A Big Milestone Birthday Coming Up
October 28, 2024
In just three months, I hope to reach the milestone of living 80 years on this planet. Back in my younger days, I never expected to live this long. I was living life fast and hard, pretty much day by day without much thought about what the longer-term future might bring. I was also quite selfish back in those days, living for my own pleasure and benefit. I remember thinking that my life was pretty good. I was a well-respected physician, chief of staff of the hospital where I worked, and made an excellent income. I owned a beautiful sailboat, a corvette, and a nice home South of Grand Ave. in Des Moines. For the most part, I had achieved all my goals but deep inside there was a hollow empty feeling that I could not fill.
Forty years later, I’m able to look in the rearview mirror and see that I made some bad choices when it came to the important things in life. I have always had a passionate hard driving personality, which led to my success in achieving my goals. One of my first goals in life was to be a physician, then it was to be the best physician I could be, next it was to make the most money that I could and to be well respected in my profession. My appreciation of family and family values was way down the list of what was important. I did believe God was real back then, I attended church, but He was not a very important part of my life.
My life superficially seemed good, and I had no interest in a deeper relationship with God.
But fortunately, my father-in-law Del Cramer, who I dearly loved, convinced me to go to a Promise Keeper event with him at the Viking’s stadium in Minnesota. It sounded like a pleasant way to spend a guy’s weekend, so I joined him and one of my brother-in-law’s. I had no idea of what the impact that event would have on my life.
I once thought I was a success, but I had failed at what truly mattered in life. I've made mistakes—some so significant that I’ll never share them with another human. Now, I live each day striving to love and serve God, driven by the overwhelming forgiveness He offered me despite my sins. The Bible says, “To whom much is given, much is expected,” and I understand that deeply. Not everyone falls as far as I did, yet I’ve been forgiven, and that’s why I’m so passionate about serving now.
I truly enjoy my life now as a missionary in Africa helping young children learn what it took me 50 years to comprehend. I feel so blessed to be able to do ministry with my wife and son and his wife who will carry on this ministry long after I am up in Heaven celebrating with God.
I now realize that this earth is not my home. I am a resident of Heaven living as a foreigner here. Having lived in Africa for the past 20 years, helps me have a better understanding of the reality of this fact. I am reminded every day that I am a foreigner living in Africa. I love this land, but it is not my true home.
In honor of the milestone, I would like to invite all of you who might be able to make your way to Africa in February this year to come to my 80th birthday celebration. I usually do not care much about celebrating my own birthdays but this one seems different. Our son Dustin is working hard to complete the construction of a new church building for Pastor Johanney’s congregation. It is coming together nicely and is being constructed in the shape of a cross. We plan to celebrate the official opening of that church as part of my birthday celebration. I make my way up to the construction site every few days to pray over it. The church is being built to honor Neil Barnard, a neighbor and friend, who was tragically killed in a car accident 4 years ago. Neil and his father Danny, who is about my same age, attended the school on the site where this new church is located.
I hope to see many of you in South Africa in February. Please let me know if you are coming so that we can plan housing for you.