Shepherdess Journal for 1999
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7Ae Yournaf1 1,11 A SHEPHERDESS INTERNATIONAL RESOURCE FOR MINISTRY SPOUSES Volume 16 Fourth Quarter 1999 Number 4 Zefore 1Se mounthins were crealed, before you made ISe eara am I IACe world, you are 90(4 wilSouf Seginniny or end glaim 90:2 (+Cew &any 7ransfafron) 7.6e Aurnaf Xusiny's 3 A Tribute to a Pastor's Wife ". I am your God. I will strengthen you. I will help you. I will uphold 5 My Joy, My Love, you with my victorious right hand." Isaiah 41:10. My Wife Most of us are weary. We have taken care of everyone in our lives except ourselves. But in our tiredness there are two simple words—simple to say, 7 Putting the Joy Back simple to remember, yet sometimes rarely directed to us. The complexity of Into Christmas their worth to us is infinite. They are "Thank you!" As the pastor's wife, you do so much for so many people. Most of the time all we can expect to hear is a 9 An Unexpected Gift simple—"Thank you!" Our families, our co-workers, and especially our church members sometimes forget these simple words and take us for granted. 10 Reflections From But, did you know, precious lady, that your Heavenly Father appreciates you An Outgoing for all you do and all you are. You are fulfilling His purpose for your life President of everyday. You are being the royal daughter He created you to be. He anointed Shepherdess you for this special work and He appreciates you! He is upholding you with His right hand! Between the covers of this issue are several tributes to ministry wives. 11 Anonymous Tribute They are specific "Thank you's" but they are also directed to you, too. to a Minister's Wife Here in America we will be celebrating Thanksgiving soon. This is the special holiday we have set aside to specifically remember our blessings. And, 12 Creative Hugging on my long list of items for which I am thankful, you are listed. Pastors wives give more hours of volunteer service to the church than any other group and I 14 Mother of a just want to say, "THANK YOU!" Prodigal Daughter God bless each one of you. 17 The Mannequin Pastor's Wife 18 A Shepherdess In Action 19 An Inn For gEe 7011.172a1A SHEPHERDESS INTERNATIONAL Ministry to Clergy Spouses RESOURCE FOR MINISTRY SPOUSES iS a Division Coordinators: Christmas quarterly publication produced by ADRA—Pat Watts Shepherdess International, an entity of the Africa-Indian Ocean—Denise Ratsara General Conference of Seventh-day Eastern Africa—Angeline Musvosvi 22 Shepherdess Adventists Ministerial Association. Euro-Africa—Maeve Maurer International News Euro-Asia—Ludmilla Krushenitskaya & Office: 12501 Old Columbia Pike Barbara Huff Silver Spring, MD 20904-6600 Inter-American—Evelyn Omana Phone: (301) 680-6513 North American—Frances McClure Fax: (301) 680-6502 Northern Asia-Pacific—Mary H. T. Wong e-mail: [email protected] South American—Vasti S. Viana web page: South Pacific—Kay Winter Bible Credits: www.ministerialassociation.com/ Southern Asia—Hepzibah Kore Text credited to NIV are from the Holy Bible, New shepherd/shepindex.html Southern Asia-Pacific—Netty Rantung International Version. Copyright 0 1973, 1978, 1989, International Bible Society. Used by permission of Southern African Union— Zondervan Bible Publishers. Coordinator: Sharon Cress Beautiful N. Wakaba Editor: Sharon Cress Trans-European—To be appointed All articles are printed with permission Editorial Assistant: Shelly Lowe Layout and Design: Shelly Lowe 2 7Se Aurnal, Fourth Quarter 1999 TA' 7riguie 7o a %sior's7dife irol celebrated her 70th On Sabbath I was invited to speak 9erczfo 57. CAksio birthday on March 8 to an overflowing congregation. Sev- J and we together celebrated eral of those who had witnessed our our wedding anniversary on March 28 wedding were present. Excitement in the same church we were married in filled my being as I remembered Birol fifty years ago. To make this sentimen- walking down the aisle on her father's tal journey possible we travelled thirty arm to the strains of the wedding hours on three different trains for two march played through a record player nights and three days, then an hours amplifier. There was no organist. She flight and a four-hour car ride 65 miles carried a bouquet of aram lilies and up a winding road to Shillong, the looked more lovely than everything I capital of India's northeastern border had seen before. But the next day she states of Meghalaya—the abode of the looked even more lovely than she had clouds. fifty years ago. Strange how beauty is Our son Gordon, his wife Rose, enhanced by gracious living and is in with their two teenage children also the eye of the beholder. journeyed from Spicer Memorial The minister who spoke that College to be with us and to celebrate evening reminded Birol that she was their 22nd wedding anniversary. Gor- one of the few girls who carried the don and Rose had met at Philippine brass water pots from the stream and Union College. He wanted to show his placed them in the cone-shaped baskets family his mother's birthplace. We strapped to her forehead rather than arrived two days before our anniver- have him haul the pot up himself as sary and memories flooded our mind most of the other girls did. A small Gerald retired in 1990 from being a church as we visited parks and lakes where we gesture from school days that had not administrator had talked and had planned our future gone unnoticed! Yet in that gesture he after 47 years of service. He lives lives together. They are familiar but saw a plant which had produced a in Hosur, India different to what they had been when bountiful harvest of good deeds with his wife seen through young lovers' eyes. The through the years. Birol. They have 5 children and 10 old wooden home aptly named "Seven What keeps a man and women grandchildren. He Sisters Cottage" was sold when Birol's together for fifty long years? Most are enjoys preaching, mother made her home with us. A bound by custom and social pressure. writing, reading, singing and mammoth concrete three-storied struc- Many are bound by fear. Then there are cultivating ture now stands in the yard where the those who stay together for the friendships. girls played and where their wedding children's sake and some for economic receptions were held. reasons. Finally there are those who .7Se Yournal; Fourth Quarter 1999 3 find happiness and fulfillment in just being together. Very few enjoy this relationship of togetherness naturally. There has to be adjustments. I can imagine the first few years of marriage must have been difficult for Birol. I was the only son, youngest of five siblings. atihtntcus Meeedihvgd Birol is timid, tender and sensitive with a warm sense of humour. These traits Paul received an automobile from his brother as a Christmas stood her in good stead as she gently and present. On Christmas Eve when Paul came out of his office, a lovingly cared for her family. street urchin was walking around the shiny new car, admiring I have often wondered what makes it. her an outstanding homemaker. She credits her Heavenly Father for what she "Is this your car, Mister?" he asked. calls the gift of four "Ses"—the speed of a gazelle, the strength of an ox, the Paul nodded. "My brother gave it to me for Christmas." The stamina of a long distance runner and boy was astounded. "You mean your brother gave it to you and the skill of a craftsman. She can clean up it didn't cost you nothing? Boy, I wish..." He hesitated. Of a mess, prepare a meal, tend the garden, course Paul knew what he was going to wish for. He was going and adorn herself in a jiffy. Blessed with to wish he had a brother like that. But what the lad said jarred these four "Ses" the mundane chores of Paul all the way down to his heels. daily living need only moments of her time, but the more important and "I wish," the boy went on, "that I could be a brother like that." influencing tasks of parenting, being a companion and a church leader cannot Paul looked at the boy in astonishment, then impulsively he be accomplished in a hurry. They added, "Would you like to take a ride in my automobile?" require long hours of study, prayer and discipline. "Oh yes, I'd love that." She declines a church office or After a short ride, the boy turned and with his eyes aglow, said, speaking appointment unless she knows "Mister, would you mind driving in front of my house?" Paul she can be "a workman that need not be smiled a little. He thought he knew what the lad wanted. He ashamed" and has time to do justice to wanted to show his neighbors that he could ride home in a big the appointment through careful prepa- automobile. But Paul was wrong again. ration. Her dependence upon God is complete and aptly summed up in her "Will you stop where those two steps are?" the boy asked. He experience as told to the assembled ran up the steps. Then in a little while Paul heard him coming ladies at the 1980 General Conference back, but he was not coming fast. He was carrying his little Session. Reporting on that event, the crippled brother. He sat him down on the bottom step, then editor of the article wrote: "Desperate, sort of squeezed up against him and pointed to the car.