ALUMNI PROFILE
LIFE OF SERVICE: John and Ellen’s short term mission trip in Tanzania paved the way for their sojourning career across North America.
Some people at their stage of life would consider slowing down. But not these two. “Just because you turn 65 and retire from the secular world doesn’t mean you have outlived your usefulness,” says John. When they realized there was nothing keeping them in Iowa, they began looking for a new opportunity. After a short term mission trip to Tanzania, they decided the mission field was their next step. They
“All you need to do is have the faith to say, ‘There’s a need. I’m going to go take care of it.’” sold their home and bought an RV. They are now in their fifth year of touring the country as full-time Sojourners. The Sojourners are a group of mostlyretired Christians who travel far and wide in their RVs doing service work. Their goal is national evangelism. Upon request, the Sojourners travel to smaller congregations of the churches of Christ, as well as children’s homes, schools, and Bible camps. They seek to strengthen these
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organizations and to encourage, instruct, teach, edify, and evangelize those that they serve. “There are some amazing adventures to be had doing this,” says John. “We get a real boost out of it.” So far, they have traveled mostly in the North Central states and Canada. They are eyeing Alaska for next summer. They say they can’t pick a favorite place that they’ve served in the last five years--there have been so many wonderful experiences--but some of the most meaningful have been their times at children’s homes. Some of these kids come from horrendous circumstances, says Ellen. Often, they’ve been abused, neglected, and abandoned. Some have had run-ins with the law. Some struggle with addiction, others violence...and still, “They just have a deep need for someone to listen to them, be with them,” says John. “To hug them,” adds Ellen. “We are like grandparents to them,” she says. “God works through us to show them that people care,” says John. The Lucases recently returned to YC. John no longer looks like Elvis and there are few that would now tell Ellen she could do better. They were here to enjoy a reunion with their classmates from the 60s, but their visit was more than a walk down memory lane.
Annually, the Sojourners have convened on the York College campus to paint, landscape, remodel, make repairs and beautify campus. For the past three years, John and Ellen have served as leaders for the team of volunteers. John says that in addition to the love of Christ that they are always seeking to express, he hopes that their experience is a testimony of another sort. He wants
people to recognize that no matter what age you are, when you are called by God to fill a need, he will also prepare you for the work and will provide for you every step of the way. All you need to do is have the faith to say, “There’s a need. I’m going to go take care of it.” “It is impossible to measure all the different ways God has blessed us throughout the years since we were students at York,” says John. “He gets the credit for all that has been accomplished as he works through us.” lll