My Sister Jean
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personal testimonies
The following
excerpts are from a letter, given recently to my sister, Phyllis, from a friend
of our family. She was a teenager during the years that our dad pastored a
group of Native Americans in Oneida, Wisconsin. The lady’s father helped Dad in
that work. The letter was written to this friend by our sister Jean, just a few
months before Jean went to be with the Lord in 1957. She had acute leukemia and
was 18-years-old. She graduated to her heavenly home shortly before she would
have graduated from high school. The letter came to Phyllis about the same
time, I think, that she received the document from our neighbor with Dad´s
testimony, which I have recently posted on this blog.
If you have
read, What Our Hands Have Handled, you
know a little about Jean´s story and also about how the Holy Spirit was moving
in that area in a powerful manner. I have never experienced anything like it
since. The Lord allowed Jean to profit from those days, before her home going.
If you have not read What Our Hands Have
Handled, you certainly may do so. Please let me know. Some have shared how
they were blessed through tears of joy and sadness by reading the book. The
comments have been many. It has been translated into Spanish, German, Romanian,
and, as I write, the book is at the printers, having been translated into
Bulgarian.
I am not
writing this, however, to push my book, although as I infer, I believe it would
be a blessing to you. No, I just want God’s people to know that we have a
Friend, who sticks closer than a brother and takes us through valleys, where no
human friend can be at our side. Please be sure that you have that Friend… the
Friend who died in your place and will be at your side, when you die. You will
never have another like this one.
December 21,
1956
Dear E….,
Satan sure tries to discourage a person. It´s
wonderful to have Someone to look up to at times of discouragement. I´m sure
thankful to have a Heavenly Father to call upon when we need help.
I´m in Cass Lake now and sure having a good time.
Went to Prayer Meeting Wednesday evening and the church basement was packed.
Revival is really breaking out here and souls are being saved all over Cass
Lake, besides people who are being healed.
All I´ve been doing since I´m home is baking
Christmas cookies and fruit cake, etc. Tonight some of the people from the
church asked if I would help them sing over at the hospital. I can´t wait to go
to do something for my Lord. He has done so much for me and I want to do
anything that he wants to be done in my life.
Oh yes, I have to tell you some more about the Prayer
Meetings. In the middle of Prayer meeting, my sore throat went completely away.
The people sure praised the Lord. I sure think it’s time we wake up and live a
life to please the Lord.
Oh, I just could write on and on, but have other
letters to write so better close.
Love & prayers,
Jean
It must have been in June of 1957, when Phyllis wrote
to the same friend: Jean asked Mother if
her bed was made. Mom opened it and she went in. She was
blind then. She got pains
in her head once, but they prayed for her and they left, so she didn’t have
pain any more… Towards the end on Sunday, she looked up at the ceiling a few
times and smiled. Mother, Dad and Mrs. Bunker heard music in perfect harmony
about an hour before she died and thought a radio was on. No radio was on. She
opened her eyes wide, then shut them.
It was a
wonderful funeral service. Earl Quesnell spoke. A trio sang, “It Will be Worth
It All” (when we see Jesus) and “When I Lose My Life, I’ll find it Lord in Thee”.
A soloist sang “How Great Thou Art”. The Swanville High School got a bus and
her classmates were all there. On Memorial Day, we watched the parade, where
Jean would have been marching. She graduated into heaven instead of out of High
School.
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