember something and couldn't, and she said to me, laughing, "Don't ever grow old, Nancy!" Well, guess what? It comes to all of us. We still live a full interesting life together, but we do have to help each other remember dates and events sometimes!
We watched Grandma Kennedy's body and mind deteriorate each time we visited her in Carlisle. (The Lord mercifully spared Grandpa K. as he would not have aged gracefully. He was able to preach right up to close to the time he died suddenly, and he is now rejoicing in Heaven.) Some things seemed to be buried deep in Grandma's once keen mind. I loved to say to her, "Mom sing a song for me in Jula." And without hesitation, she would sing out lustily one of her favorite African songs, not missing a word! The Carlisle nurses did not know that she had ever known another language and one day I had her sing her song for them - and they were astounded! Grandma could remember those Jula words, but she had no idea what she had done yesterday, and it was a celestial deliverance for her when she transferred to Heaven!
Alliance pastors, Kenneth and Sarah Liu have started Caleb & Co., which is an annual gathering for retired Alliance missionaries. Each year we enjoy times of good messages, fun and laughter, and the renewing of lifelong friendships. We exchange stories of our pasts overseas, and enjoy updates from our Aliance leaders who also attend the conference. We pray together. This has become a much appreciated ministry to all of us "oldies" by the Liu's.
Dad and I have been most fortunate to be together as we age and live on our own in our own home. Our ministries have changed but we keep involved - in our local church, through prayer, and by ministering to needy people in the local jail each week. We love our connections with you, our children, and feel blessed to have so many wonderful grandchildren and even great grandchildren. Many people of our age do not have loving caring family members as we do. We are most grateful for your continued participation in our lives. Thank you!!
- The old grey mare ain't what she used to be!
- Old age ain't for sissies!
- Grow old along with me - the best is yet to be!
Modern American society tends to push aside the elderly, hoping that perhaps their children or the government will somehow take care of their needs. Special communities are planned where only people "over 55" can live, an abnormal kind of place where the voices of little children are seldom heard unless someone's grandchildren come for a visit.
In the United States, aging parents used to live with one of their children. Dad remembers his Pierce grandparents living in his home when the children were growing up. In other societies, the older generation is revered, looked to for advice, caretakers of the small children, storytellers and the repository for the family history. They remain very valued members of the family until their death. In our Bobo culture, an old person has a funeral lasting many days, and people come from other villages to greet the still living for the honored dead.
But American society has changed and homes and apartments are smaller, everyone works outside the home and life seems more complicatd. And so special provision is made for the elderly to live together. Older parents are perhaps more independant than they used to be. So those 55+ communities - and whole neighborhoods - flourish in our American society today, places where the elderly can live - and die - togther. It is a different world.
At this point, I need to add that you, our five children and spouses, have always had open homes for us, and even wanted us to live closer to you when we retired. We chose the home we live in, made friends here, and have never been sorry we did. You sons and families have long since moved away from the area, and we feel at home where we are. All of our children are good Africans and keep in touch with us and provide for many of our needs. We salute you for your love and care.
I remember an old friend - a former missionary from Africa - who was starting to lose her memory when we visited her in Carlisle. She tried to remember something and couldn't, and she said to me, laughing, "Don't ever grow old, Nancy!" Well, guess what? It comes to all of us. We still live a full interesting life together, but we do have to help each other remember dates and events sometimes!
We watched Grandma Kennedy's body and mind deteriorate each time we visited her in Carlisle. (The Lord mercifully spared Grandpa K. as he would not have aged gracefully. He was able to preach right up to close to the time he died suddenly, and he is now rejoicing in Heaven.) Some things seemed to be buried deep in Grandma's once keen mind. I loved to say to her, "Mom sing a song for me in Jula." And without hesitation, she would sing out lustily one of her favorite African songs, not missing a word! The Carlisle nurses did not know that she had ever known another language and one day I had her sing her song for them - and they were astounded! Grandma could remember those Jula words, but she had no idea what she had done yesterday, and it was a celestial deliverance for her when she transferred to Heaven!
Alliance pastors, Kenneth and Sarah Liu have started Caleb & Co., which is an annual gathering for retired Alliance missionaries. Each year we enjoy times of good messages, fun and laughter, and the renewing of lifelong friendships. We exchange stories of our pasts overseas, and enjoy updates from our Aliance leaders who also attend the conference. We pray together. This has become a much appreciated ministry to all of us "oldies" by the Liu's.
Dad and I have been most fortunate to be together as we age and live on our own in our own home. Our ministries have changed but we keep involved - in our local church, through prayer, and by ministering to needy people in the local jail each week. We love our connections with you, our children, and feel blessed to have so many wonderful grandchildren and even great grandchildren. Many people of our age do not have loving caring family members as we do. We are most grateful for your continued participation in our lives. Thank you!!
Thursday, April 26, 2012
MORE OF THE PIERCE CLAN...........................
Now for an account of Dad's siblings and their spouses and offspring. These people you remember for the most part. You will also remember some eventa I include here, but maybe there will also be some new things that you did not know. So here goes.
Dad was the third child of four children born to Alvah and Edna Pierce. I think all four children were born in the Danielson area, most in the home where they lived. In those days, many women had their babies at home and did not have access to a hospital. Uncle Luther was the first born, Aunt Esther the second born, Dad was the third child and Uncle Richard the baby of the clan. They were all within two to five years of each other, so grew up together, beginning with the frame house built for the family after they moved from that original old homestead, then at the big white home in Brooklyn, which you all remember. and which is now part of the Pierce Memorial Home for the elderly.
I will attempt to write for you what I remember as being told me by the various members of the family, but I may not remember the sequence of everything. Uncle Luther was the first born. As was often the case, your grandmothr and grandfather made their home with his parents. This was often the case with young married people of that day. But then Grandpa Pierce had a home built for Uncle Luther and his beginning family which is where they lived I think for some time before eventually moving to the big white house in Brooklyn town. Uncle Luther was born in that frame house and was followed two years later by Aunt Esther.
When Uncle Luther was in his late teens or early twenties, the Second World War erupted, and he joined the army. During the period of his training in the service, he was sent to Dothan, Alabama, where there was a large training base. There was a big Southern Baptist church in town where Aunt Fran attended, and she and her friends held regular events for the young men living on the nearby military base. Uncle Luther - being brought up a good Baptist - attended the Baptist church and also went to their gatherings for the soldiers, which is where he met Aunt Fran. She was a Southern belle, and has never really lost her Southen accent and charm. They made their home in Brooklyn, where they lived in a small house not far from his parents. Later on, Luther and his family moved into a spacious home, on the next property to the Pierce home you grew up with as children. When they were younger, there were some marital problems for a while, but they wer resolved and they have had a long, happy married life. For some years Uncle Luther owned and flew his own small plane and Aunt Fran learned to fly that also. They have always kept in touch with us - even came to Africa to see us, and always visited on furlough. They moved to Miami from New England to take an assistant pastorate in a large Baptist church there. Uncle Luther had a radio program in Miami which was quite popular as a religious program of those days. From there he took a fulltime pastorate in Hallendale, Florida, north of Miami, and we visited them there one Easter time on our furlough. They moved back north again and ended up in Pittsfield, Massachusettes, where Uncle Lu servd as an assistant pastor in a Congregational (?) church. They built themselves their own home in the woods of the hill country there, and finally sold it a couple years ago and moved to Florida again. They live near Roger and his wife in central Florida and plan to remain there. They, of all the family, have kept in best contact with us through the years.
Aunt Esther was a charming lady. She had married fairly young, and I never knew that husband. When I first met Aunt Esther, she lived in Yale and then New York City, where she worked in the publishing house of the Episcopal church. Sh worked in their junior high educational department, developing written SS materials, for some years. In New York she met Uncle Averill (distant relative of Averill Harriman, the well know at the time New Yorker) and they seemed to have a good marriage. They were both New Yorkers, kind of artsy, and fun people really. They had no children and so adopted children - Alice and Philip. Alice was also very artsy like her parents, and eventually ended up out in Hollywood where they live until this day. Phillip married also, and he was an educator. His wife is a dear person, but unfortunately bcame an alcoholic. They finally moved up to Vermont, thinking a change would be good for her, but she remained an alcoholic. Phillip and she were finally divorced, he has remarried, they both live in Vermont as well as Uncle Averill, and they share the children. What is it they call them - wishbone children, pulled in two directions. They were all at Aunt Esther's funeral on that cold, wintry day in Vermont. And they all still live in the same area up there.
Aunt Esther's funeral was a time of gathering for the family. During the ceremony, communion was served up front by the woman priest officiating. We went up by rows to take communion, and Philip was there with his newly engaged wife as well as his divorced wife. I went up with the divorced wife to take communion and their young son went up with us too. If you did not want to sip the alcohol in the chalice, you crossed your arms in front of you over your chest, and as I stood by the young son, he crossed his arms as did his mother. This because of her alcoholism. I had never seen that before.
The youngest of the Pierce offspring was Uncle Richard. He studied for the ministry at Andover-Newton Seminary in New England, I think a congregational seminary. They had been married several years and had no children, so they decided to take two boys as foster children. These boys were brothers. They had a beautiful mother (I remember meeting her) but she was too busy running around to care for her boys and so gave them up for foster care. Dick and Jean were elated, but after several years they realized the mother would never give the boys up for adoption, and so they decided to send them back and at that time adopted their two girls, Sally and Susan. You kids knew those girls growing up. Sally is divorced from her military husband of some years, and lives with her children in Maryland. Susan married a loser, and she had one daughter. He left her and she married another loser. She lives near her folks in Hartford, CT, and her parents often care for their granddaughter. They still live in the same little house they bough back in the beginning of their marriage. Jean retired recently from the town library where she was librarian for many years. Uncle Richard is still active in his local church near where they live. Baptist I think.
One furthere paragraph about the Luther Pierce children....The oldest, Roger, rose to the rank of major in the United States army. He retired from the army, married an older lady, whom he had met on marathon bike rides, which they both love. They seem happily married and live in Florida near his parents. Larry was the second son, loved his trips to Africa, played the piano like a pro. He married young, actually a Christian girl, but after several years of marriage - and no children - she divorced him. He was single for a while, but finally married Rose. We met her once when we were on tour near them in Florida. She was a total mismatch for Larry, and she had two or three grown girls of her own from a previous marriage. Several years ago, Rose died suddenly. The girls made life hard for Larry - took all his money, furniture, etc. And he finally died unexpectedly from (I think) a heart attack. Jimmy was next in line in the family, and again I think he was divorced, then married again. We went to their wedding as were in Nyack on Home Assignment. That wedding was so hard on Grandma Pierce, as it was so very secular, with a wild reception after the dry ceremony. Both Jimmy and Alan married women who had already been married and wre divorced/ They "inherited" children through their divorced wives, and they all live in Massachusettes near each other I think. It is interesting to note that Uncle Lu and Aunt Fran do not have a single biological grandchild. And of the four Pierce children, only Dad and Luther had biological children. The rest were adopted.
And I thiink that about sums up the Pierce progeny!
Dad was the third child of four children born to Alvah and Edna Pierce. I think all four children were born in the Danielson area, most in the home where they lived. In those days, many women had their babies at home and did not have access to a hospital. Uncle Luther was the first born, Aunt Esther the second born, Dad was the third child and Uncle Richard the baby of the clan. They were all within two to five years of each other, so grew up together, beginning with the frame house built for the family after they moved from that original old homestead, then at the big white home in Brooklyn, which you all remember. and which is now part of the Pierce Memorial Home for the elderly.
I will attempt to write for you what I remember as being told me by the various members of the family, but I may not remember the sequence of everything. Uncle Luther was the first born. As was often the case, your grandmothr and grandfather made their home with his parents. This was often the case with young married people of that day. But then Grandpa Pierce had a home built for Uncle Luther and his beginning family which is where they lived I think for some time before eventually moving to the big white house in Brooklyn town. Uncle Luther was born in that frame house and was followed two years later by Aunt Esther.
When Uncle Luther was in his late teens or early twenties, the Second World War erupted, and he joined the army. During the period of his training in the service, he was sent to Dothan, Alabama, where there was a large training base. There was a big Southern Baptist church in town where Aunt Fran attended, and she and her friends held regular events for the young men living on the nearby military base. Uncle Luther - being brought up a good Baptist - attended the Baptist church and also went to their gatherings for the soldiers, which is where he met Aunt Fran. She was a Southern belle, and has never really lost her Southen accent and charm. They made their home in Brooklyn, where they lived in a small house not far from his parents. Later on, Luther and his family moved into a spacious home, on the next property to the Pierce home you grew up with as children. When they were younger, there were some marital problems for a while, but they wer resolved and they have had a long, happy married life. For some years Uncle Luther owned and flew his own small plane and Aunt Fran learned to fly that also. They have always kept in touch with us - even came to Africa to see us, and always visited on furlough. They moved to Miami from New England to take an assistant pastorate in a large Baptist church there. Uncle Luther had a radio program in Miami which was quite popular as a religious program of those days. From there he took a fulltime pastorate in Hallendale, Florida, north of Miami, and we visited them there one Easter time on our furlough. They moved back north again and ended up in Pittsfield, Massachusettes, where Uncle Lu servd as an assistant pastor in a Congregational (?) church. They built themselves their own home in the woods of the hill country there, and finally sold it a couple years ago and moved to Florida again. They live near Roger and his wife in central Florida and plan to remain there. They, of all the family, have kept in best contact with us through the years.
Aunt Esther was a charming lady. She had married fairly young, and I never knew that husband. When I first met Aunt Esther, she lived in Yale and then New York City, where she worked in the publishing house of the Episcopal church. Sh worked in their junior high educational department, developing written SS materials, for some years. In New York she met Uncle Averill (distant relative of Averill Harriman, the well know at the time New Yorker) and they seemed to have a good marriage. They were both New Yorkers, kind of artsy, and fun people really. They had no children and so adopted children - Alice and Philip. Alice was also very artsy like her parents, and eventually ended up out in Hollywood where they live until this day. Phillip married also, and he was an educator. His wife is a dear person, but unfortunately bcame an alcoholic. They finally moved up to Vermont, thinking a change would be good for her, but she remained an alcoholic. Phillip and she were finally divorced, he has remarried, they both live in Vermont as well as Uncle Averill, and they share the children. What is it they call them - wishbone children, pulled in two directions. They were all at Aunt Esther's funeral on that cold, wintry day in Vermont. And they all still live in the same area up there.
Aunt Esther's funeral was a time of gathering for the family. During the ceremony, communion was served up front by the woman priest officiating. We went up by rows to take communion, and Philip was there with his newly engaged wife as well as his divorced wife. I went up with the divorced wife to take communion and their young son went up with us too. If you did not want to sip the alcohol in the chalice, you crossed your arms in front of you over your chest, and as I stood by the young son, he crossed his arms as did his mother. This because of her alcoholism. I had never seen that before.
The youngest of the Pierce offspring was Uncle Richard. He studied for the ministry at Andover-Newton Seminary in New England, I think a congregational seminary. They had been married several years and had no children, so they decided to take two boys as foster children. These boys were brothers. They had a beautiful mother (I remember meeting her) but she was too busy running around to care for her boys and so gave them up for foster care. Dick and Jean were elated, but after several years they realized the mother would never give the boys up for adoption, and so they decided to send them back and at that time adopted their two girls, Sally and Susan. You kids knew those girls growing up. Sally is divorced from her military husband of some years, and lives with her children in Maryland. Susan married a loser, and she had one daughter. He left her and she married another loser. She lives near her folks in Hartford, CT, and her parents often care for their granddaughter. They still live in the same little house they bough back in the beginning of their marriage. Jean retired recently from the town library where she was librarian for many years. Uncle Richard is still active in his local church near where they live. Baptist I think.
One furthere paragraph about the Luther Pierce children....The oldest, Roger, rose to the rank of major in the United States army. He retired from the army, married an older lady, whom he had met on marathon bike rides, which they both love. They seem happily married and live in Florida near his parents. Larry was the second son, loved his trips to Africa, played the piano like a pro. He married young, actually a Christian girl, but after several years of marriage - and no children - she divorced him. He was single for a while, but finally married Rose. We met her once when we were on tour near them in Florida. She was a total mismatch for Larry, and she had two or three grown girls of her own from a previous marriage. Several years ago, Rose died suddenly. The girls made life hard for Larry - took all his money, furniture, etc. And he finally died unexpectedly from (I think) a heart attack. Jimmy was next in line in the family, and again I think he was divorced, then married again. We went to their wedding as were in Nyack on Home Assignment. That wedding was so hard on Grandma Pierce, as it was so very secular, with a wild reception after the dry ceremony. Both Jimmy and Alan married women who had already been married and wre divorced/ They "inherited" children through their divorced wives, and they all live in Massachusettes near each other I think. It is interesting to note that Uncle Lu and Aunt Fran do not have a single biological grandchild. And of the four Pierce children, only Dad and Luther had biological children. The rest were adopted.
And I thiink that about sums up the Pierce progeny!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)