Chapter 2 the harvey family
Download 2.2 Mb.
|
- Navigate this page:
- TWO WIDOWS
- DR. PROFESSOR WALTER VON LIEBENFELSS
- A PRIEST AND A MANAGER
- DOUBLE DOCTOR DIRECTOR
- SCHOOL DIRECTOR HÖTZINGER
- CHAPTER 30 - SAILBOATS
CUTLERSEd and Rose Cutler have been good friends since college days, and they have faithfully supported our work prayerfully and financially from the beginning. We have also had much fun together. During our college years, Ed and I decided that each of us would write a letter to the other's girlfriend and we pledged not to look at what the other wrote. Verna and Rose were surprised and nearly went into a state of shock, but soon got suspicious when comparing the penmanship. Verna said that she was almost disappointed with the trick, for Ed had written such a loving, mushy letter! Soon after our marriage, they visited us in New Jersey and we took them to Ocean City in our 1950 Packard. A couple of teenage girls pulled up next to us at a stop light, one of them driving what was obviously her Daddy's shiny 1950 Packard. They waved and asked if our car was faster. When the light turned green, our pregnant turtles lunged from the starting line, the straight eight engines roaring. The automatic transmission in the 1950 Packard was different from most cars in that you have to shift them manually, but there was no clutch. In order to get that extra thrust, I pulled the lever down into low. The girl driving the second Packard realized what I had done and did the same. But she pulled the lever a notch too far and hit reverse! Her vehicle came to an abrupt halt in a cloud of smoke. We really should have stopped to apologize and offer to drive them home, but didn't want to meet the girl's father. Next to a ramp leading onto the Ocean City Boardwalk was a first class restaurant. Through a window, we saw a well dressed couple eating a tasty meal right at our eye level. Ed and I stopped and stared at the couple, looking desperately hungry. Then we began to follow their forks from the plate to their lips with our eyes, licking our lips each time they put something into their mouths. Before long, they called a waiter and complained. He threatened us, but we ignored his angry stare and raised fist, remaining there until the couple moved to another table. Rose and Verna didn't think that was funny at all and when I stop to think about it today, neither do I. Ed became a very successful businessman and it was 30 years before they were able to take time out of work to visit us in Austria. Even that was not entirely voluntary. The brutal tactics of competitors and a lease contract with loopholes drove him into bankruptcy. His lawyer told him that the bankruptcy court would take everything but his home, but since he had not had a vacation in years, he was entitled to a world tour before the money was gone. They decided to visit us in Austria, arriving November 7, 2001. The timing was perfect for us. The Bible Institute had moved to Wallsee in October and we were also discouraged. You might think that two discouraged couples would hardly be able to cheer each other, but we had a fantastic time. We traveled in Austria and the Czech Republic. Near Budweis, we visited a new care facility for the handicapped which was being built by a Christian. He had received funding from the government for much of the project, but said that he hoped to raise half a million Dollars from believers to build a church on the grounds. Over 100,000 people were living in a neighboring high-rise apartment complex that needed the gospel. Tears came to Ed's eyes as he turned and said to me, "If I had only known a year ago what I am learning now! I spent half a million sponsoring a race car last year - and it never won a race!" The Cutlers had been very generous supporters, even giving more than most churches towards our ministry. We wondered if we would have to take an unscheduled furlough to raise the support we would be lacking, but our fears were ungrounded. Rose worked as a nurse and Ed helped his son start an advertising agency. They never missed a month of their giving! TWO WIDOWSAlthough ten years older than us, Ruth certainly didn't look it. Once, her daughters spent Sunday afternoon with another church family who had children their ages. The father brought them back for the evening service and when he saw Ruth, he stated, "I don't know where they get it from, but your daughters sure are beautiful!" Ruth looked at us and said, "Should I be flattered or insulted?" She once told Verna that she had been my Sunday School teacher and added, "I was convinced that nothing good would ever become of Ralph.“ Then she blushed and apologized for making the statement. Verna just laughed and said that she was not the first person to say that about me. We stayed with Ruth for a few days after she became a widow. Following a delicious supper, Ruth asked to be excused for a few minutes. She needed to go to the bank to get some money. We also needed money, so I asked if she would be so kind as to countersign a check for us. She readily agreed and I rode with her to the bank just in case there were any questions. At the drive-in window, Ruth placed her check in the tray and said to the teller, "Ralph would also like to cash a check. I counter-signed it." The teller smiled and nodded. Ruth took the money, handed me my share and said "good bye" to the teller. As she drove away, the teller called, "You two have a nice evening!" Which reminds me of the time our Pastor and his wife were traveling with another couple to Florida. About midway, they stopped to purchase a few things in a shopping center. The pastor's wife and the husband of the second couple arrived at the cash register together and laid their purchases on the conveyor belt. The cashier saw them chatting and asked, "Are you together?" to which the pastor's wife replied, "Oh no; we are just vacationing together." Marion is another close friend and widow from our home church. She has often opened her home to us and when Becky got married, she drove her "creampuff" Oldsmobile 98 to the Newark Airport and left it for us to use. The Bible tells us of the "widow's mite" and we have often experienced the "widow's might" from friends like Marion. We encouraged friends and supporters to visit us in Austria, but only a few came in nearly four decades of ministry, so we were delighted when Marion and Ruth decided to travel to Austria for a visit in 1992. In order to understand how special that was, I must back up and provide some additional information. The two women were as different as anyone could imagine, but they got along quite well together. Ruth was a petite town person while Marion was a typical robust farmer type. They of course knew each other from church, but outside of church, their paths seldom seemed to cross. It was my craving for chicken pot pie that got things started. Americans are all familiar with chicken pot pie, but they may be thinking of different dishes. In most of the nation, chicken pot pie is chicken baked in a pie tin with a pie crust, but in South Jersey, pot pie is made differently. Dough is rolled out and cut into strips which are then cut into smaller squares. The dough pieces are cooked in a pot along with the chicken. Verna was from northwestern Pennsylvania and not familiar with the New Jersey style pot pie. On one of our furloughs, I mentioned Verna's culinary deficiency at a chuch function and both Marion and Ruth offered to teach her how to make pot pie. A date was soon agreed upon and it was decided that Ruth's house would be the training ground. The three ladies had a great time in the kitchen and I got my fill of the best pot pie ever! Once Verna agreed to cook for a church group of 40 persons, but couldn't find kitchen help. On impulse, she thought of Marion and gave her a call. She was taken by surprise, but soon agreed to the challenge. We promised to give her a scenic tour afterward. Instead of 40, over 80 persons showed up, but the ladies had no problem feeding them all! When Ruth heard about Marion's experience she thought it would be nice to make the trip herself, but she was hesitant to fly alone. Marion suggested that they both fly to Austria. They arrived at the Vienna Airport September 18, 1992 and we drove three hours each way to pick them up. As we passed a city located near the Autobahn, Verna pointed to the city and said, "That is Enns, the oldest city in Austria." The ladies gave a report on their travels in church after returning and Ruth told the story like this: "Now I know why Ralph went to Austria. He can drive as fast as he wants there without getting a speeding ticket. We were traveling down the Autobahn and Verna showed us the oldest city in Austria like this." Ruth then made a broad sweep of her hand to show how fast we were moving! The ladies happened to arrive a few days after we signed rental papers on a house in Frankenmarkt. They helped us get the place ready for occupancy and one of their jobs was rubbing glue off a wall in what would be my office. Two walls had been covered with a Styrofoam-backed plastic tile for insulation but it looked absolutely horrible. The tile came off easily, but the silicon glue proved to be quite stubborn. Four of us worked two days to get the stuff off what became known as our "Wailing Wall.“ After our first day touring the countryside, Ruth exclaimed, "Thank you for a wonderful day! We really enjoyed every minute of it!" Marion responded in her own manner, "Speak for yourself, Ruth!" Ruth looked shocked and asked, "Didn't you enjoy it?" to which Marion responded with a grin, "Sure I did, but I can say it myself!" DR. PROFESSOR WALTER VON LIEBENFELSSThere were also people in Austria that left impressions on us. I will conclude this chapter by naming a few. It was in summer, 1978 that we helped in a family camp in the southern part of Austria. A number of those in attendance were not the church-going type of people, so we were praying that they would not only enjoy themselves, but also understand what it means to be a true Christian. One couple immediately caught our attention. The wife was only 35 and the husband a 75-year-old retired University Professor. After his first wife died, he married one of his students and they now had a daughter of seven. The wife got involved with a group of Christian students, who met for Bible study and was soon saved. Her greatest desire now was that her aging husband would also become a Christian. When they arrived at the camp, it didn't look very promising. While the others enjoyed swimming and hiking, he sat in the shade and read his books. He attended one or two of our fellowship times, but decided that he had had enough of “this religious nonsense.” On the second day at breakfast, his wife said that he wanted to return home. Although the professor was twice my age, I realized that I was the next oldest person at the camp! I decided to try befriending him. He was sitting under a beach umbrella when I approached him. He returned my greeting politely and continued reading, obviously not desirous of engaging in a conversation. I apologized for interrupting and said that I was curious to know what he taught at the university. He replied in a manner which clearly stated, "I answered your question; now please leave me alone!" His reply, however, gave me a glint of hope. He said that he taught art. I said that Verna and I had met in an art gallery where we both worked. He laid his book aside and asked, "What art gallery was that?" I explained that it was a university gallery in America which he had probably never heard of, but it contained many fine original masterpieces by well known artists. He asked me to sit down and started pumping me with questions. I was amazed at how easily the names of artists, works and periods came to memory after being away from that environment for 15 years. The professor was now sitting upright and listening with great interest. An hour later, we were still deeply involved in conversation when someone called us for lunch. He made me promise that we would continue our conversation later. During the next couple of days, I spent little time in the water and much time talking about art. I learned much from him, but I was also able to explain a few things that he had not known or considered. I explained, for instance, how important religious art was in the early Christian era and throughout the middle ages, when there were no printed books and handwritten manuscripts were rare and costly. Because few people could read and Catholic mass was in Latin, the only gospel that most of the common people ever received was in pictures. I named several famous works including the Altmannsdorfer Altar in the Monastery of St. Florian as examples. He was familiar with the painting, but not what I said about it. There are reports of people falling in tearful repentance before such paintings and yielding their lives to Christ. I also said that a number of church traditions which I disagreed with had originated in the imaginations of painters. Once their explicit and livid depiction's were on canvas or panels, it was difficult to refute them as false. He laughed heartily when I mentioned that the Bassano brother's paintings usually had someone in the foreground with his or her backside turned toward the viewer. There was no more talk about leaving and Dr. Liebenfelss even attended all the meetings, listening intently to the Bible messages. On Friday evening, he gave his life to Christ. For the final two days of camp, he spent nearly every minute reading the Bible. He was like a little child when he came across a new truth. He just had to share it with someone nearby, "Did you know this?" he would begin, and then share what he had learned. The Liebenfelss family lived in Graz on the opposite side of Austria, so we were only able to visit them about once a year. On our first visit, he said that he wished he had found the Lord much sooner and not “at the end of his life.” But God allowed him to live a healthy life for another 25 years. He and his wife hosted a weekly home Bible study group and Walter (we were soon calling each other by our first names) even wrote his autobiography. His health had begun to deteriorate when he reached his one-hundredth birthday, and he passed into the presence of his Savior at 104 years of age! A PRIEST AND A MANAGERLeonding is a growing suburb of Linz and one of the places where Adolf Hitler spent his youth. At Hitler's annexation of Austria, he visited his former home in Leonding and placed flowers on the grave of his parents in the church cemetery. Hitler had grand plans for Linz. His Third Reich would be too large to be ruled from just one center. Berlin was selected as the northern capital and Linz was to become the southern capital. In 1972, the Roman Catholic Church warned its people not to attend evangelistic meetings that we were conducting. The priest of the church of Leonding, Pfarrer Josef Holzmann, decided to attend one of the meetings in order to be better informed. He became interested in what the evangelist said and remained to talk with a counselor. The man who counseled with him was Dr. Eduard Ostermann. Ostermann was Director of Austria's largest industry, the internationally renowned VOEST steel mill with more than 50,000 employees. Dr. Ostermann had only recently been converted following a visit in Washington, DC to meet with Robert McNamara, President of the World Bank. He noticed a bronze plaque on the door of his hotel room, stating that Dr. Billy Graham had slept in that room. He had never heard of Billy Graham and gave it no further thought until he went into a drugstore to purchase a toothbrush. There was a book rack next to the cash register and he noticed the book Peace with God, by Dr. Billy Graham. Ostermann bought the book and read it on his return flight to Austria. At some point over the Atlantic Ocean, he prayed, committing his life to serve Christ. Ostermann immediately began to share his new faith with everyone he met. Soon, his wife and children were also believers. I first met him at a prayer meeting, seated next to a Yugoslavian migrant laborer. He insisted that all who were believers were his brothers and sisters in Christ. We were to address him by his first name without the title. Ostermann counseled and prayed with the priest Holzmann, who gave his life to Christ and committed himself to serve and preach the gospel of Jesus Christ faithfully. Holzmann began immediately to re-examine every aspect of the church and his ministry in the light of Scriptures. It was not long before members of his parish noticed a difference. Most were happy about the refreshing changes, but a few began to complain to his superiors. The Bishop was reluctant to admonish the popular priest and merely reminded him of his vows and obligations to the church. Leonding needed someone of his caliber to polish its tarnished image. Leonding was best known as the boyhood home of Adolf Hitler and his parents were buried in the church cemetery. Dr. Ostermann met regularly with Holzmann for prayer and Bible study. During one of these sessions, the men discussed their mutual concern for the youth of Linz and decided to form a "Committee for Youth Evangelism.“ The sole purpose of this committee would be to seek ways and means for reaching the youth of Linz and its sprawling suburbs with the gospel. Our youth work had become well-known in the city and the men visited me in the youth center to ask if I would be willing to serve on the committee. While I contemplated my response, the priest looked around the room filled with youth from off the streets. He stood up and gave his personal testimony and encouraged them to confess their sins and follow Jesus. Two influential personalities in the city were now devout believers and eager to do whatever was in their power to bring the gospel to youth! One was a Catholic Priest and the other a Lutheran businessman; and they wanted me to join with them in an evangelistic effort! Having attended a strictly separatist college and being a member of an Independent Baptist Church, I hesitated and asked for time to pray about the matter. We would lose financial support if the people back home even heard of such an "ecumenical" venture. On the other hand, I would not be cooperating with church organizations, but only with individuals whose personal faith and love for Christ could not be questioned. How should I respond to this request? Quite a few youth had been converted in our center and although I was not aware of it, one of them was from the Catholic Church in Leonding. Her parents became alarmed when she began to read her Bible and thank God for her food before eating. Although they seldom attended church themselves, the parents went to their priest for advice. "Our daughter is mixed up in some kind of a sect,“ they told him. "She is a good girl, but is becoming a religious fanatic!" The priest asked what the sect was called and the father replied, "She attends something called `The Catacomb´.“ "That is great," the priest replied, "You are fortunate that she is in good hands and is finally taking her faith seriously. You would do well to follow suit. I haven't seen you in church for a while." After hearing about his response, I agreed to work in the evangelism committee. We planned several evangelistic meetings and on at least two occasions, Ostermann arranged for hundreds of young apprentices at the steel mill to attend special evangelistic functions on company time! When we left Linz and returned to Ampflwang, we lost contact with the priest, but occasionally visited the Ostermanns. Our daughter, Becky, worked for them a couple of summers, caring for their horses, baby-sitting and just working around the house. DOUBLE DOCTOR DIRECTORTwenty four years later, an incident brought that experience back to memory. We helped to found a church in Vöcklabruck which needed a meeting room. Wagrain Castle had been converted into a college prep school and the large auditorium was not used on Sundays, so we asked the Director of the school, Dr. Erwin Rauscher, for permission to use the hall. He was Roman Catholic, but offered the auditorium for a reasonable price. Anne, the daughter of fellow missionaries, attended the school during the week and became friendly with the Rauscher’s two daughters. They were struggling with their English, so Dr. Rauscher asked Anni if she would help the girls. This didn’t work well because Anni spoke excellent German and the girls were reluctant to try their English on her. Dr. Rauscher asked Anni if she had any Canadian friends who didn't know German who might like to spend a few weeks with them in Austria. Andrea arranged for her cousin and another girl to fly to Austria for the Easter vacation. The girls were only 12 and 13 years old, but had vibrant Christian testimonies. The Director brought the girls and his family to our Easter service in Frankenburg. We had rented a store and made it into a Christian book store. We built all the book shelves on wheels so we could roll them against the walls and use the same room for meetings. I was doing a Chalk Talk for our Easter program and was a bit nervous when they all marched into the room and sat down. I greeted them cordially and prayed inwardly that the message wouldn’t seem too childish for a man with two doctorates, one of them in theology. Most of those attending were new believers who had little or no church background. After the service I spent an hour talking to Dr. Rauscher about our sharply differing theological views. He said that the Bible was of purely human origin and it soon became clear that he disagreed with most of the cardinal doctrines of his own church. He claimed to be an agnostic, but believed in showing tolerance for those of other convictions. I replied that in my opinion, tolerance was not a nice way to treat people. He looked surprised and asked what I meant by that statement. I said that when a person is simply tolerated, we keep them at a distance and practically ignore them. Tolerance is harsh and unkind, but Jesus commanded us to love one another - even our enemies! Dr. Rauscher said, "You talk just like my Uncle Pepi." "Pepi" is the nickname for Joseph, and I knew a number of people by that name. Curious, I asked, "Is your Uncle Pepi a practicing Christian?" His answer floored me. "He is the Roman Catholic priest in Leonding." I could hardly believe my ears. "Are you telling me that Joseph Holzmann is your Uncle?" Now it was his turn to be surprised. I explained how I knew his Uncle and also mentioned Dr. Ostermann. The Double Doctor Director grinned and said, "I was just thinking that you probably know Ostermann too. We have had some pretty heated discussions!" The Rauscher daughters spent the following summer with Andrea's friends in Canada and were positively influenced by the love and warmth they experienced. The parents said that not only had they improved their English; they were different girls! SCHOOL DIRECTOR HÖTZINGERDuring World War II, an American grenade blew the leg off a young man who later became Director of the school which our children attended in Ampflwang. Knowing this, we were a bit nervous about meeting him, but he was actually very friendly. He showed no animosity whatsoever and went out of his way to greet us. This was unusual for anyone in a Roman Catholic society, for our church was generally considered to be a foreign religious sect. One morning he came to our house, which was located across the street from the school. When Verna answered the door, her first thought was, "Oh no! What on earth have our children done!" The Director asked if I was home and Verna invited him into our living room and offered him coffee, which he politely accepted. While Verna was busy in the kitchen, he began, "I am what you might call a Catholic atheist, but am curious to know what you folks believe." I replied, "You might be Catholic, but I doubt seriously that you are an atheist." He asked why I thought that and I said that atheists were normally not interested in what others believed. For the next hour, I shared with him about what we believed. He suddenly looked at his watch and excused himself, "I must get back to my class. It begins in three minutes!" A few days later he returned to talk again. This time, I was careful to outline God's simple plan of salvation through personal faith in Christ. He listened intently and asked occasional questions. I was able to pray with him before we parted and was rejoicing in his openness for God's love. I felt certain that he would soon return, but I was wrong. The School Director suffered a stroke several days later and was rushed to the hospital. When I heard the news, I drove to the hospital to visit him. His wife and children were gathered at his bedside in the emergency ward and did not seem happy about my appearance, but they didn't appear particularly surprised either. The Director was unconscious, with tubes in his throat and arms. I greeted the family as friendly as possible and prayed briefly with them before excusing myself. The Director passed away that same night and I attended his funeral several days later. The local priest and public officials made long speeches about the School Director's many accomplishments and spoke of his faithfulness to the church. I kept thinking of his words to me, "I am a Catholic atheist." Six years after that experience, one of the Bible Institute students led a 13-year-old girl to Christ. She came to church and during testimony time, she shared her newfound faith with much emotion. She concluded with the words, "I know my Grandfather is rejoicing to know that I have become a Christian." I was curious about that statement and asked her afterwards. She looked at me with surprise and said, "Oh, I'm sorry, you probably don't know who I am. I am the granddaughter of Director Holzinger, whom you led to the Lord a few years ago." I asked where she had gotten that information. She replied, "Grandfather told the family shortly before he died!" Index CHAPTER 30 - SAILBOATSDO MISSIONARIES HAVE SAILBOATS?Having grown up by a lake not far from the Delaware River and Atlantic Ocean, I always loved the water. Swimming, water skiing and boating were my favorite pastime after cars. As a youth, I nearly always owned a rowboat, canoe or motorboat. The first boat I ever built, I named "Miss Quito." The name was appropriate for South Jersey, where early settlers from Sweden were able to make friends with the Indians, but were driven out by the mosquitoes. I once built a unique mailbox out of an old outboard motor. I gutted the engine compartment, making the gas tank into a hinged lid. I put a bright red plastic grip from a bicycle handlebar on the tiller. When folded up, it let the mailman know there was mail in the box. I then painted the motor silver and red, lettered the family name neatly on both sides, and mounted it on a post by the road next to the lake. Someone took a photo of it and sent it to "Popular Mechanics" Magazine, where it was published without mentioning the name of its inventor! Sometime later, it was stolen. I never owned a sailboat until we had lived ten years in Austria. That came about in an unusual way. We were working at a Methodist Camp on Attersee Lake, and I saw a center board, mast, sail and rudder lying in front of a service station with a "For Sale" sign on it. I asked the attendant where the boat was and he said that it had been badly damaged in a storm and had to be scrapped. I offered the attendant $50, who quickly stuffed the money in his pocket, obviously happier than I was about the sale. When we got home, I placed an ad in the local paper in quest of a boat to fit my sail and rigging. A car dealer responded and sold me his little 8 foot Tabor Yak for $100. We lived near a hydroelectric power plant on the Enns River and people sailed on the wide expanse of calm water behind the dam. I could hardly wait! For two weeks I waited for the right opportunity. If the wind blew, I was too busy and when I had free time, there was no wind. The church in Ampflwang asked me to preach on one weekend, so I loaded the boat on the top carrier, hoping to try sailing one of the larger lakes in that area before returning home. It was deadly calm and I rowed the boat for an hour hoping for a breeze. After loading it on the car, a nice wind came up to say "good bye." Winter came and soon the boat was covered with snow. Our financial situation was always precarious and when Spring came, we desperately needed money to pay bills. We had few saleable items, so the boat was first to go. It sold for double what I had paid, but this didn't cheer me much. I determined to never, ever buy another sailboat! 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:
|