My Prose in Christ

Our Ministry From May 11 1969 through December 2013

I want to share with you an overview of our ministry. We were both saved on May 11, 1969 in the morning service of Cottage Lake Bible Baptist Church. We both followed our Lord Jesus Christ in baptism and joined the Cottage Lake Bible Baptist Church. Pastor Ed Dorstad was our Pastor.

We started going out on visitation the first Tuesday after we were saved. We lived twenty miles from the church. We became very active in our church. We helped Pastor Ed Dorstad build our church building in 1970 and 1971. I served as a head trustee of the church and was co-chairman of the building committee along with the Head Deacon; I knew the Lord was calling in me into full time ministry in 1970. I had 26 years with Pacific Northwest Bell and the retirement age was 65 years and I did not want lose all those years. So I decided to just wait and pray and read Gods Word to see what God would do. That is what Pastor Dorstad told me to do through his counseling, several months went by then in July 1971 my prayer was answered.

The retirement age was lowered to 50 years of age and 25 years of service. Then I sought counsel again from Pastor Dorstad he told me not to say anything to Mary what had happened, but to pray that the Holy Spirit of God would work in Mary’s heart about my call going full time in the ministry. The reason being she had more to give up than I did. So I did. Then on February 6 1972, we came home from the morning service. As we came home, we were rejoicing over the messages we had heard from Gods Holy Word, thanking God also for our Pastor whom we loved and his family.

As Mary was preparing our lunch, we were saying what a joy it was serving our precious Lord. She slowly turned facing me and said let us serve our precious Lord Jesus full time. We fell into each other’s arms weeping. I said to her are you sure? She said yes I am sure. It is from the messages from God’s Word that I have heard preached that tells me I must serve Him full time as your helpmate. Then I told her that God had called me and I was waiting for God to call you. I told her if God did not call you, we would not go full time. I have never regretted that decision to wait until God had called my Mary. I was preaching at a rest home that afternoon and we told Pastor Dorstad. He was overjoyed but sad that we were leaving. At the evening service, Pastor Dorstad announced to the church that God had called us to serve Him full time. We gave our testimonies how God had called us to serve Him full time. From that time on until August 27, we took care of all our business, so we could leave on August 28 1972. During that time, Pastor Dorstad helped us to enroll in BaptistBibleCollege in SpringfieldMo. He graduated from that College. It was such a joy being a servant for Pastor EdDorstad those three years. We were accepted and we left August 28 1972.

While there we attended Baptist Temple, Dr. W.E. Dowell was our Pastor who was also Executive Vice President of the college. While there, we were active in Pastor W.E. Dowell’s Bible Class as Group Leaders those three years From September 1972 through May of 1975. Upon graduation on May 22, 1975, we were waiting upon our Lord as to what He wanted us to do. That Saturday after graduation on Thursday Pastor Dowell called us to come up to his office. We went to his office and he asked me to be the president of his Bible class and build his Bible Class. I was president of his class from May 24, 1975 until May of 1981. Due to World War II injuries, I had to resign. It was such joy being a servant for Pastor W.E Dowell

We returned to our home church, Cottage Lake Bible Baptist Church, on May 1981 and were there until May of 1982. They were very kind to us while we were there. While there, we did some visiting as much as we could because I was on crutches. My Mary would drive to a start of street and I would walk as far as I could then I would rest awhile then go at, it again. We would visit for two hours every day. I also was working on a commentary on the Gospel of John. Pastor Dorstad helped us so much. It was a joy to be with him again.

Then from May of 1982 until November 1988, I served under Pastor Ken Blue in various responsibilities. I was Sunday School Director for a while, a Bus Director also. It has been such joy being a servant for Pastor Ken Blue for a total of about ten years and we have been close friends ever since that time. I was told by our Doctors that I had to resign my position at Open Door Baptist Church.

I was told to find a place to serve that she was not so involved. She was my secretary at Open Door Baptist Church plus helping me in my studies for my degrees. In June of 1987, we made a train trip to Dothan, Alabama for my gradation to receive my Doctor’s Degree. We were gone three weeks it was such a joy to make that trip… We had a bedroom compartment and ate in the dining room.

 In November of 1988, we moved to Bonners Ferry Idaho. The reason was my class reunion was in August of 1988. We discovered they did not have an IndependentBaptistChurch in the city. So after much prayer we decided to move there. We planned to start a work. Once started, to locate a young family to take over the church. It did not work out as we planned for God closed the door. But God opened another door.

I was on the radio every Sunday evening preaching. I was on from seven until seven thirty in the evening. That was a very good time according to the station manager for most people was at home at that time. I was preaching through the Gospel of John verse by verse. I was informed by the manager of the radio station that they had heard my messages one hundred miles up into Canada. That was such a blessing. The results of my messages will be known at the judgment Seat of Christ, I never received one phone call about my messages, but as our Lord, said my Word will not return void.

The amazing thing it only cost me fifty dollars a month for one half hour broadcast time. I sure enjoyed being on the radio from December first of 1988 until June first of 1990. The radio station manager and I had a very good relationship. I knew a few people there in Bonners Ferry and several remembered my folks. We also had a Bible Study in our home every Sunday afternoon. I was teaching in the Gospel of John.  But I was warned by several people, “do not plan to start a church in this town.” They told me that there had been some very serious problems with an Independent Baptist Church. They thought it would be wise not to try to start one. But no one would tell us what the problem was.

From then on, I was given the cold shoulder and I could not find a place to rent in the whole town. But the folks that remembered my folks were kind to us. We had a Doctor there in Bonners Ferry. While there, Mary had several visits to the hospital. They could never diagnose her illness. Our Doctor in Bonners Ferry thought we should move to either Coeur a Alene Idaho or Spokane, Washington. They had better medical facilities. After much prayer, we chose Coeur D Lane Idaho. We moved there in June of 1990. I finished preaching through the Gospel of John over the radio on June first. The family left that was attending the Bible Study in June. We knew that the Lord wanted us to move. Since we had been given the cold shoulder by everyone in the town we knew it was the time to move.

I do not remember what poems I had written during this time. But I knew Mary was slowly fading away from me. In June of 1990, we moved to Coeur D Lane Idaho. There we joined Kootenai County Baptist Church and Pastor Steve Andres was our Pastor. He asked me if would be interested in a ministry of filling pulpits. Pastors who needed someone to fill their pulpits due to their being absent for various reasons. So I did from October of 1990 through March of 1998. During that time, Mary traveled with me. We enjoyed those years together so very much we would leave on Saturday and return on Monday or Tuesday. It was a joy serving under Pastor SteveAndres. He and his wife Pat were by my side during Mary’s last days. From April 1 1998 through April 30 1999, I devoted all my time caring for my Sweet Mary. Pastor Andres and his wife Pat were with me when Mary went home on April first at 3:40 am. Her last words to me were so sweet. You must go on. I served with Pastor Andres for over nine years total and it was such joy being a servant for Pastor Andres

After Mary went home to be with Lord and Pastor Andres had resigned from the Church, Pastor Blue asked me to come back to serve under him again. So I returned and was with him from May 1999 until January 3^rd 2003 as Director of his Bible Institute. While there with Pastor Blue, we made a two-week mission trip.

We went to India and were with Joseph Garikapaty for seven days. Then we went to Korea and were with LeoDutton for seven days. It was a joy to serve under him again. We have been close friends ever since. I served with Pastor Blue for almost ten years total and it was such joy being a servant for Pastor Blue. After my mission trip I knew the Lord was calling me to the mission field I did want to go, I was very happy where I was. I always read the mission letters that were posted on the mission board. So I could pray for them. I read the mission letter from Pastor Shane Montgomery and him wanting someone to come and start Timothy Bible College and be the Director. I knew him very well so we started E-mailing. I knew that is where the Lord wanted me go. So I told Pastor Blue what our Lord wanted me to do. I did not want to go but I had no choice, I had to go. So I resigned my position in December 2002.