Chapter 2 the harvey family
“GYPSIES, TRAMPS AND THIEVES”
Download 2.2 Mb.
|
- Navigate this page:
- A DIFFERENT KIND OF CAR
- DIFFERENT CHRISTIANS
- CHANGE
- FROM PRETZEL TO SAMBA
- OUR SECOND CHILD
- REFUGEE ENCOUNTER
- CHAPTER 10 - TOWN WITH A STRANGE NAME
- A DANGEROUS SECT WITH LONG-LASTING INFLUENCE
“GYPSIES, TRAMPS AND THIEVES”A co-worker suggested that we practice our German on Gypsy children, who lived on the outskirts of Vienna. Gypsies were not Austrians and certainly not loved by Austrians, but we jumped at the opportunity. To us they were no different, for Jesus loves them all. We traveled two hours each way by street car and bus to a suburb called Aspern. Other than an abandoned military airport and numerous garden plots belonging to city dwellers, Aspern had little to brag about. It had once been the scene of an important battle in which the Austrian army defeated the Turks, preventing them from overrunning Europe. In 1966, however, it was home to Gypsy families who had discovered this paradise and exchanged their nomadic life for very primitive housing. Mr. Niemetz, a member of a small Baptist church in Vienna, offered us a shed in his yard for the children's classes. This generosity cost him dearly, but he never complained. He loved to work in his vegetable garden, but harvested little for his labors. The Gypsy children, however, were well nourished! Those kids would steal anything that wasn't fastened down and even things that were! Begging and stealing was simply their way of life. The parents would send the children out to beg, dressed as shabbily as possible. The kids knew how to turn on their charm and return with bags full of nice clothing and food, which was usually sold in the market place. We didn’t do much promotional work for the meetings. If we saw one child on the street, we simply told him to round up the rest. I managed to take a black & white photo of our wild and unruly group without having my camera stolen. We decided to have copies made and give them to the children for Christmas. Distribution of the photos was not a simple matter. We counted the kids and made certain that there was one picture for each. Then one of us stood at the door and gave each child his photo upon departure. When all the photos were gone, half a dozen younger children had not received their photos. We were about to promise the little rascals that we would bring their photo next week, when Mr. Niemetz spoke up. He told the kids that they had better chase down the thieves if they wanted their photos. They seemed to understand and ran outside. As one of them darted through the doorway, I spotted something white sticking out of the hip pocket of his ragged jeans. I grabbed him by the arm and took a closer look. Sure enough, he had a picture! That part of Vienna has changed radically since the sixties. High-rise apartment complexes, the United Nations City, a General Motors Plant, modern shopping centers and other businesses have replaced the Gypsy village, garden plots and abandoned airport. I often wonder what became of those lovable Gypsy children. A DIFFERENT KIND OF CARI owned forty cars before departing for Austria, and it was a new experience, being without wheels for a year! Our monthly salary of $215 was equivalent to our weekly income back in America and it didn't allow for luxuries like a car! Fortunately, Vienna had dependable public transportation, but after a year of asphalt and concrete, we desperately wanted to get out of the city and breathe some fresh air. We also wanted to see a bit of the famous scenery we had heard so much about. We would be helping with summer camps and soon be finished with language study. That seemed reason enough to at least start praying for a car. In June of 1965, we became acquainted with a Swedish Christian lady who visited Vienna. Three months later, she sent us a check for $120 to use anyway we wanted. Just the previous day, I had spotted the "perfect car" on my way home from the university. It was a 1952 Volkswagen, and it just happened to be priced at $120! The car was built during the allied occupation, when cars were scarce and expensive. 1952 models had split rear windows which modern collectors have nicknamed the “Pretzel Beetle.” There were air vents on the cowl and behind the front fenders. Mechanical turning signals flipped out of slots in the door-posts. The car was powered by a 27 hp boxer engine -- hardly what I was accustomed to, but it was a car! Shifting the unsynchronized 4-speed transmission without grinding the gears was an art, especially when down-shifting on hills. The rare sliding canvas sunroof indicated that the first owner must have been a person of affluence. And it was as close to a convertible as I dared purchase as a missionary! DIFFERENT CHRISTIANSWhile in language study, we began to pray about where we should be working. There were hundreds of cities and thousands of towns with no Gospel witness whatsoever. Of course there are those who would argue with these figures. Every little hamlet has a Catholic church and nearly all Austrians are baptized as "Christians" when they are born. The same water that transforms Austrians into Christians is used by the priest to bless cars, dogs, cats, fields and weapons of war. And if the enemy’s weapons have been blessed, a priest may bless your casket. A lady in the Baptist church we attended, invited us to accompany her for door-to-door literature distribution in Burgenland, a wine-growing province south of Vienna. Having wheels greatly shortened the time needed to reach this region, and with three of us working together, we covered many homes. We soon learned what is was like to be viewed as ugly Americans. In nearly every home and on the streets of Burgenland, we met with strong anti-American sentiment. The moment people recognized us as Americans, they made slighting remarks or let us know that we were not welcome. We had expected this kind of reception as missionaries, but we had never given much thought to how people would receive us as Americans. When we tried to give people Gospels of John, many told us flat out that they wanted nothing to do with an American religious sect. We assumed that all Austrians felt that way and decided that our ministry would be anything but easy. Fortunately we were mistaken in this assumption. Austria was occupied by the four Allied Powers following World War II until 1955. We later found Austrians who lived in the American, British and Russian sectors to be relatively friendly. American and British occupation forces had treated the people well, with a few exceptions. Many told us about receiving food packages, Coca Cola, chewing gum and cigarettes from the troops. Residents of the Russian occupation zone were not so fortunate. Anything of value was considered legal contraband. The Russians were especially adept at locating hidden wine cellars. To this day, you hear of construction workers uncovering boxes of jewelry, keepsakes and other items that had been hidden from the Russians. Austrians who lived in the Russian zone were envious of those who lived in the American zones. Only in the French occupation zone did we find much anti-American sentiment among the local citizenry. Burgenland was occupied by the French. CHANGEIn our first year in Austria, we had changed our mission affiliation and address. The year 1966 brought several more major changes. We met the British missionaries, Graham and Jayne Lange in the summer of 1965. I had been asked to drive the "Church on Wheels" from Vienna to Ampflwang, Upper Austria. Yes, I spelled it right! Can you think of another word that uses five consonants in a row? After delivering the "COW," as we missionaries jokingly called it, I spent the night with the Langes before returning by train to Vienna. They pumped us full of questions and we formed a close friendship which remains to this day. The town of Ampflwang would play a major role in our ministry of nearly forty years. The COW was composed of a panel truck and a specially constructed trailer which could seat about twenty adults or thirty children. During the summer months, this provided a unique method for bringing the Gospel to rural towns, where there were no gospel-preaching churches. Verna played her accordion for singing and another missionary preached. When some teens began to interrupt services, I suggested that I could draw "Chalk Talks" to illustrate the messages. Verna had some chalk from a college course she took, and I made a board and bought paper. The chalk talks were something completely new in Austria and attracted much attention. During the summer of 1965, twenty-five children and five teenagers committed their lives to Christ. After that positive experience, I built a folding easel with a transparent Plexiglas drawing board that allowed light effects to shine through from behind. Colored overhead lights and a "black light" completed the outfit. People were fascinated with the pictures that came alive under colored and ultra violet lighting. Chalk Talks became an effective method of evangelism for the next 37 years. We were quite busy with various ministries from March through August, 1966. One of these was helping with a telephone ministry. A senior missionary recorded gospel messages that played automatically whenever someone dialed the given number. My task was placing cards advertising the service under the windshield wipers of parked cars. For every 1000 cards distributed, we could expect a dozen calls. One in a hundred callers would ask for the free literature. One day, the missionary asked how many cards I had placed the day before. There had been three or four times as many callers as usual. I had distributed the normal number, but realized that the previous day was April Fool’s Day! The following year, we were prepared and passed out cards which mentioned April Fool’s Day. Sure enough, a large number placed notes on their colleagues’ desks, advising them to call the number given. The message that day started out by saying, “You may possibly be the victim of an April Fool joke, but please don’t hang up! At the end of a short message, we will give instructions on how to get even.” The instructions said to give the mailing address of the person who tricked them. That person would receive a free Bible portion. April Fool’s Day turned out to be the busiest day of the year! The Langes were struggling to start a church in Ampflwang. Graham and Jayne had impressed me as very dedicated servants of the Lord who had great compassion for the Austrian people. During a visit in Vienna, Graham asked if we would consider coming to stay in their apartment from August through November while they were on furlough in England. We agreed to pray about the matter. In April, we were invited to participate in a Pastor's Conference which the Langes were hosting in Ampflwang. We gladly accepted the invitation. I had gotten to know one of the Austrian pastors quite well. Martin Giglseder had a 1952 Volkswagen like ours except for the sunroof. Like me, he enjoyed working on cars, and told me that any time I needed to work on my car, I could use his tools and garage. He would probably have any parts that I might need. As it turned out, our friendship was of mutual benefit. I spent many hours helping him repair his car, but ours kept running in spite of using oil. Martin taught me a lot of German and many of the first German sentences I learned to speak were car related. Once, his car wasn’t getting spark and I asked if the battery was properly grounded. But I used the wrong verb and asked if the battery had been properly buried! Martin explained that he often buried people and that I could someday bury him, but batteries are grounded. Three decades later, I recalled that conversation when his body was laid to rest in Salzburg. Our pretzel beetle had served us well, and on one trip, it showed us some of the most delightful scenery in the world! But the tired engine was now using nearly as much oil as it did gasoline. I had to clean the spark plugs every couple of days before it would start. On one occasion I told Martin that my beloved Beetle and I would soon be parting company. He asked what would replace it and I said that I was considering a VW Bus. He told me that the Baptist Union had a very nice 1957 VW Samba-Bus, but it needed a new motor. He would ask about it. The Baptists decided that since we would be using the vehicle for ministry, we could have it for only $400. It was a generous offer, but that amounted to two months’ salary and the bus still needed a motor. We immediately wrote letters to our supporters, explaining the condition of our old car and the need for a bus. We explained that we would be working with children and youth camps in summer. We also shared some breaking news: we would be spending three months in a town called Ampflwang, starting the end of August. This would give us opportunity to practice our German and to gain valuable experience for later ministry – whatever and wherever that might be. Our supporters in America responded amazingly well to our appeal for money, considering the fact that we had just changed missions. We received many gifts and soon had enough to purchase the bus. FROM PRETZEL TO SAMBAOn April 19, 1966, I purchased the Baptist’s 1957 Volkswagen "Samba Bus" for $400. Our 1952 Pretzel Beetle was presented as a gift to Martin Giglseder, who used it for spare parts. The 9-passenger Samba had a two-tone paint job, plenty of chrome trim, a double floor, large canvas sunroof and a total of 27 windows to wash, but it still needed an engine. We were able to save $200 toward the motor, but much searching proved fruitless. Finally, after three weeks, I located an almost new 32 hp engine in a wreck for only $200. I was able to install it just in time for the annual church picnic. The picnic was held in a public park near Vienna on May 19th, Christ’s Ascension Day and a national holiday in Austria. After removing the rear bench seat, I packed our things in the van and drove to the church to pick up a bunch of folding chairs. Verna had eaten nearly two pounds of fresh cherries the night before and complained of stomach cramps. I had not given it much consideration, but Verna was nine months pregnant. Another dramatic change was about to take place in our lives! OUR SECOND CHILDSoon after arriving at the picnic site, Verna said that her cramps were coming at regular intervals. We left Ralph Jr. with church friends and I drove Verna to the hospital. Two hours later, I returned and announced the birth of our second son. Most of the people hadn't even missed us and insisted that I was joking. The following day, I visited Verna and she said in a solemn voice that the hospital staff was keeping a secret from us. She had received Ricky for nursing and noticed that he only had one arm! In the quiet of that hospital room, we prayerfully committed the matter to the Lord, asking for wisdom in raising a handicapped child. Before I left, the nurse brought Ricky into the room again and we both gasped. Our ornery baby was waving two strong hands and appeared to be grinning! On the previous day, he had somehow managed to pull one arm out of his sleeve and tuck it behind his back! From then on, he was “Tricky Ricky.” REFUGEE ENCOUNTERWe had two more opportunities to visit Ampflwang before we began our three-month stay there. From July 5th to 7th, we attended a "Church Planter's Conference" together with a dozen missionaries from various missions. Then, in mid-August, I delivered a group of children from camp to their homes in Ampflwang and Salzburg. After dropping off the last campers, I helped fellow missionaries move the “Church on Wheels” to a new location, and set out on the long, 4-hour drive back to Vienna. I was tired and it was already 9:00 pm, so I asked the Lord for a hitch-hiker to keep me company. I had no sooner turned onto the Autobahn when I saw two hitch-hikers standing in the drizzling rain. It was a young woman and a young man, both very untidy. I almost drove on, but the Lord reminded me of my prayer and I picked them up. When they found out that I was an American, they told me their story. They and four others had managed to escape East Germany 4 days earlier. They had tried to flee once before, but were caught and put into prison. There, they met two border guards convicted of espionage. Together with these men and two other inmates, they planned an escape. They somehow managed to get out on a very foggy night. They swam across a river 60 feet wide and the ex-border guards, who knew where the mines were buried, led them through two mine fields and several barricades. They were free! They then parted company. The couple said that they went to a Red Cross center and requested asylum, but were advised to get to Austria as fast as possible. There were "head hunters" out there who watched Red Cross offices closely, hoping to snatch up escapees and collect 1,000 West German Marks ($250) reward. They only had the clothes on their backs and no place to stay, so I invited them to stay with us until their next steps were clear. We gave them some of our clothing and the Red Cross in Vienna helped them find a job starting the following Monday. We never heard from them again, but rejoiced that we could share our home and the gospel with them – in German! Index CHAPTER 10 - TOWN WITH A STRANGE NAMEAmpflwang was first mentioned in 1169 when a historian wrote about an order of knights named "Ampho," who also built a fortress in this region. No traces of the old fortress have been discovered, but in 1180, "Kraft and Erich of Ampflwang" were mentioned in a court proceeding in nearby Eberschwang. They reportedly owned a large tract of land called "Grasergut" in Ampflwang. The first church in Ampflwang was a Roman Catholic Church built of wood in 1544. Soon after this, Lutheran and Anabaptist teachings spread throughout the region. By 1575, nearly all inhabitants had become protestant. The Counter Reformation took its toll in Upper Austria and soon after 1600; the Roman Catholic religion was forcibly reinstated as the only legal religion. Many citizens of this region refused to give up their faith and continued worshipping together. The “Praedikand” or preacher, Georg Hämmerle, of Ampflwang, was ordered to appear in Linz in 1625. He was instructed to become a Roman Catholic or leave the country. Unfortunately, there is no record of his response. The citizens remained sympathetic towards protestant teachings, however. Even four centuries later, we found unusual tolerance for our ministry. A DANGEROUS SECT WITH LONG-LASTING INFLUENCEA second reason for the people’s openness to Protestants is rooted in a tragedy which took place in the Catholic Church of Ampflwang. Prior to the War of 1812, there was an assistant Catholic priest in Braunau, named Thomas Poeschl. Braunau has a turbulent history and is still noted as a nest of occult practices. Austria has one of the world’s highest suicide rates and Braunau has consistently had the highest suicide rate in Austria. It may come as no surprise to learn that Adolf Hitler was born here in 1889. After witnessing the execution of a prominent book dealer in Braunau, Poeschl adopted some strange teachings and fell into disfavor with the Catholic Church. He was transferred to Ampflwang and entrusted into the care of the local Priest, Sickinger. The priest attempted to rehabilitate Poeschl, but without success. In fact, Poeschl found a number of ready disciples and eager learners including the Priest's own sister. She was known to have had strange dreams and she shared these with Poeschl. Between the two, a new sect emerged which attracted many followers, spreading to surrounding communities. The Catholic Bishop eventually removed Poeschl from his post and interned him in Salzburg. His followers continued to meet, however, and Johann Haas became the new leader of the sect. Haas persuaded the "Poeschlians“ into attempting to crucify Priest Sickinger on the day before Palm Sunday, 1817. When the plot was foiled, Haas pronounced the following day as God's day of judgment. He demanded human sacrifices of the "unclean" in order to appease God. By the time armed troops could be brought in from nearby Voecklabruck, three people had been brutally “sacrificed” with axes and several others escaped with serious injuries. Johann Haas was imprisoned, but it was some time before the sect finally dissipated. Poeschl died 1837 in prison. I had some interesting experiences with several descendants of Johann Haas. MARIAOne of the converts was a woman named Maria whose parents owned a popular Kino and Bar. Her father was a direct descendent of Johann Haas. Maria was a gifted artist who claimed that her artwork had always lacked something before she met her Creator. Since then, her paintings sold very well and could be found in homes all over town. Her parents, however, were not at all happy about her conversion. One day we heard that Maria’s mother had a large tumor of the womb that needed to be removed immediately. The surgeon opened her to remove the tumor, but soon sewed her up again and called the family. He said that the cancer had spread throughout her body and gave her only days or a few weeks to live. Maria was on hand and spoke with confidence, “I will ask the church to pray with me for Mother’s healing.” When she shared this news in prayer meeting that night, I shuddered inwardly, knowing what would occur, should Mrs. Haas soon pass away as predicted. Most Austrians are Roman Catholic and pray to saints who perportedly performed miracles during their lifetimes. They also pray for their dead, in hopes of getting them out of Purgetory, but Maria’s statement only harvested open scorn. In just a couple of months, sceptical doctors took xrays but could find no trace of cancer! She lived about 12 more years and died in her eighties. She told everone she knew that it was our church’s prayers that cured her, but in spite of Maria’s persistent testimony, she never gave her life to Jesus. ANNA On May 12, 1992, we received a phone call from a woman who gave her name as Anna. She asked if she could attend our meetings. Earlier in the week, we had distributed flyers for evangelistic meetings, which were to begin that very evening, so I naturally assumed that she was referring to these meetings. I replied that we would be delighted if she came that evening. She then asked what time the meeting began. Although the information was clearly printed on our invitations, I told her the time and she hung up. She didn't show up that evening, but called again the following morning. She said, "I was there, but you weren't home!" Anna had come to our home instead of the church! I apologized and explained that the meetings were held in the church. She then confessed that the man she was living with told her that this was probably the case, but she didn't listen to him. We offered to pick her up and drive her to church that evening, but she said her friend would bring her. I was puzzled. We had printed time and place of the meetings on the invitations, but how did she know where we lived? When "the man she was living with" delivered Anna, I recognized him immediately and exchanged greetings. It was Helmut Haas, a prominent businessman in town who, together with his brother, Herman, owned much of the forest around Ampflwang. They also owned a large sawmill and a lumber business. I had often purchased lumber from them for building projects connected with the church and Bible Institute. Helmut and Herman were grandsons of Johann Haas. Attendance at the evangelistic meetings was good and the gospel message was clear and direct. After the meeting, Anna said that she had much to think about. Then she asked a question that left us dumbfounded, "Were all those people alcoholics?" Gradually, it dawned on me that there had been a major mix-up! Anna had a problem with drinking and had visited an institution near Linz for help. They showed her a list of names and addresses of persons who worked with alcoholics. To her surprise, she saw the address and telephone number of a "help group" in the town where she lived. She called the number given and asked when we had our meetings! God makes no mistakes! During the next two years, Verna and I spent much time counseling Anna and Helmut, sharing the gospel openly. She came to church with some regularity and her two kids liked the children's meetings, but Anna was carrying a lot of baggage that she was not prepared to leave at the cross. Anna was an attractive woman, who had been twice divorced. She was now married to her third husband, a wealthy Lebanese businessman, yet living in open adultery with a fourth man! I couldn't help thinking of the woman at Jacob's well mentioned in John 4:18. Anna had operated a posh boutique in town, but it failed and she filed for bankruptcy. Her husband in Lebanon, however, kept sending her large sums of money and she spent it lavishly on herself and the children. Helmut was also carrying a lot of baggage, and I couldn’t help assuming that much of it had roots in the past. Helmut’s first wife committed suicide and his second wife left him and joined the Jehovah's Witnesses. Now he was living with Anna and fighting legal battles with his brother. On one of many visits to Helmut's home, Anna said that Helmut's sister-in-law wanted to meet us. The brothers, Helmut and Herman, were co-owners of a large forest, a sawmill and lumber yard, but did not get along at all. They were presently involved in a court battle over property rights. Anna and Herman's wife didn't get along either. I didn't know what to make of Anna's statement and had no interest in becoming involved in a family feud. Still, I agreed to pay Herman and Annaliese a visit. Verna and I prayed much before we drove to their home. Their house was impressive on the outside, but when they invited us in, the exquisite interior nearly took our breath away! I have probably never seen such a lavishly furnished home, neither before nor since. Herman showed us slides from their many trips and of a three-year stay in Canada working for the Austrian manufacturer of Fischer Skis. Although Herman showed little interest in spiritual matters, he was very friendly. Anneliese, on the other hand, seemed quite interested in the gospel. We were now in a predicament. Herman and Annaliese were open to further contact, but we were preparing to move to a new area and begin a new ministry. The Ampflwang church had called a pastor, so I told him about Herman and Anneliese, asking him to follow up on the contact. Anneliese soon turned her life over to Christ and began attending all services including prayer meetings. Her marriage had been on the verge of breaking up and she was nearly a nervous wreck from family rifts and financial problems, but God began the healing process. A beautiful and talented woman, she soon became a dynamic Christian witness and great encouragement to the church. Anneliese told us that her grandmother was a genuine, Bible-believing Christian, who prayed faithfully for the salvation of her family! Born in Romania, she was a descendant of Austrians who had been forced to leave their homeland during the counter reformation. What a perfect illustration of the truth of Exodus 20:6! Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. -Exodus 20:5-6 We continued to visit Helmut and Anna, hoping that he or she or perhaps both would come to Christ. Anna had a 23-yr-old son from a former marriage, who died a horrible death. After a night of drinking and drugs, he returned to the apartment he shared with a homosexual friend and went to bed. In the night, he threw up and choked to death on his own vomit. Both Anna and her son were Roman Catholic but they seldom went to church. Anna asked me to speak at her son's funeral. I replied that it was a Catholic funeral and the priest would have to give me permission. The priest was not happy but conceded that anyone was allowed to speak at the graveside. I prayed a lot about what I should say. About 150 relatives and at least a hundred of his friends attended the funeral. The youths’ lives centered around disco dancing, drugs and alcohol, and although they, like their friend, were Catholic, they had little good to say about the church. The names of divinity were mere swear words to them and the church was at best, the subject of jokes. I noticed that nearly all of these young hypocrites went through the motions of crossing themselves at the appropriate times and chanting their Hail Marys and the Lord's Prayer during Mass and the procession to the cemetery. The youth had set up a powerful "boom box" next to the grave. It played loud rock music while the casket was being lowered into the ground. Anna told the undertaker that someone wanted to speak at the grave, so he persuaded the youth to turn off the tape recorder while I talked. I began by saying that five of the last six funerals I attended in Austria were of young people under 30. One of these was a drug addict, killed by an overdose. A 21-year-old youth shot himself after the girl he was living with left him for someone else. A third and fourth were killed in automobile accidents. The fifth was a newborn baby. In each case friends and loved ones of the deceased were asking how God could allow a person to die at such a tender young age. I then told of a young man who was executed for crimes that he never committed. His own father could easily have prevented the execution of his son, but he did nothing to prevent it. Interestingly enough, no one asked why God allowed such a thing to happen. God himself was that Father who could have prevented the death of his Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus came into the world for that very purpose: to die so that we can live. I said, "The occasion of this funeral should cause us to consider the real meaning and purpose of life. We cannot blame God for allowing bad experiences, without giving him credit for the good things we enjoy." I continued, "If you are asking why God allowed this young man to die, you should be fair enough to ask why God allows you to live!" I said that if they would repent and turn from their godless ways to follow Christ, the death of this young man would not have been in vain. It was dead silent when I finished and no one turned the boom box on. I had several good talks with young people afterwards, but not one was prepared to commit his life to Christ. Not even Anna. Directory: documents documents -> Concept stage documents -> Concept stage documents -> The great global switch-off documents -> Nonprofit grant application documents -> The Truth about the Rwandan Genocide documents -> Annual InStructional unit plan documents -> Chaos equipment included Download 2.2 Mb. Share with your friends:
|