Chapter 2 the harvey family

ABOUT THE TITLE

When I contemplated a title for my autobiography, I first thought of calling it, “Don’t Take Me for Granite!” My wife Verna, to whom I dedicate this book, has a problem with spelling and pronunciation at times. Once, when our children were misbehaving, she told them not to take their liberties for granite. She meant to say “for granted” of course, but I think “granite” was a better choice of words. I sincerely hope readers of this book will take what I write seriously, but there is some humor and satire interspersed among these pages, so please don’t take everything for granite!

When the kids do something right, they are "chips off the old block." If the kids are bad, we say, “Look what your crummy kids did!”

Chips are made and crumbs just happen. When the chips are down or baked in cookies, someone put them there for a reason. Crumbs just fall and no one claims responsibility for them.

If you are happy, you feel chipper, but when you're sad, you feel crummy.

The sound of potato chips crunching between your teeth is gratifying, but the sound of crumbs under foot is annoying.

Technicians put microchips in computers, but you don't want crumbs to fall on the keyboard.

DOGS AND CRUMBS

Crumbs seldom stayed on the floor in our house. We had a miniature poodle named Bonnie, which was actually a cat disguised as a sheep. Bonnie would eat just about anything, including stuff our children didn’t like.
Crumbs and dogs are mentioned in the Bible. In Matthew 15, a Canaanite woman asked Jesus for help. Jesus put her to the test, saying that he was the Jewish Messiah; she was not entitled to blessings promised the Jews. The woman argued that even dogs get crumbs that fall from their master's table. Jesus was impressed with her faith and healed her daughter.
In Luke 16:19-31, a poor man named Lazarus yearned for a few crumbs from an unnamed rich man's table. Apparently, not even the dogs got crumbs, for they resorted to licking the beggar’s sores. Not long thereafter, both men died and the men's roles were switched. Lazarus was united with God in heaven and the rich man was being tormented in hell. He became the beggar. He first begged God to send Lazarus with a drop of water for his parched tongue. Then he caught a missionary vision and begged God to send Lazarus to preach the gospel of salvation to his brothers. He argued that if someone came back from the dead, they would believe.
Jesus not only returned from the dead, but promises eternal life to all those separated from God if they only place their faith in him. God wants more than anything else, to re-establish that connection, fellowship, the unity that he enjoyed with Adam and Eve before their sin. And he asks those of us who receive salvation and join the family of God to share the good news with people around us and around the world. We are still individuals, but we live and work in harmony with the Creator of the universe.
We were not created as crumbs, but as chips -- microchips of our Creator!
The primary task of the church is sharing its blessings – the gospel in particular – with the have-nots. Unfortunately, missions, for many American Christians, consists of dropping crumbs for Canaanite dogs. God’s family is seated around his table, blessed with an abundant spread of everything good, while the lost on the churches' doorstep are ignored.
While it is true that not all of us are called to become foreign missionaries, we are ALL to be witnesses of Christ (Acts 1:7). We can and must do a better job, and that is the main purpose of this autobiography. I was once a fallen crumb, but I cried out to God and he had mercy on me. As I yielded to his patient prodding, he began to conform me to his image again. He isn’t finished with me yet, but I hope this autobiography will convince you that anyone can become a “microchip” of the Creator. You don’t have to be a crumb and go to the dogs!
Index

FOREWORD

On June 28, 1914, the Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in Sarajevo. Austria retaliated on July 28 by declaring war on Serbia. The German federation was able to celebrate victory after victory for nearly four years.

Only after German submarines began sinking American merchant ships in 1918, did America finally get involved in World War I.
On March 11, 1938 (I was three days old), the Austrian-born Chancellor of Germany, Adolf Hitler, rode triumphantly into his homeland and the city of his birth, Braunau, announcing to millions of cheering Austrians that the German people were once again a united nation. This act had been forbidden under the peace agreements of 1919 and precipitated World War II.
Once again, the United States watched events in Europe from a safe distance. Although Canada declared war on Germany in 1939, the United States became involved in World War II only after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor in 1941.

AMERICA -- WORLD POWER OR SPECTATOR?

The United States of America is undisputedly the greatest military force on the face of this earth, but only because its power has been demonstrated in action. America, as a spectator, has no more power than an engine which is not running.

POWER TO DESTROY OR TO BUILD?

America has a mighty arsenal of weapons capable of destroying the world by several "overkills", plus well-trained troops who know how to use all that war machinery.
But America's most valuable resource and greatest power-potential is not its power to destroy the world but rather its power to "win" it. The large number of American men and women who have placed their personal faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ represent our nation’s greatest power potential. What an opportunity for world missions! The power of the gospel is a constructive, winning power and not a destructive one.
A gifted and hard-working team of construction workers may labor for a year to build a magnificent house that is admired by all. But any kid with a match can destroy it in a few minutes.
Jesus did not come to destroy, but rather to save (Luke 9:56). We may claim to be orthodox, evangelical, fundamental or Bible-believing Christians, but lives will not be changed unless we heed our Commander in Chief, Jesus Christ, who sends us to share the gospel with all people, even into the “uttermost parts of the earth."
We are called to be the "salt of the earth." God has promised us, “My word shall not return unto me void.” Jesus is the "light of the world", but so are we! The feeble, flickering flame of a tiny candle is powerful enough to penetrate at least a cubic mile of darkness. Scientists have not discovered a way to make ice resistant to salt’s melting power. Christians may believe these scientific facts, yet many seem to have lost confidence in the power of the gospel to transform evil men and women into good Christians. Jesus instructed his disciples, "Go into the highways and byways and compel them to come in!" But instead of making missionaries and evangelists of our youth, we hire a Youth Director to create entertaining programs that keep the kids off the streets. We are more concerned about protecting our youth from the bad guys than equipping them to win them to Christ. Jesus sent out his disciples as "lambs among wolves." I will deal with this subject in detail later, but rest assured, the lambs win!
When our boys fought in two World Wars, people back home stood behind them in any way possible. Each victory on the battlefield was a victory for those back home, and every loss of life touched the lives and hearts of all Americans. There are war memorials in most larger American towns, honoring those who gave their lives. They died not only for their own country, but for other countries as well.
I am disturbed by many people’s attitude toward missions today. Not a few view missions as "meddling in other people's business." They accuse missionaries of "destroying unique native cultural forms." The devil is certainly working feverishly to destroy culture, but not missionaries! The media, Hollywood, politicians, big business and even the mafia use every means at their disposal to gain power over or take advantage of people. Their goal is profit, colonialism, exploitation and dictatorship, but the gospel of Jesus Christ makes men and women truly free (John 8:36).
Most Christians are familiar with the various passages collectively known as "the great commission," but Jesus stated it best when he said, "Just as the Father hath sent me, so send I you." Jesus stated his purpose in coming to earth quite clearly: He “came to seek and to save that which is lost." His instruction to followers is to do likewise.
It is my prayer that readers of this book will learn a little more about missions and that some misconceptions will be erased. I pray too, that readers will somehow become effectively involved in missions. If God speaks to just one person who reads this biogrphy, leading him or her into missionary service, my efforts will have been more than compensated.
That service need not be in a foreign country, nor must it be "full time" (a nice sounding term which means you get paid for it). The mission field is the world, and it begins at our doorstep. You may have neighbors who are atheists or just outwardly religious. Many Americans are foreign born; some of them come from countries where missionaries are not welcome. Read the newspaper and watch the news on TV and you will see that America is, without a doubt, a great mission field.
Having said this, it must also be said that no other nation has been so thoroughly saturated with the Gospel. Unfortunately, the bulk of Christian giving is spent on church buildings, salaried staff and utilities. Even much of the missions budget is designated for domestic projects. Have you examined your own church budget lately? Many churches expect members to tithe, yet give less than 10% of their own budget for missions. If missions is really the Church’s priority, how can this imbalance be justified?
Many sign up for mission trips but few volunteer for longer service in foreign missions. Many of those who do, however, never make it because the desperately-needed support team is missing. There is a scarcity of Christians who are willing to faithfully pray for and support missionaries.
During a recent trip through America, I repeatedly heard Christians lamenting the economic situation. Christians and churches alike are having to tighten their belts and cut costs. They say, “We would really like to do more, but these are hard times!” On the other hand, I see these same Christians driving nice cars, living in homes that have every comfort, going on cruises and flashing their credit cards in shopping malls. America has the highest standard of living in the world. If we cannot afford missions, who can? We would do well to ask if our economic problems may result from a reluctance to support missions. Statistics and Church history lend credence to this possibility.
America is engaged in a war against terrorism since 9/11. We have been fighting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and we may soon be sending our soldiers to other hot spots. A Pentagon spokesman in Washington recently stated that America is strong enough to successfully wage wars on several fronts. But if America neglects its responsibility to win lost sinners for Christ, we have lost the most important war!
Ralph V. Harvey, 2010
Index

INTRODUCTION

FOUR DECADES OF MISSIONARY SERVICE

My wife Verna and I served as missionaries in Europe from July, 1964 until October, 2002. After 38 years in Austria, we are still actively engaged in recruiting and serving wherever the Lord can use us. Our varied ministries in Europe included evangelism, camps, youth ministries, printing and publishing, establishing churches and a Bible Institute. We taught, preached, worked with refugees, organized relief shipments to poverty stricken areas in Eastern Europe and much more. I was Field Director for two decades and served on committees and boards of several Christian organizations in Europe. Since retiring from Austria in 2002, we have sought to recruit workers for Avant Ministries (formerly Gospel Missionary Union), ministered in churches, schools and conferences. We now live on one of the world's neediest mission fields, New Jersey. There are people all around us who need Christ and many of them have never heard that Jesus died to give them eternal life.

OUR FAMILY

We have three children, Ralph Jr., Richard and Rebekah. Ralph Jr. lives in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, where he works as computer systems analyst and programmer for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. He is still single.
Richard married a lovely Austrian named Martina. They live in Laakirchen, Upper Austria. Richard worked ten years with severely handicapped persons in a day care center. He worked for Fronius, an Austrian industry which manufactures welding equipment, battery chargers, solar cell controls and other items. He presently works for the Austrian branch of Yale Forklifts and Equipment Company. His wife is a speech therapist in the Austrian school system. Both are actively involved in a local church that our mission founded. They have four children, Julia, Benjamin, Michael and Doris Joy.
Rebekah and her husband, David Pallmann, live in Lake Elsinore, California. David is an expert in the field of internet programming, especially Cloud computing. He has authored four computer books, two of which were published by Microsoft Press. Becky home schools her three children, Susan, Debra and Jonathan. They are also active in their church.

ABOUT THIS AUTOBIOGRAPHY

I have a reputation for being somewhat of a story teller. Friends have often suggested that I document my stories in a book. I started writing after purchasing my first computer back in 1985 (a Commodore 64), but I don't expect to be finished when I die.
In 1987, our son Richard wrote us a letter from college. He said that he had been asked questions about our calling and ministry that he could not answer. I decided to write my autobiography for our three children. Richard graduated from college, returned to Austria as a missionary, married, and has four children, but I am still writing. More recently, it occurred to me that our seven grandchildren know little or nothing about our lives before they were born. I am now writing more for their sakes.
I was asked to make a written record of the founding of the Austrian Bible Institute in time for the tenth anniversary in 1994. Both the tenth and the 25th anniversaries have come and gone and I am still not finished.
My first book, "Rabban Gamaliel," was published in January of 2006. I wrote the manuscripts over a period of about ten years and it still wouldn't be published if I had not had open heart surgery in 2005. I paid over $5,000 for 500 copies -- and gave most of them away. A few copies are collecting dust in a corner of our little house. Since my autobiography will likely be no different, my wife asked how I planned to pay for it. Thanks to Amazon.com, that problem is solved. I can sell it in digital format and owners of the Kindle can download it for a few Dollars. Anyone who wants a free copy (in text format or as a Word document) can download it from my website. Rabban Gamaliel is downloadable now at www.rabbangamaliel.org .
People who know that I have written numerous articles, published books and operated a printing and publishing ministry, might have a difficult time believing that I am an outspoken critic of Christian literature. I have given much thought to what I should write in this book, asking God for wisdom and guidance. There is a strong temptation to paint a wonderful and fascinating picture of our ministry that would impress readers. Any work that God does is exciting, interesting and rewarding. Those who serve the Lord faithfully will never be bored, but all Christians, including missionaries, frequently face problems, obstacles and difficult situations that just don't fit the picture many people have of missions. I may not tell everything but I don't want to paint just half a picture!
I wrote this book for the fun of writing and I hope that you will enjoy reading it. I have a reputation for my sense of humor. Some appreciate it, while others feel that a missionary should be more serious. I take the Christian life and especially missions very seriously, but any missionary who lasts four decades, must have a sense of humor. Besides, if readers are entertained, they may continue reading.
Here is my address just in case someone would like to contact me. Corrections and comments are welcome!
Ralph V. Harvey

153 Bentwood Dr.

Malaga, NJ 08328
Telephone: 856-694-5684

rvharvey@comcast.net

Websites:

Personal and Ministry: www.rvharvey.org

“Ralph’s Stuff”: www.rvharvey.com

Gamaliel book: www.rabbangamaliel.org

Index
CHAPTER 1 - ROOTS
I was born to David and Elsie Harvey on Tuesday, March 8, 1938 at 1:15 PM, in Salem, New Jersey. I cost exactly twenty-eight dollars and fifty cents. I shared this information with a friend many years later, who responded by saying, "You get what you pay for!"
When my mother got married, she said that she wanted 12 sons, but settled for six girls and six boys. One sister died shortly after she was born, so the boys always outnumbered the girls. I was the second child and oldest son.
My father died in a fire when his shop burned in 1992. Three floors loaded with lumber, hardware and valuable tools perished along with him. One of my brothers observed after the funeral, "Pop preached to us over and over, 'You can't take it with you' -- but he did!"
My birth, like the invention of the computer a year earlier, went almost entirely unnoticed by the world. People were more concerned about disturbing political developments in Europe. Three days after my birth, Adolf Hitler annexed Austria, an event which led to World War II.

THE GARDEN STATE, NEW JERSEY

Most people know New Jersey only as part of that narrow, densely populated corridor which connects Boston and New York City with the nation's Capitol. New Jersey is the most densely populated state in the union. You can fit New Jersey into Alaska 75 times, yet the city of Hoboken, NJ has more people than all of Alaska! Still, only about 20 persons populate a square mile of New Jersey.
Except for the northeastern part, New Jersey is a jewel of a State but there are probably some who would argue that even the northeastern corner of New Jersey is a wonderful place. I heard of a wealthy businessman, who, whenever he got near the refineries and heavy industries of North Jersey, would roll down the windows of his Rolls Royce. After inhaling deeply, he would smile from ear to ear and say, "Ahhh! That smells like money!"
What lies beyond the visible stretch of scrubby pine forest to the left and right of the NJ Turnpike and Garden State Parkway is known and cherished mostly by locals. The "Jersey shore" is a favorite vacation spot for much of the East Coast. Beyond the 127 miles of sandy white beaches, fishermen catch flounder, bluefish and stripers. Beachcombers harvest "Cape May Diamonds" at the southernmost tip of the state. The real jewels of Cape May, however, are the stately Victorian homes with their ornate "gingerbread" woodwork.
The Lenape or Delaware Indians once had this delightful peninsula all to themselves. They belonged to the Algonquin family which populated the Atlantic Coast from Canada to Florida. The beginning of the end of their claim to paradise came in 1632 when Sir Edmond Plowdon, of Ireland, petitioned Charles I for a land grant. His request was at first refused, but he was later appointed governor of "New Albion," a large area now known as New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland and Long Island. Maryland had been previously given to Lord Baltimore, but Charles was forgetful.
The New Jersey Lenape were placed on a reservation consisting of about three thousand acres near Brotherton (Indian Mills). Most of them later moved to New York and joined with the Mohicans in 1802. In 1832, the NJ Legislature purchased the reservation from the Lenapes for two thousand dollars.
Only 40 miles south of the "Big Apple" (I haven't found anyone from New York City, or anywhere else for that matter, who can tell me how the city got its nickname) is the "Great Swamp Wildlife Refuge," 7,000 acres of pure paradise. A little farther south, one comes to a large expanse of virgin forest called the "Pine Barrens." Beneath the pine barrens lies an enormous underground reservoir of fresh water called the Cohansey Aquifer. About 17 trillion gallons of clear drinking water flow unused into the ocean each year, enough to supply all of New Jersey and New York City's needs!
Many visitors to the northern part of the state ask if the State's nick name, "The Garden State," is not a misnomer. Anyone who has stopped at one of the numerous roadside markets and bought fresh New Jersey peaches, cantaloupe, tomatoes and sweet corn, would have no question about the validity of the State motto. We have beaver colonies, pheasant, wild turkeys, painted turtles, deer and a thousand other species of wildlife in New Jersey. At least 850 species of plants and 430 kinds of birds can be found here. I couldn't begin to name the myriads of insects such as colorful dragonflies, butterflies and mosquitoes. The latter drove the first settlers (Swedes) across the river to Delaware. New Jersey mosquitoes are actually quite tame. They will eat right out of your hand -- or any other part of your body for that matter.

QUINTON

Until I was nine, our family lived in the small town of Quinton, on Lower Alloway's Creek. Few have heard of Quinton, but many have heard of Lower Alloway's Creek. Environmentalists have declared this region a potential disaster area due to the nuclear reactors located here. Local folk are unperturbed by such reports. Half of Quinton burned to the ground in the summer of 1963, but residents rebuilt the town better than ever. Certainly, it would be no different with a nuclear melt-down!
My Grandfather, Ralph C. Harvey, was Quinton Fire Chief for many years, retiring shortly before the fire of 1963. Seeing the town he loved burn to the ground could have been a contributing factor in his death two months later. He was a well-known and respected citizen, active in civic affairs and head of the township defense program during World War II. He left farming in the thirties to begin a construction company. Around the turn of the century, he moved a couple of barns and in 1927, he had a part in moving the huge brick Salem National Bank several hundred feet to a new location. It was accomplished with a single horse and business remained uninterrupted during the move! When my father joined the business, it became known as "R. C. Harvey & Son, Contractors and Builders", employing up to 20 workers when I was born in 1938. Marvin Creamer worked for Havey Builders at the time. I wll say more about Marvin in Chapter 30.
By 1947, our family had outgrown the house my father built in Quinton and we moved to a larger house in Fox's Mill, which is near Daretown, in Upper Pittsgrove Township; but the postal address is Elmer. If this sounds confusing, let me explain.

FOX'S MILL

Fox's Mill is located about a mile north of Daretown. When we moved there on July 26th, 1947, the population doubled. There had been a lake across the street from our house, but a storm took it out around 1940 and it was not restored until 1956. An old mill with its lovingly restored paddle wheel still exists. The victorian style homestead with 15 rooms and ornate cast iron porch supports is still in the family.

DARETOWN

Daretown is nearly a ghost town today, but in the 40's, Daretown boasted a public school, two feed mills, a railroad station, post office, trucking company, blacksmith shop, undertaker, and even a new car dealership. There were two general stores in Daretown. Egan’s store had a gas pump where farmers tanked up their tractors at ten cents per gallon. Ice cream cones cost a nickel and a double-thick chocolate malt milkshake cost twenty cents.
Today, none of that is left. After the Post Office in Daretown closed, Elmer became our mailing address. A mailman delivered mail with his Model A Ford and usually had time to chat about the weather and local happenings, so we really didn't miss the post office.
The railroad tracks were removed in 1951 and even the brand names of cars once sold in Daretown (Hudson, Kaiser, Frazier and Studebaker) have vanished.
During colonial times, a busy road connecting Philadelphia with the Port of Greenwich, ran through Daretown. Most Americans have heard of the Boston Tea Party, but patriots also staged a tea party in Greenwich. A boatload of tea destined for Philadelphia was burned in the town square in 1774.
Daretown's relationship with Philadelphia is still quite "strong". That strength, however, has more to do with smells than with friendly relationships. Sludge from Philadelphia sewage plants is trucked to Daretown and converted to mulch that people spread on their lawns, gardens and fields. The owners of this industry have planted trees along the road in an attempt to hide the unsightly mountains of sludge. Daretown was previously known as Pilesgrove and Pittsgrove. Both of these names would be appropriate today. When the weather is right, the piles of sludge smell like the pits!
Philadelphia is the nearest major city, so residents of South Jersey generally support the Flyers, 76ers, Phillies and Eagles. Philadelphia served as the nation's Capitol twice. Trenton and Princeton, New Jersey also served as the nation’s Capitol for a short time. Few Americans realize that our Capitol relocated eight times before finding a permanent home in Washington DC.

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