November 5, 2009
UPDATE: November 5, 2009
In an e-mail received this morning from Steve Strong, we have received good news.
It is 9:17 PM, Nov. 5, in Bangkok, Thailand.
Richard Herring does not require surgery but must stay in the hospital for another 5 days for bed rest. He does have a fractured hip. He will then require up to two months of physical therapy.
Pieter Theron, team leader from Mongolia, is in Bumrungrad hospital and in ICU still. His wife is there with him and Stephanie Dowell tonight. They have a guest room provided by the hospital.
He has a ruptured disc or fractured vertebrae in his neck, fractured shoulders, fractured scull, and fractured wrist. They may have to do surgery on him on Sunday. Please pray for any remaining blood in his head to drain or dissolve without incident. He has an excellent team of nurses around him and a neuro surgeon who is watching over him. His mind is sharp and he is alert but in pain.
Thanks for your continued prayers for them both. Our RLT meetings have continued without Richard and Peter and will conclude tomorrow. It has been a heavy last couple of days for all of us.
Please continue to pray for the recovery and healing of Richard and Pieter.
ORIGINAL: (posted November 4, 2009)
I received word this morning that Richard Herring (regional director) and Pieter Theron (Mongolian field director) were injured in a bizarre accident on Wednesday afternoon (Thailand time). Participants of the Asia Pacific Regional Conference in Bangkok attended an elephant show as an outing for the team. While the team was taking pictures, an elephant grabbed Pieter and Richard and threw them about 10 feet into the air. Pieter has a fractured skull and is in critical condition; Richard sustained a broken hip and possible other injuries less serious than Pieter’s.
Please put out a call to prayer for Pieter and Richard in your circle of influence. Additionally, pray for all the participants at the Regional Conference as they respond to the needs of the families of our injured colleagues. I expect, but am not sure, that the final days of the conference will be cancelled. As we get more information, we will communicate with you.
Below is a more detailed account of the accident from Brent and Lisa Liberda, Alliance workers in Mongolia.
Praying with you for Pieter and Richard,
Gary
Members of the RLT (regional leadership team) were on their one free afternoon outing to an elephant and crocodile zoo near the Rose Gardens. We all went to the crocodile show and later attended the elephant show. Everyone was sitting in the grandstands as the elephants performed in a field in front of us.
At the end of the show, the park staff brought out bananas, and about 10 elephants lined up at the fence where people could feed the elephants and take pictures in front of them. After most of the crowd was beginning to leave, some of us from the RLT started to feed the elephants and take pictures. Richard and Pieter were getting their picture taken in front of one of the biggest elephants when suddenly the elephant with his trunk threw them both about 10 feet up into the air. Richard landed on the cement, and Pieter fell on his head. It was very serious. A number of us started administering first aid and praying. There wasn’t even a first aid box in the entire park, so we used our shirts and other cloths we could find for compresses and pillows and kept the two men immobile. Both were conscious. Some Christians from other countries who had been there stayed and prayed at a distance. It took about 30 minutes for the first of two ambulances to come, which seemed like an eternity. Two or three from the RLT group went with the ambulances to the hospital.
The two men are currently in a hospital outside the city and will be transferred at 10 p.m. tonight to Vitchayut as the traffic is too bad now. Word from the people at the hospital is that Richard is stable and has a fractured hip. Pieter is in ICU with a fractured skull and is bleeding internally near the brain. He may also have fractured shoulders. The hospital is working on getting a neurosurgeon to the hospital to assess the situation so that Vitchayut will be ready to receive him. The latest news, which is good, is that Pieter’s vital signs are stable and the internal bleeding is minimal.
Please pray for God’s healing touch in the lives of these two men. Pray especially for Pieter, that God would stop the internal bleeding and that he would be able to receive the help he needs in the shortest amount of time. Pray for his wife, Haniki, as she is at the hospital with him and several others. Dr. Benedict in Colorado has been notified of the situation.
Many thanks for your prayers,
David Strong
Thank you for praying for this situation with us!
Brent and Lisa
P.S.
This just in! As we were preparing to send this e-mail we received the following news. Peter does not need brain surgery. He has some blood on the brain but not enough to require surgery. He has a fractured skull, both shoulders seem to be fractured, and a broken wrist. He is in ICU and will be closely monitored. His internal organs appear to be good and his vital signs appear to be good. He is in the care of good doctors and in one of the nation’s best hospitals. Praise be to God. Please thank all who have prayed and are praying.
September 8, 2009
Retired missionaries reconnecting? The idea first came to Sarah Liu when a missionary friend suggested a get-together of retired missionaries. “It seemed overwhelming to me,” says Sarah, who is the volunteer coordinator for Caleb & Co., a ministry to connect missionaries with 25+ years on the mission field with each other and with current mission initiatives. “Where would we have it? Who will speak? Will retired missionaries be able to afford it?”
Not too old for ministry
Retirement from missionary service can be an emotional and spiritual struggle for workers as they learn to accept the fact that they are no longer involved in full-time ministry.
“Coming back home to a church where one is surrounded by a younger generation that may consider us too old to be useful is a bitter pill to swallow,” says John Schultz, who served in Irian Jaya with his wife, Janine, for 40 years. “Whereas on the mission field, national pastors would ask us to preach whenever we showed our face, people now show us benign neglect.”
Trailblazer
Desiring to reunite the disenfranchised missionaries in an effort to include them in ministry, Sarah eagerly took on the administration of the new ministry. “I started as the volunteer coordinator for retired missionaries in 2007,” she says. “Nobody else had filled that position, so I basically was writing my own job description and trusting God for direction.”
Sarah is no stranger to ministry or to the principle of relying on God alone for provision. Growing up in Calcutta, India, with her missionary parents, David and Mary Lamb, Sarah learned early in life that God keeps His promise to provide for those whom He has called to serve. Also, her husband, Kenneth, pastored Centerville (Ohio) Community Church (C&MA) for 30 years. Her early childhood experience and adult years as a pastor’s wife prepared her well for this new ministry in which she would be a participant as well as administrator.
Sarah began with the ministry’s first newsletter, defining ministry objectives as well as explaining its name. “Caleb and Joshua (Numbers 13:30) were the two who came back with a good report after spying out the Promised Land. In the same way through the many years of service these missionaries have rendered, they have claimed the “Promised Land” that God gave them. And like Caleb of old, they are back-giving exhilarating reports of what God has done. They are in good company with Caleb.”
A Step in Faith
Plans were made for the first get-together to be held at General Council 2009 in Louisville, Kentucky. But the dilemma of including missionaries who could not afford travel to such a large event weighed heavily on Sarah’s heart, and she sought God’s direction. When her daughter, Sharene offered financial help for one missionary couple to attend, Sarah was encouraged. “It was like God was telling me, ‘Okay, go for it.’”
In the next issue of Caleb & Co. newsletter, Sarah told the story of her daughter’s offer to help. Readers responded enthusiastically, and soon every retired missionary who indicated a need for financial assistance to attend the event was covered.
The Caleb Connection
“The first Caleb & Co. event was a wonderful time of fellowship, and of course, a delicious meal,” says Linda Sauve, who attended the event with her husband, Ted. The Sauves served on the Latin America field for 40 years. “It was a unique time for us to be, once again, united with fellow missionaries.”
Nancy Pierce also attended the reunion. Having served in Mali, West Africa, for more than 40 years, she said, “It was a delight to connect with our Alliance leaders and hear the burden of their hearts. Now we need to take up the active work of prayer!”
Until their next get-together, planned for Council 2011 in Kansas City, Missouri, Alliance retirees will stay connected via Internet, phone calls, and U.S. mail. “I call each one of them on their birthdays or send them cards of encouragement,” Sarah says. “In the meantime we pray for each other and Alliance work.”
The need for these seasoned veterans of prayer in The Alliance is great. Retired missionaries know well the spiritual battles on the field that must be overcome through the power of prayer. Current international workers can advance their mission to push back the darkness with confidence, knowing their spiritual backs are covered by the prayers of those who have gone before them.
September 3, 2009
Rev. Donald McCartney Taylor, former C&MA missionary (1961-1974), entered the Lord’s presence on Wednesday, August 26, 2009, in Kissimmee, Florida. He was 72.
Don and his wife, Jan, had been international workers in Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand. They were on two years’ leave of absence from 1974 to 1976 while living in Johnson City, New York, where Don served the Johnson City Alliance Church as an elder. In the late ’70s, the Taylors were involved with developing the Cambodian church plant in Johnson City and in settling Southeast Asian refugees in the area. Jan was a local school teacher. Don served the Laotian District in the United States from 1985 to 1990.
Don was the son of Rev. and Mrs. Harry Taylor, longtime international workers to Cambodia and the Arab Lands. Don is survived by his father, Harry, who resides in The Alliance Community for Retirement Living in Deland, Florida; and his sisters, Mrs. Janice Kropp, international worker (Japan); and Mrs. Judy Reitz, the widow of a former district pastor. Don is also survived by two sons, Kevin and Keith, and a daughter, Karen.
Prayers for his widow, Janet, and their family would be much appreciated (1546 Venice Ct., Kissimmee, Florida, 34746).
August 25, 2009
Kathy Wycoff, the wife of Rev. Brad Wycoff, entered the Lord’s presence on Saturday, August 22, 2009, after a battle with cancer. She and Brad used to pastor Christ Alliance Church in Marianna, Florida, in the Southern District. The two were recently ministering at Parkview Alliance Church in Van Buren, Arkansas.
Kathy is survived by her husband, Brad, and their grown children. A memorial service will be held at the church, which is located at 904 Pine Street, Van Buren, Arkansas 72956. Cards can be sent to: Rev. Brad Wycoff, 202 Lecta Avenue, Ft. Smith, Arkansas 72901
August 14, 2009
Mrs. Thelma Mae Braun, former missionary to Congo, entered into the Lord’s presence on August 13, 2009, in Wilmore, Kentucky. She was 89 years old.
Thelma M. Still was born on September 14, 1919, in Mansfield, Ohio. At the age of five, she started learning how to play the piano, followed by flute, violin, accordion, and church organ. Public playing was accompanied by singing and testifying. These led to preaching opportunities, and Thelma participated in many evangelistic campaigns in the Midwest that prepared her well for missionary service. She attended Wheaton College where she met Willys. They married upon graduating in 1941. Together they proceeded to the Missionary Training Institute in Nyack, New York, after which they pastored a small church in Nyack.
In 1945, the Brauns left for Congo where they served in preaching, directing the inter-mission printing plant and supply house in the nation’s capital, teaching at the Bible Institute, and holding youth conferences in many of the field’s centers. The Brauns organized Sunday school contests and sponsored a Congo-wide contest in all the major languages. In 1954, they outfitted a gospel tent for large evangelistic campaigns throughout the field that continued for many years with amazing fruitfulness. They were also involved with the printing of tracts, publishing and sale of spiritual books, recording and distributing gospel records, and producing daily Kikongo radio program.
In addition, Mrs. Braun served for 16 years in a teaching and administrative capacity in the Congo schools, having taught French, math, social studies, music, and religion. Mrs. Braun’s service was commendable, and her work was much appreciated by government authorities and church leaders.
The Brauns returned to the United States in 1970 for a year of home assignment and then were on loan for two years to Church Ministries to assist in the Key 73 evangelism project, similar to the Evangelism-in-Depth program that Rev. Braun established in Congo. The Brauns concluded their ministry with The Christian and Missionary Alliance on December 31, 1973, and planned to return to the field to serve with the Ford Philpot Evangelistic Association. When those plans fell through, they moved to Lexington, Kentucky, where they founded Evangelism Resources in 1976.
Working out of their home in Lexington, the Brauns traveled widely throughout Africa, holding church growth conferences, distributing gospel tents and other evangelism tools, and encouraging denominational leaders to accelerate evangelism in their communities.
Mrs. Braun is survived by her two sons, Christian (Marcia) and Paul (Nancy) and five grandchildren. A memorial will be held Sunday, August 16, at the First Alliance Church, 2201 Old Higbee Mill Road in Lexington, Kentucky at 2:30 p.m. Dr. Harold Spann will be the speaker, and Rev. Steve Elliott will officiate. Interment will follow at the Wilmore Cemetery. The family will receive friends at the Kerr Brothers Funeral Home, 3421 Harrodsburg Road in Lexington on Saturday evening, August 15 from 5 to 8 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Braun Memorial Scholarship Fund being established at Evangelism Resources in Thelma’s memory. Cards can be sent to Rev. Chris Braun, 200 1/2 W Linden St, Wilmore, Kentucky 40390.
August 11, 2009
Rev. David K. Volstad, who had served as a missionary to Chile, Latin America regional director, and pastor, entered the Lord’s presence on Sunday, August 9, 2009, after a battle with cancer. He was 75.
David Keith Volstad was born in Lyle, Minnesota, on November 10, 1933, to Alliance missionaries Rev. Carl and Mrs. Pelma Volstad while they were on home assignment. Most of David’s boyhood was spent in South America, first in Peru and then in Chile when illness necessitated that his parents move to a more temperate climate. He graduated from high school in Temuco, Chile, in 1951.
David’s conversion to Christ occurred when he was 11 years old. At the age of 14, he settled the question of his future and agreed to return to Chile as a witness to Christ’s saving gospel. The years that followed were spent in preparation for that commitment. David graduated from St. Paul Bible College in 1952 with a diploma in theology. From there he enrolled in Seattle Pacific College to earn a degree in Spanish and an education certificate from Washington State.
David met Florence Lois Yearsley, from Turtle Creek, Pennsylvania, at St. Paul Bible College. They married on July 12, 1958, after David’s graduation from Seattle Pacific and Florence’s graduation from St. Paul. Together they went on to White Sulphur Springs, Montana, for two years of pre-appointment pastoral ministry.
The Volstads and their son Bruce left for Costa Rica in 1960 for Spanish language study before heading to Chile. They served two terms during which David was a teacher and administrator of the Bible Institute at Temuco and director of the field’s summer camping program. He ministered widely in Chilean churches and assisted in gospel radio broadcasts and in the editorial work at the Spanish Alliance Press. In addition, he helped establish an orphanage in Loncoche.
In January 1972, David was appointed successor to Rev. George S. Constance, retiring area secretary for South America. He served in that capacity for 27 years before retiring in 1998. As regional director for Latin America, David spent much of his time on the road visiting missionaries and national church leaders, listening to their struggles and challenges, and offering encouragement and hope. A highlight of David’s years at the National Office was a one-month trip to Chile he and Lois took prior to retirement.
David and Lois moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where David became the associate pastor for the Allegheny Center C&MA Church. Lois was thrilled that they could both be actively involved in ministry. David retired for the second time on July 1, 2009, with 10 years of fruitful and productive ministry where he was loved and appreciated.
David was known as a disciplined man, an excellent teacher and preacher, and one who worked well with both Chileans and his fellow missionaries. He had a fine sense of humor and deep spiritual resources. David was an example of integrity and faithfulness. He maintained zeal, resolve, and a love for Christ and gave sacrificially for the advancement of God’s Kingdom in Latin America. David has fought the good fight, finished his race victoriously, and kept the faith. He truly demonstrated in the most gracious way faithfulness to God, to fellow believers, to his family, and to the work. As a second-generation C&MA missionary, he has left a spiritual legacy with his children; three are active workers stateside and overseas.
David is survived by his wife, Lois, his sisters Barbara and Ruth (retired C&MA missionaries), five children: David Bruce (Amy); Mark (Barbara), former C&MA missionary to Chile and currently C&MA pastor at Iglesia Cristo Salva in Chico, California; Judy (Charles) Hardy; Steven (Christina), C&MA missionary to Russia; and Robert (Julie); and 14 grandchildren.
The funeral service will be held on Wednesday, August 12, 2009, at the Allegheny Center C&MA Church, 250 East Ohio Street, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15212. Rev. Robert Fetherlin will represent International Ministries. Cards can be sent to Mrs. Lois Volstad, 148 Marwood Road, #1217, Cabot, Pennsylvania 16023. International Ministries is receiving donations on behalf of the family for their use. If you would like to participate in this love gift, please contact Esther Hsu.
July 28, 2009
Miss Ann Droppa of Dunnellon, Florida, went to be with the Lord on July 25, 2009, at the age of 92. She was a retired missionary who served faithfully with The Alliance in India for 37 years, from August 1945 until her retirement in May 1982. She is survived by her brothers, Rev. Charles (Dot) Droppa of Whitinsville, Massachusetts, and Donald (Leona) Droppa of Ocala, Florida; her sister-in-law, Vera Droppa, of Skaneateles; and several nieces and nephews.
Services will be held at 1 p.m. on Thursday, July 30, at Plis Funeral Home, Inc., 33 North Street, Marcellus, New York. The burial will be in Lakeview Cemetery, Skaneateles, New York. Friends may call on the family from noon to 1 p.m. Thursday, prior to the service, at the funeral home.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to: Rose Hill Baptist Church, 2609 Rose Hill Road., Marietta, New York 13110 (phone: 315-673-1092); or Auburn Alliance Church, 630 North Seward Avenue, Auburn, New York 13021 (phone: 315-253-2650).
Condolences may be sent to Rev. Charles and Dot Droppa: 2 Chestnut Street, apartment #103, Whitinsville, Massachusetts 01588.
Prayers for the family during this time of bereavement are very much appreciated.
July 21, 2009
Mrs. Ruby Marie Walker, former missionary to Guinea, passed into the presence of the Lord on June 26, 2009. She was 87 years old.
Ruby Marie Brown was born on September 30, 1921, in Clymer, New York. She graduated from Clymer Central High School and attended Jamestown Business College for two years. Ruby accepted Jesus into her heart as a teenager. Sensing God’s call on her life, she attended the Missionary Training Institute (now Nyack College) in Nyack, New York, following the end of World War II.
Ruby completed her home service at the Blundon Orphanage in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and departed for Paris, France, in 1952 to study French. Six months later, she arrived in Guinea where she served faithfully from 1952 to1966 to advance God’s Kingdom among the people of Guinea. Robert (Bob) Walker came to Guinea on a short-term missions trip to help the field with electrical repairs and construction work. It was love at first sight, and Miss Walker returned to the United States to marry Bob.
Funeral services were held on Tuesday, June 30. Ruby was predeceased by her husband, Robert. She is survived by two sisters: Fern Jennings of Springfield, Virginia, and Florence Walker of Sebring, Florida.
June 30, 2009
A summer outing turned tragic when Nathan Junker, 30, and Albert Hermiston, 63, lost their lives June 28 after they jumped into the choppy waters of Pokegama Lake in Minnesota to rescue a boy who was struggling to stay afloat. Junker’s father, Randy, is the pastor of Grand Rapids Alliance Church in the same state.
Junker, youth pastor at Faith Baptist Church in Grand Rapids, and Hermiston, a layman, had brought the church’s youth group for a day fun and sun on a houseboat, which was docked on a sandbar so the kids could swim.
But the weather changed and the waves on the lake grew to swells that were several feet high. When the men saw the boy struggling, they went out to help him. Hermiston gave his life vest to the boy, who made it back safely. Hermiston and Junker did not.
Hermiston was found soon afterwards but attempts to resuscitate were futile. Junker’s body was found the following day.
“Our hearts go out in concern and love to those who have suffered a sudden loss,” says Don Wiggins, superintendent for the Northwestern District. “In their time of sorrow, however, both families are experiencing the genuine love and support of their church family. It proves, again, the value of the Body of Christ and the reality of a hope that extends beyond death. In the selfless actions that probably saved young lives there is an example of Christ’s sacrifice that will impact a great many people for a lifetime and for eternity.”
Witnesses called Junker and Hermiston heroes who gave their lives to save a child, adding that their sacrifice will always be remembered.
What you can do
Pray for the families of these men. Hermiston is survived by his wife, Nancy. Junker left his wife, Samantha, and four children: Lauren, Alexandra, Journey, and Lincoln.
Pray that God will comfort Junker’s father and mother, Randy and Debbie as well as the people of both churches and the community whose lives have been impacted by these men.
June 26, 2009
Fire struck the First Alliance Church in Toledo, Ohio, in the early morning hours of June 25, completely destroying the sanctuary of the 87-year-old building. While the church offices, foyer and annex were untouched by fire, they did incur extensive water and smoke damage. No one was in the building at the time.
Pastor Keith Sholl told local reporters, “It’s the memories of all the marriages, funerals, professions of faith and people —and to see this church go up in flames is hard to take.”
The fire was ruled accidental, and although the sanctuary is a total loss and will be demolished, church activities and Sunday services will continue as scheduled in two separate buildings across the street from the church.
What you can do
Praise God for protecting church members. Pray that He will provide funds for rebuilding.
If you would like to contribute to the rebuilding effort, contact Great Lakes District at office@greatlakesdistrict.com or call 734-677-8555.
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