I didn’t post anything yesterday because I was busy. I flew home from Baltimore arriving mid-afternoon. Then, Cheryl and I went to the dinner theater last night to celebrate our 38th anniversary. Yes, 38 years! That doesn’t seem possible.
Recently, I posted a picture of my assistant Emily so that some of you could know who she is and what she looks like. When I did that I resolved to put up a picture of Cheryl one day soon since there are some of you who are not familiar with her either. Knowing our anniversary was coming up, I decided that would be a good time to do this.
Cheryl and I met on the way to youth camp when I was getting ready for my junior year of college and she was … well, several years younger. She still is. Born in California, she was raised in Valley Center, Kansas and came to faith in Christ at a young age through the influence of her church and family. Not long after we married in 1970 we were on our way to Central America. Our oldest daughter had just turned 3 and our youngest was 5 weeks old. We drove in a Volkswagen van with all our possessions from Kansas City to San Jose, Costa Rica. We spent a year there, a year in Managua, Nicaragua and then eight years in San Salvador, El Salvador. Moving from country to country while learning a language and raising a family is not easy. Add to that raising two little girls in the middle of a very fierce civil war and you can get an idea of the type of lady she is.
When I meet visitors in our International Visitor’s Suite on Sunday mornings, some ask where my wife is. For over 20 years she has taught in the four-year-old class. For the same length of time she has coached a girls tee-ball team in our youth league. She does video work on Wednesday nights during our Spanish Bible study and helps teach the Tapestry Bible study for women every other Wednesday morning. She also keeps busy taking people through the Directions study and the Woman to Woman study that she helped to write. She manages to do all this while doting on our four grand kids.
Most of all, she deserves a medal for putting up with me for 38 years!
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Join me each day as I share what's bouncing around in my head and heart. I wish I had time to sit down with each of you over a good cup of coffee, but at least we can thank God for blogs! Oh! I'll take the coffee, too, whenever I can!
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I absolutely agree, she is a Wonder Woman!
I’m glad to hear you enjoyed your evening. Love ya!
Congratulations!
Felicitaciones!!
I will dare to speak on behalf of all of those that Cheryl blessed with her influence down here in Central America. She is definitely one of a kind… a great gift from God to you and a powerful tool for His Kingdom. All of that “moving around” in Central America was well worth it.
I must say that both of you as a couple are a real blessing…
May God give you many more years to celebrate!
BTW… I remeber your old VW… time has certainly changed!
Julio C.
¡FELICIDADES!!!!!!!
Muchisimas bendiciones a ambos!! Qué Dios les siga usando grandemente como hasta hoy, siendo bendición a los que les rodean!!!
Jeff and Cheryl,
I remember the day you got married…Probably traveled in a yellow 69 Ford Fairlane at that time…we were in Valley Center in 66-67, my first year teaching at Wichita Heights. We attended FB-Valley Center where I think Cheryl’s family attended. We moved into Wichita and ended up at FBBC and were impressed that Cheryl’s family and the Reddings were there. We later joined FBBC. YOU folks continue to be a blessing and an inspiration. Father, bless Jeff, Cheryl and their families beyond their wildest imagination. Praise the Lord for His faithfulness through you all