Kid's Club

Dave's greatest challenge is remembering the bus route for Kid's Club and Sunday School. It really is simple and there is always some child who will "follow" (go with) Dave to keep him on course. They are great!

Backyard Flowers

Dave and Helen Ann's home is set in a clearing with many beautiful plants. Obviously, a tropical climate makes flowers which are exotic to us thrive. I've posted more pictures on Flickr, but here are a few.

Oh yes, there is a spider in the garden. It is not dangerous, and it posed for at least 10 minutes while I tried every setting on my camera to get a good close-up of it. After I uploaded the picture to the computer, I was amazed at the beautiful design on its body. It is as intricate as a Persian rug.

The plumeria is fragrant and beautiful leis are made from it.

We Are Here

In the words of Dr. Mark Reighard's great parody chorus, "We are here. We are here. And because we're here, we're not there."

Thanks to Doris and Bill, we made our flight to Seattle. We took the train into downtown and had a late breakfast at Pike Place Market. Arriving back at the airport just in time, we had a good, long flight to Narita, Japan.

Since we arrived there in the late afternoon and our flight out was not until morning, we were forced to leave the airport. That was a blessing. After checking in at the hotel, we enjoyed a short visit to the garden of a nearby temple at sunset. It was beautiful!

The other blessing of the long layover was that it broke up the trip and let us rest and recover from the flight. We were also able to start adjusting to the time difference.

Since we arrived on the island (Thursday afternoon, local time), we have been having a wonderful time getting to know our hosts, Dave and Helen Ann. They are treating us like long lost friends, and we feel like we are. This afternoon is Kid's Club, so we will begin to meet the congregation.

A New Adventure

A week ago we were at our cabin in Prescott enjoying a beautiful afternoon and thinking about a summer in the pines. About then we noticed a message to call the office at the Global Ministry Center that coordinates volunteers. The conversation went something like this:

"Would you be interested in house sitting for the pastor of our church in Saipan? They will be on the mainland for a month, and someone is needed to keep the church open during that time."

"We would consider that. When do they need us?"

"June 27."

"Really? That soon?"

We quickly called some friends and asked them to pray with us. At lunch, we had been talking to our friend, Byron, who is our district superintendent, so we tracked him down again. Byron and his wife, Leanna, had lived and worked in the Asia-Pacific Region, so we wanted his advice. He promised to pray for us as we considered the opportunity.

As we were talking with Byron, Dave, the pastor, called us from Saipan to explain the situation. He and his wife Helen Ann teach in the public schools on the island and pastor a church in their home. They invited us to stay in their home and provide continuity for the congregation in their absence.

We prayed and Googled. Our only big expense would be the airfares, nearly $4000. The weather is hot and humid; that would be different from hot and dry. The language is English. The Northern Mariana Islands are a US commonwealth. Could we get everything ready that quickly? What is more important: was this something that God wanted us to do?

After more conversations and e-mail exchanges, we were convinced that we should do it. Early Saturday afternoon, we e-mailed Dave and Helen Ann to let them know that we intended to come. With the 17-hour time difference they started their Sunday knowing that we were coming. Sunday afternoon, we bought our tickets.

The race is on. To get a reasonable airfare and to get there for the Sunday before Dave and Helen Ann leave, we are flying a week from today, June 22, on an early morning flight to Seattle, then on to Tokyo-Narita, and finally, after an overnight layover, on to Saipan.

We need your prayers. This is a stretch for us: to try to help a congregation that we do not know. It is obviously also a financial commitment. If you would like to financially partner with us in meeting this need, send us an e-mail or give us a call. Look for us on Facebook to find our contact information.

A Memorable Trip

Last week was a good week of memories and making memories. Stephen's birthday was Thursday, so Pamela wanted to do something Stephen had enjoyed. He liked the San Diego Zoo so we decided to go there; and, on the spur of the moment, we invited our friends Doris and Bill to go with us.

We drove to San Diego on Wednesday. Deron met us at our hotel when we arrived, and we all went to Old Town for dinner. It was a beautiful evening. We sat on the restaurant patio by a nice fire.

Our hotel room overlooked Interstate 5 (just under the window) and the airport (about a mile away). It was the sort of room that Stephen would have loved. We didn't mind it at all.

Thursday, we wandered the zoo most of the day. We didn't feel we needed to see it all, so we relaxed and walked and talked. The flowers in particular captivated us.

In the evening, we went down to the harbor and rode pedicabs to the restaurant where we were joined by Rob and Wanda and their two kids. We celebrated Rob's birthday which he shared with Stephen.

Saturday, we drove back home and took our time. We went through Temecula and Hemet. We stopped for gas and a visit to Costco on Dinah Shore Drive in Palm Desert just to say that we had been there.

We often crave stronger memories; but at other times we are overwhelmed by a sudden, unexpected recollection. Pamela is right that we should also, from time to time, make new memories that honor Stephen and his life.

This is one.

Have a Groovy Christmas

Ask Santa for a motorcycle.
Put up the tree.
Put up the lights.
Take paper off the toys.

Give other people presents.
Eat a big lunch.
Go to the stores, and
Have a groovy Christmas.

by Stephen with help from his music therapist, Sabra

My Journey with Stephen

I first met Pam and Dave more than 35 years ago when they were living in the Washington, DC area. They hosted Bill and me and our three children for dinner in their home even before they had Stephen. That invitation started a life-changing journey for our families, and we have been friends ever since. They were brave and courageous then and still are today!

In fact, when we received the telephone call from Dave on Monday saying they needed us—we said, “What a way for Stephen to go. He went to sleep and stepped right into the arms of Jesus.” We immediately went to their home and breathed a prayer of thanks that we were here in Arizona to share in their pain at “such a time as this.” Maybe God knew their needs when our house sold so quickly in Ohio and we were able to recently move out here.

Our entire Washington, DC, Church of the Nazarene family is greatly saddened by the news of Stephen’s sudden passing. Now, from different areas of the world, they send their condolences to you—Pam, Dave, Jeffrey, Kristen, Darien and Crysta, plus all of you extended family members. Two of these couples are here today. We were privileged to know Dave’s mother, as well as Pam’s mother and father. When our mutual friends have asked about how you were doing, we’ve responded, “They are doing just like they have lived their lives every day—faithful and on a firm foundation!”

In 1979, their lives changed significantly with the birth of Stephen.

A couple of years later Jeffrey was born, and I had the privilege of taking care of Stephen while Pam was in the hospital for Jeffrey’s birth.

Our church family prayed unceasingly when Stephen underwent life-altering surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. He was one of our children, and we all shared the pain. God intervened and touched Stephen, and his life was extended beyond what doctors predicted.

When Jeffrey was diagnosed with meningitis, I met Dave at Fairfax Hospital and, again, took Stephen home with me. Once again our corporate prayers were answered as Jeffrey fully recovered. His big brother Stephen loved Jeffrey more than he could ever express. That love was mutual. Stephen always looked out for Jeffrey! When people were passing out give-always, Stephen really didn’t care if he received one, but he made sure he got one for Jeffrey. Jeffrey, we love you, and are so happy to see you and Kristen, Darien and Crysta here today, during such difficult circumstances.

As many of you know, Stephen was an avid collector—cars (he only had thousands of them). He would sit for hours and watch cars go by. At the Prescott Camp Meeting, Stephen shared cars of every color and shape with our three grandchildren. They are obviously very special grandchildren or they would have never been permitted to play with Stephen’s vehicles. Just a few weeks ago, when our five-year-old grandson was coming to our home to see Stephen, he brought him five more cars! Last Monday, Stephen’s assignment was going to be to write Justin a “thank you,” but instead, Stephen had a life-changing event! I’m sure he’s completed our Justin a perfectly hand-written note while sitting at the feet of Jesus.

Stephen liked action! He got excited over “Love Bug” and “Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade.” You see, these movies and others were filled with non-stop action and really kicked up the dust. I wouldn’t be surprised if he has been dubbed Heaven’s Number One Nascar driver, or as a Nazarene I’d like call it the “Naz”car award!

Nearly any place you saw Stephen, he would be wearing his favorite baseball cap of the day. This was another one of his collections. Stephen also enjoyed bowling and football! Being from Washington, DC, home of the Redskins, he is now resting on his favorite Redskins’ pillow and sheet! He had an “eye” for photography and often encouraged his Mom and Dad to take pictures of unique sights.

Stephen enjoyed school and developed close friends at Young Life Capernaum, a segment of Young Life that serves young adults with special needs. What a blessing for him to be involved with such an outstanding ministry that supported him and countless other special young adults.

As always, God paved the way for Stephen when he went to Ecuador with his parents in missions work. A young man immediately saw the God-given potential Stephen had and mentored him in such ways that Dave and Pam knew their assignment was of God. Little is much if God is in it! And Stephen was abundantly blessed in Ecuador.

I asked our friends Merritt and Judy what I should share about Stephen. They immediately said, “Stephen loved to sing.” Stephen and Jeffrey were always involved in the children’s music. Jeffrey played the saxophone at camp meeting and in the church orchestra; and in recent years, Stephen took guitar lessons.

Evelyn recalled Stephen as a little boy as she tried to get him to go to sleep at her home. Living on the hill above Reagan National Airport, Stephen had more important things to do than sleep—he had his very own highway of fast cars outside the huge picture window to keep him mesmerized. Not to mention the airplanes taking off and landing right before his eyes! What entertainment!

Stephen liked to play with his friend Timmy who was also born in 1979. Timmy’s mother remembers how she always cherished seeing the joy Stephen brought to his Mom and Dad.

Stephen was a cooperative traveler—wherever his Mom and Dad went, he joined them. We’ve visited each other numerous times in Virginia, Arizona, Ohio, and Massachusetts where my husband gave Stephen another baseball cap, albeit a very special Eastern Nazarene College one. We fans are confident that he’s probably wearing a Red Sox one right now! How heavenly!

Bill and I team taught a young couples' Sunday School class in DC First Church; Pam and Dave were members of the class, and for a number of years they taught classes for children. The family was not only faithful to Christ and the church, but they were faithful disciples in bringing others with them. Their automobile always had room for one more. Stephen and Jeffrey were always there with them as they served and participated in the church, doing whatever was needed. When anyone asked us about them, our description was and still is “faithful servants and true friends.”

Bill and I count it a privilege to have been here in this church with Pam, Dave, and Stephen just two weeks ago. Stephen brought joy and envy to all of us after church as he most thoroughly enjoyed his pancake brunch! His sensitivity to others was a gift from God as he almost offered to share his most-cherished pancakes with us. Stephen’s joy was elevated when he had pizza, Pepsi, and crushed chocolate brownie toppings.

A friend that I met recently through a Bible study is praying for you and wanted you to have this poem titled, “To All Parents” by Edgar A. Guest.

[Doris read the poem.]

As we are mourning the passing of Stephen, Pam and Dave are confident that “God has a plan.” Stephen’s passing is part of that plan. Now Jeffrey, Dave, Pam and all of us must all pick up where Stephen left off.

Our Heavenly Father’s words describe Pam and Dave so fittingly, “Well done thou good and faithful servant, you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many” (Matthew 25:23). The same can be said of Stephen. He has been victorious in fighting the good fight! Like his thousands of cars, “He has won the race!”

Our dear friend Evelyn so effectively summed up Stephen’s passing, “I feel anxious to meet the ‘real’ Stephen. I have an idea what was inside him, but it was locked up pretty tightly.” May we all look forward to the day when we, too, will be privileged to meet a new and victorious Stephen.

Doris presented these memories of Stephen at his funeral.