I have always been a huge fan of “firsts.” The first time you do something is always special. I vividly remember the first time I rode my bike. I remember my first job, my first kiss as “husband and wife,” my children’s first steps, and the first time I ate really good Chinese food. Firsts stand out in our minds and in our memories. And some firsts stand out above all the rest. That’s why this letter is so special, and I am honoured to write it. CFN is about to have one real milestone of a first, and it involves an amazing lady that many of us around here have come to know as Grandma Becky.
As I am sure you know, often as we go through life we wonder sometimes at the people God places in our path. Some people cross our path for a moment, and others walk with us for years. Either way, we know we can trust the Lord to steer us towards those He desires us to interact with. For me, Rebecca Jean Terry was one of those Divine Appointments.
In the very early years of the school, Sue and I took the information booth and attended an event at the fairgrounds in Lynden, Washington. We set up our booth with all the other ministries who came to raise awareness. In these types of places, I always tried to do something to attract people within ear shot of our booth, so for this event we had a big pot of coffee. After all, on a cold day, a warm cup of coffee helps people to linger and talk. After a while, I wondered around to visit the other displays. It was then that I noticed an older lady staffing the crisis pregnancy booth. After introductions, I invited her down for a cup of coffee. That was my first meeting with the amazing lady we would come to call Grandma Becky.
The daughter of missionaries, Grandma Becky’s story is one filled with an amazing array of experiences: evading the Japanese army in free China prior to the start of WW II, escaping from a burning ship in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, even going to a formal dance with the private pilot of Generalissimo Chiang Kai-Shek. And all this before she was 18 years old.
The few minutes we shared over that cup of coffee was the beginning of a shared history that has lasted for decades. After that meeting, Becky, as we knew her then, became a student at CFN – at the age of 65! But she wasn’t content with just becoming a student; later she became a staff member and when that ended, she became a beloved friend and prayer warrior for the students and faculty of our institution.
Though Grandma Becky had been born in China, she left there as a young adult before the start of WWII and had never been back. That too would change as we walked the road of life together. She would travel back to China with us twice; once back to the very house she lived in as a girl. Of that particular visit she would later write:
“I’m sure the Lord planned that outreach trip just for me: that precious child he had protected, watched over, and loved all her life. He is her father, my Abba father, and whether little Becky Jean back there in china, or Grandma Becky today, Jesus loves me. This I know!”
Where did she write that nugget of truth from her history? In her recently published book: Help Me Be A Good Girl, Amen – My Journey Fromm Missionary Kid to Truth.
Now, I know what you are thinking: “Gerald, that’s a great story, but how is it a first for Christ For The Nations?”
Well, that’s the exciting part. It’s been a few years since she’s been walking the hallways, but this spring we are honored to have Grandma Becky back at Christ For The Nations for our commencement ceremonies on April 16th, at 1pm in the afternoon. For the first time in our history we have chosen to recognize the lifetime achievement of one of our alumni. Grandma Becky will receive the first CHRISTIAN SERVICE AWARD IN THE HISTORY OF CHRIST FOR THE NATIONS.
And we want you to be there to be a part of her special day, just as she has been a special part of many of our lives. Won’t you please make the time to come and stand with us in honor of Grandma Becky?
There is one more thing, we are establishing a fund in her name to honor her legacy at Christ for the Nations. We will officially unveil the Grandma Becky Legacy Fund at the commencement ceremony, but you can give to it now. In fact, if you give a gift of at least $50 in response to this letter, then at the commencement ceremony we will have a copy of her autobiography, Help Me Be A Good Girl, Amen – My Journey From Missionary Kid to Truth, that you can have her autograph on that special day. (If you cannot make it to commencement, we will send you a copy by mail.)
Opportunities like these are rare, and people like Grandma Becky are even rarer still. If you had the privilege of knowing Grandma Becky, then with your gift, please feel free to write your memories of her and how she impacted your life. These will be presented to her with her service award, and honestly, will be just as meaningful to her. If you have never had a chance to meet Grandma Becky, then I want to invite you to come to commencement on April 16th and take the opportunity. Even if you have never met her, you have felt her influence because it remains in all of us who have.
Won’t you please join us as we celebrate the achievements of this year’s graduates and the lives they are embarking upon, and as we honour Grandma Becky’s lifetime of achievements for the Kingdom of God?
Remember that your copy of her autobiography is available for a gift of at least $50 towards the Grandma Becky Legacy Fund. Just like the amazing lady it is named after, this fund will help ensure that Christ For The Nations continues preparing spiritually mature servant leaders who are competent in ministry and who influence their world by living like Jesus did.
Firsts are important. They mark seasons in our lives. They are moments that we celebrate. Come celebrate this first with us, and with Grandma Becky.
Looking forward to a real family reunion,
P.S. We are thankful that Grandma Becky, even at the age of 84, can still make this trip. I hope you can too. We’d love to see you, and I encourage you to become a founding member of the Grandma Becky Legacy Fund.
