Sue and I are making another splash into the grandparent pool. Actually any day now we should get the call to head to Seattle to welcome this little girl into the family. Life is a wonderful thing, and birth never fails to marvel.

God  must have known that as a new life is born we would stand in awe of the magnificent creator who began with dust and breath. He used the example of being “born again” on purpose knowing birth is something we would all understand. From helpless innocent babe to adult follower-he never leaves us or forsakes us. He is even able to teach old dogs a new trick or two.

To all the alumni out there building families; congratulations and enjoy every moment with them. They will indeed grow to fast.

To all the alumni out there working to build the kingdom of God; may his strength and peace be upon you.

As to those of us who feel our age; enjoy the view-it doesn’t get any better than this. At least not this side of heaven.

BTW: that is not a self-portrait. I don’t wear glasses!

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 16^th, 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 16^th 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.

In the very early years of Christ For The Nations Bible College,  Sue and I took the information booth and attended an event at the fairgrounds in Lynden, Washington. We had the booth set up in one of the buildings along with numerous other ministries. I always wanted an edge to attract people with in ear shot and for this event we had a big pot of coffee. After all, on a cold spring day a warm cup of coffee helps people to linger and talk. One of the other ministries at this event was the Crisis Pregnancy group from Whatcom County.  I wondered around to visit the other displays and noticed an older lady staffing that particular booth. We introduced ourselves to each other and I invited her down for a cup of coffee. That was my first meeting with the amazing lady we would come to call Granma Becky.

Becky told me that she had been born in China, the daughter of missionaries and I marveled at her past. Sue and I had been to China in 1985 while students. We loved it and were preparing to take our students to experience it firsthand. But Becky surprised me we she told me she hated China. I knew there was a story in there somewhere. I was right but it would take several years to hear it all.

To make a long story short, Becky became a student, then a staff member, went with us to China twice and became a beloved friend and prayer warrior. How did all of this happen? The story is too long for me to repeat here but she has finally written it down in a book.  Check it out, buy a copy, get a cup of coffee and prepare to marvel at what God can lead you through. You will cry, you will laugh, and you will praise God for goodness and mercy.

At our recent college staff Christmas party Sue brought the pickle with the intention to hide it in the room, perhaps on the tree or among the other decorations. A special door prize was all set to be awarded to the lucky finder.  She had instructions for all of the games in an envelope at each chair around the tables. No one had ever heard about a pickle ornament or seen one before.  They started to look for the pickle during the appetizer course, some continued during the main course and on into the desert phase. Finally Sue came to me and asked where “I” had hidden it. I did not hide it! She had, or so I thought. During the last little bit of the dinner prep, as we were both busy with last minute task, she had mentioned to me that the pickle needed to be hidden and I told her “good luck with that” because some of the helpers were also some of the guests. She meant, in wife-speak, that I should hide the pickle. Well after almost 35 years of marriage I will admit I missed the hidden meaning in the phrase “the pickle needs to be hidden.”

So once we figured out that neither one of us had hidden it, we wondered where it was. It had been brought to the room of that we were sure but where was it. We finally gave up and explained to everyone how we had each thought the other one had hidden it but now we could not even find it our self. We were accused to “punking” the entire staff and Board-they claimed we had made the whole “pickle” game up just to fool them. We were forced to admit that we had lost the pickle at home once this year already and just before we gave up and bought a new one it was discovered in a small box in the china cabinet. We assured them that we had not teased them with a fictitious pickle but we could not produce it on request.

The last phase of the evening is always a gift exchange. After the present were randomly chosen, swapped and switched about it came time to unwrap. We always unwrap one and a time so everyone can laugh together at the silly gifts. The very first person to open their gift was the wife of our Academic Dean.  She opened very gently and we all watched with eager faces. Once opened, she jumped to her feet holding a jar of pickles shouting I found the pickle! It could not have been funnier or a more perfect ending to the pickle-less evening.

It was not until we cleaned up that the pickle was “found” still in the little box among the empty boxes the decorations were brought to the college in. But by that time most everybody was gone, no doubt still wondering how the president of a Bible College and his wife could be such good story tellers. Oh well, Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.

Anyway, back to last night. We loaded up and carried a large load of decorations and some of the goodies over to the college. We stayed three hours to decorate and came home very tired. Brandy was laying on her back on the couch just chillin’ and happy. That is a normal position except when she has goated around and gotten something she is not supposed to have. In that case she is guiltily hiding in a corner.  When we looked around we found this

Which is the top ripped off of a box of six cartons of broth for soup stock. We felt lucky because she had not actually managed to pierce any of the cartons and because the cardboard was not satisfying she gave up.  I did notice a funny brown spot on the floor by the back door but figured it was a drool drip after she had her supper.

We settled in for a relax before bedtime and it was an hour later when we went up to bed. That is when we found the source of the “happy” (stoned, high) dog that had been sprawled on her back. She found a four pack of Starbucks hot chocolate  powder. The gift box set. We were able to find one unopened box, one partial box and the remains of two and half boxes of powder packets spread all over the upstairs loft (hardwood-thank God) and several large “I just lay here on this soft carpet” while I eat one of these nice packets of chocolate powder. I do not have a picture of it but suffice it to say that it was like frosting on the floor and carpet.

45 minutes later we were back downstairs sitting up and wondering what to do now that the caffeine in the chocolate  had kicked in. We decided to use the ol’ hydrogen peroxide trick. It worked really well, very fast and impressively. Five large piles of “chocolate” greeted me this morning out in the yard. I had listened as the “cure” worked it’s magic in the dark last night but did not know to what degree it had brought back up the evidence.

Brandy spent the night in the bathroom (tile floor) and we slept fairly sound. She is all smiles and wiggles this morning.  She has on a Christmas collar that has several large jingle bells on it to help track her movements. I guess she was spared the post indulgence hangover by the “cure” administered last night. Sue, however is threatening death if the German Chocolate cake is touched by man or beast.

Oh the joy of pet ownership!

In 1989, when CFN [Bible College] Canada first planted its flag on 96^th Avenue, in the Whalley area of Surrey, the guys lived in “The Balisky House.” It was named after the primary donor, Dr. Larry Balisky, a man from Chilliwack, whose influence is world-wide. I first met him in Montego Bay, Jamaica on a WYAM mercy ship. He was there to perform free eye surgery on people who could not afford the care needed to restore their sight. That is Dr. Larry, taking his vocation on his vacation and giving to others. He became one of our first Board members, placing his wisdom, council and money into this new work. His own children had attended CFN in Dallas, and he and his wife Lorraine had served on the mission field.

Dr. Balisky has remained an active Board member well into retirement age. His contributions have blessed the program and enabled CFN Bible College to train numerous future leaders for Canada and dozens of other countries.

Recently, Dr. Balisky suffered 2nd- and 3rd-degree burns on 20% of his body in a fire at his home in Chilliwack. He is recovering nicely, but continues to await skin grafts and the completion of the healing process. I encourage alumni, students and faculty to remember Dr. Larry in prayer. We have all been blessed by his freely given time, talent and support for CFN Bible College.

Bless you Larry, may the hand of the Great Surgeon guide the hands of the doctors as they provide care and comfort for you during your healing. May God raise up others to work along side of you in the family of God, following your example of freely sharing their time, their talents and their support with not only CFN, but around the world to spread the Good News.

There are times when a word becomes part of your subconscious. It may spring from a song, or a book, or a conversation. Slowly that word will move from the subconscious to the front of the mind and into our daily lives. That is what happened to me over the summer. The word Ebenezer came to me from several sources: a Face book contact who is a former student mentioned it to me, I read it in a book by a missionary who used it to mark chapter divisions, and my daily reading of the scripture reminded me of the biblical usage.

Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Jeshanah, and named it Ebenezer; for he said, “Thus far the LORD has helped us.” So the Philistines were subdued and did not again enter the territory of Israel; the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. The towns that the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron to Gath; and Israel recovered their territory from the hand of the Philistines. There was peace also between Israel and the Amorites. (1 Samuel 7:12-14 NRSV)

Sue and I went down to White Rock one evening for dinner (date night!) and stroll on the pier. Of course there was the white rock looming next to the pathway. I wondered out loud if it was really that white or had it been painted over. The answer was obvious as we noticed a bit of graffiti along one side. The beauty of the city symbol had to be maintained.

This tidbit of information was added into the Ebenezer stew brewing in my mind As Ebenezer moved from the back burner of my brain to the front, an illustration\sermon\ story began to take shape and I was ready to begin writing out the thoughts.

Ebenezer in the biblical sense is a stone placed to commemorate a time of victory or learning. It can even be translated into a stone of help. In our lives we have many memorable moments when the hand of God (seen or unseen) helped us. If we remember those points, then we have placed an Ebenezer at them. But like the white rock of White Rock that needs to be watched over lest someone deface it, so our Ebenezer markers must be visited to keep them clean. If God helped to deliver you from something and yet you find yourself drawn back to it, maybe your Ebenezer has been defaced. Clean it up again; refresh its mark on your life again. Make sure you don’t forget the impact that event had on your freedom.

The stone which was placed by Samuel marked a victory over the Philistines. When the Hebrew’s saw it they remembered victory. When the Philistines saw it they remembered defeat. Each Ebenezer in our life represents a moment of defeat to our enemies. They will not give up easily. That is why we must be aware of their tactics and clean them out. Sometimes the pictures that graffiti “artists” paint on buildings look pretty cool. But if the owner of the building has not given permission for the “art”, them it is a crime called vandalism. To the world, the changes in our lives marked by Ebenezer stones may not look very pretty. To them a stark white rock is too plain. They want to spruce it up with their own ideas of color and pictures. But it is not their rock of remembrance. It is ours! Keep it pure, keep it white, keep it real!

Every pilot accepted personal responsibility for the success of the group. Every pilot had the back of every other pilot; nobody rode the coattails of anybody else. Every pilot was expected to show initiative; every pilot was ready to put his life on line for every other pilot. It is no surprise that these young men became close personal friends who remained friends for the rest of their lives.

Friendship is an IADOM responsibility. Making new friends is an increasingly difficult challenge in our overwrought, overscheduled, increasingly superficial world. If we wait for friends to magically appear we will be frustrated. Making friends is our personal responsibility.

Your college experience is an IADOM type of responsibility too. It will be what you make it to be. The building of community, making friends, and keeping friends is healthy. While you’re here at college you will have opportunities to reach out or to cocoon. If you choose to cocoon you will find yourself lonely, never really understand the fullness of what you could have had here at college. Technology has become this generation’s means of community. However, in reality, technology leads to isolation. All of the Facebook friends, twitter followers, and chat buddies are not going to help you in real life. It’s like the misnomer of a reality TV show. It’s still a manufactured show; it is not real or reality.
What will you make of your college experience? Will it be one filled with friends, fellowship and the building of community? Will you form the beginnings of lifelong relationships? Or will it be a time of loneliness, emptiness, and regret?

Big thanks to Pastor Ted for the kernel of these thoughts.