We were invited to Jim and Vicky’s 64th wedding anniversary meal. Jim (grey sweater) and Harold (blue coat, black-rimmed glasses) were super-instrumental in the early days in Altamira. They helped us buy our first large boats, the first Central Church property, the airplane, and innumerable other projects. They took a long shot in investing in us as unproven young leaders, for which we are forever grateful. The man standing with the red plaid shirt and his wife beside me in the red coat were at the meetings in 1993 as we prepared to leave for Brazil.

We seek more partners to carry the work forward to the next generation of missions and missionaries.

Pastor Elmer Martens, sitting beside me, is 95 years old and has been a pastor and superintendent most of his life. He was the fill-in preacher for three months for a church just this year (Yes. Ninety-five years old). If you come to Chilliwack and go to McDonalds for coffee in the morning, you may see him talking to a marginalized person about the hope of the gospel. At one point in the evening, the man standing by Jim in a blue coat at the far end came and sat between Pastor Martens and me. I asked him how many grandchildren he had. “I don’t know how many grandchildren I have, but I have seven great-grandchildren.” Then he explained, “Elmer here knew me before I was married. He led me to the Lord, baptized me, married my wife and I, and dedicated our children to the Lord.” 

Can you imagine a group of people who stay in good relationship with one another and work out their faith together over many decades?