Whither the Auto Industry?
observed by Torrey H. Brinkley
Much has changed in a short amount of time for the auto industry in the USA.
--A number of nameplates may disappear from the US scene (Saab, Saturn, Pontiac and Hummer are rumored to go away or be sold).
--Several major auto plants will shut down, even if for a temporary period.
--Even dozens of national newspapers are shutting down their presses because of lack of advertising revenue from auto-related businesses & customers.
--Hundreds of auto dealerships are slated to close soon.
--Thousands of car company & dealership employees will soon be out of work.
--Millions of car sales have already been lost this year, due to the bad economy, loss of jobs for many, and bank loans that disappeared for potential customers.
--Billions of dollars in equity have been lost when General Motors stock plummeted from a high of $42, not that long ago, to 75 cents on May 29, 2009.
--Years worth of good-will, long-term relationships, and product loyalties will evaporate if car & truck models are wiped out.
Much of the media criticism of the automobile industry has been muted recently, as daily reporting on the potential changes seems to boggle the mind. For too long, environmentally-protectionist critics have poked fun at large gas-guzzling trucks and SUVs marketed, bought & driven on our millions of miles of highways. But, these vehicles were needed to haul people, products and equipment, that have supported our active, busy lifestyles in this land. When jobs were lost, in important fields like construction & transportation, then it seemed cruel to criticize those who could no longer go to work in their pickup & delivery trucks.
How ironic that interest and technological advancement in the modern automobile has never been greater than right now. Chevrolet was thrilled to have a new Camaro ready for introduction this very month. Dodge was proud to have a new Challenger sporty car in its showrooms this past year. Ford has revised its Mustang sporty car again for 2010 (its 45th year of continous production). Each of the major US manufacturers had done a big upgrade in design & quality of the major pickup trucks (Ford F-150, Dodge Ram and Chevy Silverado), since they've been among the top 3 selling vehicles in the USA for the last 15 years.
Fewer media analysts have attacked the housing industry, since homes don't crowd our roadways, guzzle gasoline, or get involved in crippling accidents. Yet, houses use up valuable resources, take up much land space, and have been partially responsible for the major national financial crisis (very high demand for bigger & better homes fueled the frivolous lending practices that got us into the mortgage meltdown at all the banks & lending institutions). Way too many folk were dependent on the home-construction industry for employment to build way too many homes, condos, and apartment complexes. Those builders, the bankers who provided the loans, & realtors are now without gainful employment.
Some serious questions need to be addressed before things get better, and before our car-truck makers get back on their feet:
+Will Obama's Government Motors (the new GM), Fiat buying out Chrysler, and odd international firms picking up other assorted auto nameplates be the answer for what ails our transportation economy?
++if the Democratic-controlled Congress forks over billions of dollars to banks & financial institutions (who were poorly managed), why can't they force them to lend money to consumers who need to replace aging cars & trucks, instead of just sitting on that money?
+Will an emphasis on high speed rail service fix the people-moving operations in the USA, since nationally few people (percentage-wise) ride our trains, that never can go door-to-door anyway?
+Can blended fuels be good for our economy, when ethanol gas is destroying many internal combustion engine parts?
+Will the few models of complexly-engineered hybrid cars help the economy, when they cost 30% more than conventional cars?
+Do you wish to be the one to buy a new $5000 to $10,000 battery for a used Prius?
+If our environmentalists scream at tossing old TVs, computer parts and lead paint buckets into our landfills, what will they say about huge, tired-out, complex car batteries?
In the meantime,
....Has anyone convinced you to go buy an 8-foot long Smart car for $27,000?
....Can you see yourself driving an odd Nissan Cube, for $18,000 (check out some photos)?
....Why did you not sign up yet to buy the Ford Escape Hybrid for $35,000?
....Did you replace your old $12,000 used pickup with the new super-long $55,000 Toyota Tundra?
....Do you think the new $90,000 Audi R8 sports car is pretty at all?
....If you had the money, would you throw $400,000 at the frankly ugly Rolls Royce Corniche convertible?
Just checking to see if the modern automobile scene makes as much sense to you as some of Hollywood's far-fetched movie plots (cement trucks turning into monster Transformers that attack people, old museum artifacts that come alive, and Vatican secrets that have been conspiring against the world for 500 years)?
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Sunday, April 12, 2009
FIND A NEED, THEN FIX IT
Memorable Church/Mission Projects
noted by Torrey H. Brinkley
During the course of several church and mission experiences, certain projects stand out as challenging, productive and rewarding. The following are listed as examples of ministry opportunities which can be undertaken by ordinary churches with ordinary resources and personnel.
1) Salt Cellar was a ministy undertaken by 4 small Colorado churches lying in the same geographic community, who individually were not able to provide for a significant ministry to the high school youth connected to their congregations. We planned one weekly youth meeting, visited each of the 4 churches on Sundays, and did a lot of extra-curricular activities. Several youth from this ministry later went on to serve as pastors/missionaries in other places.
2) Bible reading marathons were a challenge mostly presented to youth, who had either Spring Break time off, or summer free in town, or at an isolated church camp. It was easy to get volunteer adults to help chaperone the non-stop readings that took up to 88 hours to complete reading thru the entire Bible. Food & exercise & sleep were allowed for people to keep fresh ( done in Colorado, Kansas & Oklahoma).
3) Back Seat film project was initiated to help identify a need in a locality (Wichita, KS), but which could have national impact. Loneliness in society became the subject matter, and a partial TV crew was used to get interviews, hire some actors, and edit a finished project that won national awards & international recognition. The same film was translated into Spanish, and toured with a professional psychiatrist throughout the Iberian peninsula.
4) Teacher training classes for local church Sunday School teachers (& youth leaders) were accomplished using nationally prepared materials. Workshops usually took all weekend, and attendance & interest was always high. We ran these seminars in a variety of towns & cities in several states.
5) Rebuilding homes in Gulfport, MS after Hurricane Katrina seemed to be a wonderful opportunity for men to bond together, see the enormity of the tasks ahead, and then to accomplish one job after another, all the while laboring as Christ's servants to others. Scriptural teaching of Nehemiah re-building the wall of Jersusalem served as our teaching backdrop each evening.
6) Poolside ministry to searching youth in San Jose, CA allowed for youth steeped in the newly burgeoning drug/hippie culture (1969) to examine life's questions, and receive a Biblical answer from bold prophets like Jeremiah in the Old Testament and a book like Hebrews in the New Testament. Youth would bring new friends every day to sit next to the swimming pool & examine the evidence.
7) Navajo Indian Reservation in Arizona was an isolated spot to train youth how to minister to a foreign culture, with a strange language and unusual customs/religions. After doing a Summer VBS with these pre-trained teens, bonds were formed and a world vision was captured. Many participants later went off to serve in foreign countries with their Christ-centered message.
8) During Easter Week we actually super-imposed a map of Jerusalem upon downtown Wichita, KS. We obtained permission to do a drama of Jesus night- time trial right on the downtown Courthouse steps. We carried a heavy wooden cross thru city streets, along a route similar to Jesus' labor of love for us. We also held an Easter sunrise service at the banks of a river, having fish, like Jesus did with his disciples. This did attract interest from local television crews.
9) Down thru the years, summer camps have been a wonderful opportunity to get to know youth and adults alike and to offer teaching, worship, meals and exercise in either a family or youth-centered experience. We have seen many lives changed in such camps in Illinois, Wisconsin, Colorado, Oklahoma, California and Spain down thru the years.
10) Showing Christian movies had always been a meaningful evangelistic/teaching tool. We presented Billy Graham films in a downtown Longmont, CO park, as well as Moody Science films in newly opened Bible centers in some towns in Spain. Attendance, interest, and response was always more than we could have anticipated.
11) Teaching English classes (from native speakers) to Spaniards was one vehicle that we utilized to give the public something that was not available elsewhere. A variety of missionaries participated in this endeavor, and we attempted to teach young children all the way up thru university professors. We often used the Bible as one of our English texts.
12) Teaching baseball to Spanish youth was another Saturday morning activity that allowed us to rub shoulders with youth, who would otherwise never attend a church service. During a cooling off period, stories of athletes who had faith experiences in their lives were shared.
13) Outdoor music concerts in parks in Spanish cities was another way we could reach a curious outdoor crowd. Dynamic music presentations, as well as solid biblical testimonies, gave people a thirst for knowing more about Jesus. Sometimes we tied these concerts into various town fiestas.
noted by Torrey H. Brinkley
During the course of several church and mission experiences, certain projects stand out as challenging, productive and rewarding. The following are listed as examples of ministry opportunities which can be undertaken by ordinary churches with ordinary resources and personnel.
1) Salt Cellar was a ministy undertaken by 4 small Colorado churches lying in the same geographic community, who individually were not able to provide for a significant ministry to the high school youth connected to their congregations. We planned one weekly youth meeting, visited each of the 4 churches on Sundays, and did a lot of extra-curricular activities. Several youth from this ministry later went on to serve as pastors/missionaries in other places.
2) Bible reading marathons were a challenge mostly presented to youth, who had either Spring Break time off, or summer free in town, or at an isolated church camp. It was easy to get volunteer adults to help chaperone the non-stop readings that took up to 88 hours to complete reading thru the entire Bible. Food & exercise & sleep were allowed for people to keep fresh ( done in Colorado, Kansas & Oklahoma).
3) Back Seat film project was initiated to help identify a need in a locality (Wichita, KS), but which could have national impact. Loneliness in society became the subject matter, and a partial TV crew was used to get interviews, hire some actors, and edit a finished project that won national awards & international recognition. The same film was translated into Spanish, and toured with a professional psychiatrist throughout the Iberian peninsula.
4) Teacher training classes for local church Sunday School teachers (& youth leaders) were accomplished using nationally prepared materials. Workshops usually took all weekend, and attendance & interest was always high. We ran these seminars in a variety of towns & cities in several states.
5) Rebuilding homes in Gulfport, MS after Hurricane Katrina seemed to be a wonderful opportunity for men to bond together, see the enormity of the tasks ahead, and then to accomplish one job after another, all the while laboring as Christ's servants to others. Scriptural teaching of Nehemiah re-building the wall of Jersusalem served as our teaching backdrop each evening.
6) Poolside ministry to searching youth in San Jose, CA allowed for youth steeped in the newly burgeoning drug/hippie culture (1969) to examine life's questions, and receive a Biblical answer from bold prophets like Jeremiah in the Old Testament and a book like Hebrews in the New Testament. Youth would bring new friends every day to sit next to the swimming pool & examine the evidence.
7) Navajo Indian Reservation in Arizona was an isolated spot to train youth how to minister to a foreign culture, with a strange language and unusual customs/religions. After doing a Summer VBS with these pre-trained teens, bonds were formed and a world vision was captured. Many participants later went off to serve in foreign countries with their Christ-centered message.
8) During Easter Week we actually super-imposed a map of Jerusalem upon downtown Wichita, KS. We obtained permission to do a drama of Jesus night- time trial right on the downtown Courthouse steps. We carried a heavy wooden cross thru city streets, along a route similar to Jesus' labor of love for us. We also held an Easter sunrise service at the banks of a river, having fish, like Jesus did with his disciples. This did attract interest from local television crews.
9) Down thru the years, summer camps have been a wonderful opportunity to get to know youth and adults alike and to offer teaching, worship, meals and exercise in either a family or youth-centered experience. We have seen many lives changed in such camps in Illinois, Wisconsin, Colorado, Oklahoma, California and Spain down thru the years.
10) Showing Christian movies had always been a meaningful evangelistic/teaching tool. We presented Billy Graham films in a downtown Longmont, CO park, as well as Moody Science films in newly opened Bible centers in some towns in Spain. Attendance, interest, and response was always more than we could have anticipated.
11) Teaching English classes (from native speakers) to Spaniards was one vehicle that we utilized to give the public something that was not available elsewhere. A variety of missionaries participated in this endeavor, and we attempted to teach young children all the way up thru university professors. We often used the Bible as one of our English texts.
12) Teaching baseball to Spanish youth was another Saturday morning activity that allowed us to rub shoulders with youth, who would otherwise never attend a church service. During a cooling off period, stories of athletes who had faith experiences in their lives were shared.
13) Outdoor music concerts in parks in Spanish cities was another way we could reach a curious outdoor crowd. Dynamic music presentations, as well as solid biblical testimonies, gave people a thirst for knowing more about Jesus. Sometimes we tied these concerts into various town fiestas.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Traveling on 4 Tiny Rubber Tires
Europe On $5 a Day
by Torrey H. Brinkley
Yesterday was time to stop in and see what was new at the local Mini dealership. They had one vehicle all covered up in a green cloth car cover, all painted to look like a 1950s type "woodie" station wagon.
It reminded me of the green Austin Mini Clubman style van we had in 1969. We bought it used in Switzerland from a young Philadelphia guy who was leaving to go back to the States. After two months of intense studying, two of us couples took the car for a whirlwind trip down to Germany, France, England, Spain, Portugal and Italy. The silly little 2-seat parcel van, with a 850cc engine barely could get out of its own way. We generally drove on major roadways, but there were big differences between the fancy autostradas of Italy, the fast autobahns of Germany, and the pot-holed gravel roads of Spain and even Monacco at the time.
We tried to drive it over the Alps and the Pyrenees Mountains.....but it could not pull four of us over the top, so three of us got out and walked to the top of the Pyrenees. Some young guys in a tiny Honda 800cc Civic coupe (1st model) picked us up & got us up the rest of the way....to meet our friend who coaxed the Mini up the long winding hills.
Amazingly, we were able to drive the car on what is normally the Monte Carlo circuit, where they run the Formula 1 Grand Prix every year. We also drove down the Mulsanne Straight in France, where they hold the 24 Hours of LeMans yearly. We also drove on the twisty roads of Swiss Alps, where the original FWD Mini Cooper cut its teeth doing rallies in the snow. Being passed on the German autobahns by big Mercedes and Porsches going maybe 135 mph was almost embarassing . I do not remember any Ferraris that went by us at 140 mph on the Italian autostradas, but most everyone could pass us in the underpowered Mini.
It was a miracle that this humble little vehicle allowed us to get to see so much of Europe's great beauty and rich history, first-hand and close up. We were able to stop at so many wonderful historic castles, gorgeous art museums, elaborate cathedrals, and complex city centers. Actually, it's hard to remember where we parked the old buggy so we could navigate thru famous cities, usually on foot. As young-married grad school couples, we were on a tight budget and generally only spent $5 a day for food, lodging, gasoline, and sight-seeing.
The Mini also broke down in every major city in Europe, which cut into out daily expense plan. We got to see lots of sights while we waited for repairs to be done. We wound up calling the car "Ridiculous." Some auto mechanics in the Spanish dictatorship once asked us if we got this old car in a auto graveyard!! Rust holes in the floorpan allowed water to come up from the rainy roadways into the vehicle. Fortunately, we found some rubber plugs in the floor, and let the water flow back out onto the ground. Torque steer was a joke in this little car, too, even though the car did not have much torque at all. We sure could pile a lot of stuff into its box-sized shape. 4 people, 4 sleeping bags, a small tent, food & camping gear, plus our clothes went along for the 2-month ride. I think we left a few goodies behind at our school in Switzerland, which we picked up before coaxing the car back to England (its final destination point).
After arriving in London, we met up with another fellow student, whom we convinced to go back to the USA with us for the summer. We picked up next-to-new "driveaway cars" to get across the country, just paying for gasoline. Ron loved viewing everything from New York City to sunny California. He thought Pennsylvania was the prettiest state. Ron also got to go as far south as Mexico and north as Canada that summer. Afterwards, he went back to England, and continued his career as a school teacher near the eastern coast white cliffs of Dover.
Traveling back in the USA in big American cars, on broad wide highways, with gasoline at 35 cents a gallon was a far cry from our travels in highly congested Europe, where gasoline was over $2 a gallon, roads were windy, and parking was almost non-existant. We were glad, as well, to leave behind the fragile, tiny little car they called a "Mini." Now, they honor such a car in the historical murals in Mini dealerships across the world.
by Torrey H. Brinkley
Yesterday was time to stop in and see what was new at the local Mini dealership. They had one vehicle all covered up in a green cloth car cover, all painted to look like a 1950s type "woodie" station wagon.
It reminded me of the green Austin Mini Clubman style van we had in 1969. We bought it used in Switzerland from a young Philadelphia guy who was leaving to go back to the States. After two months of intense studying, two of us couples took the car for a whirlwind trip down to Germany, France, England, Spain, Portugal and Italy. The silly little 2-seat parcel van, with a 850cc engine barely could get out of its own way. We generally drove on major roadways, but there were big differences between the fancy autostradas of Italy, the fast autobahns of Germany, and the pot-holed gravel roads of Spain and even Monacco at the time.
We tried to drive it over the Alps and the Pyrenees Mountains.....but it could not pull four of us over the top, so three of us got out and walked to the top of the Pyrenees. Some young guys in a tiny Honda 800cc Civic coupe (1st model) picked us up & got us up the rest of the way....to meet our friend who coaxed the Mini up the long winding hills.
Amazingly, we were able to drive the car on what is normally the Monte Carlo circuit, where they run the Formula 1 Grand Prix every year. We also drove down the Mulsanne Straight in France, where they hold the 24 Hours of LeMans yearly. We also drove on the twisty roads of Swiss Alps, where the original FWD Mini Cooper cut its teeth doing rallies in the snow. Being passed on the German autobahns by big Mercedes and Porsches going maybe 135 mph was almost embarassing . I do not remember any Ferraris that went by us at 140 mph on the Italian autostradas, but most everyone could pass us in the underpowered Mini.
It was a miracle that this humble little vehicle allowed us to get to see so much of Europe's great beauty and rich history, first-hand and close up. We were able to stop at so many wonderful historic castles, gorgeous art museums, elaborate cathedrals, and complex city centers. Actually, it's hard to remember where we parked the old buggy so we could navigate thru famous cities, usually on foot. As young-married grad school couples, we were on a tight budget and generally only spent $5 a day for food, lodging, gasoline, and sight-seeing.
The Mini also broke down in every major city in Europe, which cut into out daily expense plan. We got to see lots of sights while we waited for repairs to be done. We wound up calling the car "Ridiculous." Some auto mechanics in the Spanish dictatorship once asked us if we got this old car in a auto graveyard!! Rust holes in the floorpan allowed water to come up from the rainy roadways into the vehicle. Fortunately, we found some rubber plugs in the floor, and let the water flow back out onto the ground. Torque steer was a joke in this little car, too, even though the car did not have much torque at all. We sure could pile a lot of stuff into its box-sized shape. 4 people, 4 sleeping bags, a small tent, food & camping gear, plus our clothes went along for the 2-month ride. I think we left a few goodies behind at our school in Switzerland, which we picked up before coaxing the car back to England (its final destination point).
After arriving in London, we met up with another fellow student, whom we convinced to go back to the USA with us for the summer. We picked up next-to-new "driveaway cars" to get across the country, just paying for gasoline. Ron loved viewing everything from New York City to sunny California. He thought Pennsylvania was the prettiest state. Ron also got to go as far south as Mexico and north as Canada that summer. Afterwards, he went back to England, and continued his career as a school teacher near the eastern coast white cliffs of Dover.
Traveling back in the USA in big American cars, on broad wide highways, with gasoline at 35 cents a gallon was a far cry from our travels in highly congested Europe, where gasoline was over $2 a gallon, roads were windy, and parking was almost non-existant. We were glad, as well, to leave behind the fragile, tiny little car they called a "Mini." Now, they honor such a car in the historical murals in Mini dealerships across the world.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Life Is Short - Make the Most of Each Day
TAKE A LITTLE TIME AWAY TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT
In the last 40 years many folk have participated in short term mission experiences that have been enjoyable. While we were serving in Spain building 3 churches, we actually did not have many real short term vacation helpers come. We had some workers who came for 2-3 yr. short term assignments. Several of them went on to do longer term mission service elsewhere later on. Such projects are generally more good for the ones who prepare, go, serve and then return home than they are of true benefit to the missionaries on the ground long term. (This writer did a research paper on this subject when studying at the Denver Seminary back in 1969).
Below is a brief listing of short term projects that were meaningful to this writer.
1) Navajo Indian Reservation in N.E. Arizona. We took a group of about 10 teenagers from our local church in 1972 and ran a Vacation Bible School for area Navajo children. We had the high schoolers sing songs, teach stories, make crafts, and play games with the kiddos. As adults, we drove around for hours rounding up the Indian children on the dry, dusty Reservation, teaching our teens, cooking & shopping, and disciplining them. Some of our teens later, as adults, went off to serve in remote mission areas such as Peru and Russia.
2) Folsom Prison in Calif. was where we went with our church baseball team. We played against the prisoners and then shared in a chapel service with these criminals back in 1966.
3) Rescue missions in Chicago, Denver, San Jose,CA and Wichita, KS were places where we went and sang, preached, and counseled with folk living on the street. As often as one preaches in such venues, it's never clear if one's words are adequate to speak to the needs of those people.
4) A big brother project in inner city Denver, called "Partners" was started by a fellow seminary classmate in 1969. We pared up with 2 black fellows in trouble with Juvenile Hall. We brought them every week to our youth ministry program in a white suburb, let them play in our church basketball league,etc. My wife and I drove these 2 guys with us to vacation one summer in California. One of the fellows later finished high school, & college, got a Master's Degree, a pilot's license, and started his own Denver realty company.
5) A former country club swimming pool was what our church bought in San Jose, CA. We spent the summer of 1969 interacting with and teaching teens around the pool. We got them involved in many Bible studies, although the Calif. scene was into drugs, anti-war protests, and rock music. There was tremendous interest in the Word noted by the thirsty youth.
6) While studying Psychology & Counseling in grad school days, this writer took time to visit Denver Pyschiatric Wards of local hospitals, including resident Mental Health Facilities. Spending time in one-on-one sessions as well as long Group Therapy meetings was grueling, painful, and yet, somewhat rewarding. Many folk hospitalized therein were of above-average intelligence.
7) We spent time interviewing many people in downtown Wichita for our film project, "The Back Seat" in 1975-76, and visiting with a lot of the homeless and alcoholics. One finds lots of needs in the center of a downtown area.
8) They were living in America but had their own world. This was an Armenian community living in Fresno, CA, and the assignment in 1978 was to go and make contact with these folk,who spoke a different language, find out their needs, and see if we could point to Christ as the Answer.
9) There was a big rainstorm that produced a flood of the river in east Wichita, KS back in 1976. We went to work on a project making a levee with the Mennonite Disaster Service. It was long into the night, but the sandbags held and the town was not severely damaged.
10) Some evangelical musicians were coming to town, and we wanted to have a good sized forum for their message to be heard back in the early 1980s. So, we went to the office of the Mayor of Madrid, Spain, and obtained permission to hold concerts in an outdoor amphitheater in this city of 5 million people. Now, almost 30 years later, one off the young people in our church realized a vision to put an evangelical radio station together that broadcast to that same city every day.
11) It was a new assignment for our mission team, back in 1985, when a few families moved to an abandoned town of hulking high rises. New contractors came in to Tres Cantos, Spain to open up apartment living after many years of neglect. Our workers went around to meet & greet all the new families that came there, share the love of Christ, and invite them to Bible studies, sports, and contact activities. Now, 24 years later, the town has over 65,000 people, and the town has donated land for a new church building for the congregation we started there.
12) Our church was not the first, nor the only group, to go help rebuild Gulfport, MS after Hurricane Katrina came & devastated whole sections of that region. But, our rebuilding trip a few years ago, with fellows from our church, was just one small part of giving people hope, showing them the love of Christ, and getting a roof over their heads.
Maybe only in Eternity will we know the results of some of these short term efforts. God bless those countless thousands of folk who give up their vacation time, their money and their efforts to make a difference somewhere else on God's big & wide mission field!
--Torrey Brinkley
In the last 40 years many folk have participated in short term mission experiences that have been enjoyable. While we were serving in Spain building 3 churches, we actually did not have many real short term vacation helpers come. We had some workers who came for 2-3 yr. short term assignments. Several of them went on to do longer term mission service elsewhere later on. Such projects are generally more good for the ones who prepare, go, serve and then return home than they are of true benefit to the missionaries on the ground long term. (This writer did a research paper on this subject when studying at the Denver Seminary back in 1969).
Below is a brief listing of short term projects that were meaningful to this writer.
1) Navajo Indian Reservation in N.E. Arizona. We took a group of about 10 teenagers from our local church in 1972 and ran a Vacation Bible School for area Navajo children. We had the high schoolers sing songs, teach stories, make crafts, and play games with the kiddos. As adults, we drove around for hours rounding up the Indian children on the dry, dusty Reservation, teaching our teens, cooking & shopping, and disciplining them. Some of our teens later, as adults, went off to serve in remote mission areas such as Peru and Russia.
2) Folsom Prison in Calif. was where we went with our church baseball team. We played against the prisoners and then shared in a chapel service with these criminals back in 1966.
3) Rescue missions in Chicago, Denver, San Jose,CA and Wichita, KS were places where we went and sang, preached, and counseled with folk living on the street. As often as one preaches in such venues, it's never clear if one's words are adequate to speak to the needs of those people.
4) A big brother project in inner city Denver, called "Partners" was started by a fellow seminary classmate in 1969. We pared up with 2 black fellows in trouble with Juvenile Hall. We brought them every week to our youth ministry program in a white suburb, let them play in our church basketball league,etc. My wife and I drove these 2 guys with us to vacation one summer in California. One of the fellows later finished high school, & college, got a Master's Degree, a pilot's license, and started his own Denver realty company.
5) A former country club swimming pool was what our church bought in San Jose, CA. We spent the summer of 1969 interacting with and teaching teens around the pool. We got them involved in many Bible studies, although the Calif. scene was into drugs, anti-war protests, and rock music. There was tremendous interest in the Word noted by the thirsty youth.
6) While studying Psychology & Counseling in grad school days, this writer took time to visit Denver Pyschiatric Wards of local hospitals, including resident Mental Health Facilities. Spending time in one-on-one sessions as well as long Group Therapy meetings was grueling, painful, and yet, somewhat rewarding. Many folk hospitalized therein were of above-average intelligence.
7) We spent time interviewing many people in downtown Wichita for our film project, "The Back Seat" in 1975-76, and visiting with a lot of the homeless and alcoholics. One finds lots of needs in the center of a downtown area.
8) They were living in America but had their own world. This was an Armenian community living in Fresno, CA, and the assignment in 1978 was to go and make contact with these folk,who spoke a different language, find out their needs, and see if we could point to Christ as the Answer.
9) There was a big rainstorm that produced a flood of the river in east Wichita, KS back in 1976. We went to work on a project making a levee with the Mennonite Disaster Service. It was long into the night, but the sandbags held and the town was not severely damaged.
10) Some evangelical musicians were coming to town, and we wanted to have a good sized forum for their message to be heard back in the early 1980s. So, we went to the office of the Mayor of Madrid, Spain, and obtained permission to hold concerts in an outdoor amphitheater in this city of 5 million people. Now, almost 30 years later, one off the young people in our church realized a vision to put an evangelical radio station together that broadcast to that same city every day.
11) It was a new assignment for our mission team, back in 1985, when a few families moved to an abandoned town of hulking high rises. New contractors came in to Tres Cantos, Spain to open up apartment living after many years of neglect. Our workers went around to meet & greet all the new families that came there, share the love of Christ, and invite them to Bible studies, sports, and contact activities. Now, 24 years later, the town has over 65,000 people, and the town has donated land for a new church building for the congregation we started there.
12) Our church was not the first, nor the only group, to go help rebuild Gulfport, MS after Hurricane Katrina came & devastated whole sections of that region. But, our rebuilding trip a few years ago, with fellows from our church, was just one small part of giving people hope, showing them the love of Christ, and getting a roof over their heads.
Maybe only in Eternity will we know the results of some of these short term efforts. God bless those countless thousands of folk who give up their vacation time, their money and their efforts to make a difference somewhere else on God's big & wide mission field!
--Torrey Brinkley
Friday, March 27, 2009
CHEERING FOR OTHERS
GIVE THEM A HAND
by Torrey H. Brinkley
It is always rewarding to see someone tackle a project, learn a new skill, take over an assignment, or become one's replacement in a task. Generally a new person can bring a fresh perspective, see a new way of doing things, or build on a foundation that was previously laid. Moses had to relinquish the reins to Joshua. David took over for Saul, the first King of Israel. Paul was glad to turn over the reins of various new churches to capable young pastors/teachers.
This writer has been privileged over the years to serve with some younger folk, who have gladly taken over tasks or started their own new ministries. Sometimes they have asked for guidance & direction. other times they needed to be led or prodded into accepting responsibilities. But what a joy to see how the Lord has led some of these folk down thru the years:
JB was a young black who had been in trouble with the juvenile court system. We took him out of his rough neighborhood, where crime & violence was commonplace, to engage with other youth to study God's Word and enjoy some wholesome activities. We even took him & a friend on vacation with us to California one summer. He later finished college, got an MBA, obtained a realtor's license, learned to fly an airplane, and helped re-develop a run-down neighborhood near downtown Denver.
DN was a high school football quarterback, who mostly enjoyed partying instead of studying. He came to our youth group from way across town, just to see a young Christian girl there. We were glad when he accepted Christ, learned to play Christian songs on the guitar, decided to go off to college, and then a Bible-teaching seminary. After doing some military service, he became a pastor of a church in Colorado and then So. Calif. Then he began service as a chaplain on an aircraft carrier to some 7000 sailors.
DH was a teenager who enjoyed jokes and pranks with other like-minded friends. Even though his family were godly people, we wondered when he would take life seriously. He finally took the challenge and would give his testimony, when singing in a newly formed youth Christian worship band at church, and on short term mission trips. He later served with Campus Crusade for Christ on campuses like Penn State, Stanford and Univ. of Minnesota. He was able to go into eastern block communist countries to share his faith. He decided to study for his doctorate in Philosophy at Oxford Univ. and now teaches ethics at a Christian university.
DS was a collegian, who asked to become our church choir director. He did a fine job, bringing his talent and great enthusiasm. When he thought about running for political office, we went together to spend a day visiting politicians in the Missouri statehouse, seeing how they blended their faith with civic duty. After graduation this fellow worked in a mortuary, and learned the delicate art of harveting eyes for transplant patients. He and his wife serve faithfully in a Kansas City church.
FD was a young boy, whose parents started to fight during his later elementary years. He came to live with us briefly while his parents decided to separate. He was silly but studious,and eventually got his university degree in Madrid, Spain. Then he went off to study at a theological seminary in Central America. He then came back to Spain,where he now pastors the little church that our mission founded when he was just 8 years old. He also has started a Christian radio ministry that broadcasts all over Spain.
CL was another young person who did not take life seriously in junior high or high school years. He still had to listen to his godly mother and teachers at church. But, after completing school, he decided to become more serious. Now he leads a worship team, with his children, at his church in Alaska, where he and his brother run a printing business.
HA was a young agnostic from an atheistic family. We spent many hours debating religion and the Bible. Eventually he came to acknowledge Christ's claim on his life. After college he married a fine Christian gal, who now owns a Bible bookstore in suburban Chicago. His daughter & her husband run a Christian coffee shop for migrant travelers in the middle east.
MF was a young collegian who needed his passions tamed. Always full of energy and ideas, he tried many financial schemes and relationships. He settled down to become a leader in his church and helps guide men who have personal life struggles. He gives many conferences in various parts of the country sharing his expertise and life lessons.
DP was a young man with very intelligent parents from 2 differing countries. He attended one of our little churches in Spain. We brought him back to the USA for a summer vacation with our family. Today he has moved up the management ladder in his employment with Mercedes Benz of Germany.
JW was a dedicated Christian young gal in a Colorado youth group we directed. She went to university and met a tall basketball player. After they married, they completed seminary training and have been serving as missionaries in Italy for over 20 years, helping plant churches and utilizing basketball as a vehicle to win others to Christ.
BS was a young collegian at work, who asked to be mentored for a season. We went over many personal and biblical topics for a year, over early morning breakfasts. Now he is our IT manager at work, is married to a lovely Christian gal, who had served with a Christian high school ministry. He helped encourage & support another classmate friend to start a college campus ministry, that shared Christ thru magic on scores at universities across America.
ST was a young collegian from a town in Canada of 50 people + cows. She came to work alongside of us, in a town of 5 million people who only spoke Spanish. We were glad for her tireless energy and love for children and young adults. Later she went back to Canada to complete her formal education. Now she and her husband have served as missionaries to poor & needy folk in Peru for several terms.
LJ was a young intern who worked with us in Spain as we attempted to start up new churches there. He was gifted enough to be accepted at medical school, but he later chose to attend biblcal seminary. After graduation he pastored a university town church, where he preached every sermon entirely from memory. Then, he was recruited to teach at a Bible college, and now serves as a New Testament professor at a Christian seminary.
HH was a young man, who had never attended church before, but who expressed interest in studying with a group of men. He eagerly soaked up most everything that was set before him to read, as he had never attended classes of higher education previously. God has used him in leading other men, attending many short term mission trips, and organizing many other missions and service projects.
God is good, and He never wants His message and relationship to end with the current believers! Who will take the mantle from you, and do a better job with the "next generation"?
by Torrey H. Brinkley
It is always rewarding to see someone tackle a project, learn a new skill, take over an assignment, or become one's replacement in a task. Generally a new person can bring a fresh perspective, see a new way of doing things, or build on a foundation that was previously laid. Moses had to relinquish the reins to Joshua. David took over for Saul, the first King of Israel. Paul was glad to turn over the reins of various new churches to capable young pastors/teachers.
This writer has been privileged over the years to serve with some younger folk, who have gladly taken over tasks or started their own new ministries. Sometimes they have asked for guidance & direction. other times they needed to be led or prodded into accepting responsibilities. But what a joy to see how the Lord has led some of these folk down thru the years:
JB was a young black who had been in trouble with the juvenile court system. We took him out of his rough neighborhood, where crime & violence was commonplace, to engage with other youth to study God's Word and enjoy some wholesome activities. We even took him & a friend on vacation with us to California one summer. He later finished college, got an MBA, obtained a realtor's license, learned to fly an airplane, and helped re-develop a run-down neighborhood near downtown Denver.
DN was a high school football quarterback, who mostly enjoyed partying instead of studying. He came to our youth group from way across town, just to see a young Christian girl there. We were glad when he accepted Christ, learned to play Christian songs on the guitar, decided to go off to college, and then a Bible-teaching seminary. After doing some military service, he became a pastor of a church in Colorado and then So. Calif. Then he began service as a chaplain on an aircraft carrier to some 7000 sailors.
DH was a teenager who enjoyed jokes and pranks with other like-minded friends. Even though his family were godly people, we wondered when he would take life seriously. He finally took the challenge and would give his testimony, when singing in a newly formed youth Christian worship band at church, and on short term mission trips. He later served with Campus Crusade for Christ on campuses like Penn State, Stanford and Univ. of Minnesota. He was able to go into eastern block communist countries to share his faith. He decided to study for his doctorate in Philosophy at Oxford Univ. and now teaches ethics at a Christian university.
DS was a collegian, who asked to become our church choir director. He did a fine job, bringing his talent and great enthusiasm. When he thought about running for political office, we went together to spend a day visiting politicians in the Missouri statehouse, seeing how they blended their faith with civic duty. After graduation this fellow worked in a mortuary, and learned the delicate art of harveting eyes for transplant patients. He and his wife serve faithfully in a Kansas City church.
FD was a young boy, whose parents started to fight during his later elementary years. He came to live with us briefly while his parents decided to separate. He was silly but studious,and eventually got his university degree in Madrid, Spain. Then he went off to study at a theological seminary in Central America. He then came back to Spain,where he now pastors the little church that our mission founded when he was just 8 years old. He also has started a Christian radio ministry that broadcasts all over Spain.
CL was another young person who did not take life seriously in junior high or high school years. He still had to listen to his godly mother and teachers at church. But, after completing school, he decided to become more serious. Now he leads a worship team, with his children, at his church in Alaska, where he and his brother run a printing business.
HA was a young agnostic from an atheistic family. We spent many hours debating religion and the Bible. Eventually he came to acknowledge Christ's claim on his life. After college he married a fine Christian gal, who now owns a Bible bookstore in suburban Chicago. His daughter & her husband run a Christian coffee shop for migrant travelers in the middle east.
MF was a young collegian who needed his passions tamed. Always full of energy and ideas, he tried many financial schemes and relationships. He settled down to become a leader in his church and helps guide men who have personal life struggles. He gives many conferences in various parts of the country sharing his expertise and life lessons.
DP was a young man with very intelligent parents from 2 differing countries. He attended one of our little churches in Spain. We brought him back to the USA for a summer vacation with our family. Today he has moved up the management ladder in his employment with Mercedes Benz of Germany.
JW was a dedicated Christian young gal in a Colorado youth group we directed. She went to university and met a tall basketball player. After they married, they completed seminary training and have been serving as missionaries in Italy for over 20 years, helping plant churches and utilizing basketball as a vehicle to win others to Christ.
BS was a young collegian at work, who asked to be mentored for a season. We went over many personal and biblical topics for a year, over early morning breakfasts. Now he is our IT manager at work, is married to a lovely Christian gal, who had served with a Christian high school ministry. He helped encourage & support another classmate friend to start a college campus ministry, that shared Christ thru magic on scores at universities across America.
ST was a young collegian from a town in Canada of 50 people + cows. She came to work alongside of us, in a town of 5 million people who only spoke Spanish. We were glad for her tireless energy and love for children and young adults. Later she went back to Canada to complete her formal education. Now she and her husband have served as missionaries to poor & needy folk in Peru for several terms.
LJ was a young intern who worked with us in Spain as we attempted to start up new churches there. He was gifted enough to be accepted at medical school, but he later chose to attend biblcal seminary. After graduation he pastored a university town church, where he preached every sermon entirely from memory. Then, he was recruited to teach at a Bible college, and now serves as a New Testament professor at a Christian seminary.
HH was a young man, who had never attended church before, but who expressed interest in studying with a group of men. He eagerly soaked up most everything that was set before him to read, as he had never attended classes of higher education previously. God has used him in leading other men, attending many short term mission trips, and organizing many other missions and service projects.
God is good, and He never wants His message and relationship to end with the current believers! Who will take the mantle from you, and do a better job with the "next generation"?
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
RIDING THAT HOBBY HORSE
Folk Who Collect are Colorful
shared by Torrey H. Brinkley
It has been fun developing a hobby over the years, where one has a chance to meet others with similar interests. Doing hobby work alone in life would be quite tedious and boring. But, everyone uses a hobby with different goals & perspectives, and often achieving different results. Look at some friends of this writer, who also share the same enjoyment of collecting historical automobile literature:
Steve K. mostly has collected Jaguar sales literature, as he also has enjoyed owning & driving older models of this British car. It took him 19 years, but he finally compiled a coffee table book of all the Jaguars ever made, with photos he captured inside & out of this famous marque.
Andy K. bought himself a 4-cylinder Porsche back in the 1960s and has kept it running & in good shape ever since. He has also gathered Porsche literature, and shared such at various Rocky Mountain Porsche events. He was privileged to run his white Porsche for several years in the Steamboat Springs auto race high in the Colorado Rockies.
Pete T. started collecting auto sales literature back in the 1940s and has amassed quite a collection of interesting folders, booklets and prestige items on nameplates from around the world. He tries to help many others obtain literature for their prized vehicles.
Keith D. is an attorney for a New York burrough, and also has been obtaining literature on various new cars for the last 2 decades. He and his wife gave up their cars, while living in the Big Apple, but the sales literature keeps him abreast of all the latest trends in the car industry.
Richard B. was an east coast transplant to the Denver area, who brought along some fine old auto literature which he started collecting back in the 1930s. Many of the nice pieces that he saved include the special automobiles which he owned & drove down thru the years.
Paul G. is a computer industry businessman, who also owns a Ferrari. He has accumulated some very nice pieces of literature on the Ferrari marque, and has become such an expert that he has been named President of the Ferrari Owner's Club in the USA. Currently he needs a wheelchair, as he suffers from M.S., but his advice on Ferraris still is widely solicited.
Robert S. left his computer customization company to sell European cars in downtown Denver. He sometimes travels to Europe and appreciates all the wide variety of cars that are manufactured elsewhere. He displays a nice collection of auto literature on his salesroom walls.
Erwin M. is a Dutch lawyer, who has had an interest in American cars for several years. He collected literature on autos whenever he could attend prestigious European auto shows from London(UK) to Geneva (Switz.). Recently, he started to purchase 1970s American land yachts like Cadillacs and Thunderbirds (in very good considiton) to show off among European friends with similar interests.
Jay K. was a salesman for Chevrolet in Texas for many years. But he also managed to accumulate much in the way of original sales catalogs. He then started selling such thru an extensive mailing catalog. Customers from around the world were glad to purchase old & newer literature from him. This also made possible many yearly church mission trips to Brazil, where Jay shared of his faith in Jesus Christ.
Gary D. owned and managed a Denver office building, but also had a passion for oddball European cars. He collected sales literature and toy models of these unusual cars, and found these easier to store, display & maintain than the actual cars themselves.
Bert S. was a New Yorker who moved to Madrid, Spain and started up a auto showroom for ex-patriots. There were many fancy European autos he had for sale, and he made sure that all his customers could see & read about the other potential offerings. So, he had made some cabinets full of original sales brochures on autos from Alfa Romeos to Ferraris to Volvos.
What do you have as a hobby? If it involves collecting something, make sure that it is lightweight, like postage stamps or feathers. Our hobby is getting too heavy for our backs as we get older.
shared by Torrey H. Brinkley
It has been fun developing a hobby over the years, where one has a chance to meet others with similar interests. Doing hobby work alone in life would be quite tedious and boring. But, everyone uses a hobby with different goals & perspectives, and often achieving different results. Look at some friends of this writer, who also share the same enjoyment of collecting historical automobile literature:
Steve K. mostly has collected Jaguar sales literature, as he also has enjoyed owning & driving older models of this British car. It took him 19 years, but he finally compiled a coffee table book of all the Jaguars ever made, with photos he captured inside & out of this famous marque.
Andy K. bought himself a 4-cylinder Porsche back in the 1960s and has kept it running & in good shape ever since. He has also gathered Porsche literature, and shared such at various Rocky Mountain Porsche events. He was privileged to run his white Porsche for several years in the Steamboat Springs auto race high in the Colorado Rockies.
Pete T. started collecting auto sales literature back in the 1940s and has amassed quite a collection of interesting folders, booklets and prestige items on nameplates from around the world. He tries to help many others obtain literature for their prized vehicles.
Keith D. is an attorney for a New York burrough, and also has been obtaining literature on various new cars for the last 2 decades. He and his wife gave up their cars, while living in the Big Apple, but the sales literature keeps him abreast of all the latest trends in the car industry.
Richard B. was an east coast transplant to the Denver area, who brought along some fine old auto literature which he started collecting back in the 1930s. Many of the nice pieces that he saved include the special automobiles which he owned & drove down thru the years.
Paul G. is a computer industry businessman, who also owns a Ferrari. He has accumulated some very nice pieces of literature on the Ferrari marque, and has become such an expert that he has been named President of the Ferrari Owner's Club in the USA. Currently he needs a wheelchair, as he suffers from M.S., but his advice on Ferraris still is widely solicited.
Robert S. left his computer customization company to sell European cars in downtown Denver. He sometimes travels to Europe and appreciates all the wide variety of cars that are manufactured elsewhere. He displays a nice collection of auto literature on his salesroom walls.
Erwin M. is a Dutch lawyer, who has had an interest in American cars for several years. He collected literature on autos whenever he could attend prestigious European auto shows from London(UK) to Geneva (Switz.). Recently, he started to purchase 1970s American land yachts like Cadillacs and Thunderbirds (in very good considiton) to show off among European friends with similar interests.
Jay K. was a salesman for Chevrolet in Texas for many years. But he also managed to accumulate much in the way of original sales catalogs. He then started selling such thru an extensive mailing catalog. Customers from around the world were glad to purchase old & newer literature from him. This also made possible many yearly church mission trips to Brazil, where Jay shared of his faith in Jesus Christ.
Gary D. owned and managed a Denver office building, but also had a passion for oddball European cars. He collected sales literature and toy models of these unusual cars, and found these easier to store, display & maintain than the actual cars themselves.
Bert S. was a New Yorker who moved to Madrid, Spain and started up a auto showroom for ex-patriots. There were many fancy European autos he had for sale, and he made sure that all his customers could see & read about the other potential offerings. So, he had made some cabinets full of original sales brochures on autos from Alfa Romeos to Ferraris to Volvos.
What do you have as a hobby? If it involves collecting something, make sure that it is lightweight, like postage stamps or feathers. Our hobby is getting too heavy for our backs as we get older.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Going The Extra Mile
Missionaries are Special People
by Torrey H. Brinkley
In a lifetime, perhaps one meets a few very exceptional people, who have an ability to reach beyond the ordinary, to conquer new frontiers, to create something remarkable, and to truly leave the customary routines of a native culture. Overseas missionaries are generally among this breed of special people. Thankfully, many such folk crossed paths with this writer from an early age, and the ties still continue with many of them.
Here are just a few who have been friends down thru the years, and who have challenged so many people with their love for people of another culture, in a far & distant land, with different life presuppositions, so that they could share the love of Jesus Christ to them.
Herb F.. was an opthamologist from Kansas, who decided to go off and serve the people of Afghanistan in the early 1970s. He developed a way of performing eye surgeries on hundreds of Afghan patients a week, in an eye center. Of course, it was hard to speak freely & openly of Christ's message of hope in a devout Muslim culture, but so many got the message anyway.
Dale W. knew that he wanted to go to an African country and teach people the Scriptures and build up the fledgling Church there. He and his wife served in more than one African country and eventually built a multi-media training center in Ivory Coast for African pastors from many countries.
Sue M. grew up in Chicago, IL with this writer, and saw the servant heart of her dear aunt, who had done missionary service. After completing her education, Sue reached across the oceans and started serving in Irian Jaya, helping translate the Scriptures into the language of these Indonesian people, also living in a large Muslim population base. She is still there almost 40 years later.
Ray P.came from a Russian province to the USA for his education, as did his wife. After graduating from seminary, he went to serve as an overseas misssionary in the Phillipines. Ray then went to do similar work in an African country (Kenya). After that he went back to the Ukraine, where he taught and helped direct a Bible school/seminary for new pastors .
Dan A. was a young husband & father, whose dad had been a missionary to the people of Mexico City. After graduating from theological schools in California, he went back to help his parents in Mexico City. Dan & his wife then came to serve in Madrid, Spain, where we were pleased to use his many talents in our work: preaching, trumpet playing and acting. He and his wife later learned a different language and decided to serve as missionaries in Germany, taking their 3 children with them.
Phil B. was one of 3 brothers in Chicago, who attended church with this author. His talent always had been music, especially playing the trumpet. After completing his education, Phil and wife Arleen went down to Guatemala,where they became Music Missionaries. They share their love of Christ thru music, performing in churches, in concert venues, and teaching in a Central American Bible seminary. Now, they do cross border work with Mexican nationals.
Barry K. was a televison engineer for Philco Corp., before going to seminary to study Greek & Hebrew. His love for the Word allowed him to reach college students at our local church in San Jose, CA. Then he taught at Multnomah School of the Bible in Portland, OR. But, the Lord called him to go help plant and build churches in the Czech Republic and other eastern European countries. He still goes on overseas teaching trips, even though he is pushing 80 years old!
Ron P. grew up on a western Kansas farm, and wound up helping plant churches in a European city of 5 million people. He took his family from there to work among the poor in a poor border town in Mexico. After pursuing graduate degrees in missions, he also has served a missions agency, overseeing personnel, and then pastoring a church in rural California.
Shirley T. came to Spain to help us in our church planting work, before even finishing college. After graduation, she got married and has gone to do missions work in Peru with her husband. Her original home town was a small town of 50 people + cows in Saskat., Canada.
Roy A.was blessed to have a brilliant father, who not only pastored, but was the head of an east coast Bible college. During the time of the dictatorship in Spain, Roy went over to help show evangelical films and pass out Bibles to folk, who previously had only heard church services & Bible instruction in Latin, not their native tongue. Authorities often threw up roadblocks for their efforts to bring the Gospel to small, closed, rural villages. After leaving Spain, Roy was tapped for heading up another evangelical missions agency.
by Torrey H. Brinkley
In a lifetime, perhaps one meets a few very exceptional people, who have an ability to reach beyond the ordinary, to conquer new frontiers, to create something remarkable, and to truly leave the customary routines of a native culture. Overseas missionaries are generally among this breed of special people. Thankfully, many such folk crossed paths with this writer from an early age, and the ties still continue with many of them.
Here are just a few who have been friends down thru the years, and who have challenged so many people with their love for people of another culture, in a far & distant land, with different life presuppositions, so that they could share the love of Jesus Christ to them.
Herb F.. was an opthamologist from Kansas, who decided to go off and serve the people of Afghanistan in the early 1970s. He developed a way of performing eye surgeries on hundreds of Afghan patients a week, in an eye center. Of course, it was hard to speak freely & openly of Christ's message of hope in a devout Muslim culture, but so many got the message anyway.
Dale W. knew that he wanted to go to an African country and teach people the Scriptures and build up the fledgling Church there. He and his wife served in more than one African country and eventually built a multi-media training center in Ivory Coast for African pastors from many countries.
Sue M. grew up in Chicago, IL with this writer, and saw the servant heart of her dear aunt, who had done missionary service. After completing her education, Sue reached across the oceans and started serving in Irian Jaya, helping translate the Scriptures into the language of these Indonesian people, also living in a large Muslim population base. She is still there almost 40 years later.
Ray P.came from a Russian province to the USA for his education, as did his wife. After graduating from seminary, he went to serve as an overseas misssionary in the Phillipines. Ray then went to do similar work in an African country (Kenya). After that he went back to the Ukraine, where he taught and helped direct a Bible school/seminary for new pastors .
Dan A. was a young husband & father, whose dad had been a missionary to the people of Mexico City. After graduating from theological schools in California, he went back to help his parents in Mexico City. Dan & his wife then came to serve in Madrid, Spain, where we were pleased to use his many talents in our work: preaching, trumpet playing and acting. He and his wife later learned a different language and decided to serve as missionaries in Germany, taking their 3 children with them.
Phil B. was one of 3 brothers in Chicago, who attended church with this author. His talent always had been music, especially playing the trumpet. After completing his education, Phil and wife Arleen went down to Guatemala,where they became Music Missionaries. They share their love of Christ thru music, performing in churches, in concert venues, and teaching in a Central American Bible seminary. Now, they do cross border work with Mexican nationals.
Barry K. was a televison engineer for Philco Corp., before going to seminary to study Greek & Hebrew. His love for the Word allowed him to reach college students at our local church in San Jose, CA. Then he taught at Multnomah School of the Bible in Portland, OR. But, the Lord called him to go help plant and build churches in the Czech Republic and other eastern European countries. He still goes on overseas teaching trips, even though he is pushing 80 years old!
Ron P. grew up on a western Kansas farm, and wound up helping plant churches in a European city of 5 million people. He took his family from there to work among the poor in a poor border town in Mexico. After pursuing graduate degrees in missions, he also has served a missions agency, overseeing personnel, and then pastoring a church in rural California.
Shirley T. came to Spain to help us in our church planting work, before even finishing college. After graduation, she got married and has gone to do missions work in Peru with her husband. Her original home town was a small town of 50 people + cows in Saskat., Canada.
Roy A.was blessed to have a brilliant father, who not only pastored, but was the head of an east coast Bible college. During the time of the dictatorship in Spain, Roy went over to help show evangelical films and pass out Bibles to folk, who previously had only heard church services & Bible instruction in Latin, not their native tongue. Authorities often threw up roadblocks for their efforts to bring the Gospel to small, closed, rural villages. After leaving Spain, Roy was tapped for heading up another evangelical missions agency.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Who Has Influenced You?
Learning Lessons in Life
Have you ever considered which persons have most impacted your life? How have you become the person that you are today? Who has instructed you, challenged you, pushed you hard, molded your character, been your friend thru good times & bad? Have you taken the time to acknowledge them, thank them and try to reward all that they have poured into you? For many of us in life, our parents have been the biggest influences, and often a spouse has supported & comforted us.
It is a special treat to read the Epistles of St. Paul, who often starts and ends his letters to churches with words of thanks & appreciation to all those who had done special things for him, and shown God's grace by their actions. He spent much time, of course, teaching & training them.....but he paid a price of imprisonment, shipwreck and hardship for his beliefs and zeal.
For this writer, thankfully there have been a multitude of special folk who have brought insights, blessings and challenges down thru the years. Just a few of them are listed below:
1) Bill L. taught me that a person can do anything, with very little. He escaped from Russia, with his mom during WW II, ala the "Sound of Music" mountain route. He put himself thru med school, and has helped his daughters & nephews also become doctors. He also has served on church, seminary, hospital & college boards.
2) Mark F. found the Lord, and has done church planting now for over 20 years, in spite of severe pain after college wrestling & a professional football career. His music, sermons & intense prayer shows his deep love of how deep & intense our God is.
3) Francis S. studied all the great thinkers of this world, ad many fine artists & musicians, & then integrated a system of showing that God's truth overpowers the foolish arguments of secular thought. His many books and movies prodded young people and churches to consider God's truth vs. secular propaganda.
4) Leith A. became a pastor who always tries to look at the big picture, and who tries to get the most out of every church staff member and person in the pew. He has authored several books, pastored some growing, important churches, and served his graduate school, and now the country's evangelical leaders.
5) Chuck W. took a simple idea of economics and spread it to all the poor corners of the world, allowing simple peasant/village people to have a dream of their own business, making it work, and seeing it grow responsibly. This economic system has the highest rate of loan paybacks that banks can imagine!!
6) Bill B., a businessman, cares so much about all his employees, and works to see that they have stable jobs, good families, and can become responsible citiizens. He opens up his home to others, when so many folk consider their personal space very private.
7) Dale W. is one who thinks of every detail of a church's life and ministry. He attempts great things for God in every little decision that he makes, and knows how to challenge others to do the same. He gave up a very successful pastorate to go serve in poor Indonesia, trying to help folk in another culture to become Christ-like leaders of their people.
8) Larry H. was a consummate professional in the news business. Yhe never wanted the focus to be on himself, but rather on others, who all had stories to tell. He always attempts at getting the full story, and to have it corroborated by at least 2 or 3 other sources.
9) Vernon G. liked to read everything that he could get his hands on, and still does, well into his 90's. He always finds some thoughts that are worth digesting, re-hashing, and even questioning. He loves to bring others into the thought process and to debate points, no matter what the subject matter.
10) Reg B. was a businessman who always liked to work hard, make the right deals, and to dream of what could be done next. Sadly, when he crashed his plane, seeing his wife & 2 sons killed in the wreck, he had to fight thru pain, injuries and tremendous loss & grief. But he still fought back to regain health, dreamt a new dream, and rebuilt his life, affecting his church, his community, and offering jobs and housing to many, many other folk.
11) Os G. grew up in the Far East, as the son of missionaries. His search for the Truth has allowed him to dialogue with and debate the great thinkers of our time. His compassion in Christ has even brought him to be called in as advisor to the President of the USA in a time of personal crisis. In reading his multitude of books, one sees that he tries to debate all of world's value systems against God's Ultimate Truth.
12) Vern C. is a long time friend, who discovered early in life that his family carried the gene for a crippling disease. Somehow, God spared him from having the illness, but yet he has lived life one day at a time, making new challenges for himself and carrying his family & friends with him in an incredible journey of things to learn, places to go visit, activities to do, and a Lord to be served.
13) Darrow M. took his humble beginnings as a construction laborer to study with some great philosophers of this age, and then to transform his studies into something very practical. Now he has shared his studies thru workshops for churches in the world's poorest countries, so that they find a village/town need, expose God's love to that situation, and work diligently to make a Christ-like difference, where folk will be attracted to the Gospel because of their action.
Can you make a list of people significant in your life and note how that has helped shape you? Even a more profound question is:
In what way are you helping influence others to grow & be better humans?
Torrey Brinkley
Have you ever considered which persons have most impacted your life? How have you become the person that you are today? Who has instructed you, challenged you, pushed you hard, molded your character, been your friend thru good times & bad? Have you taken the time to acknowledge them, thank them and try to reward all that they have poured into you? For many of us in life, our parents have been the biggest influences, and often a spouse has supported & comforted us.
It is a special treat to read the Epistles of St. Paul, who often starts and ends his letters to churches with words of thanks & appreciation to all those who had done special things for him, and shown God's grace by their actions. He spent much time, of course, teaching & training them.....but he paid a price of imprisonment, shipwreck and hardship for his beliefs and zeal.
For this writer, thankfully there have been a multitude of special folk who have brought insights, blessings and challenges down thru the years. Just a few of them are listed below:
1) Bill L. taught me that a person can do anything, with very little. He escaped from Russia, with his mom during WW II, ala the "Sound of Music" mountain route. He put himself thru med school, and has helped his daughters & nephews also become doctors. He also has served on church, seminary, hospital & college boards.
2) Mark F. found the Lord, and has done church planting now for over 20 years, in spite of severe pain after college wrestling & a professional football career. His music, sermons & intense prayer shows his deep love of how deep & intense our God is.
3) Francis S. studied all the great thinkers of this world, ad many fine artists & musicians, & then integrated a system of showing that God's truth overpowers the foolish arguments of secular thought. His many books and movies prodded young people and churches to consider God's truth vs. secular propaganda.
4) Leith A. became a pastor who always tries to look at the big picture, and who tries to get the most out of every church staff member and person in the pew. He has authored several books, pastored some growing, important churches, and served his graduate school, and now the country's evangelical leaders.
5) Chuck W. took a simple idea of economics and spread it to all the poor corners of the world, allowing simple peasant/village people to have a dream of their own business, making it work, and seeing it grow responsibly. This economic system has the highest rate of loan paybacks that banks can imagine!!
6) Bill B., a businessman, cares so much about all his employees, and works to see that they have stable jobs, good families, and can become responsible citiizens. He opens up his home to others, when so many folk consider their personal space very private.
7) Dale W. is one who thinks of every detail of a church's life and ministry. He attempts great things for God in every little decision that he makes, and knows how to challenge others to do the same. He gave up a very successful pastorate to go serve in poor Indonesia, trying to help folk in another culture to become Christ-like leaders of their people.
8) Larry H. was a consummate professional in the news business. Yhe never wanted the focus to be on himself, but rather on others, who all had stories to tell. He always attempts at getting the full story, and to have it corroborated by at least 2 or 3 other sources.
9) Vernon G. liked to read everything that he could get his hands on, and still does, well into his 90's. He always finds some thoughts that are worth digesting, re-hashing, and even questioning. He loves to bring others into the thought process and to debate points, no matter what the subject matter.
10) Reg B. was a businessman who always liked to work hard, make the right deals, and to dream of what could be done next. Sadly, when he crashed his plane, seeing his wife & 2 sons killed in the wreck, he had to fight thru pain, injuries and tremendous loss & grief. But he still fought back to regain health, dreamt a new dream, and rebuilt his life, affecting his church, his community, and offering jobs and housing to many, many other folk.
11) Os G. grew up in the Far East, as the son of missionaries. His search for the Truth has allowed him to dialogue with and debate the great thinkers of our time. His compassion in Christ has even brought him to be called in as advisor to the President of the USA in a time of personal crisis. In reading his multitude of books, one sees that he tries to debate all of world's value systems against God's Ultimate Truth.
12) Vern C. is a long time friend, who discovered early in life that his family carried the gene for a crippling disease. Somehow, God spared him from having the illness, but yet he has lived life one day at a time, making new challenges for himself and carrying his family & friends with him in an incredible journey of things to learn, places to go visit, activities to do, and a Lord to be served.
13) Darrow M. took his humble beginnings as a construction laborer to study with some great philosophers of this age, and then to transform his studies into something very practical. Now he has shared his studies thru workshops for churches in the world's poorest countries, so that they find a village/town need, expose God's love to that situation, and work diligently to make a Christ-like difference, where folk will be attracted to the Gospel because of their action.
Can you make a list of people significant in your life and note how that has helped shape you? Even a more profound question is:
In what way are you helping influence others to grow & be better humans?
Torrey Brinkley
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Fine Books, Great Authors
Good Reading Comes from Good Authors
During my earlier years I remember doing lots of reading:
---I recall reading all of Danish writer Soren Kierkegaard's existential philosophy books
---I remember reading the Swiss author, Paul Tournier, & his Christian psychology tomes.
---It was fun reading Shakespeare's works too (as did my wife Vicky).
---I was an odd fan of all of Major Donald Keyhoe's books on Air Force encounters with UFOs.
---Of course, I read & heard all of Francis Schaeffer's works (& his L'Abri staff in Switzerland).
---Upon arriving in Spain, I read all of Ernest Hemmingway's books.
---It was a pleasure to read all of Alexander Solzhenitzen's books while we served in Spain.
When one spends time with pastors & professors, one gets to know a lot of people who write books. Have you read any of these author friends of mine?
1) Francis Schaeffer of course, was the Christian philosopher & apologist, with whom we studied when we went off to Switzerland in 1969. His first books were "Escape from Reason", and then "The God Who is There". His film/book series in the mid- 1970s was called "How Should We then Live?" He and his wife Edith wrote over 25 books of significance for challenging our culture's truth claims.
2) Leith Anderson is the current President of the National Association of Evangelicals. After we graduated from Denver Seminary, we worked together for 3 years at the Conservative Baptist Church here in Longmont, CO. He has authored several books in the last 15 years or so, as 25 yr. pastor of Woodale Church in Eden Prarie, MN. He had opening church services in Mall of America when it first opened.
3) Vernon Grounds is the prolific author/writer and past President of Denver Seminary. His first book was "The Reason for Our Hope." He always has had a positive outlook on life in his writings and shares thoughts he has read with all his former students & friends, even though he is in his 90s.
4) Lynn Jost was a young intern missionary with us in Spain back in the 1978-90 period. He finished his education and seminary training with the Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary, where he now is a professor of New Testament (Fresno, CA). As a pastor in Hesston, KS, Rev. Jost always delivered every sermon totally memorized (no notes). Dr. Jost's first book was on a panorama of the worldwide Mennonite Brethren Church. Before joining the mission team, Lynn had been accepted into med school....but chose to serve the Lord instead.
5) Os Guiness was an adjunct instructor at L'Abri Fellowship in Huemoz, Switzerland with Francis Schaeffer, when we went there in 1969. Os wrote his first and most significant book in the early 1970s, "The Dust of Death," where he analyzed all of popular western culture & its poverty of values. "The Gravedigger's File"was another tome, followed by perhaps a new book every few years.
6) Bruce Shelley was our Old Testament professor at Denver Seminary back in 1968-71. He has written "By What Authority?" & many such books on church history down thru the years, and his son has been editor of "Christianity Today" and "Leadership" magazines.
7) Larry Hatteberg wrote a few volumes of his TV interview stories, shown on KAKE-TV in Wichita, KS from the 1970s to the present, called "Hatteberg's People." He was the photographer & director of the film we produced jointly back in the mid-1970s, called "The Back Seat."
8) Steve Kennedy is the author of the definitive coffee table book on all Jaguar automobiles ever produced. It took him 19 years, lots of research, and many rolls of film to compile, edit and have printed this fine book, "Jaguar, The Classic Marque" (in Hong Kong). I helped him with piles of my Jaguar historical brochures down thru the years. Copies sold for $85, $150 and $300, depending on cover type.
9) Jeremy Balzer is an illustrator of children's books, and is married to Kim Penner, the daughter of our missionary associates from Spain. "Orso, the Troll Who Wouldn't Scare" was his first book done with writer Brad Thiessen.
10) Ingrid Law is the daughter of a current work associate, and who has just had her first book published for pre-teens called "Savvy." It has already received some awards and will be made into a movie. Her second book is in the works, while "Savvy" is being translated into several different foreign language editions.
11) Ralph Harris is a local pastor, conference speaker and now author of a book called "You're Better Off Than You Think." Ralph tries to help people re-think their pre-conceived ideas of who God is and how we deal with our guilt trips.
12) Darrow Miller was a former grad school classmate, who also studied with Francis Schaeffer back in the 1969-75 period. He has more recently served with Food For the Hungry, Intl. and has given conferences in many underdeveloped nations. His book just out this past year deals with God's view of women and giving them dignity (something not done in many cultures today). Darrow's new mission is called Disciple Nations Alliance, where one can order his book.
13) Tom Hovestol is a local Colorado pastor who had taught school in Africa before beginning his pastoral ministries in Texas and Colorado(church where we previously served). His first book is called "Extreme Righteousness".
--Torrey Brinkley
During my earlier years I remember doing lots of reading:
---I recall reading all of Danish writer Soren Kierkegaard's existential philosophy books
---I remember reading the Swiss author, Paul Tournier, & his Christian psychology tomes.
---It was fun reading Shakespeare's works too (as did my wife Vicky).
---I was an odd fan of all of Major Donald Keyhoe's books on Air Force encounters with UFOs.
---Of course, I read & heard all of Francis Schaeffer's works (& his L'Abri staff in Switzerland).
---Upon arriving in Spain, I read all of Ernest Hemmingway's books.
---It was a pleasure to read all of Alexander Solzhenitzen's books while we served in Spain.
When one spends time with pastors & professors, one gets to know a lot of people who write books. Have you read any of these author friends of mine?
1) Francis Schaeffer of course, was the Christian philosopher & apologist, with whom we studied when we went off to Switzerland in 1969. His first books were "Escape from Reason", and then "The God Who is There". His film/book series in the mid- 1970s was called "How Should We then Live?" He and his wife Edith wrote over 25 books of significance for challenging our culture's truth claims.
2) Leith Anderson is the current President of the National Association of Evangelicals. After we graduated from Denver Seminary, we worked together for 3 years at the Conservative Baptist Church here in Longmont, CO. He has authored several books in the last 15 years or so, as 25 yr. pastor of Woodale Church in Eden Prarie, MN. He had opening church services in Mall of America when it first opened.
3) Vernon Grounds is the prolific author/writer and past President of Denver Seminary. His first book was "The Reason for Our Hope." He always has had a positive outlook on life in his writings and shares thoughts he has read with all his former students & friends, even though he is in his 90s.
4) Lynn Jost was a young intern missionary with us in Spain back in the 1978-90 period. He finished his education and seminary training with the Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary, where he now is a professor of New Testament (Fresno, CA). As a pastor in Hesston, KS, Rev. Jost always delivered every sermon totally memorized (no notes). Dr. Jost's first book was on a panorama of the worldwide Mennonite Brethren Church. Before joining the mission team, Lynn had been accepted into med school....but chose to serve the Lord instead.
5) Os Guiness was an adjunct instructor at L'Abri Fellowship in Huemoz, Switzerland with Francis Schaeffer, when we went there in 1969. Os wrote his first and most significant book in the early 1970s, "The Dust of Death," where he analyzed all of popular western culture & its poverty of values. "The Gravedigger's File"was another tome, followed by perhaps a new book every few years.
6) Bruce Shelley was our Old Testament professor at Denver Seminary back in 1968-71. He has written "By What Authority?" & many such books on church history down thru the years, and his son has been editor of "Christianity Today" and "Leadership" magazines.
7) Larry Hatteberg wrote a few volumes of his TV interview stories, shown on KAKE-TV in Wichita, KS from the 1970s to the present, called "Hatteberg's People." He was the photographer & director of the film we produced jointly back in the mid-1970s, called "The Back Seat."
8) Steve Kennedy is the author of the definitive coffee table book on all Jaguar automobiles ever produced. It took him 19 years, lots of research, and many rolls of film to compile, edit and have printed this fine book, "Jaguar, The Classic Marque" (in Hong Kong). I helped him with piles of my Jaguar historical brochures down thru the years. Copies sold for $85, $150 and $300, depending on cover type.
9) Jeremy Balzer is an illustrator of children's books, and is married to Kim Penner, the daughter of our missionary associates from Spain. "Orso, the Troll Who Wouldn't Scare" was his first book done with writer Brad Thiessen.
10) Ingrid Law is the daughter of a current work associate, and who has just had her first book published for pre-teens called "Savvy." It has already received some awards and will be made into a movie. Her second book is in the works, while "Savvy" is being translated into several different foreign language editions.
11) Ralph Harris is a local pastor, conference speaker and now author of a book called "You're Better Off Than You Think." Ralph tries to help people re-think their pre-conceived ideas of who God is and how we deal with our guilt trips.
12) Darrow Miller was a former grad school classmate, who also studied with Francis Schaeffer back in the 1969-75 period. He has more recently served with Food For the Hungry, Intl. and has given conferences in many underdeveloped nations. His book just out this past year deals with God's view of women and giving them dignity (something not done in many cultures today). Darrow's new mission is called Disciple Nations Alliance, where one can order his book.
13) Tom Hovestol is a local Colorado pastor who had taught school in Africa before beginning his pastoral ministries in Texas and Colorado(church where we previously served). His first book is called "Extreme Righteousness".
--Torrey Brinkley
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
A Sporting Proposition
Sports Hall of Names
A couple of local sports talk fellows discuss names of former athletes every day on their show. I've met these Denver mainstays at a remote site one day, but could not spend time chatting, as they were "live" on the air. It did impress me that athletes are humans, often given special abilities, and yet who also have regular lives after playing sports.
These are some professional athletes I've met in person. Do you recognize any of these names?
1) Rogers Hornsby
2) George Karl
3) Dan Issel
4) Kordell Stewart
5) Eric Young
6) Bobby Unser
7) Jim Grabowski
8) Bobby Howfield
9) Tanner Foust
10) Scott Hastings
11) Alfred Williams
12) Dale McGowan
13) Billy Hamilton
1) Rogers Hornsby was the Chicago Cubs shortstop in the 1930s, and a perennial All Star.
2) George Karl was an NBA point guard in the 1970s, and has coached NBA teams like the Seattle Supersonics, Milwaukee Bucks & now the Denver Nuggets.
3) Dan Issel was an All Star player in the original ABA, and later a forward for the Denver Nuggets in the 1970s, and who later coached the Nuggets in the NBA.
4) Kordell Stewart was the quarterback for the Colorado Buffaloes college football team in the mid-1990s, who threw the famous Hail Mary pass that beat Michigan as time ran out. He later played for the Pittsburgh Steelers, who went to the Super Bowl (although he was not the QB of record).
5) Eric Young was the opening day second baseman for the fledgling Colorado Rockies, and who hit a home run his (and team's) first at-bat in Mile Hi Stadium back in 1996. His son is now on the spring roster for the Rockies in 2009.
6) Bobby Unser was a auto racer, based in Arizona, who generally raced open wheel cars. He also competed regularly in the Pikes Peak Hill Climb....and is part of the greater Unser racing family.
7) Jim Grabowski was an University of Illinois football player in the early 1960s, who later went on to play for the Chicago Bears & Green Bay Packers. He just retired from being the radio voice of the Illini after 30 years in the broadcast booth.
8) Bobby Howfield was the Denver Broncos place kicker in the 1969 football season.
9) Tanner Foust is seen regularly on auto related TV shows presently. He is known for his "drifting" skills, but also was a road racer with the Subaru rally teams (one sponsored & maintained by our store in Boulder, CO). Sometimes you will see him on TV moderating luxury car auctions or test driving exotic cars.
10) Scott Hastings was the "center" basketball player for the Univ. of Arkansas, who went on to play for the Detroit Pistons, gaining 2 championship rings (c. 1990-91). He later finished playing with the Denver Nuggets, and is currently their TV courtside voice.
11) Alfred Williams was a defensive bullwark of the NCAA Champion Colorado Buffalos football team in 1990, who later did NFL duties with the Cincinnati Bengals and Super Bowl Champion Denver Broncos (1997 & 98). Currently he hosts a sports radio talk show in Denver, CO.
12) Dale McGowan was a SCCA sports car driver (Alfa Romeo Spider) in the 1970s-80s. He later opened and ran a Alfa Romeo repair shop in Denver. Now, Ms. McGowan has retired from racing and mechanical duties.
13) Billy Hamilton was a popular midfielder for the Northern Ireland soccer team which competed for the World Soccer Cup in Spain in 1982.
--Interestingly, I had a chance to meet each of these fine athletes personally, some on several occasions, and played competitive sports with at least one of them.
Torrey Brinkley
A couple of local sports talk fellows discuss names of former athletes every day on their show. I've met these Denver mainstays at a remote site one day, but could not spend time chatting, as they were "live" on the air. It did impress me that athletes are humans, often given special abilities, and yet who also have regular lives after playing sports.
These are some professional athletes I've met in person. Do you recognize any of these names?
1) Rogers Hornsby
2) George Karl
3) Dan Issel
4) Kordell Stewart
5) Eric Young
6) Bobby Unser
7) Jim Grabowski
8) Bobby Howfield
9) Tanner Foust
10) Scott Hastings
11) Alfred Williams
12) Dale McGowan
13) Billy Hamilton
1) Rogers Hornsby was the Chicago Cubs shortstop in the 1930s, and a perennial All Star.
2) George Karl was an NBA point guard in the 1970s, and has coached NBA teams like the Seattle Supersonics, Milwaukee Bucks & now the Denver Nuggets.
3) Dan Issel was an All Star player in the original ABA, and later a forward for the Denver Nuggets in the 1970s, and who later coached the Nuggets in the NBA.
4) Kordell Stewart was the quarterback for the Colorado Buffaloes college football team in the mid-1990s, who threw the famous Hail Mary pass that beat Michigan as time ran out. He later played for the Pittsburgh Steelers, who went to the Super Bowl (although he was not the QB of record).
5) Eric Young was the opening day second baseman for the fledgling Colorado Rockies, and who hit a home run his (and team's) first at-bat in Mile Hi Stadium back in 1996. His son is now on the spring roster for the Rockies in 2009.
6) Bobby Unser was a auto racer, based in Arizona, who generally raced open wheel cars. He also competed regularly in the Pikes Peak Hill Climb....and is part of the greater Unser racing family.
7) Jim Grabowski was an University of Illinois football player in the early 1960s, who later went on to play for the Chicago Bears & Green Bay Packers. He just retired from being the radio voice of the Illini after 30 years in the broadcast booth.
8) Bobby Howfield was the Denver Broncos place kicker in the 1969 football season.
9) Tanner Foust is seen regularly on auto related TV shows presently. He is known for his "drifting" skills, but also was a road racer with the Subaru rally teams (one sponsored & maintained by our store in Boulder, CO). Sometimes you will see him on TV moderating luxury car auctions or test driving exotic cars.
10) Scott Hastings was the "center" basketball player for the Univ. of Arkansas, who went on to play for the Detroit Pistons, gaining 2 championship rings (c. 1990-91). He later finished playing with the Denver Nuggets, and is currently their TV courtside voice.
11) Alfred Williams was a defensive bullwark of the NCAA Champion Colorado Buffalos football team in 1990, who later did NFL duties with the Cincinnati Bengals and Super Bowl Champion Denver Broncos (1997 & 98). Currently he hosts a sports radio talk show in Denver, CO.
12) Dale McGowan was a SCCA sports car driver (Alfa Romeo Spider) in the 1970s-80s. He later opened and ran a Alfa Romeo repair shop in Denver. Now, Ms. McGowan has retired from racing and mechanical duties.
13) Billy Hamilton was a popular midfielder for the Northern Ireland soccer team which competed for the World Soccer Cup in Spain in 1982.
--Interestingly, I had a chance to meet each of these fine athletes personally, some on several occasions, and played competitive sports with at least one of them.
Torrey Brinkley
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Encounters With Significant People
SO NICE TO MEET YOU
by Torrey H. Brinkley
Most of us have had occasion to meet or greet someone famous in our lives. Take this brief little test to see if you recognize any of these people who have appeared in the national spotlight in the last quarter century.
1) Steve Forbes
2) Abigail Van Buren
3) Tom Tancredo
4) Ricardo Montalban
5) Jeb McGruder
6) James Irwin
7) Joseph Zappala
8) John Perkins
9) Larry Hatteberg
10) James Spainhower
11) Leith Anderson
12) Alf Francis
Do you recall any of these names? Do you know what they have done in life? This writer has met each of the above folk. Take a look below.
1) Steve Forbes is the editor & publisher of Forbes magazine, one of our country's thinking economists, and a former candidate for President of the USA back in 1996. My stock broker invited me to go hear Forbes speak back in 1996 with a group of investors. I got to personally chat with him before the talk and was impressed by his humility and clear vision of economic issues.
2) Abigail Van Buren was the nationally syndicated advice columnist named Dear Abby, who lived in Chicago, IL. When I was on the Steinmetz newspaper, I won some awards for Sports Editor,maybe in 1961, and got to meet Dear Abby at an awards ceremony in downtown Chicago.
3) Tom Tancredo was our senator from Colorado, and another Republican candidate for President in 2008.
It was a pleasure to meet him at a place of business a month ago that I frequent every week. He said he was in need of work ( he did not get the President's White House job), so I gave him some advice.
4) Ricardo Montalban was a TV actor who starred on Fantasy Island show during the 1970s and who did many TV commercials for Chrysler.
When my wife & I took our 3 young boys on the TWA flight from New York to Madrid in 1978, to go start our missionary service, we met Mr. Montalban on our flight. He was a most gracious man & still handome 30 yrs. ago. He just past away recently.
5) Jeb McGruder was part of President Richard Nixon's White House staff, and was implicated in the infamous Watergate scandal. He served some prison time, found Christ, became a minister, and has written of his experiences.
I helped do an interview of him after Watergate with my TV reporter friend in the ABC-TV studio in Wichita, KS. It was shown on TV that night (after editing).
6) James Irwin was one of our first astronauts to go to the Moon. He shared his faith in Christ with audiences around the world along with his lunar escapades. His passion during the 1980s was to discover Noah's Ark, which he claimed to have done in Turkey's Mt. Ararat.
Irwin came to one of the evangelical churches in Madrid, Spain back in 1979, sharing his testimony, and we got to meet him there.
7) Joseph Zappala was a Florida businessman whom Ronald Reagan appointed to be Ambassador to Spain 1989-92. He also worked to help youth with addictions to drugs & alcohol.
Zappala was the invited speaker at the graduation ceremony for the American School in Madrid, where our sons attended. I was the invited pastor to sit on the same platform with him for 3 hours, and shared notes about the various families & programs of the school.
8) John Perkins was a black father growing up in poverty in Miss., who boldly left home for California. He became a successful entrepreneur and Christian speaker & author. President Reagan appointed him to a post of Family Resources Advisor.
I attended a workshop for mission strategists in Atlantic City, NJ in 1986 during the Chernobyl disaster (in Russia), and Perkins was one of our speakers during the week.
9) Larry Hatteberg has been an 40-yr. ABC-TV newsman based in Wichita, KS since his college days. He was voted best Newsfilm Photographer in the USA 2 years in a row, named President of the National Press Photographers' Association, and a regular speaker at their national convention, and has authored a few books.
Larry was one of my parishoners at our Wichita, KS church. We worked together for about 3 years doing a film on loneliness, which premiered on ABC-TV, and then was shown in churches across the USA and Canada. I went on many of his TV assignments, had many breakfasts & lunches together over the years. We still keep in touch, especially after he broke the story on Wichita's "BTK Killer" a few years ago.
10) James Spainhower was a two term congressman from Missouri, and was the Treasurer of the State in the 1970s. He also is an ordained minister.
When my young choir director in our Wichita church wanted to run for political office, I went with him for a full day to interview Spainhower, the Treasurer of Missouri, as well as a Missouri state senator, who was also a Christian. That was a fine, fun day spent seeing our American political process in action.
11) Leith Anderson has served as pastor of churches in Longmont, CO and Eden Prairie, MN, has authored several books, and was recently named President of the National Association of Evangelicals. For a brief time he was interim President of the Denver Seminary.
My first assignment after seminary was working as the associate pastor with Anderson. We served together for 3 years at a Conservative Baptist Church, and I oversaw the youth, Christian Education, missions and music programs of the church. We met recently for our former church's 50th anniversary, and reflected on old times.
12) Alf Francis was the race car mechanic for Britain's most storied race car driver, Stirling Moss (1950s). He also designed what became known as the Ford GT-40, America's first modern era winner of the 24 Hours of LeMans Race (1966-69). He later opened an exotic car dealership in Wichita, KS.
Again, when I found Francis and his showroom & shop full of exotic European cars in downtown Wichita, I tried to get my friend at ABC-TV to come do a TV story on this important older gentleman. The best we could do was have a film crew come & shoot Larry Hatteberg filming me, with my car hobby decorating Francis' sports car facility. Larry was getting a very prestigious national award at the time.
What is probably true for you, as it was for me, is that just a few of these people had a real deep lasting impression on my life's character. Have you thought about those people who impacted you deeply, including the how and why?
by Torrey H. Brinkley
Most of us have had occasion to meet or greet someone famous in our lives. Take this brief little test to see if you recognize any of these people who have appeared in the national spotlight in the last quarter century.
1) Steve Forbes
2) Abigail Van Buren
3) Tom Tancredo
4) Ricardo Montalban
5) Jeb McGruder
6) James Irwin
7) Joseph Zappala
8) John Perkins
9) Larry Hatteberg
10) James Spainhower
11) Leith Anderson
12) Alf Francis
Do you recall any of these names? Do you know what they have done in life? This writer has met each of the above folk. Take a look below.
1) Steve Forbes is the editor & publisher of Forbes magazine, one of our country's thinking economists, and a former candidate for President of the USA back in 1996. My stock broker invited me to go hear Forbes speak back in 1996 with a group of investors. I got to personally chat with him before the talk and was impressed by his humility and clear vision of economic issues.
2) Abigail Van Buren was the nationally syndicated advice columnist named Dear Abby, who lived in Chicago, IL. When I was on the Steinmetz newspaper, I won some awards for Sports Editor,maybe in 1961, and got to meet Dear Abby at an awards ceremony in downtown Chicago.
3) Tom Tancredo was our senator from Colorado, and another Republican candidate for President in 2008.
It was a pleasure to meet him at a place of business a month ago that I frequent every week. He said he was in need of work ( he did not get the President's White House job), so I gave him some advice.
4) Ricardo Montalban was a TV actor who starred on Fantasy Island show during the 1970s and who did many TV commercials for Chrysler.
When my wife & I took our 3 young boys on the TWA flight from New York to Madrid in 1978, to go start our missionary service, we met Mr. Montalban on our flight. He was a most gracious man & still handome 30 yrs. ago. He just past away recently.
5) Jeb McGruder was part of President Richard Nixon's White House staff, and was implicated in the infamous Watergate scandal. He served some prison time, found Christ, became a minister, and has written of his experiences.
I helped do an interview of him after Watergate with my TV reporter friend in the ABC-TV studio in Wichita, KS. It was shown on TV that night (after editing).
6) James Irwin was one of our first astronauts to go to the Moon. He shared his faith in Christ with audiences around the world along with his lunar escapades. His passion during the 1980s was to discover Noah's Ark, which he claimed to have done in Turkey's Mt. Ararat.
Irwin came to one of the evangelical churches in Madrid, Spain back in 1979, sharing his testimony, and we got to meet him there.
7) Joseph Zappala was a Florida businessman whom Ronald Reagan appointed to be Ambassador to Spain 1989-92. He also worked to help youth with addictions to drugs & alcohol.
Zappala was the invited speaker at the graduation ceremony for the American School in Madrid, where our sons attended. I was the invited pastor to sit on the same platform with him for 3 hours, and shared notes about the various families & programs of the school.
8) John Perkins was a black father growing up in poverty in Miss., who boldly left home for California. He became a successful entrepreneur and Christian speaker & author. President Reagan appointed him to a post of Family Resources Advisor.
I attended a workshop for mission strategists in Atlantic City, NJ in 1986 during the Chernobyl disaster (in Russia), and Perkins was one of our speakers during the week.
9) Larry Hatteberg has been an 40-yr. ABC-TV newsman based in Wichita, KS since his college days. He was voted best Newsfilm Photographer in the USA 2 years in a row, named President of the National Press Photographers' Association, and a regular speaker at their national convention, and has authored a few books.
Larry was one of my parishoners at our Wichita, KS church. We worked together for about 3 years doing a film on loneliness, which premiered on ABC-TV, and then was shown in churches across the USA and Canada. I went on many of his TV assignments, had many breakfasts & lunches together over the years. We still keep in touch, especially after he broke the story on Wichita's "BTK Killer" a few years ago.
10) James Spainhower was a two term congressman from Missouri, and was the Treasurer of the State in the 1970s. He also is an ordained minister.
When my young choir director in our Wichita church wanted to run for political office, I went with him for a full day to interview Spainhower, the Treasurer of Missouri, as well as a Missouri state senator, who was also a Christian. That was a fine, fun day spent seeing our American political process in action.
11) Leith Anderson has served as pastor of churches in Longmont, CO and Eden Prairie, MN, has authored several books, and was recently named President of the National Association of Evangelicals. For a brief time he was interim President of the Denver Seminary.
My first assignment after seminary was working as the associate pastor with Anderson. We served together for 3 years at a Conservative Baptist Church, and I oversaw the youth, Christian Education, missions and music programs of the church. We met recently for our former church's 50th anniversary, and reflected on old times.
12) Alf Francis was the race car mechanic for Britain's most storied race car driver, Stirling Moss (1950s). He also designed what became known as the Ford GT-40, America's first modern era winner of the 24 Hours of LeMans Race (1966-69). He later opened an exotic car dealership in Wichita, KS.
Again, when I found Francis and his showroom & shop full of exotic European cars in downtown Wichita, I tried to get my friend at ABC-TV to come do a TV story on this important older gentleman. The best we could do was have a film crew come & shoot Larry Hatteberg filming me, with my car hobby decorating Francis' sports car facility. Larry was getting a very prestigious national award at the time.
What is probably true for you, as it was for me, is that just a few of these people had a real deep lasting impression on my life's character. Have you thought about those people who impacted you deeply, including the how and why?
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