Some One You Should Know...

Meet Aubrie

2012-02-01T10:33:00.000-08:00

Aubrie Turner Williams is the daughter of Mark and Ginger Turner. She first lived in Colorado, and came to Larimore for the first time with her parents when the Air Force stationed her father at GFAFB, ND. After that, they were stationed in Panama for two years. Aubrie found Panama to be a very exciting place to live! She remembers the different foods available there, the vendors on the sides of the road, and the interesting wildlife they saw. After her father retired from the AF, they returned to Larimore specifically to join our church and to grow in the Lord here.

My most vivid memory of Aubrie as a child was listening to her sing with her family for church specials. To me, she and her two brothers Chad and Jay looked just like “Precious Moment” figurines when they stood up and sang together. We are privileged often to hear her still singing in our church choir and special groups.

She was a fine student in school, talented in music, art, and speaking. After high school graduation, she helped in our Christian school and worked cleaning our church building for a couple of years. She is one of our fine children’s church teachers.

She met her husband Ben at church. They also were in high school together. He remembers her saying once that she wouldn’t marry him “if he was the last man on earth!” Well, God has a way of directing our lives and effecting changes in us. After Ben was saved, and after Aubrie had grown in Christian maturity, they gradually gained a mutual respect for each other. She began to see that he was a godly man with both wisdom and integrity, and he saw her as more than just his best friend’s annoying sister. With God guiding their parents and directing Ben’s and Aubrie’s hearts, they were betrothed in March of 2007.

Their wedding in October of that year was one to remember. It was patterned after the wedding of Christ and His Bride as foretold in the Bible. They wanted their wedding to picture the marriage of Christ and His Bride. We can know by the signs of the times that the time of the Lord’s coming is near, yet we haven’t been told the exact day or hour of His return. And this is the same way it was for Aubrie as she anticipated her own wedding day. Until the morning of her wedding day, Aubrie did not know exactly which day their wedding would be held. The rest of us as guests obviously needed to know, and we were all seated at their wedding dinner when Aubrie’s father and Ben left to go and get her from her house. It was there that her father gave her hand in marriage to Ben. The ceremony was completed at church. Her thoughtful husband had her wedding ring specially designed with a ruby in it, to symbolize her great worth to him.

Ben is a civil engineer who works for a consulting firm in Grand Forks. Before having children, Aubrie worked at Amazon.com for awhile. Now she is a satisfied stay-at-home mother of two darling girls, Kara, (2) and Kaylee (3months). Both Ben’s and Aubrie’s parents are members of our church and enjoy the privilege of being with these granddaughters regularly. Local aunts, uncles, and cousins are pretty happy about this as well.

Aubrie’s parents passed on to her a love for family, God, the church, and her pastor. Her mother is her mentor, example, and friend; and her father is a man she respects and from whom she gets advice. She has learned so much from their example of how to grow when passing through hard trials. If you know her parents, you know that they love to hang out, laugh, and play together.

Aubrie’s days are spent being a wife and mother. She likes animals, music, and saving money. An interesting ‘hobby’ of hers is using cloth diapers. I enjoy reading her sometimes hilarious facebook posts concerning her family.

I asked Aubrie if she had a favorite Bible verse. Here is the one she gave me: Galatians 2:20, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God,
who loved me, and gave himself for me.” She chose this verse because it reminds her that her fleshly desires, selfish will, and pride are to be crucified with Christ; and the life that she now lives is to be lived based on His example, as she remembers that He loves her and sacrificed so for much for her.

Right now she is learning to counter her emotions, worries, and fears with truth. She is also learning how to be best friends with her husband, and to edify and build him up so that he can better serve the Lord. Her highest goal is to raise their children to love and to serve the Lord. She would be greatly pleased if their girls give their hearts to their daddy, and would love to be able to betroth them to godly men when the time comes. She learned from Naaman’s servant girl that even a girl in a lowly place can have a great impact on others when she points lost souls to the way of truth.

When I think of Aubrie Williams, the first thing that comes to my mind is her ability to see God in everything around her. I really appreciate that about her. She is a wonderful young woman who brings joy to all who know her.

Introducing Beth Lott, missionary wife to Guatemala

2012-01-03T09:33:00.000-08:00

I would like you to meet Beth Lott, wife of David Lott, missionary to Guatemala

Beth Martin Lott was born into a godly family who lived in Texas. When she was only three years old her parents, who were missionaries, moved to Mexico. She became fluent in both English and Spanish by age 4. They were in Mexico City for about five years and Puebla, Mexico for nearly twenty years. They traveled into southern Mexico to visit Indian tribes with the Gospel there. They were US citizens living in Mexico, so frequently needed to return to Texas for passport renewals. That afforded them the privilege and opportunity to get to spend most Christmases with her grandparents in the States.

At age 10, Beth surrendered her life to be a missionary. She now has spent over fifty years on mission fields, the last 20 with her husband in the Central American country of Guatemala. Life there is much like what she’d been living in Mexico, so she really experienced no culture shock concerning language and customs.

She has known her husband, David Lott, and his family, most of her life. In fact, her father was preaching in his grandfather’s church the night David was born! They grew up, married and have served the Lord as missionaries ever since. They have four children, two boys and two girls. The two girls, Cristina and Rebekah, still live with their parents. One of their sons, Jonathan, is studying in Bible college with the goal of becoming a Bible translator. The other son Timothy, will start as a parajumper with Special Forces beginning in January.

Jonathan plans to marry a fine Christian young lady, Rocio, in her native country of Peru in June of 2012. She has already spent some time working with the Lotts, helping out with workshops they presented for Sunday School teachers in Chiapas, Mexico last August. God has answered Beth’s dearest prayers for her children. He has molded their characters and they have close walks with Him. She is more than thrilled that God has blessed her with a godly future daughter-in-law. It is what she’d asked Him for.

She also has home schooled her children. It has been her number one goal in raising their children, to keep their their hearts sensitive, so that the Holy Spirit could work in softened hearts. “And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse,” Malachi 4:6. God answers prayer.

Guatemala is known as the ”land of eternal spring.” The Lotts live in Guatemala City, the capital and largest city in Guatemala in the mountainous region of the country. Unfortunately, even with its temperate climate, beautiful mountains, and marimba music, it is also a country of political unrest and crime. Crime and corruption in Guatemala is the worst in all of Latin American and has been for many years. Kidnappings and theft are frequent. Her daughters don’t go anywhere alone, purses aren’t carried on the streets, and they don’t drive with their windows down. Safety is of paramount concern for them.

Guatemalans live in a matriarchal society where few men make lasting commitments. Many times the women are even the breadwinners of the families. Their way of life carries over into their spiritual lives too. Beth estimates that they disciple 7 women to every l-2 men.

The Lotts are church planters and have started three churches in Guatemala. Their present church congregation is small, with about 30-35 in attendance. She teaches Sunday School and helps her husband with a lot of marital counseling. She meets monthly with other pastor’s and leader’s wives at a restaurant and teaches them.

Beth is a very experienced teacher who especially likes to teach about the Book and character of Esther. Esther was courageous, unpretentious, and willing to give her live for her country. This is what Beth wants for herself and for the ones she gets to teach.

When I had the awesome opportunity to speak with Beth “in person” via Skype on the computer, she impressed me as being a very humble lady. She places value on the things of God, definitely not on things of this world. She enjoys reading Christian novels and Bible studies when she gets the time. Beth loves to cook and bake, and fixes a lot of authentic Mexican food, some from recipes passed down to her from her grandmother, preferring it to the typical bland Guatemalan diet.

When I asked Beth to share some of her favorite Scriptures, she quickly related the two below and linked them together with the connection between pulling down strongholds and having one’s mind renewed.

II Corinthians 10:4, 5 : “(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations,and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ:”

Romans 12:2: “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
These Scriptures are so important to her, and to the lives of the people they work with in Guatemala. God can be counted on to change yielded lives!

Beth wants me to pass on to all of our church ladies how very much she appreciates all of the correspondence, prayers, and gifts that she has received from us. She relates that she has more contact with us than with any other of their churches. She seems literally overwhelmed by our care for her. Let’s just keep it up!

The Lotts are praying that God will provide a national man to pastor their present work. They also need a permanent meeting place. They plan to begin furlough next April. Will you pray with them that they will have a pastor to take over the work during their time away and a woman to teach the ladies there?

What a great privilege it was for me to get to visit with this godly lady who has spent her life serving God. She is such a treasure. I want her to know that people in our church do pray for her, for her family, and for God’s blessings upon those with whom she shares God’s Word as she lives her life sold out to Him.

Meet Vicki

2011-11-01T08:59:00.000-07:00

Vicki Coachman is a lady with the true gift of hospitality. She and her husband are great entertainers, working together to prepare and serve delicious meals each Sunday after church for their family, friends, and visitors who attend our church. Recently, my husband and I were privileged to be among their Sunday dinner guests in their home. There were 11 adults present on that particular day, but they are always open to having as many as they can find. That takes a lot of shopping and preparing -which Vicki considers to be more than worth the effort. She says, “Mike and I agree that in reality our home has been given to us by the Lord, and He wants us to share it with others. Our doors are always open to those who are in need of a place to stay, a meal, or just a place to have conversation. We laugh with each other at the thought that we will ever be ‘Empty-nesters!’

Vicki was born in Pennsylvania. Her mother was an only child and she has one sibling, a sister 2 years younger than she. Her family were not church attenders, except for twice a year, on Easter and Christmas, and the main reason they went then, was for the opportunity to wear their new clothes. She did; however, go to Vacation Bible School a few times in her early teen years. She had a curiosity about spiritual things. Vicki has always been a voracious reader. One summer as a young teen she came across an antique copy of a book which she read, and with which she found herself completely enthralled. At that time she didn’t understand its full meaning, but loved it and has read it many times since. That life changing book was Pilgrim’s Progress by Bunyan. She still retains and cherishes that very copy. She wishes now, that she’d had someone at the time to discuss the true meaning of what she had read. It wasn’t until about twenty-four years later that she came to fully understand its spiritual significance.

She and her husband Michael will celebrate their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary in July of 2012. They met and married while stationed with the military in West Germany, moved to North Dakota in 1990, and permanently settled in Larimore after his retirement from the Air Force. Together they have four children, one of which has gone on to meet the Lord.

They also have six grandchildren, but only one of them lives close enough to enjoy regularly. The other five live in California. All are deeply loved by Mike and Vicki.

Before moving to Larimore, Vickie was a stay-at-home mom who in addition to her regular duties, home schooled their older children. Not long after they arrived in Larimore, she began working in our Christian School and served there for seventeen enjoyable years. She has been a great school librarian and helper for students. Now she is back to being a stay-at-home wife. Vicki relishes spending more time with her husband, reading, making lovely cards, and keeping a comfortable home for all those who cross its threshold.

Speaking of her love for reading, I want to say that so many have enjoyed her book reviews which were published for our benefit on www.beautifulforthee.blogspot.com under the title of “Good Reads.” Many, including the “Young At Hearts” folks,(the senior saints in our church) have been the recipients of her homemade greeting cards for all occasions.

Vicki never realized what the future held for herself. Growing up, Vicki never thought that she would be saved, part of a church, serving God, and teaching other people’s children . If she had known what was in her future, she would have done many things differently. Because she did not come to know the Lord until she was thirty-seven years old, she has some regrets. She lived a lifestyle that she finds difficult to look back on, except to remind herself that others who have made a mess of their lives need encouragement that she is uniquely qualified to give, and need to realize that Christ is the answer to their every problem. She is now a victorious example of a woman of God, transformed by God’s grace. She is a ‘vessel unto honour.’ (II Timothy 2:21) How we appreciate your wonderful spirit, Vickie!

One of Vicki’s greatest joys now is to serve God by singing in the church choir. Music has always played a part in her life and now she uses her beautiful voice for God.

She appreciates the privilege to help prepare the hearts of people in the church services for hearing and responding to Pastor Shaffer’s messages.

A Bible verse that has come to mean a lot to Vicki is Isaiah 61:3, “To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.”

To God be all glory, honour, and praise.

Your faithful spirit and open hospitality is an example to all of us Vicki and we thank you for it.

Meet Jo-Anne – A Single Woman With A Heart For God

2011-10-02T18:21:00.000-07:00

There are things to be learned from every person I interview for this column. Jo-Anne Lavigne is no exception. I’d like to share a few bits of life wisdom from this dear woman in our church.

Jo-Anne on singleness----
Jo-Anne has a distinction of being a single, never married middle-aged woman. She says, “I have been single all of my life. There were times when I felt lonely and left out, self-conscious of being single, of being different from other women my age. I felt that I didn’t fit with the young singles or the married women. However, as I continue to mature in Christ, I am realizing that I truly have no regrets about my singleness. It gives me a great opportunity to freely serve the Lord without having family responsibilities. I had to deal with a degrading stigma in being single, to accept that, to let go of my feelings, and let God be my husband.

Isaiah 54:5 “For thy Maker is thine husband...”

Jo-Anne on salvation--
“In the 1970s my sister Donna, whose husband was stationed at Grand Forks AFB, received Christ as her Saviour and began telling me in phone calls and letters, of her new found faith. Being a strong Catholic from a strong Catholic home, I struggled with many questions about what was the real truth. Unconditional love was the biggest issue for me because I had neither received it from my parents nor
my church. I came to Grand Forks for a visit, attended my sister’s church, and in September of 1975 renounced the Catholic Church and received Jesus into my heart. ( My sister Donna and I were baptized on the same Sunday.) I returned to my home in Massachusetts 8 or 9 months later.

My next two years were physically draining and painful. During the first year I had no church to go to and during the second year I attended two different churches, in an attempt to find a good Bible preaching church. I then decided to return to ND for the next 9 years. After that I returned to MA and stayed there about 15 years. During that period of time, I also went to Pensacola, FL for three years. Part of that time as a part time student studying Christian Education, and one year as an order line operator for ABekaBooks”. In all these moves, the Lord was molding and teaching Jo-Anne.

Jo-Anne on supporting herself financially--
“Back home in MA I decided to continue my education. I hold an Associate’s Degree in Religious Education from Covington Theological Seminary in Rossville, GA, and a BA Degree in History from Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in North Adams, MA. I have held several retail jobs, temporary jobs, and elder care jobs. My most enjoyable job was at Hancock Shaker Village in MA , a museum full of local history, complete with a working farm. There I learned, demonstrated, and worked in Shaker cooking, gardening, and farming. I gave tours dressed in period costume. There I also learned basic spinning of wool and have continued spinning through the years. I was interim curator there for awhile. The Lord tremendously blessed my time there and gave me many opportunities to witness for him. I can honestly say that I could not wait to get to work there each day.”

At the present time Jo-Anne’s full time job is with Amazon.com in Grand Forks.

Jo-Anne on service to God—

“Finally the Lord convinced me that I should move to Larimore and join NTBC which I did in in 2002, knowing that I had found God’s perfect will for my life. This is my home where God would have me stay and serve. He has blessed me tremendously here. I want to be a faithful servant of God, loving and obedient, having compassion and making a difference in the lives of others. I want to see a need and meet that need if possible.”

God gave Jo-Anne talents which she uses for the Lord. She makes the lovely greeting cards used by the Lydia Ladies group for their missionary correspondence. Jo-Anne loves her involvement with our Guardian Angel program and enthusiastically and creatively gives of herself to whomever she is assigned at the time. She grades our Christian Home Bible Course lessons for the church. She also works in Nursery, Sunday School, and Children’s Church. Each year she looks forward to being a Science Fair Judge for our Christian School.

Her Pursuits-
When she is at home Jo-Anne, accompanied by her special cat Princess, pursues several of her passions. She loves organic gardening and seed saving (including heritage seeds), history research, being outdoors, and her home business Heritage Home Arts which she began in 2009, and which involves spinning and using yarns as well as presenting workshops on that subject, and card making. When she was young, she rode horses in competitions but does not now have a horse.

Jo-Anne on Scriptures

One of her favorites is Isaiah 26:3, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.”

“I had moved back and forth so many times in my life and needed God’s peace, security, and stability…. of which I had none at the time. If I had had His peace back then, I would not have moved so many times.”

Prov. 3:5,6 “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.”

“Summed up in these two verses is the greatest lesson that I’ve learned in my life.”

“My desire is to “Stand fast” as it states in Galatians 5:1.”

Let’s all pray for Jo-Anne as she seeks to finish her course faithfully, to be a good reflection of Christ , and to practice unconditional love toward others. It is always a pleasure to see her as one of the first people to arrive at every service. That speaks well of her love for the Lord and His house of worship. We love you Jo-Anne!

The Little Girl All Grown Up, Ashley

2011-09-01T12:40:00.000-07:00

Ashley Turner was born in Charleston, SC where she lived for one year before her father was stationed at Grand Forks Air Force Base, ND. When she was six years old, her family was invited to our church and first came to New Testament Baptist Church with several other families now affectionately known to us as “the Aspen Avenue” folks. They later moved into Larimore and she has resided here ever since.

She was a cute little red-head who grew up in our church (has been here for a total of 21 years so far) and spent all of her school years at our Christian school. Her parents taught her and her younger brother and sister to work hard and try to do things as well as they could at home and at school. That translated into the excellent work ethic that she now has.

I remember how her family used to clean the church building nearly every day after a school day. What a wonderful job they all did! After graduating from high school, she worked at several local businesses including The Scoop, Tesoro, and Bremer Bank. She is recognized in our community and continues to desire to have a good testimony around our town. She knows that “A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches.” (Proverbs 22:1) She remains involved in the community as the librarian at the Edna Ralston Library here in Larimore.

Ashley also teaches home economics at our Christian school. And, she sells Pampered Chef products, does some work for an insurance agent, and has a cleaning business. She is a prime example of one who “worketh willingly with her hands.” (Proverbs 31:13) (Ahhh, youth!) She admires, and to some extent, patterns her life after, Ruth, in the Old Testament, who worked hard and was devoted to her family when things were going terribly bad.

At home Ashley spends her time making a wonderful place to live in, love in, and learn in, for herself and her husband Chad (whom she has known since she was in second grade), and their two children, Kami (age 4) and Caleb (age 1). She loves to cook and entertain guests.

Having her family all sit down together for dinner is important to her, providing for them a time to talk and enjoy each other’s company. It is her pleasure to cook for both her parents and siblings, and Chad’s. She is an astute shopper who enjoys saving with coupons.

She knows how to pinch a penny wisely! She wants her children to learn to take care of their possessions, for Kami to become a good keeper at home, and for Caleb to respect women and care for his eventual family, and for both of them to put God first in every area of their lives, Most of all, she desires that her family seek to serve the Lord.

She has often visited her relatives down south in Charleston. She loves spending time with them, and really likes the city of Charleston with its southern charm, friendly people with soft accents, seafood, okra, harbors, carriage rides , and a ‘step back into time’ atmosphere.

A very organized lady, Ashley lives a pretty scheduled daily life. She sends Chad off to work with his homemade lunch, exercises, feeds her children, reads her Bible, surfs her favorite internet blogs, cleans house, plays with the children, runs errands, puts the kids down for nap, cooks and eats dinner with her family, and spends the evening with them.

She communicates very well, has a flair for the dramatic, loves birthdays, pink things, owls, fresh flowers, kitchen gadgets, and new recipes...just a few of her favorite things.

Ashley is by nature a take charge, self sufficient, get-it-done-now person who strives to remember that God, not Ashley, is the One who is in perfect control. His ways are higher than ours. She was saved in 2005 when she rejected her false profession of salvation and received the Truth. She regrets times as a high school student when she disregarded Biblical council, and appreciates the council she receives from our Pastor’s wife. She feels that God has given her a great victory over trying to please people. “The fear of man bringeth a snare...” She has learned that God’s timing is always perfect and that He will supply all of her needs, and sometimes her desires too. Her life is so much better because she chose that God’s way is the best way. Her heart breaks for her unsaved loved ones. Will you pray with her for their salvation?

It is such a blessing to see her at church with her immaculately groomed family. I love watching her sing with the extended Turner family. She is blessed to have both her parents and Chad’s parents in our church. In addition, she helps teach in children’s church and assists in the Kids For Christ group. She loves her church and it shows..

She reveres God’s Word and has a favorite verse, Ps. 119:165--“Great peace have they which love thy law and nothing shall offend them.” Ashley says, “This verse means a lot to me because in a world of anger and hatred, I as a Christian do not have to let anything offend me, for God has given me peace.”

Listen to Ashley’s parting words to me when we spoke via Email, “I am but clay in God’s hands, still being molded for His use.”

We are so glad you are a part of our church family and there are things we can all learn from you Ashley.

An exciting introduction to the life of Pat Christenson, wife of Dave Christenson, missionary to Mexico.

2011-08-02T08:00:00.000-07:00

Missionary wife Pat Christenson was born into a family with a rich Christian heritage. Going back on both sides of her family tree, nearly all of her ancestors were people of the Word. In fact, her family possesses a written copy of a final prayer from one of her ancestors, in which he beseeches God that his descendants would come to know the Lord. That is such a rich legacy! Her grandfather on her father’s side of the family was a Baptist preacher, a circuit riding preacher part of the time. Her father was saved at age 21 and her mother, who is now over 95 years old, has been a Christian for 83 years, still faithful in church and in the study of God’s Word in her home.

In 1972 Pat went to Bob Jones University so that she could earn a degree in the Spanish language. That is where she met her husband Dave Christenson during their senior year of college. They had each spent summer mission trips to Spanish speaking mission fields and felt that that was where the Lord was calling them. They married and in 1979 went to Mexico as full-time missionaries on a foreign field. They have three grown children (Paula, Sarah, and Daniel who grew up in Mexico and are all bilingual), and two grandchildren. She believes that the best way to raise Godly children is to be a Godly example to them, that more is “caught” than “taught.”

Ever since she was quite young, Pat desired to go to a foreign mission field. She was willing to go single or married, as a missionary helper, as a nurse, or as a children’s home worker. Growing up in Florida, she met many Spanish speaking people and wanted to witness to them, so she told the Lord that she would study Spanish until she was fluent enough to witness to them. That took her through 3 years of high school Spanish, 4 years of college Spanish, 1 summer of graduate school Spanish study, and 1 year as a Spanish teacher in Miami. After all that, Pat humorously remarks, “After we moved to Mexico and I turned on the radio, I still didn’t understand anything!” The Lord prepared her for the mission field not only by learning a second language, but also blessed her with the opportunity to study piano and trumpet from her elementary school years and up, a very good preparation for the mission field. Her parents were school teachers, so their family was able to spend time traveling every summer, which was great preparation for deputation.

In 1988, after 9 years on the mission field, the Lord broke Pat’s heart over her sinfulness, and in His Great Grace, saved her. She had been depending upon a childhood prayer for salvation without having repented of her sin. He took away her sin then, and more recently also chose to take away the cancerous tumor with which she was diagnosed in the fall of 2010. At her 6 month check up in June, 2011, her oncologist determined that she is still cancer free. We praise the Lord for that good news!

A whole book could probably be written in order to contain all of the experiences and changes that Pat has encountered in the ministry in Mexico through the years she’s been there. She has learned to appreciate more fully the things that we take for granted living in the United States; for examples, a clean theft-free environment, trash pickup, running water 24/7, reliable mail service, warm showers, and new clothes. Having grown up in a large city, and now working with rural people for the last 25 years, she has learned to relate to farmers and ranchers. She knows how to safely remove a cow from their Sunday School classroom. (Fun!) She has learned to cook Mexican completely from scratch, and at a high altitude (7000’ above sea level). She now enjoys the blessing of having telephone and email contact, neither of which existed in their neighborhood when they moved to Mexico full-time in 1979. The Lord has protected them in many circumstances: on the highway; from animals including bats, turkeys, cows, tarantulas, snakes, ferrets, scorpions, and dogs; and from gangs, drunks, and townspeople wanting to run them out. She and her husband can identify with Christ, who had many people turn back, but at the same time, they are blessed by also seeing second and even third generation people that have remained faithful to God. She admires veteran missionaries, particularly those of past centuries, who remained sacrificially faithful in much more adverse conditions that she will ever face. (May we not take for granted the conveniences and relative safety which we enjoy in our nation.)

She and her husband visit four missions weekly, including services in the local jail. She helps with the music in three of the missions and teaches children at two of the missions. Another of her tasks is to grade and send out courses in their Bible correspondence school. For her own pleasure, she plays musical instruments, reads, and plays word and computer games.

Pat loves the Bible verse Philippians 4:19, “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” He, from His deep reserves gives what His children need. Abigail who had the wisdom, courage, and humility to do what was right in the right way, is one of her favorite women of the Bible.

I feel that I have been privileged to share a small and abbreviated part of this humble lady’s life with you, and I have been inspired by her life, to trust God more fully. Her motto, if I may call it that, found in John 3:30, is “He must increase, but I must decrease.”

Be sure to read the monthly letters sent by the Christensons to our church. You’ll be blessed to read what God does in their part of the world. Please remember to pray for them.

Meet Becca

2011-07-04T22:03:00.000-07:00

Throughout the months that I’ve been writing this column, I have visited with ladies who collect pottery, bells, musical instruments, teddy bears, recipes, books, Christmas ornaments, pitchers, antiques, dolls, and even a little dust, but Rebecca (“Becca”) Pekrul is the first lady I know of who collects swords. (En garde!) It is an interest passed on to her from her family. While she and her husband Zach were stationed in Germany in the army, they met a member of our church who invited them to come to our church.

Just last September (2010), they took a survey trip to Larimore specifically so that they could visit our church. To make a longer story short, they moved here a couple of months later and became a part of our church. They have faithfully attended our services and activities. Zack and Becca have found our church to be a sanctuary for them. Since they came to Larimore, God has taught them many things. They arrived hurt and spiritually broken, but here they have found the Balm of Gilead, and feel rejuvenated.

Prior to coming here they had encountered some difficult trials and are in great need of healing. We can all pray for them and be their friends.

Becca grew up in Washington state. At the age of 8, she met Zach at church. They both attended the same country church and both were home schooled. She was a bus ministry child who trusted Jesus at a young age. She had very little contact with other children except at church, and just a little at the public high school where she took traffic safety and photography.

Zack joined the army in 2002 and worked as a medic. He traveled to several states and Korea. In June of 2005 they were married. They now have two children: Eddie, age 5 and Gideon a little less than 2.

They were last stationed in Germany. He was sent from Germany to Iraq for fourteen months. Living in Germany while her husband was away, was lonely for her, but she had her supportive church, and kept busy volunteering for the Family Readiness Group, and working with singles. She has visited missionaries in Hungary and Romania with her church ladies. They held a Vacation Bible School program for gypsies in Romania. She has ‘always’ had a burden for missionaries and has met quite a few of them. Becca identifies with the great missionary Paul, and his battles with the flesh. She strives to be a Proverbs 31 woman who is an asset to her husband.

After coming here, Zach worked for awhile at Altru Hospital. He will soon be starting a new job. They presently live in an apartment in Larimore, but hope to move into a house by the end of this year.

One of her favorite verses learned in Sunday School as a child is “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and shaper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12

In addition to the Bible, Becca also loves to read Christian fiction books. On display in her home, is an antique copy of Pilgrims’ Progress. She is a stay-at-home mom whose declared purpose in life is to raise her boys to serve the Lord, and to teach them how to find a Godly wife. She expresses a willingness to allow the Lord to make changes in her life, to serve Him, and to constantly seek His will. She has learned that the Lord will sustain her if she allows Him to do so.

She appreciates the fact that God brings her to places (even North Dakota) that He knows will be best. He has pulled them through troubles even when they caused them themselves.

Becca loves to laugh, eat spaghetti, and visit. I am very glad that they chose to come to Larimore. I love you already, Becca.

Meet Lynette

2011-06-01T18:30:00.000-07:00

There are very few ladies in our church that I have known longer than I have known Lynette Vaninwegen. I have known her first, as a baby when she was born in Grand Forks, ND, next ,as a child growing up at the same time as my own children did, and attending Christian schools from Kindergarten through her Senior Year of high school, then, as a young single adult, attending one year of Bible College and working jobs in our community, and now, as a lovely godly wife, mother and faithful servant of the Lord. I am happy to “introduce” her to each of you.

I remember Lynette as a very enthusiastic child. She was involved in every church activity available to her (attended Bible camps and youth conferences, loved to sing in church programs and musicals, played both flute and piano, and began singing in our church choir at a young age). She participated in school activities too, such as cheerleading, orchestra, and class government. She also had a part-time job working in the local hardware store .

Lynette is a great admirer of her mother, and seeks to follow her example to serve the Lord with her whole heart, and to enjoy the ‘simple’ things of life. One of her fondest and most precious memories is getting up each morning and finding her mother at the kitchen table reading her Bible.

Lynette attended one year of college at Massillon Baptist College in Massillon, Ohio. After college, she worked as the insurance clerk for Ecolab in Grand Forks. She met her husband Mike when the Lord brought him to Grand Forks AFB and to our church in 1995. They were married on June 6, 1998 at their beautiful outdoor wedding in Turtle River State Park. In just a few days they will be celebrating their 13th anniversary!

They have two boys; Coleman age 7 and Vincent age 4, who are privileged to live right across the yard from Lynette’s parents. What a blessing for them to live so near their maternal grandparents! She loves living here because she hasn’t really lived anywhere else with the exception of one college year. The thing she appreciates most about living here is the church she attends. This is her HOME and she loves it.

Lynette is a stay-at-home Mom and she loves that too. Her husband retired from the Air Force and now works as a civilian at the base hospital. Lynette also volunteers at our Christian school teaching elementary music and 10th grade Music Appreciation, which she loves very much! Mrs. Shaffer trained Lynette to take over the kids music program of our church and Christian School and Lynette has done an exceptional job!
She also enjoys her work with the cheerleaders and fund-raising projects of our Christian School. Her work there is much appreciated also. Lynette is a faithful member of the Lydia ladies missionary prayer group and an encourager to her group leader.

This lady has a passion for music. She has been singing since she was very young. How thankful she is that she can serve the Lord at church in the music ministry.

It is her prayer that He will always get the glory from the voice that He gave her. We LOVE hearing and watching her frequently sing beautiful and edifying specials in church.

She also enjoys making jewelry and sells it at craft shows and the farmer’s market in Grand Forks. This craft enables her to be a stay-at-home mom which she appreciates very much.

This past January she became a Norwex consultant, selling cleaning products that use no chemicals.

Lynette especially loves the book of Psalms. She strives to love God with the same passion as David, the psalmist had.

Psalm 32:8-10-- “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye. Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee. Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusteth in the Lord, mercy shall compass him about.” This passage has taught her a truth that stays with her throughout her trials, failures, disappointments, and even victories; and that truth is to “NEVER harden your heart to the Lord.”

Any story about Lynette would not be complete without telling of the love and respect which she has for Pastor and Mrs. Shaffer. She considers them to be like second parents to her. They have stuck by her and have lovingly guided and encouraged her to make wise choices for the Lord and not for the world. When she has followed their counsel, the Lord has blessed her.

Indulge me a little please while I reminisce on my own relationship with Lynette. She was a frequent visitor in our home while growing up, as she and my daughter were ‘always’ together in those days. How cute she looks in one of our home movies, dressed up and parading around at a birthday party. It seemed that whenever we couldn’t find some lost article in our house, she had an uncanny sense of where it was. I remember well the time she spilled pickle juice all under my refrigerator and I (regrettably) over reacted with disgust. We even took a fun trip to Texas and Colorado together. We all enjoyed attending her lovely wedding. I remember the many hours she and I used to practice church special music together. I have many good memories of Lynette.

My husband and she share the same birth date which in itself is special to us. He loves to joke with her on Sundays, saying, “You look COOL today, Lynette.” She replies, “Thanks. You don’t look so HOT yourself!” Their playful banter always brings a smile to my face.

I invite you to think on your special times with Lynette. I am sure it will be pleasant and rewarding. You might even like to comment on some of them on the comment section of this column. The Lord has blessed Lynette for her faithful spirit and she is a blessing to us.

To read more about our Lynette…please go to this month’s ‘Biblical Helpmeet’ column to read how God answered Lynette’s biggest prayer!

Meet Theresa Lange

2011-05-02T14:00:00.000-07:00

...our missionary wife to Thailand

Theresa Lange grew up spending her first years on a farm. She had five brothers and sister and they had work to do such as rock picking, weed picking, lawn mowing, and taking care of their animals. They loved getting together with relatives for the Christmas holidays, sledding and playing games with their cousins. Later, they relocated, her first experience with a major change in her life.

She grew up in a Catholic family and her parents faithfully took her to church every Sunday. When she moved out on her own and attended colleges in the Fargo, ND area, there was never a question in her mind about whether she should attend church on Sunday mornings. If you wish to read her salvation testimony it can be found on here in the Beautiful for Thee January 2010 issue of “This Really Happened To Me.” That was her second major change.

Following her salvation, she became a member at Fargo Baptist Church where she met her husband to be, now missionary Jeff Lange. For several years they worked together in a variety of ministries there. Then God opened their hearts toward one another and they were married.

Today the Langes have three children: Jonathan,age 7, Grace, age 3, and Faith 20 months. They are homeschooled. Raising Godly children is a very high priority for Theresa. She has been blessed to hear much preaching and teaching on Biblical child training. She states that her priorities for raising their children are: to love and nurture them, to love and reverence their father, and to be a keeper at home.

The Langes are currently in their third term as missionaries to Southeast Asia and are in Thailand. Communicating in a new language was a very big change for her, but she clung to the verse “Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.”

In order to gain just a little flavor of what ordinary life for an American missionary wife in Thailand is like, I’d like to share some of Theresa’s ‘stories’ about preparing for, and being on, their foreign mission field.

Learning the Language

Before going to southeast Asia, Jeff and I went to a Baptist linguistics school to prepare us for the new language and culture we would meet. It was a tremendous training ground for me. Among the courses were ones on how to make the sounds that are in various languages, how to distinguish tones that some languages have, how to recognize and deal with culture shock, and how to translate the Bible into another language. The Lord blessed us by helping us get through the study in half of the normal time. Our time in linguistics school in Texas acquainted us with being the ‘odd ones!’ One day I felt like an alien in my own country. While at the checkout counter, I asked the cashier where I could get a bag of ice, and she asked me what I had said. After repeating it, she then directed me to the pharmacy where I could get an ‘ace’ bandage. Finally, the customer behind me interpreted that I wanted a bag of ‘ice,’ (his southern slide on the ‘i’ in ‘ice.’).

Driving In Thailand

On a humorous note, a car video game played in my youth actually turned out to be a preparation for driving in Thailand. Here in Thailand, one rule to remember is that the lines separating the lanes on the road are just guidelines; they don’t mean much. In the mountains, the heavy trucks that are creeping along will drive partly on the shoulder of the road to allow you to pass. Cars coming toward you will move over a bit too, to allow for you to pass in an imaginary lane in the middle of the road. During traffic jams, there will be four lanes of traffic when there are only three lane markers present. Many motor bikes will travel against traffic, so you must move over a little to allow room for them. The people next to your lane will do likewise. Everyone inches over a little bit and therefore, you see that the lane lines are only loose guidelines. A rule of the road is “might is right!” in which the smaller vehicles must yield to the larger. Yes, those fast reflexes I practiced on my car video game come in handy here.

Shopping In Thailand

Groceries are mainly purchased down the street at a shop-house. Meat is in bags in a cooler and customers get as much as they want from these bags. I normally buy groceries early in the morning when the grocery lady first gets back from the market with the goods. When I am purchasing food, people ask me what I am going to make. They are interested in what my family eats and delighted when they discover that we can make some Thai food. Thai people are interested in how we live. We have learned to live in a ‘glass house,’ so to speak. People peek into our home. They take pictures with our children. We are a novelty to them and therefore have the opportunity to live as godly Christians among them. They want us to conform to their culture. They are happy if we willingly taste and enjoy their food, especially their spicier dishes, including their very spicy Penang curry, and fried termites.

Here, we show respect to elders by greeting them with a wai (hands in the prayer position up to the face and a bowed head), removing shoes at the door, and talking quietly. Having an impatient attitude is frowned upon in Thai society. Thai people generally talk and laugh in a quiet manner, determined to show self control.

Working With the Hmong Christians

Working with the Hmong Christians really stands out in my mind as being a special time. We rented a small one-bedroom brick place that was located near the Hmong refugee camp. It was a blessing to regularly visit the Christian ladies. Jonathan would normally accompany me on a walk to the camp. We would purchase fruit in the nearby market and enjoy it with the folks that we visited. He would play with his Hmong buddies while the ladies and I conversed. There was a day that especially stands out in my mind when some of the ladies assembled together in one of their makeshift bamboo homes, with a plastic tarp roof and a dirt floor. A couple of the ladies found bamboo shoots in the jungle and brought them back to share with us. Young bamboo shoots are very good; a little older ones are bitter tasting, somewhat like some people who tend to get bitter as they age and have experienced hard things. It was interesting as I looked around that bamboo house that day. Many of the ladies had had bad things happen to them. One of them had a cousin that was killed by a land mine. Another was saddened by separation from loved ones. Living in the refugee camp was not easy, especially for those who remembered the nicer homes that they had left in order to enter the refugee camp. None of them had much food. They were satisfied with older, bitter bamboo shoots, and their faces were sweet and happy with the joy of the moment. The verse “to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet” came to my mind. (Proverbs 27:7)

(Author’s note: In 2004 an earthquake followed by a tsunami forced Lao-Hmongs to live in refugee camps in northern Thailand, having had their belongings swept away in the storms. According to my recollection, they have since been repatriated and are scattered throughout Laos. Missionary Jeff Lange has the privilege of visiting the Hmong Christian groups there in Laos.)

How very much Theresa appreciates those who have helped her grow in her walk with the Lord. First of all, there is her patient husband who has a large vision for reaching the lost.

Her parents and her husband’s parents taught them a hard work ethic , and also how to be faithful spouses.

Her Pastor and his wife have been a great encouragement to her, answering her questions and visiting their mission field. She has gained so much from her pastor’s teachings, which now they are still privileged to hear on the internet.

Two missionary couples, the Tom Gaudets and the Milton Martins, have given her much help and and motivation for their work. An important word of advice that she received, is to get to know the One living inside herself as her Best Friend because He would be with her when no one else could be.

She appreciates the blessings she receives through our prayers and encouraging notes and thanks us for supporting (just being there) her. She would ask that we fast, pray, and beseech the throne for the people of Thailand. She’d also like for us to pray for her to be the number one encourager and admirer of her husband, and to keep her children’s hearts so that they can reach out together to the lost around them.

Thank you sincerely, Theresa, for sharing a bit of your life with us, and for living your life for the salvation of souls in Southeast Asia.

Meet Our Frugal Female!

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I’d like for you to get to know this “back-to-natural,” “down-to -earth,” thrifty young wife and mother, ALYSSA MATHIS. She likes all things homemade, and practices as much self-sustaining living as she can.

Alyssa was born and raised in our neighboring state of Montana. Her mother died when Alyssa was only eight years old! She, along with her five brothers and one sister, lived with her father and stepmother on a hobby farm where Alyssa had the opportunity to learn to work hard. She had animal chores to do after school daily, come rain or shine. Her parents raised mainly sheep and chickens, and occasionally had horses, cows, and pigs. She enjoyed bottle feeding some lambs or calves and just loved it when the little lambs would follow her around outdoors.

Her father also had bees. I’d like to share this little incident with you readers. One time she and her brother wanted to watch their father take out the honey. They stayed in the truck parked on a hill, watching, and... getting bored. She started playing with the handle on the door and it opened. The bees came in and they went running home to their mom who put toothpaste on all of the stings!

One summer as a teenager, she worked for an irrigation company, moving long pipes. She also did a lot of cooking and cleaning. No wonder she is not afraid of physical work, and is so good at organizing her own home, with the girls having specific chores in addition to their homework and piano practice.

After graduating from high school, she joined the USAF where she held office jobs as a personnel specialist. While working for the Air Force at Grand Forks AFB, she met her future husband Dan, an Aircraft Electrician there. They were married in 1998 and now have five lovely daughters: Tanna and Natasha (who share the same birthday two years apart), Anya and Nadia (twins ), and Ariana. And...they are expecting child number 6 in September. Will it be another girl, or a boy???

This busy household is also home for their aging dog Toby.

Dan is no longer in the Air Force. He works as a mechanic on the oil rigs in western ND on an alternating schedule: two weeks at work, two weeks at home. He is also in the ND Air National Guard.

Alyssa likes to read, sew, walk, and garden. She publishes a monthly newsletter about their family, “The Mathis Tribe,” which is available via e-mail by request. She also writes for our NTBC blog in a column titled “Frugal Female.” Her homemade, fragrant, natural soaps can be ordered at alyssas.soap @ gmail.com.

Alyssa belongs to, and is the local delivery contact for the online company, Azure

Standard buying club where one can purchase organic foods in bulk. The Mathis’ have plenty of home preserved foods from the garden. She cooks ‘from scratch,’ and they get to eat some venison which Dan hunts and provides.

As if she doesn’t have enough to keep herself busy, she also takes the time to send out letters from our missionaries, to church members with e-mail addresses. She collects and coordinates box tops and food labels for our school to be used in purchasing equipment for the Christian school. She also volunteers at New Testament Baptist Christian School, helping with lunches and recess. She works in our church nursery, children’s church, and is an active member of the Dorcas missionary ladies group.

Alyssa enjoys our North Dakota summers and open spaces. She especially loves living in this area because this is where her church family is. She excitedly reports having learned some very important and life changing lessons from our Pastor’s wife, Mrs. Shaffer, whom she greatly admires. Alyssa says, “ One of the greatest life lessons I have learned happened while I was in Mrs. Shaffer’s ‘Biblical Helpmeet’ class. I learned that I was not being submissive to my husband and it was causing contention between us. The Lord helped me change my attitudes and actions. As a result, our marriage has been 100 times better. It also showed me that when I was willing to change, my husband voluntarily changed too, so I didn’t have to say a word.”

This is a Godly woman who desires to see each of her children saved in the Lord’s timing. She prays, and we can pray with her, that her daughters become virtuous women who are responsible, obedient, and love God and other people.

We love the Mathis family and are so thankful they are a part of our church family.

There is someone you really ought to know….

2011-03-01T04:00:00.000-08:00

Let me introduce Karen Banner. Karen was born number four of six children; two girls and four boys. Her father was in the US Force when she was born at Itazuke AFB, Japan. Her parents raised her to have a fear and respect for God’s Word, and to attend church regularly. She admires her mom and dad for working hard to raise six children for remaining loyal to each other, and for the wonderful sense of humor and magnetic personalities which they passed on to her. She is a person who loves and enjoys people and is so cheerful. She loves to laugh and is very pleasant to spend time with. Spend five minutes with her and you come away feeling like you have known her forever. However, even with her cheerful demeanor, life has not always been easy for Karen. However, the “joy of the Lord” is her real strength. She loves the Lord and wants to
please and serve Him first and foremost.

For many of her growing up years, she lived in Illinois, and attended what is now SW Illinois University, obtaining an Associate of Science in Business degree. She and her retired Air Force husband, Art, have been married for twenty-two years and have five children. Their first grandchild is on the way and will be born in July!

Art and Karen were stationed in North Dakota from 1999-2001 and attended our church during those years. God in His sovereignty placed them at the Grand Forks Air Force Base when a Commander with cancer had to step down, and Art was chosen to fill his position.

They have lived in, and traveled to, many interesting parts of the world where they have met many people whom they love and with whom they still keep in contact. Yet, here in North Dakota, is where they believe that God would have them live. Here they have been nurtured, edified, and greatly helped by the wonderful teaching, preaching, and fellowship of NTBC. Karen enjoys the rugged beauty of North Dakota with its huge sky, beautiful sunsets, prolific wildlife, and friendly, moral people.

Karen enjoys reading informational books, especially about topics regarding nutrition, health, gardening, and chickens…yes, chickens. They own a small farmstead where they have a horse, cats, dogs, and chickens. (“e-i-e-i-o”) In addition, she concocts her own soaps, lotions, etc., and also enjoys creating greeting cards. Volunteering her time in the Christian school has been both fun and rewarding for her.

Romans 12:1,2 ---“ I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”-- is especially meaningful for Karen, because those verses were used to lead her to salvation. God showed her that she was living for self, pleasure, and conformity to the world. She turned from her sins, then in repentance and faith, and gave the Lord the reins to her heart.

One of the Bible people that she admires is Mary Magdalene. Mary Magdalene was saved from a life of horrific sin, yet what a humble and grateful spirit she had for Jesus Christ. She had a sensitivity and depth of understanding regarding spiritual matters that even the disciples struggled to comprehend. She poured that expensive perfume on Jesus’ feet and washed them with her tears and hair. She was present at the Cross. She was the very first to see Him resurrected and was given a revelation there. She is a picture of God’s great love and mercy toward a lost and dying world.

Karen’s goal for the rest of her life is to walk with the Lord and to be a servant. She has found that life falls into place when Christ reigns supreme in her heart. She wants everyone to know that true success is having your sins forgiven, sweet fellowship with the Lord, and a will that is broken, contrite, and yielded to HIM.

We are so thankful that you are a part of our church family, Karen! We want everyone to know you as we do.

Meet Sharry

2011-02-03T07:14:00.000-08:00

On the tenth of this month our cherished church secretary, SHARRY KENNEDY, will be celebrating another birthday, and we want to begin this article by wishing her a wonderful day!

Sharry was born in Grand Forks, North Dakota and has lived in this state all of her life. She grew up on a farm with her parents and two brothers. She likes the wide open spaces and the slower pace of rural living. Here, “neighbors helping neighbors” is still in vogue. The farm afforded an ideal setting for learning a good work ethic and good moral character. She learned to appreciate what she had, and not to expect to get anything for nothing. She did her part and found it very rewarding to finally get something she’d worked very hard for. She learned to appreciate things so much more than had it just been handed to her. Sharry’s parents worked hard on the farm, and had such a good feeling of accomplishment at the end of a long day’s work. Harvest time of the year was her favorite season, when they would reap what they had sown. There is a good comparison between farming and spiritual sowing and reaping.

These days Sharry still works a lot. She does enjoy some leisure time walking, crocheting, and playing the piano.

Both of her parents are deceased now. I have pleasant memories of her mother’s gorgeous African violets. (Sharry has a ‘green thumb’ as well.) Her parents were friends of my in-laws, so you could say that we go back a long way together.

Sharry and her husband Sam live on the south edge of Turtle River State Park near Arvilla, ND, just a short distance from where she grew up. Her daughter and her husband and two sons live ‘next door’ to her, which is a great blessing to this grandma. Sam came to this area via the USAF. He and Sharry met at our church where they got to know each other, and the Lord showed them that they could serve Him together as a married couple. She thanks God for His graciousness in bringing a spiritual spouse into her life. Sam is retired and now works as a civilian on our air base nearby. They have five sons, one daughter, and eleven grandchildren scattered in the states of North Dakota, Pennsylvania, and Minnesota. They just love every chance they get to spend time with their children and grandchildren!

Sharry has worked in a local pharmacy and gift store, served as her township’s assessor, and prepared tax returns for others. When we began our church, several of the men and a few of the women drove a newspaper route nightly in order to raise money for our building fund. With her sacrificing spirit, Sharry drove hundreds of miles for that cause. She has held secretarial positions at several locations in our area, including a farm loan company in Grand Forks, and was at one time the secretary at Bible Baptist Church in East Grand Forks , MN when Pastor Silcox was pastor there. After our church started in Larimore in 1980, Sharry began to do secretarial work for our church. She continues to be a full time secretary to our pastor. It would be impossible to calculate how many words she’s typed, how many phone calls she’s answered and made, how many papers she’s prepared, and how many ways she has helped our church and Pastor throughout these years. She is the picture of faithfulness and an example for all! Thank you, Sharry Kennedy!

Sharry was saved in 1972. She and I first met then at Bible Baptist Church. For some time, we played the piano and organ in church together, she on the organ and myself on the piano. Our families, along with several others, were part of the establishing of our church here in 1980. She continues to be our church organist today. Her faithfulness to God and appreciation of His faithfulness to her, is evident in all that she says and does. It is obvious that she considers it a privilege to serve her Lord.

She is a woman who loves the Lord and serves Him with all of her heart. She intends, with God’s help, to always remain faithful to the Lord, and to serve in His church as long as He allows. She strives to be an edifier, and to help in whatever area she is needed. She has admiringly observed Mrs. Shaffer as she tirelessly and selflessly gives the Lord all that she has. Sharry is much like Mrs. Shaffer in that way too. She finds her true happiness and contentment in pleasing Him.

Over the years Sharry has come to highly treasure her Bible. James 1:2-4-- “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing”-- was a special comfort to her when she went through a deep trial years ago. She was encouraged at that time to keep going for the Lord, knowing that He was helping her grow in her Christian faith.

Galatians 2:20—“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me : and the life that I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me”—has become the theme of her life, as she lives for God, not for herself.

III John 4—“ I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in the truth.”—Her heartbeat is for all of her children to be saved and walking in God’s truth. What a blessing that would be!

And what a blessing and testimony of faithfulness to the Lord you are to us, Sharry! Thank you for being an inspiration and blessing to all of us!

Meet Audrey

2011-01-07T18:00:00.000-08:00

Audrey Quanbeck Olauson Zejdlik was born near McVille, North Dakota and has resided in this state from then until the present time. She is of 100% Norwegian descent, and though she has never been to Norway, she would like to visit there someday. In the 1800’s her great-grandfather emigrated to the USA from Norway and homesteaded in North Dakota. Her great-grandfather, grandfather, and father all farmed near McVille. She is the oldest of five siblings, and has three sisters and one brother. She is thankful that her family taught her to love God and give Him first place in her life.

After her high school graduation from McVille High, she studied graphic arts and interior design at Valley City State University. She met her first husband Mel while in college. He became a school teacher and she had a job as an interior decorator. They had four sons. In 1995 at the young age of 42, Mel died of a sudden heart attack. Their youngest son was only 5 years old. Faced with four sons to raise, she was very thankful that she was qualified to have a job that could support them. At that tragic time, God gave Audrey peace through His Word, particularly Romans 8:28: “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.”

She submitted to God’s will then as she had in some prior trials which included her firstborn son having epilepsy, and the loss of her business and home in Fargo. God has allowed her son to live through traumatic episodes, but He didn’t let her keep her home. He had other plans ahead for her.

In 1997 the year of the ‘500-year’ flood of the Red River in Grand Forks, ND, her house suffered water damage in the finished basement. She, her father, and her sons, redid the basement themselves. Close to that same time, her son spent 26 weeks in a St. Paul, MN hospital and her mother died. She again found solace in God’s Word as she read Isaiah 40:31: “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” She knew a song with those lyrics and sang herself to sleep with that verse and its consoling promises.

She recalls a very touching gift given to her by one of her sons. She and he were shopping in a mall where she saw a necklace that she thought was pretty. Later, he returned to the store and purchased it for her for Christmas, using money that he had been saving to buy something for himself. It is one of the special memories that she holds in her heart.

Audrey is not a stranger to difficulties, but she has learned to lean heavily on her Lord in the hard times, and He has always come through for her.

In 2002, at a business luncheon, Audrey met her future husband Tim. They spent 6 1/2 hours at the Perkins restaurant just getting to know one another. It was very important to both of them to know the spiritual goals of the other and to discuss their life's direction. They found that they had many things in common, including mutual friends and that they were both saved. Audrey was saved at age 10 and was scripturally baptized at our church years later. They became friends and business partners. You can learn about their business at www.thelightertouch.net.

God, in His perfect timing, led them to make plans for marriage after Audrey’s youngest son graduated from high school. They were married on November 28, 2007.

Together, they have been indispensable to our church in the interior decorating realm and in caring for the aesthetics of God’s house. We have a beautiful, comfortable, and utilitarian church building in a large part because of their work. They also both sing in our church choir and are faithful supporters of our church and our pastor. Audrey has been involved in decorating a large number of church buildings. She feels each time that what she does professionally in houses, is just ‘practicing’ for the decorating she does in the Lord’s house.

Audrey shares many helpful decorating tips on our church blog in a monthly article titled, “Building the Nest.” Be sure to check it out for yourself..

Her own warm and inviting home is a reflection of her belief in hospitality, attention to the comfort of her family and guests, and her preference for the color blue. On the day on which we met together in her house, my eyes were drawn to the many and varied Christmas trees displayed, at least one in each room. She is a Proverbs 31 wife.

Audrey lives her life with the goal to be a person who finds her strength in the Lord. She is a loving mom, a Godly wife, and a good friend. I think of her as a ‘decorator extraordinaire,’ but best of all I like knowing her motivation for everything she does: Colossians 3:23, “ And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men…”

Meet Sylvia

2010-12-02T16:30:00.000-08:00

This month I'd like to share with you a few things about our newest member, Sylvia Cooper. We here at NTBC see her arriving at church in her wheelchair, wearing a smile and very excited about the teaching and preaching. If you sit anywhere around her you can hear her singing gustily and praising God. She loves coming to our church, but there is more to her story that we should know.

Sylvia was born in California where she lived and grew up with her mother and siblings. Each morning they would pray together. After that, they went their ways and pretty much were left to raise themselves. Sylvia's father was Spanish and her mother Mexican. She speaks Spanish fluently and has taught English as a Second Language (ESL) in two different schools.

Sylvia and Joseph met in a clinic where they were both patients. Their family is comprised of his, hers, and theirs. She and her first husband had four children who remain in California. Her present husband Joseph had three children (one each in ND, MN,and TX), and together they had a son, totaling eight children. They also have fifteen grandchildren.

While living in California, economic circumstances caused them to search for a different house. Praying, but finding nothing available in that area, it was suggested to them that perhaps God would want them to move to a different area.

Joseph's daughter, who had come to Grand Forks with the military, wanted them to move up here and found them the house in which they now live. The house, yard, and garden is everything that they'd asked the Lord for in a property, right down to the detail of wanting lots of trees. They live at rural Arvilla, ND in a comfortable home with a large backyard and MANY beautiful trees. It is a tranquil, lovely location where Joseph can tend a garden and many beautiful flowers and plants. Their house is tastefully decorated with antiques, collections, and family photos. Their backyard leads right into part of Turtle River State Park, a place they like to visit.

Upon moving here, they were able to see Joseph's seven grandchildren for the first time (!) because they live much closer to them now. Sylvia and Joseph LOVE this area because of the open spaces and beautiful landscape. She loves the snow, especially for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Their son David, named after King David in the Bible, came here with them. He lives and works in Grand Forks, and plans to begin studying at UND next year. She'd like to have us pray that he will draw closer to God.

All of her other relatives are still in California. Sylvia also has two good friends back in California whom she prays will be able to visit here.

Sylvia was saved at age 11. She's been through a lot of trials and changes, and some ups and downs since then. She loves the Lord, and wants that to show. They enjoy being active in the churches they have attended.

Joseph and Sylvia met Sam and Sharry Kennedy at a neighborhood get-together and Sam invited them to NTBC. Finding that they four were saved, they talked about our church, and decided to visit us. From the first time they came, they felt that this is the church that supplies everything they've been missing for years. Sylvia says, "This church fulfilled all of it, from the love and friendship that the people showed, to the solid preaching and teaching." This is what they have been looking for! They love the music too!

In June of 1999, Sylvia's life changed drastically. She suffered a major stroke due to a burst aneurysm. She was totally paralyzed on her entire right side. For the first three months, she needed to learn to talk, read, and write. Then began a two year rehabilitation. She gradually began to be able to talk and to read her Bible. Her husband was, and still is, a great help to her.

That stroke necessitated many adjustments for her. She used to cook and clean--now she had to let her husband take over those chores. She used to drive a church bus--now she could no longer drive. She used to paint portraits and draw cartoons--now she could barely do any painting at all. Being right handed, she had to learn to do everything with her left hand. She used to sing in the church choir. She was accustomed to doing things for others--now she had to humble herself and allow others to do for her. She must wear a brace in order to do what little walking she does. Because her entire right side remains 80% paralyzed, she must spend most of her time in a wheelchair. She now enjoys playing board games and doing word search puzzles.

Along the way, she received a special miracle from God. She had asked Him for a handicap scooter, but finally gave up and just decided to leave it up to Him. She later was given one as a gift from someone who didn't even know that she had asked God for one. Sylvia knows first hand just how good God is!

She has decided to be happy, to allow her life to be used by God to bless others, and to praise Him in word and song. She endeavors to put Him first in her life.

Her favorite Bible verse is Philippians 4:6, "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God."

Putting that verse into practice dispels her anxieties and teaches her to pray over everything.

Sylvia has brought a "breath of fresh air" to our congregation. Her enthusiasm for the things of God is truly a blessing to us and her joyful spirit and hearty laugh brings a smile to all our faces. Welcome Sylvia! You are already a blessing to us.

Meet Rachael

2010-11-01T18:00:00.000-07:00

Rachael Williams Coe was born in England and lived there for her first eight months of life before the Air Force moved her family to Louisiana. She has one brother and three sisters.

Her parents taught their children to be hard workers. They never gave up, even through tough times. There were times that her mother had to raise all of the five children on her own because the Air Force frequently moved her father to different places.

Believing that family is very important, her parents made it a priority to hike, play games, and travel together when they could. In the military life they moved so much that they didn’t get to know their grandparents very well, though they kept up contact as much as possible. Rachael fondly remembers a very special trip when they drove from New Jersey to Oregon, to visit her paternal Grandma.

The Williams family has lived in England, Louisiana, Mississippi, Greece, New Jersey, and North Dakota. They have also visited many other states.

Her parents, Bill and Lorraine Williams, are also members of NTBC here in Larimore. They first came to this area when Rachael was seven years old. She had previously been home schooled, but enrolled in our Christian School once they arrived here. They moved away when she was thirteen. When they left, her father was determined to bring his family back someday because of the Godly church and this great locality to raise his children. Then, when she was seventeen, they returned to Larimore. At first Rachael did not want to leave New Jersey, and even asked her family if she could remain there. They wisely brought her back with them. The Lord knew her heart condition and knew that she would be saved through the ministry of our church.

While in college, Rachael met her future husband Dylan Coe. She recalls their first meeting. He spoke with an accent and had his leg in a cast. She went home that night and told her family about this “foreign guy” she met who couldn’t speak English well and who was handicapped. Was she ever surprised to see him the very next class period with no accent and no cast! He had been recovering from an ankle injury. He’d also adopted the accent of some friends. It was a lesson for her to learn never to judge a person on first impressions. She invited him to our church and he attended faithfully while stationed at Grand Forks AFB.

From the time that she was a little girl, Rachael wanted to someday be a Pastor’s wife. She always heard that it was a tough job, but she just felt that it was what the Lord was calling her to do. Following her salvation, she knew even more that God wanted her to be a pastor’s or a missionary’s wife. Her task then was to prepare herself and pray that the Lord would bring along the perfect husband for her life. When she first met Dylan, he wasn’t yet saved or called into the ministry. After he was saved in Korea, he grew in the Lord and they kept in touch. Then he moved to Germany where the Lord called him to preach. After service in Germany, he returned to our church and has been an active member ever since.

Dylan and Rachael have now been married for five years, and they reside in Larimore. On her wedding day she received a treasured gift of a cedar chest built by her great grandfather in which she keeps her first Bible, her wedding gown, and other precious keepsakes. They have two darling children, Gracie, almost three years old , and Gabriel, one year old. If there is one thing she would choose to pass on to her children, it would be knowledge of God’s Word and His salvation. She wants them to know that earthly goods have no value, and that their rewards can be laid up in Heaven.

Dylan was an Air Traffic controller in the Air Force. As a civilian, he worked in management for awhile. And then, the Lord called him into the Christian ministry. He is presently our Assistant Pastor and plans to remain here until, or unless, God calls him elsewhere.

There have been a couple of changes for Rachael since her husband started working at the church. First, she realizes now how important her actions are to those watching, and is more aware of sin in her own life. She cheerfully keeps her home available and ready for people to drop by any time. She prepares a little extra for dinner just for impromptu guests, and loves having them come. Second, her husband used to work from home, and now she finds herself alone more.

Rachael studied secondary education with majors in English and History. She has worked as a nanny, and as a Special Education paraeducator, assisting learning disabled students. She had the privilege to modify their curriculum so that they could stay with their age group in school.

Now she is a work at home Mom who names her own hours and gets to spend time with her children. She owns and operates a website, EmpoweringMommy.com, on which she shares tips and recipes, and reviews products. She is also the Administrator for our church blog, Beautiful For Thee.

When time allows she loves to read. Her favorite activities revolve around her family and church. She strives to judge her life according to God’s standards, not her own or someone else’s, and to be willing to change in areas in which her life doesn’t match up to God’s Word.

Rachael’s favorite Bible verse is Philippians 4:8 because it reminds her of how God wants her to think. She identifies with Esther and Ruth in the Bible because their lives showed that God can use anyone.

She has learned not to compare herself with others. Rachael says, “We never know what others are struggling with, and as long as I am doing what I know God wants me to do, I will give my best. It is so easy to think that other women have it all together and concentrate on what I am doing wrong, instead of what God wants of me. Learning to accept myself as who God made me to be, has been a great victory in my life.”

Rachael would like us to pray that the Lord will show their family where God wants them to be next, and that the Lord would help Dylan to hold up Pastor Shaffer’s hands for as long as the Lord wants him to. She wants to be a faithful helpmeet for her husband. She wants to walk by his side, supporting him in whatever God has for him. She considers that his calling is also hers, and never wants to hinder him from serving God.

We can see the Lord working in Rachael’s life as she yields it to Him, training and molding her into someone very beautiful for Himself. She is a great example for the rest of us ladies. What a pleasure to know her!

Meet Carol

2010-10-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time there lived a man and a woman who had a baby girl that they named Carol, who was destined to become a tall woman. Eventually she grew up and married a tall man named Charles Hansen. Since her husband, known to us as Hans, was in the Air Force for 24 years, they had opportunity to do a lot of traveling. They traveled to England where they visited tall castles and Germany where they saw the tall mountains.

The Air Force led them to Florida, Germany, Indiana, Washington State, England, and finally to North Dakota, where they eventually retired and now call home. They have four children who are coincidentally also tall: Richard (who is married to Natalie), Anna, Sarah, and Sharon.

However, this story is not a tall tale. It is a true story about our sister, Carol Hansen. She was born in Minnesota to her parents Gerrit and Gladys Jansma. She was the baby of the family, having two sisters Judy and Mavis, and four half brothers who were born to her father and his first wife who died of cancer. Three of the brothers have gone on to meet their Lord. Carol has many nieces and nephews, great nieces and nephews, and even a couple of great great nieces and nephews. Their large family often got together at Thanksgiving and Christmas. They loved to have sing-alongs. One of her fondest memories is that of listening to her "Papa" sing, using only the musical syllables. He was a very good singer and could sing any song like that. (Quite a talent!) Her family passed on to her a desire to do whatever God would have her do.

Not only her parents, who have both passed away, were responsible for leaving her this legacy, but so were a special uncle of hers, who was a Baptist preacher, and his wife who had a talent for always bringing her Lord into every conversation or situation that she encountered.

While growing up, her family took special vacations. They visited family in Iowa, Ohio, Oregon, Washington, and Vancouver. One of the special trips she remembers was when they drove to Alaska on the ALCAN highway to visit relatives. She also toured with her Bible college choir on two trips. All in all, her traveling has taken her to every state except Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Hawaii. Perhaps she'll be able to make it to all 50 in her future.

Prior to being married, Carol had three years of Bible college and one year of business education. Her single years were spent in Minneapolis, MN; Panama City, FL; and Conway, SC. She has worked as a general secretary to: two Christian schools, two Pastors in different parts of the country, three real estate offices, and the University of North Dakota. She likes her current job as volunteer secretary at New Testament Baptist Christian School in Larimore the best, because it gives her opportunity to work with the greatest people. We love having her there too.

We enjoy hearing Carol sing in our choir and special music groups! She is one of our piano players also. In addition to her love of music, she likes to play board games, eat special desserts, and enjoy the lovely colors God created in autumn. She is an excellent seamstress and identifies with Dorcas in the Bible because she made clothes for others. Her creative sewing talent has been shared with others in the form of quilts and afghans. I am a recipient of one of her lovely quilts. She also enjoys reading.

God and the US Air Force brought Carol and Hans to Larimore. Hans chose to retire and stay here for two reasons: first, so that they could remain members of our church, and second, so that their children could be raised in a somewhat safe environment. They have a strong desire that all of their children will choose to be saved and to live their lives in a God-pleasing way.

As far as Carol is concerned, she believes that the Bible has all of the answers for her life. Most precious to her is knowing the acceptance that she received from her God when she was still a child. She loves the Bible verse Zephaniah 3:17, "The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; He will save, He will rejoice over thee with joy: He will rest in His love, He will joy over thee with singing."

It is awesome for her to think that God rests in His love and will rejoice over her! She also has some favorite hymns including, "Under His Wings", "How Great Thou Art", "Face To Face", "Ivory Palaces", "O To Be Like Thee", "Channels Only", and "Sunshine In My Soul", especially the words of the second verse 'a carol to my King'. She thinks of herself as that Carol to her King when she sings it.

She tells me that the greatest lesson she has learned in our church is that being critical of others is harmful to her, and causes her to lose ground in the Christian life. She strongly believes that "The Bible way is the best way" to live.

This month, October 26th, she and her husband will celebrate their 36th wedding anniversary. They've been privileged to spend these years together as best friends. We congratulate them and wish them much continued happiness together.

We are blessed that God brought you to us.

Meet Sarah

2010-09-01T18:00:00.000-07:00

We welcome Sarah Christiansen into our church family.

Sarah was born in the state of Michigan, moved to the Bemidji, Minnesota area when she was three years old, and lived there until moving to the Larimore area in May of this year.

Her husband Joe believed that it was God’s will for them to come to our church, hence the move. God provided him a job in Grand Forks where he works for a firm doing architectural design. They love the openness of the prairies here, Pastor and Mrs. Shaffer, and their new friends and church family.

God’s timing was so right for them and for us when just at the time one of our piano players moved away, He brought us Sarah, who plays the piano well.

As a high school senior, Sarah met Joe while they were working in a grocery store together. They have been married for the past thirteen years. They have three children; Karissa 10, Ethan 7, and Tyler 8 months. Karissa and Ethan have been enrolled in our Christian school, 5th and 2nd grades respectively.

She is a stay-at-home Mom who enjoys cooking and trying new recipes (seafood being her favorite), reading, sewing, scrapbooking, music, and most any creative endeavor.

Sarah loves to meet new people and enjoys helping others. She also likes being outside walking, bike riding, playing board games, learning new things, watching the Vikings, the Wild, and Bemidji State hockey, and being with her family. She has held secular jobs as a Medical Transcriptionist, a cashier/bookkeeper, a bank teller, a real estate loan processor, and a customer service representative in financial planning. She is asking God to open the door for her to start a home-based business.

Sarah has five siblings one of whom is her sister Judy Diaz, who is also a member of our church.

From her mother and late father, Carol and Richard Diaz, Sarah learned to practice a great work ethic, to love others for who they are, that only God can change a person, and, to treat others the way she herself would like to be treated.

She recalls having fun growing up. Her mother kept goats and one day when she went out to milk them, the Diaz children decided to have some fun. She left them all sitting at the table eating spaghetti. When she returned, there were spaghetti noodles everywhere. They’d had a great food fight! Mom wasn’t pleased at all and they had quite a mess to clean up, but now they retain a great memory of what fun that incident was! Sarah admires her mother’s faithful spirit and loves her dearly.

Most important to her is her relationship with God. Sarah is very thankful for her eternal salvation and feels that the least she can do is to serve and honor Him with her whole life. She loves her Bible and has many favorite verses:

III John 4 “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.” Her heart’s desire is that her children grow to love and serve God with all of their hearts, minds, and souls.
Psalm 119:165 “Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.” This verse was quoted almost daily by her mother to remind the children to get along with each other.

II Timothy 1:7 “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” God is in control of every situation.

She has learned that life is short and very precious, that letting God be in control of every aspect of her life is the best way to live, and that it is important to choose friends who will lift her up and not bring her down. She strives by God’s grace to follow and obey Him Who will never, ever fail her. He knows what is best for her life and never gives her a trial too hard to bear. She is practicing to trust and rest in the Lord.

Sarah has a tender heart and sweet spirit. We will pray for her and we look forward to getting to know her better. We’re glad you are in our church family Sarah!

Meet Jennifer

2010-08-02T17:00:00.000-07:00

Jennifer Marie Nemoseck was born in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Her parents are Ray and Susan Nemoseck and she has one brother, David. She lived in Japan for four years from the ages of 5-9 when her father was stationed in the Air Force there. Jennifer absolutely loved Japan and tells people that there are only two places on this planet where she would want to live, North Dakota or Japan.

Since February of 2010 she has shared an apartment with her friend, Judy. Judy says, “ There are several attributes that I admire in Jennifer since becoming her roommate and friend. One of the attributes which I admire the most is her forgiving spirit. God has given her a sweet and cheerful kindness which is truly a blessing and encouragement.

Another quality which is admirable is the determination she has to please the Lord and do what is right no matter the cost. I am thankful for the opportunity God has given us to sharpen each other’s countenances.”

Jennifer has worked for the past seven years at the Child Development Center on the Grand Forks AFB. She began working with infants,and now works with the one year olds. It is a job she loves!

Two of her favorite Bible verses are Psalm 62:5&8, “My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him. Trust in Him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before Him: God is a refuge for us Selah.”

These verses encourage her to wait on the LORD and to remember that her expectations are to rely on God, not man. She knows that God never does anything that isn’t good for her, will never fail her, will not disappoint her, and has her best interest in mind.

Her favorite lady in the Bible is Ruth, who was willing to forsake all that was familiar to her, in order to follow Naomi and her God. Ruth was faithful, obedient, and a blessing to her family. Jennifer wants to live so that others will see these character traits in herself.

If there is one thing that she would like to pass on to her fellow single girls, it is this: “WAIT ON THE LORD. His ways are best and He will do wonderful things for you if you don’t get ahead of His plan. God’s best will never be less than what the world has to offer. Instead of heartache and regret, He gives peace, joy, and contentment.”

God has recently done one of those “wonderful things” for Jennifer by bringing Doug MacArthur into her life. They are now betrothed and plan to marry next spring. Jennifer waited a long time for God’s will in supplying a husband for her. I am sure that she would say he was worth waiting for. She feels that God created them for each other, and will make them perfectly complementary to each other.

Little girls typically dream of someday becoming a wife and a mother. It is often an area in which single people can get ahead of the Lord by searching for themselves aside from prayer and waiting on God. God’s way is always the best way. Jennifer and Doug, we give you our best wishes and will pray for God’s blessings on your up-coming marriage.

Jennifer has many friends. I have included their thoughts and memories of her in this article.

From Anna Hansen......

Jennifer and I first met at church, though she remembers this event more clearly than I do. I do remember as a young girl praying for a Christian best friend, and that prayer was answered when I first moved to North Dakota. I remember the day that we first knew we would be friends for life. I was eleven, and Jennifer was twelve. We had Junior High orientation and she was walking with her mom from one side of the air base, and I was walking from the other side. We met in the front of the school, and she remembered that my family had recently visited the church. The afternoon was spent goofing off during the presentation from the school, and just generally being kids. I was so excited that I had found a friend my age. We have been friends ever since! I am truly blessed to be able to say I have had a friend for over twenty years.

Jennifer is the kind of friend that you can come up to and say, "Jennifer, we need to pray." She'll probably respond with "Now?" She will drop everything to find that quiet place to pray with you.

Jennifer is the one person, outside of my family, that I called when I lived hundreds of miles away. She is always ready with a listening ear, and will drop everything if she feels you need her to.

What stands out most to me about her, is her unfailing loyalty and giving spirit. She will take you into her life and heart, and not let go even when you don't treat her right. Countless times she has shown Christ's unconditional love to me when I did not deserve it. I constantly see her giving hugs to those who need it, or finding other ways to nurture those around her. She is the best "need meeter" I know. She has a knack for making people feel loved and I do very much wish I was more like her in that regard.

What Jennifer may lack in flashy talents, she more than makes up for in the ability to live Christ's love to those around her. Jennifer's love for God and others is real, and I praise God for the blessing of being her friend.

From Sarah Hansen...

My best friend, Jenn... Jenn is one of the most compassionate people I know. Every job she's ever worked has involved children in some aspect or another. Children, and adults gravitate toward her because she genuinely cares about every person she meets, and it shows in the way she speaks and acts towards them.
She's still involved with a family she met nearly ten years ago at the Child Development Center. She calls them "her kids", and lets me share them, too. She rarely goes more than a few months without a phone call from them, and keeps up (as best she can) with their birthdays. Just ask her about her Kaylie, Cullen, Sadie, Nadia, Kavi, and Sumi. She will tell you how old they are, what their names mean, and that she's dying to go and see the newest baby Sumi, who was born sometime last winter. The family has not lived in North Dakota for over five years, but in that time they've still remained close friends. I'll never forget the time she and I conspired with their parents to surprise the kids with a visit. We hopped on a plane and arrived at their house for a long weekend... The kids were ecstatic, and we were, too! What a happy memory! I hope this gives you another glimpse into the life of the wonderful person I am privileged to call my best friend, Jenn Nemoseck.

From Nichole Jorgenson...

There are so many things I admire about Jenn. First and foremost is her patience. She has waited on God for so long to show her His will and has not run to the world and done her own thing because she thought He was taking too long. Now He has shown her His will for a husband, and it is more wonderful then she could have imagined! Second is her happiness. Only on very few occasions have I not seen Jenn happy and joyful. She always has a smile and her bubbly attitude is usually contagious!

Next is her modesty. I have NEVER seen Jenn dressed in something that was even questionable, yet she is very stylish. More then her clothes though is her personality and spirit. She is not flirty, nor does she act in such a way that brings attention to herself. She is a wonderful example... I could go on and on...

Jenn loves kids! She has such a big heart and I know she is going to be a great mother some day when the Lord sees fit to give her children. She is very loyal. We have been friends for as long as I can remember. Even if I was distant at times, she has always been there for me no matter what my mood. Usually if I'm sad or just plain crabby, by the time I'm done talking to her, I'm smiling.

Jenn, myself, Sarah and Anna Hanson went to Minneapolis for her birthday one year and did Glamor Shots at the Mall of America. It was sooo much fun to have our make up and hair done. I think the most fun times with Jenn are the times we've spent just talking and not doing anything else. She is a great listener! Our family has spent Thanksgiving with the Nemosecks every year for as long as I can remember, with the exception of the one year we went to my husband's parents. I know that I will definitely miss her on the years when we spend the holiday with our other families.

From the Author: As you can see, Jennifer is well loved and admired by her friends. Our love to you Jennifer! You are a blessing to all of us who know you.

Regina - “Ain’t she PRECIOUS!”

2010-07-02T13:38:00.000-07:00

Regina first visited our church in 1990. She and her husband and children came at the same time when what we call “the Aspen Avenue” people did. It was an exciting time in the earlier days of our church history when several families all from the same street on the air base visited and became regular attenders all at once.

Regina was saved through the ministry of NTBC. She is a nurturing person, serves the Lord, church, and others, in every way that she can. She has always been known for having a tremendous sense of humor.

Born and raised on a farm in Tennessee, she thinks of herself as a ‘country girl’ at heart. She was ‘born barefoot’ and to this day only wears shoes when she has to.

She and her husband Mark met in college. Mark is retired from 22 years in the Air Force and now works as an RN at the Altru Health system in the ICU. Regina works at the Child Development Center on GFAFB. They have now been married for 28 years. They have three children: Andrew, a lab scientist in Nashville; Alicea, living with her grandparents in Tennessee and working in esthetics, a branch of cosmetology; and Matthew, a sophomore in our Christian School.

Mark, Regina, and Matthew now live on the outskirts of Larimore where there is plenty of room for her to pursue gardening, one of her many interests.

She also likes to bake, crochet, and quilt. Those who’ve eaten her homemade apple pies have experienced a special taste treat! She has baked many of them for our church functions and nearly every missionary and evangelist who has visited our church has had the pleasure of enjoying Regina’s special apple pies. Our pastor is one of her biggest fans! “Nobody makes an apple pie like Mrs. Kerstiens” he said.

Regina is very patriotic and loves this country. There is at least one American flag, along with copious other Americana decor, in every room of their house. She likes lighthouses too. They remind her of her Lord and Saviour.

The following memories are some illustrations of her good humor. I remember when we held a ladies’ retreat at the Red Willow campgrounds. Regina brought along some DVD’s featuring a Christian comedienne. That lady was hilarious, but what I enjoyed even more was listening to and watching Regina doubling over in laughter and giggles. (And she tells me that she was once extremely introverted!) The “Ain’t she precious!” at the beginning of this article is a quote from one of those DVDs. On several occasions Regina has quipped, “God has such a sense of humor!” There was also the time when she played the role of Ma Kettle in one of our family camp skits!

Have you heard her British impersonation of Hyacinth Bucket? It makes me smile.

Regina’s parents gave herself, her sister, and her brother a legacy of Godliness, diligence, honesty, and patriotism. Her mother, who has a meek and quiet Christlike spirit, inspires her.

Her favorite Bible verses include Romans 8:28 because of its truth that everything God allows in her life works out for good, II Corinthians 5:17 because it showed to her, her need of real, life-changing salvation, and Matthew 6:33 which reminds her to always give God first place in her life.
Getting to church services is very important to her. Why, one time the only way she could get to a revival meeting was to travel by snowmobile, so she braved the elements and did it! Regina has always been known as having a faithful spirit.

She admires Joseph in the Old Testament. He combined absolute faith in God with patient endurance. Joseph possessed power, but used it wisely, never allowing success to ‘turn his head.’

Placing her focus on the eternal, not the temporal is very important to Regina. She is thankful to God for helping her get over extreme shyness.
She is the Lydia Ladies group leader at church with a heart not only for our missionaries, but also for each lady in her group. She seeks to encourage others to use their talents for the Lord.

She has learned that being successful in life isn’t dependent upon how much money or earthly goods that you have, but upon how rich you are in the Lord Jesus Christ. She is laying up her treasures in Heaven. The whole reason she lives is to bring glory to her Lord. Her heart aches for people who need to be saved.

If you should happen to see something waving in the air at church, it might just be Regina waving her Amen hanky.

As she often says, “You go, Girl.” The world is a better place because of you, Regina Kerstiens.

We love you !

Meet Diana

2010-06-01T18:45:00.000-07:00

It is my privilege to introduce to you one of the lovely young ladies of our church , Diana Gove.

Diana, will you please tell us a little bit about your family?

I was born on an Air Force Base in Hahn, Germany to my parents Gene and Phyllis. God also blessed our family with James and Becky, my two younger siblings, though, sometimes I forget our ages as I look up to them more and more.

Mom and Dad taught us kids to work hard and work well, whether it was for others or for ourselves. Wherever we lived, in Delaware or North Dakota, my parents always made it a top priority to send us to a Christian school and to take us to church.I attended school in Delaware from Kindergarten to the middle of third grade. I was home schooled the rest of that school year. From Grade 4 through Grade 12, I went to New Testament Baptist Christian School in Larimore, where I received much more than academic tools for the future.

One time when we still lived in Delaware, Dad had gone hunting, shot a deer and sent it to be butchered. Later, we sat down to a great venison roast for dinner. I remember sitting at the table savoring every bite when we heard a loud “crack!” Mom asked Dad if he had broken a tooth. The look of pain on my Dad’s face turned to horror as, instead of spitting out a tooth, he spit out a bullet! Dad feared lead poisoning, Mom laughed so hard she could barely breathe. All of us kids were rolling in laughter. Dad managed to calm down and eventually laughed with us. He did call 911 just to make sure that we were safe. We still reminisce about the time Dad bit the bullet!

My Dad has become one of the most compassionate people I know. He reminds me to be long suffering and look at situations from the other person’s point of view. He has taught me to love the unlovely and help those that others have given up on. James teaches me to be bolder in reaching out to people and caring for them on a consistent basis, and Becky has taught me that even in the worst circumstances God can do the impossible.

What have you been doing since high school graduation?

I live with my parents, and have learned so much by staying at home and being happy there. I know that the Lord has blessed me for it, above and beyond what I deserve.

For the first two years after graduation, it was my pleasure to help in our Christian school in the classroom. It was a great adventure and I miss working with those children and teachers. I am constantly remembering to apply what I learned while working there, to my life today.

I attend UND full time, work at an After School Activity Program in Grand Forks, and clean the church. Hardly a day goes by when I don’t have a funny antic or story or learning experience to share with my family when I get home from work!

What do you consider to be important in life?

Having had a Christian education greatly affected me and I benefit from it daily.

My Bible is the one item I could not imagine living without, and I regard it as a treasure, paid for by the blood of Jesus Christ and the millions of Christians who have paid the price so that we can have it today.

Isaiah 41:10 “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness” is my favorite Bible verse. The last eight years have been full of uncertainty and reasons to fear. But every time the Lord comforts me with this promise and gives me the grace to trust Him. And, every time He faithfully keeps His promise! My strength fails, my righteousness gets me nowhere, but God’s strength and righteousness are more than sufficient for me!

I identify with Ruth in the Bible. She was no one special, part of a heathen nation, but she trusted the Lord and sought to please him. She honored her mother and stayed faithful when the future looked hopeless. She was a humble and willing servant to whom God showed grace upon grace. I pray my life will testify of God’s grace as hers did.

I desire to be broken and used up for the Lord Jesus Christ. My prayer is that for however long my life is, it will make a difference for eternity in leading others to the Lord. I’d like to be a stepping stone for other Christians, a reflection of my Saviour.

God is teaching me to lean on Him every day. I am aware of my own weakness and God’s dependability. If I have learned anything so far, it would be that God is in control, that He makes no mistakes, and that He is faithful! Every victory I have had has been to the glory of the Lord, for He can do the impossible in even a sinner like me. I have some regrets that stem from the times when I have spoken in the flesh, instead of under the control of the Holy Spirit.

The biggest thing on my heart that I would like to accomplish with my life is to not be just a sideline Christian. I don’t want to live a good life of complacent Christian living and die and realize that I was the servant who buried my Master’s talent instead of investing it. I’m striving to live in a way that the Lord can let me affect others for eternity. I am trusting the specifics to God.

I love learning about the Lord and how to please Him. That makes my life become more simple, makes obedience sweet, surrender a pleasure, and gives me a life filled with joy because I’m living for Him instead of anything or anyone else.

What activities do you enjoy?

The outdoors beckons me. I enjoy working around the yard, gardening, and, this summer, taking care of our four quirky ducks Cleaning is my job, but I also enjoy it a lot. Reading and playing the piano are great stress relievers when I make the time for them. The Lord has blessed me by allowing me to work with children, which is something that I love too.

Every day is filled with some mixture of college, cleaning, running errands, checking my e-mail, talking to my dad, taking care of Becky and my cats and ducks, and spending time with my family.

I like to play hockey games and boxing on the Wii because of their competitive and physical activities. The athletic gene missed me, so contact sports and I usually result in injury, but I love watching them.

It is a pleasure to know Diana. She gives us hope that the next generation will love God and carry on with His work.

Meet Judi Martinson

2010-05-01T19:16:00.000-07:00

Judi Martinson was born in San Antonio, Texas while her Dad was stationed there in the U.S. Air Force.

She attended grade school in San Antonio,Texas, Jr. High school in Wiesbaden, Germany, high school in Grand Forks, ND, and Baptist Bible College in Springfield, Missouri.

She and her husband, Jerry, met at Bible Baptist Church in East Grand Forks, Minnesota while she was home from college on Christmas break and he was just out of the army.

Both of them graduated from BBC in Springfield. This year they will celebrate 40 years of marriage. She admires and is amazed by her husband’s ability to fix ‘anything!’ They’ve had five children, three girls and two boys, and have four grandchildren, all girls. Four of their children live in this local area and one of their sons, Nathan, has passed on to heaven.

Jerry is a truck driver and must spend many hours ‘on the road.’ They reside in rural Northwood, ND, about 16 miles from our church. Judi really enjoys reading and tending her flower garden. One of her greatest joys is is to have her four little grandchildren come out to the farm and help with chores.

You may also find Judi working her job at our local grocery store in Larimore. She says, “I’ve worked at Melby’s for 10 years now. Many people know that I go to the Baptist church. I don’t usually have time to get into much of a discussion, but they ask me questions about a variety of things nonetheless. They like to be kept up to date on special events, so it is easy for me to invite others to church. Sometimes they just want to know what’s going on over there.”

She feels in her words, “a bit of kinship with Timothy of the New Testament. Although I never knew my Grandmother Lena, she taught her faith to my mother, Lucille Becker, who taught it to me. I was doubly blessed because my dad was a a huge part of that too. Our children all grew up in church, and, although some of them don’t seem to have too much time for it now, I pray that eventually they will remember those things and see the wisdom in returning to their Biblical foundation.

We have also taught our kids to work hard, and that its ok to get dirty, have fun, and to remember to dream.”

Her outstanding family memories include having her mother always at home when she came home from school, her father teaching her to swim, the summer her mother drove she and her siblings from San Antonio to New York on their way to join her father in Germany, and the Christmas she went sky diving.

On Sundays you will see Judi arriving at church services early so that she can “soak in” the music while the choir is practicing. For her, it is a part of putting her favorite Bible verse Psalm 46:10 “Be still, and know that I am God...” into practice. She states, “If I don’t stop and be still once in awhile, things can get really crazy. I need those quiet moments. If I don’t take them, it’s easy to miss my Saviour’s voice and He might be trying to tell me something I really need to know.”

She was taught to be in church if at all possible! One thing very noticeable about Judi is that she LOVES participating in our GA program! She is a happy person and is called “Joyful Judi” by some.

Over the years she has been learning to really trust the Lord in all things. She states, “I’ve never been a worrier to start with but if I do, it’s because I have let circumstances overwhelm me. Time and time again the Lord has proven that He’s very capable of taking care of me and mine. Things are going to happen--that’s life--you just have to go with it. God knows what He’s doing and I know He loves me. The rest is minor.”

She thanks the Lord for daily victories. It’s her desire to finish her life’s course strong. She advises us all to let our wonderful God have His way with us.

This past year she’s been having increasing problems with her ankle. Let’s pray for her family, her ankle, and for safety for her husband while on his job. We appreciate her faithfulness to the Lord and to our church. It is so good to know you Judi!

Jean’s Journey Of Faith

2010-04-02T18:00:00.000-07:00

"A man's heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps." Proverbs 16:9

Jean and I used to meet for fellowship on Sunday afternoons and just pass the time visiting, while her son Matt and my husband John were each at church choir practice. It was our special time together!

One Sunday afternoon I didn't see her inside of the building, so I walked out to where she was sitting in her mini van, and hopped in beside her. That was the day that that she told me that she had breast cancer. I felt so badly for her, but she told me that she'd had trouble before and that it would be all right. That positive outlook is so like Jean.

Jean and her daughter, Ashley

She did undergo cancer surgery and chemotherapy over an 18 week period of time, and not much longer after that, she had another unrelated surgery. Although she was very tired, she was rejoicing that these afflictions would bring her many "blessings in disguise."

Among the things she learned were:

That her husband loved her for who she was, not what she looked like.
- To fear God, not man.
- Reliance on some tried and tested Bible verses:

Hebrews 13:5 "I will never leave thee (ME) nor forsake thee."

Philippians 2:13 "I (REALLY) can do all things though Christ."

Romans 8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose."

Proverbs 3:5 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart."

Psalm 56:3 "What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee."

She learned…

Matt would be able to graduate from our Christian school, which was a blessing and an answer to prayer for her.
She would get to remain in our church longer than expected.
The doctors can take things away, but God will more than restore losses in Heaven.
You can alway find someone out there who is worse off than yourself.
If you want friends, you must show yourself friendly.
God can use you for a witness if you just step out by faith and let God do the work.

Jean had a heavy load to carry, but she did a good job of casting her cares on the Lord and she was a good example to the rest of us.

She stepped out in faith and let God do the work. Her mother died last November and she cherishes every memory she has of her, others and anything that her mother ever gave her. Their last visit together was especially memorable.

Her family passed on to her a gift of love for each other.

Jean (Ferebee) Sutton was born and grew up in North Carolina. She and her husband Jeff were high school sweethearts. He is now stationed in the USAF and they live on the GFAFB with their two children Ashley and Matthew.

Although she says that graduation was her favorite part of high school, she did actually go on to do some college work; one year of accounting and one year of nursing. Since then she has held several jobs.

The Air Force brought Jean to this area. The church, the beautiful variety of changing seasons, and the relative peace and quiet, have made her fall in love with living here.

Jean volunteers at our Christian School one day per week, helps in the church nursery and children's church, and is actively involved in the Lydia Ladies missionary group.

When she considers the people written about in the Bible, she identifies with Paul, because he didn't let his past keep him from serving the Lord.

Although we wouldn't have chosen for them so much suffering as Jean and her family experienced last year, we feel privileged to have helped with their meals, housekeeping, and to uphold them in prayer throughout the whole time. God is still working miracles for them.

As she journeys through the rest of her life, Jean's desire is to serve the Lord faithfully, and to follow God's will for her life. We pray that these prayers will be answered in ways that we can't even imagine at this point in time. God can do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think!

We love you Jean and think that everyone ought to know you as well!

Meet Michele

2010-03-01T20:00:00.000-08:00

This month I asked Michele Southall, a sweet young single lady in our church, to just tell us about herself. She has an effervescent personality and is a delight to know. Michele....

Hi! I was born right here in North Dakota on the Grand Forks Air Force Base. My Dad was stationed there in the mid 1970's. He left our home when I was only two years old, leaving my mom to raise my two older brothers and me, by herself. At the time we lived in Hatton, ND. Members of our church, the Zawistowskis, also lived in Hatton then. Shortly after my dad left, my mom met 'the Skis" and they invited us to church with them in Larimore. Getting involved in the church allowed my mom to get saved and gave her a reason to stay in ND. We later moved into Larimore when I was five years old.

We had many special times growing up. The most memorable ones for me were the family picnics we would have out at the Larimore Recreation Area. We would spend all day playing at the park, walking the nature trails, eating, and enjoying each other's company. I also had both a dog, "Sparkle," and a bunny .

I grew up in Larimore and went to our Christian school for all of my school years. The greatest thing about growing up in the church and going to school with the same group of kids, is that we were more like one big family. We were with each other all of the time. Friendships were made that have lasted a lifetime.

Since graduating from high school in 1997 I have had three jobs. The first was at Agvise in Northwood, ND and the second at Burger King on the GFAFB. After that the Lord opened up the opportunity to work at the Child Development Center on the air base. I have been working there now for 12 years. I also have a home based business, which I have had for the past three years, selling Gold Canyon Candles.

I love to read, cross stitch, ride my bike when I can, bake, and spend time with my mom. Each cross stitch that I've made is special to me because each is normally handpicked for the specific person that I am doing it for. I have been doing it for years and LOVE it. It is such a joy to see the face of the person I give it to and to know that she likes it.

I have been on lots of vacations and visited many places, but the trip that stands out to me the most is my trip to Hawaii last April. It was an awesome experience and it was so great that I got to go with my mom and best friends. We will have to go back again someday.

It is an honor to be able to serve the Lord in my local church as a choir member and also as the Sunday School teacher for the 2-3 year old children.

They are so cute and such a blessing to teach. I love every minute of it and thank the Lord for allowing me to serve Him.

Since my salvation, one of the things I have been learning is to wait on the Lord. His timing is perfect. Being content with whatever you have is the best way to live. If it is a need, the Lord will surely supply it. If I had one piece of advice to give, it would be to single girls: "Be content with being single. Serve the Lord, work on your relationship with Him and enjoy the life He has given you now. If God wants you to be married, it will happen in His time. Don't get in a hurry and end up with the wrong man. It is far better to be alone with God, than to be married to second best.

I moved out of my mom's house about seven years ago and now live in the basement of our former church building which was turned into apartments. It was like coming home again when I walked into my apartment for the first time. It held so may memories from the church and school. I have a kitchen, bathroom, living room, two bedrooms and an office/exercise room. My bedroom is pretty simply decorated in country blue and white. The guest bedroom is decorated in Americana items collected from many different places ranging from Korea to Hawaii. The office/exercise room is decorated in yellow smiley faces because I have soooo many of them. I think I like them because they remind me of the center of my favorite flower: daisies. My bathroom is done in seashells with the "Footprints" poem theme. I'd be delighted to have you visit me in my home anytime.

Psalm 119:133 has often spoken to me. "Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me."

Each step I take in this life, I want it to be under His direction, and that can only happen when I have nothing between my God and I .I also enjoy the words to the hymns "It Is Well With My Soul" and "Come, Thou Fount." As you can see…I have many things of which to be thankful for.

Have a good day and remember to smile.

Love you lots,

Michele

And, Michele, may God give a wonderful life, as you yield it to Him. He has good things in store for you.

Meet Susan

2010-02-01T18:14:00.000-08:00

God led Susan from California to North Dakota by way of Wyoming, New Mexico, California (again), and Japan.

She was born and raised in California, the third of eight children. That made ten people to feed and clothe and ten people to ride in one vehicle. I am sure that there was never a dull moment, or a quiet one, around their home.

Her parents were very hard workers. She says, "To me an example of hard work speaks volumes. It helped me, and I see it in my brothers and sisters too." Susan is grateful to her parents for the individual care they gave her, particularly in providing her physical and health needs.

Among her childhood memories is a trip when all of them piled into their Volkswagen bus and drove cross country to visit relatives on the East Coast. They survived, had fun, and didn't even leave anyone behind!

In 1963 Susan's mother needed a room for her youngest child, so she applied to go onto the ABC "Queen For A Day" television show seeking a chance to win a concrete slab on which to build a room for him. She was the fortunate one chosen as the queen for the day she was there competing, and won not only building materials for the room,but many gifts as well, for the rest of the family.

In her senior year in high school she met her future husband, Raymond, when he first moved to Los Angeles. They met in math class and she welcomed and befriended him. Two years later they were married.

I can't think of Raymond without also thinking of his parents who've visited our church many times. Raymond's dad has passed on to Glory. Susan's mother-in-law, Dorothy, has always been a great influence on Susan's spiritual life and a friend to our church. Over the phone they talk about how good God is and encourage each other with Bible verses. When they get together, they enjoy sewing, crocheting, and card-making. Raymond's parents visited Susan and Raymond yearly no matter where they were living, including three visits to Japan.

Shortly before they married, Raymond joined the Air Force. After their wedding and honeymoon, their first home was at Warren AFB in Cheyenne, WY, where Raymond worked on the Minute Man missiles. Their dear daughter Jennifer was born during the five years that they lived in Wyoming.

Then it was on to Cannon AFB, in NM for 1 1/2 years where Raymond worked on airplane hydraulics. He took pride in his work and Susan admired him for helping to protect our country.

After that, they moved to George AFB in California. Their only son David was born there.

Then they took a four-year overseas tour to Japan. Susan was apprehensive about moving to a country where she could neither read nor speak the language. BUT GOD prepared the way before her. While there, they attended a missionary church where the Lord was able to show to her her need of Him and she became a born again Christian whose life has never been the same since.

The next move was to GFAFB, ND, a few miles east of our church in 1986. They've lived in this community since then. Raymond retired after twenty years of service to our country in the USAF. They now live at rural Northwood, ND. In 1996 they lost their house there due to a fire, and for a month they lived in a motel in Larimore. In 1997, the Lord provided a double wide home which they moved onto their rural property. The lessons Susan learned from their house fire losses are that God supplied their needs in abundance, and that her trials show her where her weak areas lie. Good can come from bad!

Susan volunteered at our local nursing home for years; one year being the recipient of the "Volunteer of the Year" award in Larimore. For the past three years, she has worked part time at that nursing home.

Whether working in the church nursery or children's church, or in her kitchen 'spanking' her delicious homemade bread in order to remove the air bubbles, or giving testimonies in church services, or at work with the elderly, or recovering from her back surgery in 1990, their house fire losses in 1996, or her 2007 stroke-- Susan has been found praising her God!

God is Susan's faithful, ever-caring and compassionate friend, and her life reflects that close relationship! Her theme song could be, "Jesus Led Me All The Way." Among her favorite Bible verses can be found the words "There is nothing too hard for Thee," (Jeremiah 32:17) and "In every thing give thanks." (I Thessalonians 5:18) Thank you, Susan, for letting your light shine! We love and appreciate you.

Meet Audrey

2010-01-02T06:00:00.000-08:00

Audrey Stewart was born at her parents' farm home near Sherburn, Minnesota in May of 1931. She was the youngest of seven children.

Their farm was always a busy place with dairy cattle and chickens to be tended, not allowing for much time off. Audrey grew up spending much time outdoors in the sun and with the animals that her family tended on the farm. She recalls visiting relatives in Missouri, but can never remember spending any time with either her maternal or paternal grandparents. She fondly remembers bundling up and riding in their sleigh to yearly Christmas Eve services at church. That sounds cozy and nostalgic, doesn't it?

After attending her first 7 years in country school, she went to town for high school.

She also got a job at the local drug store as a soda fountain "jerk." One of the young men who dropped by that drug store to get milkshakes was another farm boy named Gordon Silcox. He was someone she recognized as being active in drama and other extra curricular activities at their school. They met over milkshakes, which Gordon seemed to have acquired a frequent craving for and as they say, "the rest is history!"

The Silcoxes were married on October 1, 1950 and celebrated their 59th wedding anniversary in 2009. They had three girls; Sheryl, Grace, and Diane, who were born while they were farming.

After being saved and answering God's call to become a preacher of the Gospel, and against their parent's wishes, they set off for Bob Jones University in 1957. Their only son Jonathan was born while they were students there. They lived through many hard times while preparing for the ministry. Not only did they face rejection from their families but funds were tight and there was little to feed four growing children. These times tested their faith in every area possible.

Their three girls are each unique and each is a huge blessing to their mother. She's thrilled with watching God use them in great ways beyond what she could have imagined. Their son died in 2002 leaving an empty spot in his mother's heart.

Mrs. Silcox had not grown up knowing the Lord and being in a Baptist church, but the Lord gave her two precious friends, Carol Phillips and Kathleen Adams, who like herself had husbands studying for the ministry in Bible college. Both of them had grown up in Christian homes. She watched them and learned from them, and they became her mentors. They were easy to talk with and to learn from. She values their friendship to this day.

After completion of Bible college training, they set off to start a Baptist church in a small town in Iowa. God used their time there as a training ground and a time of growing.

While in Iowa they raised their young children and established their family traditions. They raised a big garden and the children sold produce from it in order to earn money for church camp. Audrey always enjoyed a lot of sewing then and continued to use this talent to provide for her family's needs, for years to come.

She recalls their first meal in a sit-down restaurant on their 10th anniversary. It was a very special night, one about which they still fondly reminisce.

They moved from Iowa to Oklahoma in 1964 and it proved to be yet another training ground for future ministry. While there, some discouragement settled in over both of them one weekend because of pressures of the ministry. One evening while Brother Silcox was at the church with a heavy heart and preparing for Sunday services, Mrs. Silcox decided that she'd had all she could bear. She was ready to quit. She walked from the bedroom intending to go to the kitchen to phone her husband and tell him that she could take no more. On the way, she tripped and broke her toe. That phone conversation she'd planned, never occurred. Was that God's way of keeping them from giving up? Was He testing them to see if they'd stay in the ministry no matter what the personal cost? Looking down the line of what we now know was yet to come in their lives and ministry…. God DID have more in mind for them and in 1966 He sent them to Grand Forks, North Dakota to begin again, as Pastor of another church.

After living in the church building at first, the Lord miraculously provided an apartment for them only one block away from there. Many times He provided groceries, tires, and a nicer house at just the right times. In 1969 the church bought a building in East Grand Forks, Minnesota and moved their work there.

Brother Silcox pastored a total of 24 years in GF/EGF. Mrs. Silcox has worked in church nursery, played piano and trumpet, entertained, taught, and counseled many ladies with their family, personal, and spiritual needs.

They purchased a getaway place on a lake near Bemidji, Minnesota 26 years ago. It has been a great place for them to find needed rest, and it has especially been a treat to have their grandchildren come and spend time with them there.

Many family memories were made at "Birch Haven" fishing with "Papa and GaGa". The Silcoxes have 11 grandsons, 3 granddaughters, and 3 great grandchildren.

Nearly twenty years ago Brother Silcox left the pastorate to become a full time evangelist. The initial adjustment was a difficult one for Mrs. Silcox. They moved to a small town 25 miles from Fargo which proved to be a most unfriendly town. They were 25 miles from their church, and a long drive from any of their children. There she had feelings of loneliness and not being needed. There were no dinner guests, and few friendly phone calls. While living there they began spending time traveling to preach in churches. It was then that she saw many blessings as God used the Word preached by her husband. She met many new people and was able to be used to bring encouragement to needy pastors and their wives. A special memory she has while living there was the evening that they hosted Mike and Tracy Paulson, now a pastor and pastor's wife in Valley City, ND, for their first date.

They moved to Larimore, North Dakota 9 years ago, but are far from being retired. Brother Silcox preaches at conferences and evangelistic meetings as well as teaching and preaching in our church here. Mrs. Silcox feels that they have come full circle now, beginning in a farming community, moving to cities, and now are back in a rural area. She loves the people here and especially the church, and we love her back and feel blessed with her friendship. She has a home based health business which is a blessing to many.

In December of 2007 Mrs. Silcox sustained some injuries in an accidental fall. She is grateful for the treatment and dental implant that she was privileged to have. She still doesn't have complete use of her left hand due to muscle weakness and finds a few tasks difficult.

We can learn so much from such a Godly lady who has spent many years serving God. She would tell you that she is still learning to lean on God and that one is never too old to learn something new.

From Lamentations 3:22, 23 she has come to know that each day is a new beginning, a gift from God.

"It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness."

Throughout the years, she's found Philippians 4:8 thinking has gotten her over many hurdles.

"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."

Her advice to us is:

There is nothing sweeter than being in the center of God's will.

Follow Bible principles.

Practice what you 'preach.'

If you have doubts about something, don't do it.

Be content with even the hard things. God is still molding us.

She wants all of her friends from all over the world to know that they are dear to her and she cherishes the time she gets to spend with you in person, and by phone, e-mail, and letters.

We are so thankful that Mrs. Silcox is a member of our church family. She still has much to share with anyone who is willing to learn. We love you Mrs. Silcox!

Meet Kristen

2009-12-01T12:00:00.000-08:00

Kristen has been coming to our church since she was age 3 when her family moved here from Germany where she was born while her father was stationed in the USAF there.

She spent all of her school years in our Christian school. For over half of those years, Mrs. Turner was her teacher and Kristen tells, me that "all my present problems and holes in my education I blame on her." (tee hee)

Seriously, she is very grateful for the privilege of having a Christian education. She appreciates her parents' sacrifices so that she and her sisters Rachael and Shelbie and her 'almost sister' Destinee could attend New Testament Baptist Christian School. She has maintained friendships with her three classmates which she had during all of her school years. After her graduation from high school she worked in our Christian school for one school year where she had opportunity to see education from the teacher's point of view and saw the love they had for their students.

Now she works at the Larimore Good Samaritan Center as a CNA and absolutely loves it there. She likes getting to know the residents. So many of them just need someone to spend time with them. She is planning to go to college to get a degree that will allow her to become a Registered Nurse. Because the residents have such varied health needs, it is a great place to begin a nursing career.

Beyond that, Kristen also hopes to someday have a family of her own with whom she can serve the Lord.

Her family has given her a great Christian legacy. She enjoys being at home talking with and cooking with her mother. She plays the piano for enjoyment and we sometimes have the privilege to hear her play at church too. They have a plaque in their home that says, "The most important things in life aren't things." Things can be lost, broken, stolen, or worn out. People will live somewhere for ever. What a precious family she has! She admires her mom who "absolutely amazes " her with her godly example! Kristen admires the Proverbs 31 woman and has read that chapter "probably over a thousand times' and prays that she can be like that lady. She wants to please God and be the example she needs to be so that others will see Christ in her.

I'd like to share with you a Christmas tradition practiced at the Cobb home for several years. "At Christmas time my family all put our names into a hat and we draw each others names. Then instead of buying that person a gift we make them something. I remember those gifts always seemed more special. One year my Dad made me a shelf for my room. I absolutely loved it!"

One year her family, including her paternal grandparents, vacationed together at beautiful Mount Rushmore. She's been to Ohio a few times to visit grandparents and always enjoys her rare opportunities to be with them. Someday she'd like to return to Germany to see where she was born, and she' d also like to travel to see the Statue of Liberty.

Moving into a house is on the horizon this month for the Cobb family. Then Kristen plans to be able to get her desired puppy.

This young lady is a fun person and her cheeriness is contagious. Her family, friends, co-workers, and nursing home residents surely enjoy just being with her.

Kristen's name is beautiful. I googled it and found that it originated from the Greek language and means 'anointed christian". Her middle name Rose pictures a beautiful fragrant flower. Shakespeare said,"What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." Kristen Rose Cobb is living up to her name and is "unto God a sweet savour of Christ." (II Corinthians 2:15).

Introducing a beautiful new face....Judith Diaz

2009-11-02T15:19:00.001-08:00

Judy is a young, single lady who has a genuine heart for God. She felt the Lord leading her to move to Larimore and join our church. She came here in August and got busy for the Lord as soon as she arrived. What a blessing she has been already!

Judy’s parents came from the state of Michigan and later moved to Minnesota. They were living at Cass Lake, Minnesota when she was born, the third of six children. She has 3 sisters and 2 brothers. They lived on a hobby farm and raising goats and chickens. She has fond memories of playing for hours at a time in the fort on their property with her siblings. She was home schooled from the 4th-7th grades. She grew up attending Landmark Baptist Church in Cass Lake, Mn. and was saved at age 19.

Her home church began as a mission work, Heritage Indian Baptist Mission, started by Brother and Mrs. Frank Combs. In church, she grew to admire the kindness and faith of her Sunday School teacher “Granny” Combs, missionary wife of Frank Combs. After completing high school, Judy considered preparing for careers in nursing, computer technology support, data processing, and teaching. The Lord led her into the field of teaching and blessed her with the opportunity to attend and to graduate from Heartland Baptist Bible College in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma with a degree in Christian Education and an emphasis in Bible.

Following her graduation she spent a summer as a youth counselor at a Bill Rice Ranch in Tennessee. She came away from there feeling blessed and excited to have heard so much preaching of God’s Word. And how she enjoyed the children there! A great thrill for her was personally leading one camper to the Lord in salvation. The following is a story she related to me about one experience she had with one of the young campers there.

“One of the most wonderful memories for me while being a junior counselor at the Bill Rice Ranch happened late in June of 2000. I had the responsibility of being a “Med Run Driver.” The Lord has a wonderful sense of humor. He knew that that week on that particular day that I would need a good laugh, and boy, did I laugh--until my abdominal muscles hurt!! There was a young man who had been bitten by a brown recluse spider, so we went to get his medicine. While he, his counselor, and I waited for the prescription to be filled, to pass the time we stopped for pizza and bread sticks. This turned out to be no ordinary young boy. He had a great sense of humor and cracked joke after joke. It was not only an enjoyment to be around funny and hilarious people, but also to know that our God provides laughter in the most difficult of times.”

We may wonder how Judy happened to come to our church. Well...Judy has a past connection with Brother and Mrs. Silcox. They met while visiting Judy’s church when the Silcoxes sometimes attended there when they would be staying at their nearby lake cabin. Her family was hungry to hear God’s Word and attended some special meetings in North Dakota in the early 2000s. Now living within a 3 hour drive from her parents is an added blessing that makes it possible for her to see them about once a month.

Her favorite Bible verses are “Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.” Psalm 37:4,5.

Judy trusted God to get her through college and thanks Him for bringing it to pass for her. Now she is trusting Him for guidance in every way He calls her to serve Him. She plans to follow Him wherever He leads. One might say that an appropriate theme song for her is “Where He Leads Me, I Will Follow.” All of the Bible is dear to her . When she reads of Ruth in the Old Testament, she finds herself wanting to be like Ruth in the areas of commitment and service. She hopes to be used of God here, especially in children’s ministry. She is already actively volunteering in our Christian high school and would like to be able to teach in children’s church in the future.

She likes winter, the color purple, puppies, children, reading Christian biographies, singing, playing the piano, and crocheting.

When we pray for Judy, we might ask God to help her at her secular job and especially we can pray for her youngest sister.

Welcome to New Testament Baptist Church, Judy! You are brimming with potential and we are blessed to have such a Godly young lady in our church. Please let us know if there’s any way we can be of help to you.

Claire's Story

2009-10-01T05:00:00.000-07:00

There’s a lot that I wanted to know about Claire Hall when I recently talked with her. I wondered about what is important to her, about her upbringing and developmental years, in what ways we are alike and how we differ, and what choices she has made that have determined what she is today.

I have noticed that her children always have that “spit and polished” clean look, sitting right up in the front pews in church services where I view them from behind and admire their shiny black hair and their attention being focused on the preaching. Their mother loves to have things meticulously clean. In fact, that is one of her trademarks, even spilling over into cleaning for our Christian school and housecleaning for another home besides their own. She wants to do her best at work and at home and to praise God, as well as to respond Biblically, in every situation.

Mary Claire Dampilag was born in Manila, capital city of the Philippines. One thing that her mother did was raise strawberries to sell at the market and her father was a Chinese cook. When Claire was 12 years old, she, her mother, sister, and two brothers moved to California. She really appreciates the financial sacrifice that her grandfather, who had already been living in the USA for years, made so that they could come to the USA. Later, her mother and brothers returned to the Philippines, but Claire remained in the US and attended high school in California. She gained her US citizenship in 1992.

Her husband John lived part of his growing up years in Larimore. They met while both were attending a trade school in Utah. They have been married for 14 years and have three children: Aerica, Matthew, and Michael. She works part time as a home health aide, does housecleaning, and is presently taking classes to prepare her to get her LPN license. Sounds busy!

Circumstances brought Claire to Larimore, but what keeps her here is that she heard the Gospel here, was saved here, and continues to be spiritually fed in our church. She appreciates her merciful and cheerful Pastor.

A very special Scripture passage to Claire is II Chronicles 20. In that chapter King Jehoshaphat’s prayer reveals his heart attitude in the midst of adversity. He set himself to seek the Lord. Then he stood still and waited on God. Afterward he saw the salvation of the Lord. Trusting God brought victory to him and she believes that it will do the same for her. She delights to pass on these Scriptural truths to her children so that they will know that God is for them and that all of their battles are in His capable hands. She wants them to be helpful, thoughtful, and thankful.

From Hebrews 11 she is learning to refuse earthly position, to esteem Christ more than anything, to forsake worldly riches, and to keep God’s ways.
Recalling the faith of Moses when he chose to forsake Egypt and live for God is personally meaningful to Claire.

She likes to read books on Christian growth. She also spends some time tending her vegetable garden and flowers. Some of you who give us pictures of yourselves at Christmas may wonder what we do with them. Claire displays them in framed photo collages on her entry wall.

Some of us remember Claire’s brother Benson who was here in 1997. Now she is making plans for her other brother Bienvenido to move to Larimore. His name means “welcome” in Spanish and we will welcome him when he comes. This month her mother and brothers all intend to come here for a visit and leave Bienvenido (Benben) here to live in Larimore when they go back home.

Through the good times and the bad, the Lord has been leading and working things out for Claire. He has answered prayers for her family and it is a great blessing to see them faithfully sitting together in church. I will pray that she will continue faithful to the Lord as she spends the rest of her life living for God and others. I loved learning some things that God has accomplished in Claire’s life, and my own life is thereby enriched.

Nice Things Come in Small Packages

2009-09-01T12:35:00.001-07:00

When I think of Lorraine, the first thing that comes to mind is the time she came to our home to care for my mother-in-law supposedly for a few hours until my husband’s sister got here to take over, while I traveled to another state, and it turned out to be an overnight stay! How much I appreciate knowing that Grandma was in Lorraine’s good hands. I also recall trips with her to ladies’ retreats when we got to room together. And at our Dorcas Group photo shots we always hear, “short ladies down front,” so Lorraine and I gather near each other in the front row. I can picture her now as she comes to church with bags of garden produce that she shares with other families of our church. Her exquisite machine embroidery has provided beautiful and practical gifts for missionaries, young brides and her guardian angel (secret sister). Her soft spoken, British accent is delightful. Lorraine and her whole family are very special to me.

Lorraine was born in London, England. Her mother lives there still. So do three of her siblings. She also has a sister in Australia and another sister on Cyprus. Tragically, her father died in a truck accident 20 years ago.

When she was five years old Lorraine and three of her sisters were moved out of their home and into a convent children’s home, where they lived for five years. Though well cared for and loved in the children’s home, she missed her parents immensely because they were only able to visit their girls once a month. At age ten the family was reunited, this time including not only the parents and four girls, but also a little brother.

After high school and one year of college, Lorraine worked as a nanny, in a coat hanger factory, a sewing factory, and an antique store.

She and her husband Bill met in England when he was TDY there from an assignment in Germany. They have been married for 27 years and are blessed with four daughters and one son. I can imagine that there was never a dull moment with their family. Over the years they took many vacations. Because Bill was gone so much, when he came home they would always make time to do something as a family. They loved to go camping and when they lived in Greece, they would drive along the beach for miles and find a secluded place to camp primitive style. They would have to bring all of their own water. They had memorable times hiking and camping in Pennsylvania as well. Their family has now grown to include a son-in-law, a daughter-in-law, two grandchildren, and they are expecting their third grandchild in December.

Moving to Louisiana was her first introduction to life in the USA and she found it quite the culture shock. Since then, they have lived in Mississippi, Greece, and New Jersey and have visited many states and found much diversity in this country. Lorraine had the opportunity to homeschool her children for a total of eight years. She also worked at the Hatton nursing home as a CNA for seven years. I recall when she got her first driver’s license so that she could drive her children to and from our Christian School. She now volunteers as a helper in our Christian School two days per week.

Lorraine and Bill live in Hatton, North Dakota, a 27 mile one way distance from Larimore. Only one of their children still lives at home and if they had their way, she’d stay there forever with them, but realistically thinking, that is not very likely! At every opportunity they can, they love to have their children come to their house. It is always a special time for them. When the family gets together for a meal, Lorraine sometimes fixes homemade pizza. She makes several different ones and puts each person’s favorite toppings on them. It takes several hours from start to finish, but they all enjoy it. A favorite dish she serves on Thanksgiving and Christmas is broccoli casserole. At Christmas time they set up a small Christmas tree in their bay window. Lorraine fills her collected tins with all sorts of goodies and puts them under the tree. The whole family has fun finding their particular favorites inside of the tins.

Bill retired from the military in 2007. He still works with computers on the Grand Forks AFB. He also rents out apartments. Lorraine is a big help to him in this endeavor as she cleans, paints, or just hangs out with him, ready to hand him tools or get something he needs. They enjoy their time together. One of the greatest joys of her life is the cherished time the two of them get to spend together every morning sitting on the couch sharing God’s Word together. It has helped to sustain them through many difficult days.

I asked Lorraine a few questions and I’d like to share them and her replies, with you below.

What legacy would you like to pass on to your children and grandchildren?

To always put God and family first.

Money is not necessary for happiness.

Always do your best.

Don’t dwell on your mistakes and failures and let them stop you from doing what the Lord has already shown you that He wants you to do.

What would you like to be remembered for?

My desire to please God first, my husband second, and then others.

Whom do you admire?

Those who continue to serve the Lord even if they are not noticed for what they do. I am blessed to have known a few of those people.

Do you have a favorite Bible verse?

The first verse that I memorized while I was searching for the Lord and His truth is Jeremiah 33:3, “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” I have found that the more I search with all of my heart, the more great and mighty things He shows me. Whenever I call on Him, he always answers. I have many other favorite verses, but this is the one that I love the most and think of the most often.

What are the greatest lessons you have learned in your life?

Some of my values were passed on to me from my family: the importance of hard work, the value of family, and how important it is not to feel sorry for myself.

Since I have been saved, I have learned not to focus on myself when trials come, but to look for ways to help others and pray for them during those times. I find that when I do that, I am less likely to get sick or stressed. Another thing that I have learned is to forgive people right away when I feel that I have been wrongly judged. During the past few years I have had some hard trials, but I am thankful that they have drawn me closer to my Lord. They have helped me to see how useless I am without him. I have more blessings than I deserve.

What do you appreciate about living in this area?

The military brought us here. I love the low crime rate and the lesser amount of hustle and bustle. The people here seem less concerned about presenting an image. But, most of all I love my church here.

Do you have hobbies?

I love to sew, machine embroider, garden, read, cook, crochet, and chat with family members all around the world via the internet.

Do you have any words of advice you’d like to pass on to others?

I’d like to tell them that the only way to find success is not to look for it or expect it, but to search for God’s will in their lives.

Lorraine, we really appreciate your willingness to share things about your life with us. Truly, our lives would not be the same without you. We will pray for the people that are dear to you. Always know that you are loved at NTBC.

Meet Our Colleen

2009-08-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

Colleen Miles is of Irish and French Canadian descent. Her name, “Colleen,” is the Irish word for “girl,” and quite an interesting girl she is!

Colleen now lives on a farmstead near Petersburg, ND only one mile from where she was raised. She has lived in her present place since 1971. She and her husband Jim, who came to ND while in the Air Force, celebrated their 48th wedding anniversary this past July. They have one son, three daughters, and twelve grandchildren (four of them adopted). Their son lives with his family on the same farmstead as do Colleen and Jim. It is a 54 mile drive to Grand Forks from their home, and 23 miles each way to get to church in Larimore.

Colleen has pursued many interests in this wonderful life God provided her. Among them are reading; horseback riding, breeding and training; taxidermy; sewing; and painting. In high school she played both basketball and baseball and has tried the sport of curling. She has worked in cafes, a hair salon, and for 12 years in an elderly care facility. She showed me photos of some of her delightful paintings. She has sold some and some hang on the walls of Lakota Good Samaritan Home.

Jim was hospitalized in Grand Forks near Christmas time a few years back when some members of Bible Baptist Church of Grand Forks came through the hospital hallways singing Christmas carols. Previous to that time, their daughter from South Dakota had said that her children would be allowed to come to spend a summer with their grandparents Jim and Colleen IF they would be sure to take them to a good Baptist Church. So, Jim asked the carolers if they knew of a good Baptist church in this area. They told him that he would be more than welcome to visit their church, but that our church is actually closer to where they live. At about the same time, Colleen saw a newspaper advertisement for a Bible Study Course and sent for it. She completed the course, and at the end of the last lesson, she was directed to come to our church. They did visit our church and the grandchildren did get to come for the summer visit. Colleen was saved through the ministry of our church. How interesting to see how God worked all of those things together!

How she wishes that she had been in our church while she was raising her children. “Things would be different, I’ll tell you that!” she declares.

Now she directs her children to Matthew 11:28-30 in the Bible, “ Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

She advises them to take everything in their lives to God, leave difficult situations in His hands, and “not to worry.” It works for her. If she could pass something to the next generations, it would be to teach them by her example that God can be trusted with everything. One of her mottoes is, “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.” She enjoys meditating about Ruth, Naomi’s daughter-in-law and would like to be a good Biblical example to her daughter-in-law.

She loves reading Psalm 23! It tells her of how good her Shepherd is to her. She “adores” the Lord.

Thanksgiving Day is always very special to Colleen. She delights in everything about it: the family gathering, the meal, and especially the emphasis on gratitude toward God.

God has protected and helped her family. He is with her through disappointments and victories. We need to pray for the physical and spiritual needs of her family members.

Colleen is having a good time while spending the end of July and the month of August with her daughter Patricia in Montana. She looks forward to seeing everyone again when she returns.

Getting To Know Melissa

2009-07-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

I am pleased to present a brief portrait of...

Melissa Lehman...

M - Melissa Met the Lord as Savior in 1999. She grew up in Texas and did not go to church, but long ago her grandmother gave her a Bible story book which she still has in her possession to this day. Even back then, Melissa had a tender heart toward God and in the pages of that book are found prayers that she wrote as a child. When the time came in her later years for her to be saved, her interest in spiritual things was already present.

E - She keeps her Eyes on God. She loves the Lord who saved and changed her and really admires those who live for God and others and not themselves. Jeremiah 32:17 (“Ah Lord God! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for Thee.”) is especially meaningful to her because she needs God’s strength, and this verse reminds her that God is powerful and that there is nothing too hard for Him. She strives to be honest in all things. Melissa gains hope for herself from the life of Peter because it shows that even though he made mistakes he was still used greatly by God. At church she is busy working with children in nursery, and children’s church. Melissa is a certified school teacher who was once very interested in her career. Now she sees life from a Biblical point of view and is willing to be a Titus 2 woman that God wants her to be. He allows her to use her educational training in our Christian school as a helper. She’d like to encourage all of us to keep our eyes on God and do our best for Him. She tries to be a good witness of God’s love by serving others.

L - Her husband Lynn came into her life when she was in college and he in the Air Force. He is now retired and working a civilian job at GFAFB. They have been married 20 years and have three sons and a daughter. Having lived in Germany and Oklahoma prior to coming to ND, they chose to come to Grand Forks AFB because is seemed a good place for raising children. We were all blessed when the Lord brought their family to NTBC.

I - Her Interests include quilting, gardening, and reading. She makes delicious homemade salsa and their family favorite: homemade pizza. Melissa is a great entertainer. Her house is tastefully decorated. Her salt and pepper shaker collection is large and interesting. She considers that her home belongs to God and she is very hospitable with what the Lord has given her. She is a remarkable keeper at home. On approach to her home, one sees neat flowers and an inviting rocker on the front entry porch. A warmth is felt in anticipation of your visit.

S - One of the things that has helped Melissa to develop a strong spiritual and devotional life came through the Sadness of losing an unborn baby. During that time she experienced God’s grace and learned that His timing is always perfect. He will supply the grace as one needs it, not a minute too soon or too late. She tries to lean on His timing, not to get ahead of Him, and to depend on His daily provision.

S - She is known for her Service to others. In addition to working at church, she also serves on the museum board and delivers Meals On Wheels. About ten years ago she met our Belinda Blewer and they have become great friends. Belinda filled a void as a ‘grandmother’ influence for the Lehman children.

Belinda says:
“My Mom told me that I would be very lucky if in life I would find one ,very close friend. Melissa is that friend to me. It is a joyous friendship. As Michael is my husband soulmate, Melissa is my girlfriend soulmate. She is interested in my children and I in hers. She always asks and makes sure she can fill any need that I have, sometimes even before she meets the needs of her own family. I can count on her and her family to be there to help me with lawn care and many other things. If I even mention to Melissa that I have some kind of work to do, she sends one of her kids over right away to help me.

We’ve spent many Sunday evenings and even holidays together. It has been fun to be at their home and watch as the children open their Christmas presents. Her daughter Ashley used to come over and spend time with me when I was ill and we couldn’t do much more than just lay on the couch together. Her family prays for us, and tries to help meet every need that we have (I suspect sometimes secretly in addition to what I know about). I love Melissa and would do anything that I could for her.”

Melissa’s life shows that if you find someone who needs you to be there for them through good times and bad, you will also be having your needs fulfilled at the same time.

A - Alex, Adam Ashley, and AJ

One step inside their house and you can plainly see that her family and the training of their four children in godliness and serving others, is her high priority. On the inside of the door hang posters telling of the activities that they will be doing each day of the week. One says something about a time of reading together, another is a fun day, and there are days set aside for helping others and for jobs that need to be done.

Perhaps the next time you see Melissa in church, at a store, restaurant, post office, or some other place, you will be able to strike up a conversation with her based on something you learned about her in this article that has provided some common ground for the two of you.

Hugs to you, sweet Melissa! We love you!

Getting To Know Carol Holland

2009-06-01T11:18:00.000-07:00

Just north of Australia in Oceana lies the land of Papua New Guinea. It is the eastern part of the world’s second largest island. My brief research tells me that Papua New Guinea is a birder’s paradise. The flora and fauna there in this rainforest are beautiful, including lush green foliage, orchids, and birds. Over 700 species of birds can be found there, including 38 of the 43 known species of the Bird of Paradise.

There, in this exotic land, in the community of Karimui, lives “a woman who fears the Lord” (Proverbs 31:30), Carol Holland. In April we were privileged to have her accompany her missionary husband who preached at our church and shared the ways in which God is working through them in PNG. It was at that time that I got to visit with her and I want to share with you some of the things I gleaned from her.

Geographically, PNG is far different from Larimore, ND, but the people share the same basic need to know God and His Son. It is a third world country rampant with poverty, diseases like malaria and leprosy, political corruption, frequently occurring earthquakes, and a tribal lifestyle. I asked Carol what we would notice if we were to step onto their field. She said that first of all, everybody would be there to greet us, we would be enthralled with the greenness of the plants, and we couldn’t help but be touched by the poor housing in which the nationals live. They are typically wooden houses, hand cut from the trees with no windows, just doors, have metal or sago palm roofs, and consist of just one large room with an indoor firepit. Some of the cooking is done outdoors. There is a meal, “mumu,” fixed on special occasions. It is similar to a Hawaiian luau, where the meat is cooked underground, covered and sealed with leaves, vegetables and rocks as it cooks.

Growing up on a farm in Michigan, Carol learned to work hard and to live somewhat isolated from city life. She likes being alone and reflective and she has an independent personality. These qualities helped to prepare her for living in the area in which she now lives.

Carol was a ‘bus kid’ who grew up in a Baptist church. She met her husband at church. After they were married, he was a businessman for about fifteen years before the Lord called them to the mission field. Leaving her mother (with Alzheimer’s) in the States, adjusting to a slower pace of life with basically no time schedules (For example, “church” is held whenever people get there.), driving on the opposite side of the road, using the metric system for shopping, and “weighing in” on flights were all new to her. That was twenty years ago. They lived for three years in PNG learning language and preparing for going to Karimui where they have labored for the past seventeen years.

There is now a national pastor of Karimui Baptist Church. Carol is active there teaching Bible studies to the ladies. She also helps them learn the basics of hygiene and dress. She also gives Monday through Friday daily weather reports, sets up her husband’s translation work on the computer, and teaches literacy courses in Melanesian Pidgin to the church people. Not only people come to church, but so do the ‘critters!” Carol recalls watching a preying mantis doing his antics atop a preacher’s head during one sermon. Interruptions are common for her as many people drop by for various reasons. After high school Carol trained as a laboratory technician and that has been a help to her as she administers first aid to the many who drop by seeking help. It is difficult for her to see children with TB who have a lack of medical care.

Carol greatly admires her stable husband, especially for the stand he takes for God. She has found that God has always been faithful to them. She has experienced I Thessalonians 5:24, “Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.” to be true in her life. She is particularly grateful at this time for God’s timing in her husband’s medical condition and that He allowed him to get treatment before an impending heart attack could occur. Psalm 46:1 says, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” That verse proved personally true for her regarding her husband’s health.

Their two children and three grandchildren live in the States, their son working in in North Carolina and their daughter, a pastor’s wife in Oklahoma. Of course, she misses being able to see them more often. It was her goal to teach honesty and the importance of living close to God to them.

She advises us to “never be afraid of what God calls you or your husband to do” and to know that there is joy in serving God where He places you. She further said, “You may give up your house, but you take your home with you.” She would like us to continue to pray for their health and for God to send more workers, both national and others, to PNG.

Thank you for taking time to visit with me, Carol, and for sharing your heart so that we can better pray for you. To complete the verse near the beginning of this article seems appropriate: “A woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.”

Love, prayers, and a wish for your Happy Birthday this month of June.

We love you Carol!

Meet Our Virgie

2009-05-01T09:50:00.000-07:00

WHO....
Is very friendly and outgoing?
Was not born in the USA?
Has lived in many countries?
Met her husband when he was stationed in the military in her native land?
Has been married for 33 years?
Loves camping and fishing?
Had Tagalog as her native language?
Finds visiting with her elderly neighbors a good way to witness?
Has yet to view our Northern Lights?

ANSWER:

Virgie Cox was born and raised on Mindanao, an island of the Philippines. She spent beloved times there on her grandparents’ coconut plantation. Her grandmother taught her gardening and homemaking skills.

Virgie and Rich were introduced to one another by her cousin at Clark Air Force Base in the Philippines. She says, “I was smitten at first sight.” She remains attracted to his honesty and his desire for spiritual growth.

They’ve been married for 33 years and have 4 married children and 6 grandchildren. Stepping into their home one notices that it is filled with framed photos of her family members. While the children were growing up, they lived in Japan, England, and the USA.

The family loved to travel. They’ve played at many amusement parks and gone camping often. Virgie’s parents lived with them for ten years but decided to return to the Philippines for their last years. Both are deceased now.

The Cox family moved to North Dakota in 1995. After praying for the Lord’s guidance as to where to live, they chose North Dakota over Hawaii or San Francisco. They live in Northwood. Her husband is retired from the Air Force and now works as a patient administrator at the clinic on the Air Force base. Virgie describes herself as a ‘homebody.’ She also feels a special calling to check on her elderly neighbors, to visit them, help them, and take them shopping.

In 1983 Virgie was saved out of the Catholic religion and joined a Baptist church. When they first moved to Northwood, they were apprehensive about driving on our wintry road conditions and for awhile remained there to attend a church. However, they felt a need to find a church where they could grow spiritually. A former member of our church with whom they had attended church in England, invited them to our church.

Life has radically changed for Virgie since she has memorized lots of verses. Her desire to know God has deepened more and more. She also enjoys the slower pace of small town living which gives her more free time to meditate and grow in the Lord.

Virgie desires to live for God and to see her unsaved family members saved. She especially admires pastors and missionaries who willingly serve God. She is awed by the wisdom and instruction of David and Solomon. She finds special comfort and calm in God’s Word, especially in the following verses:

Isaiah 41:10

“Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I AM thy God:

I will strengthen thee;

yea, I will uphold the with the right hand of my righteousness.”

Psalm 18: 1,2

“ I will love thee, O LORD, my strength.

The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer;

my God, my strength, in whom I will trust;

my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.”

Psalm 27:4

“One thing have I desired of the LORD, that I will seek after;

that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life,

to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.”

To know you is to love you, Virgie and we love you!
Eleanor Emslie

Meet Our Sweet Nicole!

2009-04-01T12:26:00.000-07:00

An open letter to Nicole Poling, someone delightful to know....

Dear Nicole,

One of the most pleasant memories in my life is of the time you and your twin sister Rachel spent with us on our farm while your parents were out of state involved with the church’s youth ministry. You were eleven years ‘young’ then and spent quite a bit of time in the kitchen with me. You even told me of a kitchen utensil that I had previously not known existed. Thanks to your mother, you were quite adept in the kitchen even back then. No wonder you still love to cook and bake and have been able to put together menus and fix dinners for your family now that your mom is working outside of the home.

We had such fun shopping together then. I bought you a dress and you complimented me by asking, “Are you sure you’re not a Grandma?” We took a fun sightseeing trip to Winnipeg. Remember when your wire came loose and we had to make an emergency trip to the dentist? I had the privilege of helping you in elementary school with reading, speech contest entries, and music classes. Every time I look at my son’s and daugher-in-law’s wedding pictures, there you are helping with baskets of little bells.

Best of all, I LOVE hearing you play your violin in church and I know that you love doing it. Since your personal salvation in the Lord, your life has not been the same. Your desires have changed dramatically and you no longer yearn for the world’s approval and acceptance. Now your one and only desire is to be used by God to bring honor and glory to Him in everything that you say and do. It is obvious that you have a very real and personal relationship with your Lord and Saviour and that you enjoy that relationship above all others.

Your Godly parents have been most influential in your life, teaching you what are the real issues of life. It is all about giving your life back to the One who saved you. Now that you have studied business in college, you are able to be a help to your father at our Christian school, aiding him with paper work and computer work there. You have also helped with the students there. I am anxious to see the web page you are constructing for New Testament Baptist Christian School. Many of us wouldn’t guess that you are interested in sports, but you do follow baseball, basketball, football, soccer, and rugby with avid interest.

Your dad’s first duty station in the Air Force was in Berlin, Germany, and that’s where you were born. I’ve been told that when you were born, your dad was heard to say that you two looked like drowned rats! Well, you certainly have developed into a lovely and genteel young lady, “Twin B!” At the time you were there, the Berlin Wall was still up and your father put yours and Rachel’s names on the wall when it came down.

Life hasn’t always been easy for you because your body has suffered many aches and pains at a young age. You have told me that when you were a senior in high school and too weak to get out of bed, God showed you Psalm 18:32 “It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect.” It has become your favorite Bible verse, a constant reminder that your GOOD God will not give you any problem He cannot handle. He is making your way perfect as He supplies your strength.

With much love and prayers for you as you continue your journey with God,
Mrs. Emslie

Meet Our Sweet Lori Males

2009-03-04T14:08:00.000-08:00

In February, Missionary/Evangelist/Church Planter Jim Males, came to our church and preached and taught us in our revival meeting. Duties kept his wife Lori from being able to be with us then. I caught up with her by way of telephone and we had a delightful visit, leaving me wishing that we could’ve spent more time together.

Lori (Clayton) Males was born into the home of a Baptist pastor in Ohio. When she was young, her father went ‘on the road’ as an evangelist/church planter. During those years she traveled with her family to many places in the USA, and other countries including Haiti, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Africa, Greece, Italy, Costa Rica, Panama, and Nicaragua. They sometimes had to stay in less than ideal housing situations and encountered unbelievable traffic conditions. At times the car horn was the only ‘rule’ anyone paid any attention to. The Lord spared them many times from travel related accidents. Lori recalls stopping along a road in Haiti so that her dad could feed starving children there. Her ‘eye affected her heart.’ (Lamentations 3:51) Their family sang and played instruments everywhere they went, mostly in churches. Her parents taught her the urgency and great importance of serving the Lord with her life.

Lori and Jim met in Bible college. They were married and with their two young sons Jimmy and Isaiah (then ages one and two), went to Scotland where they have labored for nearly 17 years and have started two New Testament churches, who now have their own pastors. We pray God will continue to guide and bless their work in establishing churches in other locations when they return to Scotland, and as they go on to work in Sweden too. Their two daughters Holly and Heather, now 16 and 14, were born in Scotland.

For Lori, having spent time in many countries before moving to Scotland, lessened the culture shock experienced by so many missionaries when they first arrive on their field. The language spoken there is English, so that was also familiar, although the brogue took a little getting used to.

Life in Scotland progresses at a much slower, more relaxed pace than in the USA. It is sort of a step back into a time when neighbors and friends spent more time visiting in each other’s homes. When company there comes for a visit, they come prepared to stay a long time, in which time they have teas, visit, and eat meals, and are not in any hurry to return to their homes. Lori misses those times.

We may think of missionary wives as super saints, but Lori can tell you that she experiences feelings like those of other women. She has felt loneliness which has served to draw her closer to the Lord and caused her to rely more on His strength. While in Scotland, the Lord allowed her to experience some rough emotional times. She now knows that God was at work during her hard times, teaching her to better understand others and to know how to help them. She was assured that God knew exactly what she was going through. It is her heart’s desire to do right by the Lord in everything.

She recalls the most outstanding experiences of their ministry in Scotland; the salvation of souls, and of one young man in particular whom they took ‘under their wing,’ taught, discipled, shepherded, and is now Pastor of Lighthouse Baptist Church in Scotland. Watching God change this young man so drastically and use Him so dramatically has been a special thrill to the Males’ family.

Long before she became a missionary wife, Lori’s beloved grandmother was praying for and encouraging her family in the Lord. She was a lady filled with the love of God, patient, and generous. She died with an awesome Christian testimony and since girlhood, Lori has wanted to be like her and still misses her. (Fellow grandmothers, we can be a channel through which God blesses and uses our children and grandchildren in His service.)

The Bible verse which means the most to Lori is found in I Timothy 1:12. “And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry.” God was at work preparing Lori Males for her unique service to Himself through her family and their experiences. He is orchestrating our lives too. Will we be found faithful?

You hold a special place in our hearts, Lori. We will pray for you. Thank you for representing the Lord so well.

Meet Tricia

2009-02-02T11:52:00.000-08:00

Tricia Borboa’s ready smile reflects her inner beauty. Having been saved for approximately 5 years now, it is her deep desire to serve God with her entire heart. She wants to be a proper helpmeet, suitable for her husband’s needs, to pass on what she learns from the Bible to family members, to be an encouragement to young ladies at church, to be both a testimony and comfort to those at work, and to always be ready to say a word in due season to anyone she talks to.

Experience has taught her two major Bible truths: 1) God can do anything, and 2) She can’t do anything without Him.

Tricia and Kayne have been married for four years. They met while in a mutual career, and from the beginning of their relationship he has had a way of making her laugh. As a child, Tricia sang and participated in musical theater. She also loved sports, especially golf (She originally went to college to play golf.), and to this day she loves running. (Her husband teases that losing her running shoes would be devastating to her.) She explored pursuing various careers, but settled on physical therapy when God opened doors in North Dakota for that, and when He closed other options because they would require her to morally compromise her relationship with God. In order to bring glory to God in her vocation, it meant that she would need to leave some things behind, which she did. She considers putting Matthew 6:33: “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you,” into practice to be the measure of success in her life.

As a physical therapist at Altru Health Systems in Grand Forks, North Dakota, Tricia works mainly with those who’ve had orthopedic injuries. However, she also works with stroke, cardiac, and other patients both in the hospital and in the rehabilitation center. Realizing that the hospital can tend not to be the happiest place to be, she tries to make people smile by exhibiting a cheerful countenance herself. She’s learned the truth of Proverbs 17:22, “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine, but a broken spirit drieth the bones.”

Through a friendship with Justin Shaffer, first Kayne and then Tricia became acquainted with our church and with our Lord. They always visited our church when coming to this area to see Kayne’s family. They joined NTBC after moving here from California.

Although they have no children yet, they would welcome the future privilege to raise children up in the Lord. They do have two little Pomeranians who provide them with delight and pleasure.

We are so much alike, Tricia and myself. This is my attempt at humor!

First off, she is young and Iet’s just say that I am old enough to be her mother (grandmother?)
She runs. I walk.
She injured her hip while water skiing. I broke my leg while ice skating.
She is a physical therapist. My body needs therapy.
She was born in Illinois. I have visited there.

It is a pleasure and blessing to get to know even this small amount about Tricia. The Lord has blessed her and it is a blessing to know her and to share fellowship in God’s Word and House with her. I look forward to getting to know her even better.

Meet Sarah

2009-01-02T10:36:00.000-08:00

Sarah and her husband are converts under the ministry of Gary and Sue Norberg and have become faithful servants of the Lord.

SARAH RAMETSI is the wife of a South African national pastor. Here is her story written by Sue Norberg.

Sarah Rametsi was born on a farm near Brits, South Africa on February 9, 1976 and was married to Zabulon in June of 1995. She said that it was Zabulon's eyes and smile that attracted her to him, and she found him to be kind and easy to talk to. She has one younger sister, Meikie, who has lived with Sarah and Zabulon since she was three. The Rametsis have three of their own children. Sarah was saved in 1992 while attending services at Bible Baptist Church of Majakaneng. She was living with Zabulon's family at the time, and she invited them to attend church with her, which many of them did. Zabulon was away at Bible college at the time, but he attended when he was home.

Sarah would rather work outside than in the house. She tends a small vegetable garden and also likes tending chickens. She especially likes to walk up the mountain with her husband and sit on rocks beside a stream and talk.

She is known for her simplicity and her agreeableness. Her laughter makes her a very pleasant person to be around. She loves spending time with her children. She teaches Sunday School, decorates the church with flowers, and visits church members. An example of her compassionate servant's heart was seen in the time she put a drunken woman into her wheelbarrow and wheeled her home (while others laughed).

Although she reminds herself that because God called her husband to be a pastor, she is also called, Sarah often feels inadequate for the task.

She really admires her husband because he loves the Lord and is so patient and kind to all. Those traits are evidenced by the constant flow of visitors to their house, especially children who are neglected or abused in their own homes. Sarah and Zabulon delight to feed up to 60 orphans who come to their house once a day for food. It is a discouragement to them when they don't have enough food.

Philippians 4:8, 13, and 19 are some of her favorite verses, and she likes to read Proverbs 31 because it encourages her to be the woman God wants her to be. Her favorite Bible examples are Ruth and Dorcas.

Please pray for Sarah as she is going through a rough time of discouragement right now, both physically and emotionally.

Meet Our Laurie

2008-12-01T10:06:00.000-08:00

A visit with Laurie MacArthur....

The other day I drove out to Laurie MacArthur’s home in rural Niagara, ND for a visit. From her mailbox to her house a rather long driveway leads up to their gray split level house. In the summer one can see abalone shells decorating her flower gardens and even forming a large “M” there. Laurie and her husband of 33 years, Steve, moved here in 1984 when sent by the USAF to GFAFB. Four of their six children have already left the nest. Laurie and Steve live here now with their two youngest daughters and a couple of dogs.

They were married in Pennsylvania, stationed in Illinois, and then in California, before coming to North Dakota. Just as a matter of interest, California is where they got all of beautiful abalone shells--they ate the meat and saved the univalve shells.

Laurie, wearing her lovely natural smile, came to the door to welcome me and invited me into her charming country kitchen where she had peach coffee cake and tea waiting to serve.

While eating we talked of many things, including her childhood, her family relationships, and her walk with God. Laurie was born in Pennsylvania. It was a busy household with her parents, two brothers, a sister, five foster children, and herself. She has been in church all of her life and learned at home that God’s word is True and that family is very important. There was forgiveness practiced in her family. Her father returned home safely after serving in WWII. Both her mother and father have passed away now, but while they were living, the family celebrated every year with a family reunion with lots of singing and food. Her beloved 95 year old Aunt Thelma is a continuing example to Laurie of one who keeps a positive attitude and gives sacrificially to others. Laurie and her aunt even share the same birthday.

Would you believe that Laurie has even bagged a deer by herself?? She loves being outdoors. She tends flowers in a spacious and picturesque back yard, complete with a natural pond. This fall she gave me quite a few of her purple iris bulbs which have been planted in their own special bed in my garden. When in bloom, they will give me a visual reminder of Laurie’s beautiful spirit.

On her hallway wall hang framed birth announcements for each of her children, which she cross stitched herself. They, as well as photos throughout the living room are reminders of this precious heritage from God. The MacArthurs have a one year old grandchild, Emilie, one of the joys of their lives, who lives in Fargo.

Laurie’s life changed on April 20, 1994, when after listening to ten months of sound preaching at New Testament Baptist Church of Larimore, the Lord saved her. She had searched the Word of God for herself to see if what is preached here is really so. She found that it is! Her favorite part of the Christian life is the fact that (in her own words) she “can climb up into my Heavenly Father’s lap and He will wrap His everlasting arms of comfort around me, and I can tell Him everything good or bad (He already knows it anyway.) and He will listen if I come to Him humbly as His child looking for His direction.”

Laurie’s goal in life is to become more like Christ, to know Him so well that He’s a part of her every conversation. She wants to be bold enough to share what God has done for her. Her desire is to see her children saved and serving God. She strives to pass her love of the Lord and her joy in the simple things of life along to her children.

Over time, she has learned that it is God who changes her, not herself. She’s learned that God is faithful even when she isn’t. She doesn’t always recognize His presence, but she knows that He is always there. He has given her victory over bitterness. God is teaching her about giving a soft answer.

She says, “God is so capable. He can use even me.” She’d like to be remembered as someone who loved the Lord, her husband, and her family, and cared enough to give of herself to others. At the lowest time of my own life when I was feeling defeated and wondering why God had allowed myself and family members to be deeply hurt, Laurie repeatedly reminded me that “God is Good,” until I finally believed it on a heart level again. She didn’t judge or try to fix me--she just directed me to God’s goodness. I will be forever grateful to her for that!

It is a special privilege for Laurie to give to others as she teaches in the Christian school at our church. I took the liberty of asking many of her students to briefly describe Mrs. MacArthur in their own words. Repeatedly, I heard the words “patient” and “helpful.” Teaching there has caused her to step out of her comfort zone. She has been rewarded with the privilege of being surrounded by positive Christians, getting to know and love the families of our church more, and being with her own two daughters in her class. For those of you in the Christian school, if you request a sample of her delicious homemade pork burritos, she might just be persuaded to share some with you some day.

Laurie’s Bible is her most precious earthly possession. She loves to read of Moses, the meekest man who ever lived, and to be reminded in I Peter that “the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit if of great price in His sight.” From Psalm 19 she gets a drink of pure living water and is revived. This Psalm reminds her to look at her awesome God and His perfect Word, instead of at people.

Laurie MacArthur is a woman of God who, though small in stature, is large in godliness. I am warmed by her sweet and patient Christian character.

Eleanor Emslie

Meet Our Cindy

2008-11-06T17:55:00.000-08:00

To the Christian school 4th-6th graders she is the loving helper who passes out quizzes , grades papers, and helps them learn.

To the parents with little ones she’s the kind lady who works in the baby nursery during Sunday School and who helps keep the nursery fresh and clean.

To the Dorcas missionary wives group she’s a faithful and talented lady who makes all of the birthday and anniversary cards and who is always ready with a packet of them for us to sign.

To her husband she’s a loving and stable wife and homemaker.

To her children she’s an encourager who inspires them by example to be pliable in God’s hands.

To me she’s a wonderful friend who makes it a priority in her life to mail a poem and related Scriptural thought to me EVERY week.

Allow me to draw back the curtain a bit so that you can get a closer look at this ‘behind the scenes’ lady.

CINDY CHRISTLIEB was born in Illinois. About twenty-nine years ago she met Scott when they both worked at Church’s Fried Chicken. They have been Mr. and Mrs. for twenty-eight years now and have two adult children who both live in this local area and are members of our church. Their daughter Nichole, is a paramedic, who is married to Corey Jorgenson and their son Erich is studying firefighting at Northland Tech in East Grand Forks and is also a volunteer firefighter.

North Dakota’s open spaces and even a good thunder and lightning storm on occasion are attractive to Cindy. Admittedly, she does sometimes miss the mountains of Washington state where they lived briefly after Scott got out of the Air Force. She loves being in Larimore with her church, family, and friends. She was saved 18 years ago, and has had the great blessing of also seeing her husband and two children saved and serving God here. She has a burden on her heart to see God save her parents and sister. Unfortunately, she has had no contact with her sister in a number of years. She would appreciate our prayers on their behalf.

Cindy wears an “I Love You” ring, a gift from her husband, which is very special to her, but her very most treasured possession is her Bible. Meditation on God’s Word and prayer have become more important to her as time passes. She told me, “The more time I spend with the Lord, the more I get to know Him, love Him, and see my need for him.” She loves the Biblical example of Esther who followed the Lord and did what was necessary. Her favorite hymn is “Victory In Jesus.”

This lady possesses a strong desire to do whatever she can to be of help to others. She is active in the Sunday School nursery, Christian School, and missionary wives’ group. Much of what she has learned about living the Christian life, she attributes to the teachings of her godly and much admired Pastor’s wife. Her favorite Bible verse for this time in her life is Psalm 46:10, “Be still, and know that I am God...” It reminds her that God knows infinitely more than she does. Therefore, she intends to spend whatever future time God gives her, doing His will. In fact, when her life on earth is finished, she’d like to be remembered as a “willing servant of God who loved Him and others.”

What a legacy she has to pass on to her children: the Bible is her most treasured possession, she faithfully serves God in the church, she loves and prays for her family and others, she writes encouraging letters to many ladies, and she uses her skills of crocheting, cross stitching, and card making to make gifts for others. Cindy loves the Christian life mostly because she knows that Jesus is available to her every day at any time. She appreciates the privilege He’s given her to read and study His Word. These few excerpts from notes she has sent to me reflect her godly character.

“Praise the Lord for His gift of salvation and after that, our nature can become more like his!”

“Let’s keep seeking His face this week and every day.”

“As the Lord’s angels would have taken care of Him. They also are taking care of us.”

Cindy is laying up treasure in Heaven. I thank God for the thoughtful, caring influence she has been in my life. She truly is someone you would love to know. I do. Spend time with Cindy and you will perceive her calm, consistent, patient, stable manner of living, and her commitment to God and to others. We are blessed to have her in our church family!

Eleanor Emslie