Inspire, Spring 2005

28 Spring 2005 Irene Benson ’63 reflects upon the fact that although the plans that we make sometimes do not go as planned, God’s plan is always best. When the fifth grade teacher at their school in Brazil decided to go to Word of Life Seminary in São Paulo, Irene and her co-worker were left with 90 students. Irene and her co-worker decided to ask a Waiwai teacher to help them, and it turned out to be a wonderful blessing. John ’64 and Judy Marcellus Bigelow ’67 are in the beginning stages of construction of their new church in Juneau, Alaska. They plan to start building in the spring of 2006. John and Judy strongly desire that this church would honor the Lord, be a light in Juneau, and serve the church family as it labors and grows together. Gary Holtz ’67 and his wife, Betty, continue to hold Bible studies on a college campus in the Dayton, Ohio area. Although attendance was low last semester, they are reminding themselves that the success of their organization is not determined by how many students attend, but rather where the students will be five years from now in their spiritual walks. Pray that the seeds that have been sown will take root and the students’ eyes will open to the truth. Grace Trimble Kitner ’67 and her husband, David, rejoice that they were able to take a short furlough to the States last fall. The new year brought preparations for junior and senior high camps and vacation Bible school in Brazil. They look forward to seeing how God is going to work in the lives of the youth group this year. 70s Linda Duffield ’72 shares that Christmas 2004 was different without her late husband, Ken, but sharing fond memories with others and thinking about Ken spending Christmas with Jesus helped ease the vacancy. Ted Galbreath ’75 has been named president and chief operating officer of Guild & Landis, an independent insurance agency in Springfield, Ohio. Paul Beck ’76 and his wife, Becky, are pleased to be ministering to more than 600 children of missionaries that attend Faith Academy in the Philippines. Without Faith Academy, the parents of these children could not translate Bibles, plant churches, or share the gospel. Paul and Becky are thankful for their faithful supporters. Joe Keslar ’76 is working on a new book titled, The Truth According to Joe Booter . Dan ’76 and Kathy Strange Rosecrans ’78 request prayer for their son, Ben, who has been diagnosed with advanced chronic kidney failure. Ben’s condition was discovered when he was being treated for injuries (a broken arm and burns to his face and his hands) suffered in Iraq. Myron Youngman ’76 was recently named the FreeWay Foundation’s regional director for Asia. The FreeWay Foundation develops K-12 curriculum that promotes drug, alcohol, and violence prevention through faith-based life skills and responsible decision-making. FreeWay plans to introduce its curriculum to the schools of China and education officials in several countries. Myron is also the president of the Kaifa Group in China. Kaifa seeks out ministry opportunities and develops these opportunities into on-going ministry efforts. David Lyons ’78 serves as director of international operations for The Navigators. He and a team of five leaders oversee The Navigators’ 4,000 staff members in 110 countries. David was formerly the national director of the international student ministry. He and his wife, Renee (Globig) ’78 , and their children, Nicole (17), Calvin (15), Hudson (12), Ian (9), and Graham (5), reside in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Their other two children, Danielle (21) and Wesley (20), attend college at Eastern University and the U.S. Naval Academy, respectively. Dianne Monts Spaniol ’78 is a senior training consultant for Keane, Inc. In addition, she owns Spaniol Consulting, which provides program planning, grant writing, consulting, and training from its base in Decatur, Illinois. Alumnotes 50s Raymond Entingh ’54 and Joan Maerker Street ’54 were married October 4, 2004. David Gardner ’56 and his wife, Lois, were blessed this year by serving in Papua New Guinea. They saw the faithfulness of God as they were able to worship and fellowship with literally hundreds of people who are the result of their work and the work of other missionaries. They also spent time with the many graduates of Goroka Baptist Bible College, which David helped start in 1973. 60s Rich ’63 and Helen Blumenstock had planned a lovely Christmas vacation. They would travel to Singapore to visit their son, Jim ’96 ; daughter-in-law, Karen Ware Blumenstock ’96 ; and granddaughter, Ella, for Christmas. On December 26, the entire family would fly to Bangkok, Thailand. On December 29, the entourage would head to a popular resort in Phuket. But on December 26 their plans were changed. A powerful earthquake and tsunami struck on that day, causing unimaginable destruction and sweeping away the Phuket hotel in which the Blumenstocks were to stay. Safe in Bangkok, the family did not immediately realize what had occurred. On their hotel’s only television, they saw scenes of devastation but could not decipher the Thai reports of what had happened. They learned the truth when a missionary friend called to make sure they were OK. “We sat there in stunned silence,” Helen recalled. “If we had reversed our plans and gone to Phuket first, or if the tsunami had happened a couple days later, we would have been in the disaster.” Back in Cedarville, Ohio, Karen’s parents, Paul and Marilyn Ware, heard about the tsunami and were hoping and praying for the best. Then came an e-mail from Jim which said, “We’re doing OK. … [Phuket] was our next stop. … We’re just praising the Lord that the tidal wave hit when it did — we could have been there and possibly dead!” Karen remarked, “We are all feeling thankful, but a bit shocked at all this.” All of the Blumenstocks returned safely to their homes. Rich and Helen thanked the Cedarville University community for their prayers and said, “It was a sobering experience for all of us as we realized how close we came to being in Phuket at the time [of the tsunami.] We all have a new awareness of the grace, mercy, and love of our Father. ‘The mind of man plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps’” (Proverbs 16:9). Both Rich and Helen serve at Cedarville University, Rich as associate professor of Bible and Helen as a secretary in counseling services. Jim and Karen minister through ABWE in Singapore, where Jim teaches at Asia Baptist Theological Seminary. Karen’s father, Paul, is landscape maintenance supervisor at Cedarville University, while mom Marilyn is secretary for campus safety. Safe from the Tsunami On December 1, 2004, Loren Reno ’70 received another set of stars on his shoulders. He was promoted from brigadier general to major general in the United States Air Force. Loren’s military career began in 1974 when he took undergraduate navigator training at Mathers Air Force Base in California. Today he is director of logistics at Headquarters Air Mobility Command at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois. There he provides policy and guidance to organize, train, and equip aircraft maintenance, transportation, supply, contracting, and logistics plans units at 14 major active air installations in the U.S. and 17 en route locations around the world. He is responsible for 860 active aircraft, 8,200 vehicles, and 24,000 people. Loren also assists in the readiness of more than 616 aircraft and 80,339 people in the Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard. Loren and his wife, Karen (Chrestensen) ’74 , are the parents of Rachel ’00 , Joseph ’03 , and Joshua ’06 . Loren may be reached at renofive@aol.com. Another Set of Stars Several years ago, Cedarville graduates were given the opportunity to donate their caps and gowns for students graduating from a seminary in Brazil. Although Mark ’67 and Beth Ziegler Trimble ’67 continue to re-use the commencement attire, they now find themselves in need of more. If you would like to contribute your cap and gown, you may send it to Alumni Relations, Cedarville University, 251 N. Main St., Cedarville, OH 45314. CU Shares in Brazilian Graduation The Blumenstocks (left to right): Karen (Ware) '96 (holding daughter Ella), Jim '96, Helen, and Richard '63