MICHEALS’ MEMOIRS December 2021 Update
Dear Friends and Family, When looking back on things, we can often see God’s Providential hand leading and guiding and such was the case for us this past fall. After trying for over 18 months, due to the impact of COVID 19, to report in person with people and supporting churches in the Kalamazoo, MI area, it finally worked for us to visit them! This newsletter is to let you see what we do when visiting supporters to report on our work.
October 2021 - Barb and her oldest sister Jan
Visiting Barb’s Sisters If we are near family, we visit them first! So, during our visit to Kalamazoo, we were able to visit two of Barb’s sisters (Jan and Brenda). Jan, the oldest had a significant stroke a number of years ago and had been living in Virginia, but her daughter whom she had been living with them, recently moved her to Kalamazoo just shortly before we came to visit. So, we spent a wonderful afternoon with Jan, Brenda and our family. Only within the past week did we get the news that Jan’s health had deteriorated and on December 11, she passed away. How wonderful it was that we were able to be with her before her death and she met her Savior!
Barb’s family reunion with Barb’s sister Jan (on couch) and Barb’s sister Brenda (far right)
We hope these next few pages will help you see the work we often never mention. That work is visiting, reporting and thanking partners who pray and financially support our work with Wycliffe.
Harv and Ardythe Ouwinga On our travels, we visited with Pastor Harv and Ardythe Ouwinga. We overnighted with Ardythe in their home. Harv had recently moved to live in an assisted living home where we had a chance to meet and pray with him. Harv was the pastor at our home church, Second Christian Reformed Church when we came back for a furlough in 1993. He had just become pastor at our church and was there the Sunday all four of our children made Profession of Faith. After he retired from the pastoral ministry, Harv and Ardythe came to Papua New Guinea where Harv served as a mission chaplain. Over the years we kept in touch and one time in particular, Harv helped Chuck when he was struggling with fear over the raising crime at our mission center in PNG. So, it was wonderful to meet and pray together.
October 2021 - Chuck, Barb and Pastor Harv Ouwinga
Little did we know, about 10 days later Harv would pass away. We were able to be at his
funeral and Chuck was able to share with the family and friends all the ways Harv cared and helped us as a family.
October 2021 – Barb and Ardythe Ouwinga
Milwood Community Church While in Kalamazoo, one of the churches we reported at, was Milwood Christian Reformed (now Community) Church. This is the church Chuck grew up in and this church has supported us and our work with Wycliffe for over 38 years.
After coming back to Florida, we received word that this church is closing its doors. That was sad news, but how thankful we are that we were able to say thank you to the church for their 38 years of faithful support. We were pleased to visit with a number of church members who were still going to the church when Chuck was a young boy. We were also grateful we could meet with Chuck’s youth group leaders, Ron and Cathie Corstange who drove a distance to see us!
Our Kalamazoo Home Church While in Kalamazoo, we reported on our work with Wycliffe Bible Translators at our home church, Second Christian Reformed Church (CRC). This is the church that commissioned and sent us to serve with Wycliffe 38 years ago.
died in a tragic landslide in PNG (Called By My Name), we met the Gertzes. The rest they say is history as the Gertzes and this Gladwin church have been a huge encouragement and real partners in the work with us!
Before speaking at Second, Chuck preached at another church that supports us, Heritage CRC for their Missions Sunday. We met many family and friends we hadn’t seen for quite some time. Chuck thought his preaching duties were done, but he brought with him another sermon “just in case” he was asked to preach again. That turned out to be a good thing as the pastor at Second CRC the following week was called out of town for a funeral, so Chuck was asked to preach at our home church. What a joy that was!!! Chuck preached on Psalm 96. With friends Marv and Judy Gertz in Gladwin, MI.
Click on the photo to hear the sermon on Psalm 96 (starting at 27.15)
Our travels in Michigan took us to a number of other churches that support and partner with us in our work with Wycliffe (Westwood CRC and United Covenant Reformed Church). Another one of those churches (Emmanuel Baptist Church) was in Gladwin, Michigan. Our friends, Marv and Judy Gertz, members of this church, introduced us to their church’s mission committee because the Gertzes uncle (from the Gladwin area) and aunt, Walt and Vonnie Steinkraus, were Bible translators in PNG. While writing a book about this translation family who
With Pastor and Stacy Dorais - Emmanuel Baptist Church, Gladwin, MI
Visiting Chuck’s Sister and Brother & Spouses in Kazoo While in Kalamazoo (Kazoo), we visited Chuck’s sister and husband, Sue and Bruce Kramer and Chuck’s brother Bill and his wife Mari Micheals and their two sons, Jeremy and Chris and granddaughter Eleanor. It was great to catch up on things and even celebrate my Bill and my alma mater, Western Michigan University (Go Broncos!) We also managed as siblings to have dinner together at a favorite pizza place in Kalamazoo.
(L) Mari and Bill Micheals, Bruce Kramer, (R) Chuck, Barb and Sue Kramer
Barb with Eleanor and Chris Micheals Bill and Chuck Micheals – Cheering on the Broncos!
Chuck and Barb with Jeremy Micheals
Working while traveling has its challenges, but we did get to spend a few days of vacation in northern Michigan on the shores of Lake Michigan. We were even able to get to the Mackinaw Bridge and Mackinaw Island! However, between speaking engagements and visiting supporters, it was work for Wycliffe with our laptops and cell phones communicating with recruits and interns. However, not on the day the photo below was taken.
The Mackinaw Bridge in the background
Family In Grand Haven While up in Michigan we headed to the Christian Reformed Conference Grounds in Grand Haven, Michigan where Barb’s sister Brenda and her husband Mike Perton are camp directors. It was a quick visit to spend time with them and see their work. My family camped in tents at this camp, but thanks to the development work the Perton’s have overseen, this is a first-rate conference center now! We also spent a couple of days with them in Traverse City at their summer cottage. Tim and Vicki Micheals and Barb
Mike Perton on the shore of Lake Michigan
Family In Virginia Before heading back south to our home in Winter Park, Florida, we visited Chuck’s brother Tim and his wife Vicki and their daughter Tianna, her husband Patrick and their son Tobey. We had a wonderful couple of days with them. A few weeks after arriving back home, we got a call to say Tim was involved in a serious accident where his truck was totaled and he landed in the hospital for a number of days. Thankfully he is back home and recovering!
Chuck and Barb with Patrick and Tianna Jenkins and their son Tobey
Along The Way Along our journeys, we also found time to visit with a number of other friends and partners in our work. One of our stops on our way to Michigan was to visit with our grandson, Ryan Mishler. The Mishler family, who serve with Wycliffe in Germany, stayed with us this summer while they got Ryan settled into Taylor University. This is the university our son Isaac and our daughter Maria’s husband Josh attended. Since
Sally Koning and Barb
Barb and Ryan – No, that’s not our or Ryan’s car!
On our way up to Kalamazoo, we also made stops in Tennessee to see several friends from PNG and other friends from our church in Florida who recently moved there. It was great to catch up with old friends from PNG (Najars and Carpenters) and renew friendships with those who just moved (Houses, Raabs).
the Mishler family returned to Germany, we stopped at Taylor to cheer on Ryan at a soccer game and let him know we cared and loved him! One of our stops in the Kalamazoo area was the see long-time friend, Sally Koning. While visiting her at a restaurant and talking about God’s work in the world, a waitress came over and introduced herself to us to inform us that she had been overhearing our conversation for some time. She told us that she had dropped out of church and had all but given up on the Gospel, but she said that our conversation was such an encouragement to her. She told us she needed to get back to church and Sally was able to invite her to a good Gospel preaching church she attends in the area.
Ken and Cindy Najar worked with us in PNG - Ken was the accountant at the Ukarumpa store and Cindy a teacher. They now own a Christian bookstore in Franklin, Tennessee
As things drew to a close, we had a chance to pray with her and she told us it was the most blessed thing she has experienced in years. She left praising the Lord and so did we! An overnight with Mark and Bridgette House - Mark was off to work early this day
and finances this past year. We value each prayer, letter of encouragement and financial gift that allow us to continue to supply new missionaries to the Bible translation task! On behalf of the dozens of languages who received Scripture this past year and the 159 new Bible translation projects started in 2021, thank you!!! Chuck & Barb Micheals FOR PRAYER SUPPORT/OUR HOME ADDRESS Chuck & Barb Micheals 5167 Poinsetta Ave Winter Park, Florida 32792 Tel: (321) 278-2225 (C), (321) 695-0281 (B) Chuck_Micheals@wycliffe.org, Barb_Micheals@wycliffe.org With Lane and daughter Sarah Carpenter - They lived next door to us at Ukarumpa and Sarah was best friends with our daughter Rachel.
Merry Christmas In closing, how thankful we are to the Lord timing and direction on this trip and in the past year. We see God’s hand directing and delaying our visits to be in Kalamazoo for “just a time as this. How thankful we are too to see a new generation of young people receiving such excellent Biblical training like at RBC. Pray this training will bear the fruit of the Gospel going to the nations!!! So, now you know what we do to keep our ministry partners and supporting churches informed. The trip we took this fall was longer than our normal visits, but hopefully it will help you see it takes many partners to keep the work of Bible translation going! We want to take this opportunity to thank each of you who have again stood with us in prayer
TO GIVE TOWARD OUR FINANCIAL SUPPORT Wycliffe Bible Translators P. O. Box 628200 Orlando, FL 32862-8200 Marked for ‘Chuck & Barb Micheals’ ONLINE GIVING www.wycliffe.org/partner/cbmicheals
VISIT OUR OTHER WEB SITES www.issuu.com/wycliffe-cbmicheals www.cbmicheals.ning.com