1978-1985
Under the sponsorship of
Northside church of christ
2510 Highway 62
Jeffersonville In 47130
When we returned to Joplin from our first two years
of work in Papua New Guinea the eldership in Joplin asked us to
find another sponsor as they felt they could not manage my work
very well. It was not until January 1978 just weeks before we
were to return to PNG that we received a phone call from the eldership
in Jeffersonville Indiana who had seen our need for a sponsor
in the Firm Foundation. They invited us up so we could explain
our work and needs on a weekend and they agreed to serve as our
sponsor as we went back to PNG. While in PNG the first two years
I had grown a beard and had kept it while trying to raise funds
while back in the states. However a former teacher of mine from
Sunset pulled me aside when I was down there and said the reason
I might be having a hard time raising a sponsor and suport was
the beard and that I should cut it. Even thought Kathy liked the
beard we had always said, "if it hinders the work it will
be cut", so I cut it off. However while at Jeffersonville
the question was asked, "where is your beard? We saw your
picture with a beard." Many of the members there had beards.
I guess the Lord was testing our faith. I have never cut my
beard. since then. (It is not 2007.) The former teacher from
Sunset has since apologized to us and said he had no right to
make such a judgment call.
The night and morning we left Indiana to head back to Joplin
to get everything together for our flight back to PNG the area
had an ice storm and we had to chip the ice off the car before
we could leave. But leave we did!