Inspire, Summer 2002

Inspire 27 E laine Schulte ’68 has been single all of her adult life. Following is her testimony of how she has embraced her singleness and allowed it to make her life richer as she shares herself with others. S hortly after my salvation at the age of 13, I began to believe that the Lord wanted me in missionary service. One particular morning the Lord dealt with me very clearly concerning missionary service as I listened to a “Back to the Bible” youth broadcast. When the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart, rather than responding positively, I argued. “I’ll do anything you want me to do except be a missionary, Lord,” I said. He continued to press His claims to my life. “OK, Lord, if you want me to be a missionary, I’ll do it, but please don’t send me to Africa,” I replied. Still having no peace, I went a bit further. “All right, Lord,” I conceded, “I’ll go to Africa if that’s what you want, but please don’t make me go alone.” I could think of little worse than being an unmarried missionary in Africa. Even then I wanted to be a nurse, but I thought that the ideal scenario would be one of living in the United States and marrying a Christian doctor. I wanted to serve the Lord, but not through missions, and definitely not as a single. After graduating from Cedarville, I worked in Indiana until I received a call from Cedarville’s dean of students asking me to consider returning to Cedarville to work in health services. I was delighted when the Lord gave me peace about serving in this ministry, for it fit nicely into my plan. I would become so involved in Christian ministry that the Lord would not require foreign missionary service from me. My years on staff at Cedarville were to be the very thing the Lord used to lead me into missions. Our department did physicals for the students going on short-term mission experiences. The students shared their excitement at seeing the Lord work, making it possible for them to have these experiences. Each fall, as these students returned to campus, they revisited health services so that physicals could be repeated. It was then that we heard how God had worked through them during their ministry. I began to develop a spark of interest in missions. By 1972, I had a burden to apply for a short-term missions experience through the MIS program at Cedarville. I knew that by going I was endangering my comfortable life; seeing the need firsthand, I would likely be overwhelmed. I would feel compelled to serve the Lord as a foreign missionary. Reluctantly, I applied to the program. Through the Lord’s sovereign will, I went to Chad, Africa in the summer of 1973. I went with mental arguments—the main one being that I was not spiritually mature enough to serve the Lord there, particularly as a single. Those three months in Chad were critical to me. I learned that missionaries were ordinary people serving an extraordinary God, and many of them were single women. In 1974, I began application to Baptist Mid-Missions for career missionary service. I finally arrived in Côte d’Ivoire, West Africa in August 1980. As I sat on this side of the Atlantic, I had no idea how much time would be involved in such a ministry. I now feel certain that the Lord chose a single person for that ministry because of the freedom from time constraints such a person would have. Without concern for a spouse and children, I was free to serve the Lord. Being single also allowed for less concern about diseases that might be carried home to family members. As a single person, I also had more opportunity to demonstrate the all-sufficiency of Christ. People frequently exclaimed, “How can you accomplish that work alone?” These occasions gave opportunity to share my faith. I was one of the weaker things God had chosen to put to shame the things that are mighty. After eight interesting and challenging years of ministry in Côte d’Ivoire, the Lord led me to another challenging ministry when He brought me back to the United States to care for my aged, ill parents. Again the advantages of singleness were obvious; without a family of my own, I was free to concentrate on my parents’ needs, which became my priority. The singleness ordained by the Lord was truly a blessing. Now I wholeheartedly embrace the plan that an all-wise and loving God designed for me. I praise Him for the opportunities of service He has given me. I reiterate David’s words, “The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; Indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me” (Psalm 16:6). Elaine Schulte ’68 One for Him … and Them 26 Summer 2002 Elaine Schulte ’68 lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where she serves as branch manager of Preferred Home Health Care. 50s Lane ’58 and Pat Damon Moody ’59 reside in Arbor Vitae, Wisconsin, and are thrilled that maybe their grandsons will be future baseball players at Cedarville some day. The boy in blue is Adam (3); he is the son of Drew ’82 and Linda Moody Baker ’82 and the grandson of Dr. Sue Baker, a professor of education at Cedarville University. The boy in gold is Chandler (2); he is the son of David ’85 and Lisa Tyson Moody ’87 . 60s Jeannie Lockerbie Stephenson ’61 and her husband, Wally, have spent some time in India and Jamaica recently, teaching Bible college classes and preaching at churches. It gave them great joy to see fellow believers rejoicing in the Lord and serving faithfully, in spite of a lack of material things and persecution in varying degrees. Irene Benson ’63 expresses her joy in having the Waiwai Bible ready for delivery to the Waiwai people. She prays that the hearts of the people will be prepared and opened. In August 2002, the Waiwai Christians will hold a Bible conference to dedicate their Bible and the church. Boyd ’65 and Kathy Johnson Griffith ’68 praise God for guiding them through the many health problems they have encountered. Pray that Boyd has the discipline to follow the doctor-ordered health regimen. Boyd is thankful for the variety in his work that allows him to help out many different people. They are serving Christ with Greater Europe Mission in Monument, Colorado. Joyce Rudduck ’66 rejoices that she has received permission to stay in Bangladesh at least until 2005. Pray that her team will be able to finish preparing six more courses so that a third year of study will be available at Baptist Bible College Bangladesh (BBCB). This will allow students to earn a bachelor’s degree. Gary Holtz ’67 and his wife, Betty, are exploring the possibilities of developing an international ministry through English as a Second Language classes. Gary and Betty serve with Campus Bible Fellowship on campuses in the Dayton/Fairborn (Ohio) area. Grace Trimble Kintner ’67 and her husband, David, have recently been reminded about the importance of prayer. Looking back over several prayer requests, ranging from location changes to finances, they have seen that God has answered every single request in His timing. Dan ’68 and Nancy Norton Brower ’69 ask for prayer as they continue to deal with a Brazilian church that has isolated itself from the others in their association of Baptist churches. This church is also working to undermine the ministries of the other pastors and churches. They do praise God that there have been positive developments among the other five churches due to this upheaval. 70s Gail Sears Petrich ’70 has recently been licensed as a clinical psychologist. She has practiced law for almost 20 years and now does therapy, court testing, and mediation. Gail and her husband, Rudd, have four children, Adam, Lauren, Kirsten, and Alex. They reside in Oak Park, Illinois. Loren Reno ’70 is a brigadier general in the United States Air Force and is the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center vice commander. Nancy Brown Harrigan ’71 and her husband, Mike, share that their son and daughter-in-law are church- planting in New Mexico. They are excited to see God working in their lives. Recently, Mike has seen many situations that have reminded him that God is good all the time! Cathy Shaw Preibisch ’72 was recently honored by the Xenia Golden Age Seniors Center for 13 years of outstanding volunteer service. She has worked in the organization’s Telassurance Program, where she checked on the welfare of homebound senior citizens through the use of frequent phone calls and greeting cards. Cathy resides in Xenia, Ohio. Charles Williams ’72 has taken early retirement from ALLTEL after 28 years and is now working with commercial real estate in sales and leasing in Lincoln, Nebraska. He is also the high school girl’s basketball coach at Lincoln Lutheran High School. Paul ’75 and Deborah Jones Allen ’75 held an informal Cedarville reunion in Clarendon Hills, Illinois on February 17, 2002. Those that joined the Allens are Norma Calvert Walters ’73 , Gaylynn Trueblood Spencer ’74 , and Doris Johnson Ehnis ’74 . Roger Overturf ’75 was a judge for the 2001 Air Force Materiel Command Media Contest. He was one of three judges who had experience in newspaper production. Roger is the director of public relations at Cedarville University. Jon ’76 and Dee Perry Mitchell ’76 have chosen a theme of spiritual growth of the family at Word of Life Baptist Church in Brazil. All ages in the Sunday school program are memorizing the same verses. Mischelle Waddle McIntosh '77 has been promoted to assistant professor of communication arts at Cedarville University. Judith Hinks Garling ’78 and her husband, Bill, are pleased to announce that their son, Daniel, has been named a finalist in the 2002 National Merit Scholarship Program. Daniel, a home schooler, has been accepted into the honors program at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. He is enrolled in the college of engineering and computer science, where he will study towards a bachelor of science degree in computer engineering. Rebecca Selden Kuhn ’78 and her husband, Gary ’84H , are experiencing joy as they have been visiting their supporting churches while on furlough. It has been a pleasure to see how God is working in the lives of those they have met before and in the lives of new people they are meeting for the first time. Marty ’78 and Denise Gawthrop Shaw ’78 are thankful for the many good things that are happening in their home Bible study in Japan. Many ladies are becoming interested in their own personal testimony among their families. Mark ’79 and Debbie Hall Seymour ’83 traveled to the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah this past February with the Medals For Glory Olympic Team. God truly directed their steps and brought them into contact with several people who needed Christ. Mark and Debbie plan to return to Chad, Africa in September. 80s Michael Stephens ’80 was the keynote speaker at Cedarville University’s Sigma Beta Delta (business organization) induction ceremony on May 4, 2002. Michael is president of Greene Memorial Hospital in Xenia, Ohio, and resides in Xenia with his wife, Debby (Zaller) ’78 , and children, Matthew and Emily. Dan Mantz ’81 graduated with high honors from Baptist Bible Seminary in May 2001 with his master of ministries degree. Dan is now the pastor of outreach and adult education at Webster Bible Church, leaving his former job of 19 years as a high school math teacher. His wife, Kim Hakes Mantz ’81 , teaches second grade at Webster Christian, where their three children, Jessica (14), Josiah (12), and Jocelyn (10), attend. They reside in Ontario, New York. Carol Hippard Richards ’81 and her husband, James, announce the birth of Noelle June on January 22, 2002. They reside in Cincinnati, Ohio. Debbie Fakan Shattuck ’81 has been selected for promotion to colonel in the United States Air Force. Ron Hobar ’82 coordinated the start of the new Athletes In Action (AIA) video production department and was involved in the audio/visual aspect of the 2002 Super Bowl Breakfast and Bart Starr Award Program. He is also assisting in the production of a major league baseball film and has started an AIA select baseball team for 13-year- olds. His wife, Linda, has published a textbook, Mystery of History, which she hopes will impact thousands of home schoolers and other students with biblically-based curriculum. Alan ’83 and Lynn Robinson Geist ’91 announce the adoption of William Robinson on October 1, 2001. He was born January 17, 2001 in Kazakhstan. Alan received his doctorate in sports management in June 2001 from The Ohio State University, and he is the principal of Xenia Christian High School. Lynn works part-time as a human resources consultant at The Ohio State University. Alan ’83 and Donna Dennis Green ’83 would like to thank the Cedarville family for praying for their daughter, Danielle (11), who, after a two-year battle with brain cancer, went home to be with her Lord on December 28, 2001. Faith Kenoyer ’83 went on a trip this spring with her dad and two sisters to Assam, India, where she was born and raised. She had been waiting for an opportunity to return, and she praises the Lord that the funds for this trip were provided by her home church. Carolyn Winsor Bitner ’84 and her husband, Pete, want to concentrate on the discipleship of their Muslim- background believers this year in West Africa. Pete wants to concentrate on leadership training, and Carolyn wants to work with several women that need to be more firmly grounded in their faith. Alumnotes