Sharing My Story

Here are more short life items from the late 1970s.
* From the May-June 1978 prayerletter. Noreen Ketchum
spent two months in England to help start a British version
of Worldwide Challenge. Cindi Arauz came into the
department and I trained her to take over the managing
and design of the WWC news section. During the summer
we had a student intern work with us named Jane Wrede
from Wisconsin. I also was involved with training her.
Jane several years later returned as a full time staff and
worked on the magazine design team.

In April we had Headquarters staff training with
well-known Bible scholar Dr. Bruce Waltke a
special speaker who lectured on the book of
Proverbs. He also assisted in translating that
book for the New International Version.

* In May the Publications Department hosted
the Evangelical Press Association's Annual
Convention (at Arrowhead Springs). "There were
around 250 conferees from many Christian many
Christian publications (like Moody Monthly, His,
Eternity, Christian Life, Campus Life and so on)
assembled here. I was in charge of the committee
that made the awards displays, posters, signs and
so on. It was a tremendous time and a lot of work."

* On May 17 my former roommate Jim Winchell
was married in Riverside. I was an usher in his wedding.

* During August I flew to Seattle/Tacoma airport
where I met my mother. We then proceeded to fly
to Fairbanks, Alaska. I spent the next three weeks
or so with my brother Russ. "It was a real vacation.
I endeavored to fit into my brother's life style as
much as possible. I helped him work on building
his garage, cut firewood for his heating stoves, and
set up a booth (for selling his wood burning, space
heating stoves) at the local fair. Looking back on
the got quite a bit of work out of me."
However we did take a number of trips including
a trip down the Chena river (that goes through Fairbanks)
in a paddle wheeler, a trip to Mt. McKinley National
Park (lots of grizzly bears in their natural habitat) and
a ferry trip along the south coast of Alaska to view the
famous Columbia Glacier. My brother also took me
up several times in his Cessina 150 airplane." I had
opportunities to speak about my work to Bethel
Baptist Church who were supporters at the time.
I also spoke the junior church and gave an illustrated
lecture on how dinosaurs fit into the Bible.
Over all a great time in Alaska.

* From my Sept-Oct 1978 prayerletter. We had a
new staff man come into the WWC Department,
Eddie Maggard who recently graduated from
Louisiana Tech University. Eddie in several
years would succeed Bill Rhodes as art director
for Worldwide Challenge. "In July I had the
chance to teach the young adult Sunday School
class for one Sunday on the area of evolution
and creation. It was part of a series on
Christian apologetics. During October I was a
substitute teacher for the Senior High Sunday
School class. It was definitely a challenge
(trying to go through the book of Acts in 5
Sundays) to relate to teenagers even though
it hasn't been that long since I 've been there myself."
Also I was asked to be on the school board of
the San Bernardino Christian School at that time.
This has been mentioned earlier in this recollections.
I was even elected vice-president of the Board
that serviced a school of 136 students. I also
produced a brochure for the church, took photos
of church events, wrote book reviews for the
school newspaper and was an usher.

* During this time I was still working out on
weights at a local Gym and still doing things
with Don Franklin. During that time (October 1978)
meet bodybuilding champion Bob Birdsong
(Mr. America, Mr. Universe) who had become a
Christian along with his wife Laura. It was able
to have a ministry in his life by giving him
cassette tapes by Bill Bright and Tim Timmons
(a popular CCC speaker) on marriage. Bob
surfaces in San Bernardino for some time as
an associate manager of a new weight lifting gym.
He and his wife later moved to New Mexico
where they worked with the Fellowship of
Christian Athletes. "Bob is preparing for the
Mr. Olympia contest in September.
The Olympia is the ultimate bodybuilding title
(you have to be a Mr. World or Mr. Universe
to compete)..." Bob never won the Mr. Olympia
but he had a solid witness to other athletes
during that time.