All blog posts

This month my beautiful mother turns 84.

In recent years, she has relinquished the role of keeper of family memories. It’s our job now to take up the mantle. 

I’ve been amazed recently while reflecting back on her life how three pivotal events in her first decade changed the trajectory of her life, and in turn, that of my life, my siblings, even my dad. 

The first life changing impact happened before she turned 3, when she lost her dad to leukemia. Suddenly, after only 11 years of marriage, my grandmother became a single mom to three young girls. My mom’s oldest sister, Lois, earned the reputation of being the bossy one, no doubt feeling some pressure to help care for her younger sisters. The middle daughter, Naomi, was mom’s ally as they navigated their fatherless world. 

My grandmother decided to give up the farm and move to town where she could return to her career as a school teacher. 

The next monumental event happened as a result of a challenge. 

When Mom was eight, Bob Clark made the rounds of the Kansas countryside with Rural Bible Crusade to let kids know that they could earn a free week at camp if they memorized 500 Bible verses. Mom took the challenge, memorizing all 500 so she could go to RBC camp at age 9. 

It was there that she heard the gospel presented and accepted the free gift of salvation. That, in itself, was life altering. 

But, something else happened that week. Her young and tender heart was also impacted by the camp missionary speaker and she resolved to dedicate her life to missions. 

Those two decisions set the trajectory of her life. She continued to attend camp every summer, eventually becoming a counselor. She spent summers during high school and college teaching Bible clubs at churches in rural Kansas with her lifelong friend, Millie Plants.

At one church, the pastor, Virgil Lempenau, started praying for mom and her ministry and continued as a faithful prayer warrior for her and her family until he passed away last year at age 101. 

She went to Calvary Bible College still firm in her conviction to become a missionary. While there, she met my dad, who was studying to become a pastor. After they started dating, he became convinced that God could use pastors on the mission field. 

As I think back on the past 84 years, I’m so grateful to God for keeping His promise to be a father to the fatherless.