This article ran in this past Sunday's bulletin. Care for retired workers is a concern that's close to my heart because of my grandmother, who served more than 55 years with BCM.
TENTH PRESS
SEPTEMBER 29, 2013
Never Retired, Just Re-assigned
By Kari E. Randall, Global Outreach Assistant
It’s always amazing to hear about how God is blessing the nations through our global partners. Whether it’s our partners in Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, or Europe, the gospel is going forth. But we must never forget the shoulders of the giants that we stand upon. Let’s take a minute to look back at how God has used Tenth global partners through the years.
On the back sanctuary wall, you may notice two cases that display Bible translations. One is a New Testament in Secoya, an indigenous language spoken by the people group in Ecuador and parts of Peru. Global partners Orville and Mary Johnson lived and translated in the Ecuadorian jungles, and the New Testament was delivered to the Secoya in 1992. Orville has gone to glory, but Mary, who turns 90 years old in November, stays in contact with Secoya friends by email.
In the other case is a Bible translated into Tarascan, the language of the indigenous people of Michoacán, Mexico. Juan and Rosa Villa served as language assistants to Tenth partners Max and Elisabeth Lathrop. It is through their efforts that the Tarasco have a Bible in their own language. Juan and Rosa live quietly in Michoacán with their granddaughter, who cares for them.
Like many retired global partners, the support provided to Juan and Rosa by Tenth through the Global Outreach budget is critical.
Lois Pinneo and her late husband, Jim, served in Alaska at Faith Hospital, now Cross Road Medical Center. The hospital provides vital care in Christ’s name to the Native American and transient residents of the Copper River Basin. The weather conditions, rugged terrain and long distances make practicing medicine in the area a unique challenge. Lois now lives in Oregon near her grown children.
Fay Goddard was a strong 20-something serving in the Philippines when she contracted debilitating polio. In spite of difficult health and discouraging circumstances, she encouraged many through her long-time work on Overseas Missionary Fellowship’s magazine at the home office. She lives in an assisted living facility in Lancaster.
Ruth de la Mata served with Maria Bolet, the first worker sent to Spain by Bible Club Movement, now Bible Centered Ministries International. Despite a crackdown on Protestant Christians by dictator Francisco Franco in the early 1950s, which forced them to move their Bible education efforts to Morocco, they returned to Spain in the 1960s to start La Granja, a farm for youth camps and Bible school that continues to this day. After some years though, Maria’s malaria, an old souvenir from Morocco, reappeared and it was recommended that she retire in Barcelona. Ruth went with her to care for her and refused to be recalled to la Granja. “I couldn’t leave Maria by herself,” she said. So she took a job in the evangelical hospital in Barcelona, first as a receptionist, then in administration. I visited Ruth at her modest apartment in Spain earlier this month and one day we walked to the hospital where she had worked. Ruth greeted all the nurses we encountered. She said she enjoyed many opportunities to share the gospel in that job. Ruth lives in the Grácia neighborhood, where she serves in the (only!) reformed Presbyterian church by frequently giving the Scripture reading and even sometimes proofreading Spanish translations of English theological books. She recently proofread sections of the Biblia Textual, a new Spanish version of the Bible that her pastor, Ricardo Cerni, worked on.
As you can see, retiring from a global partner organization doesn’t mean that you stop serving the
Lord. You merely get “re-assigned.” But sometimes when a worker has retired, they’re not as visible. So what can we do to serve those who have faithfully served the church of Jesus Christ?
For one thing, we can write to them. They would love to hear from us! And if you speak Spanish, you can even write to Juan and Rosa and Ruth! You can also support the work of Global Outreach by using your gifts and resources. All of our workers need to feel connected to Tenth. Let’s help them.
Long ago, God made a covenant with Abraham that through him he would be a blessing to bless the nations. As God continues to use our global partners to bless the nations, let’s remember to bless our workers.
TENTH PRESS
SEPTEMBER 29, 2013
Never Retired, Just Re-assigned
By Kari E. Randall, Global Outreach Assistant
It’s always amazing to hear about how God is blessing the nations through our global partners. Whether it’s our partners in Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, or Europe, the gospel is going forth. But we must never forget the shoulders of the giants that we stand upon. Let’s take a minute to look back at how God has used Tenth global partners through the years.
On the back sanctuary wall, you may notice two cases that display Bible translations. One is a New Testament in Secoya, an indigenous language spoken by the people group in Ecuador and parts of Peru. Global partners Orville and Mary Johnson lived and translated in the Ecuadorian jungles, and the New Testament was delivered to the Secoya in 1992. Orville has gone to glory, but Mary, who turns 90 years old in November, stays in contact with Secoya friends by email.
In the other case is a Bible translated into Tarascan, the language of the indigenous people of Michoacán, Mexico. Juan and Rosa Villa served as language assistants to Tenth partners Max and Elisabeth Lathrop. It is through their efforts that the Tarasco have a Bible in their own language. Juan and Rosa live quietly in Michoacán with their granddaughter, who cares for them.
Like many retired global partners, the support provided to Juan and Rosa by Tenth through the Global Outreach budget is critical.
Lois Pinneo and her late husband, Jim, served in Alaska at Faith Hospital, now Cross Road Medical Center. The hospital provides vital care in Christ’s name to the Native American and transient residents of the Copper River Basin. The weather conditions, rugged terrain and long distances make practicing medicine in the area a unique challenge. Lois now lives in Oregon near her grown children.
Fay Goddard was a strong 20-something serving in the Philippines when she contracted debilitating polio. In spite of difficult health and discouraging circumstances, she encouraged many through her long-time work on Overseas Missionary Fellowship’s magazine at the home office. She lives in an assisted living facility in Lancaster.
Ruth de la Mata served with Maria Bolet, the first worker sent to Spain by Bible Club Movement, now Bible Centered Ministries International. Despite a crackdown on Protestant Christians by dictator Francisco Franco in the early 1950s, which forced them to move their Bible education efforts to Morocco, they returned to Spain in the 1960s to start La Granja, a farm for youth camps and Bible school that continues to this day. After some years though, Maria’s malaria, an old souvenir from Morocco, reappeared and it was recommended that she retire in Barcelona. Ruth went with her to care for her and refused to be recalled to la Granja. “I couldn’t leave Maria by herself,” she said. So she took a job in the evangelical hospital in Barcelona, first as a receptionist, then in administration. I visited Ruth at her modest apartment in Spain earlier this month and one day we walked to the hospital where she had worked. Ruth greeted all the nurses we encountered. She said she enjoyed many opportunities to share the gospel in that job. Ruth lives in the Grácia neighborhood, where she serves in the (only!) reformed Presbyterian church by frequently giving the Scripture reading and even sometimes proofreading Spanish translations of English theological books. She recently proofread sections of the Biblia Textual, a new Spanish version of the Bible that her pastor, Ricardo Cerni, worked on.
As you can see, retiring from a global partner organization doesn’t mean that you stop serving the
Lord. You merely get “re-assigned.” But sometimes when a worker has retired, they’re not as visible. So what can we do to serve those who have faithfully served the church of Jesus Christ?
For one thing, we can write to them. They would love to hear from us! And if you speak Spanish, you can even write to Juan and Rosa and Ruth! You can also support the work of Global Outreach by using your gifts and resources. All of our workers need to feel connected to Tenth. Let’s help them.
Long ago, God made a covenant with Abraham that through him he would be a blessing to bless the nations. As God continues to use our global partners to bless the nations, let’s remember to bless our workers.
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