Dear Chera Fellowship We have been excited about the reception of our new Chera Fellowship format. At the IFCA International National Convention at Word of Life in Schroon Lake N.Y. there was much interest In Chera Fellowship. Dr. and Mrs. Fredericks and Dr Gregory and I had lunch with those representing Chera. Mrs. Pat Cawood Graybill was our Women's Conference speaker. She has spoken at our IFCA International National Conventions before and we were challenged by her ministry. Pat and her late husband Dr. John Cawood of Philadelphia Bible College, have two children and nine grand children. Pat has a long history of teaching Bible classes in the Philadelphia area. In addition, she taught Bible classes at PCB which attracts an average of 100 women, she has also been active in many area churches. Pat has been a Bible teacher to the wives of the players on the Philadelphia Sports Teams. She is a popular speaker at ladies Retreats, Summer Bible Conferences such as Word of Life, Sandy Cove and Harvey Cedars. She recently appeared in the newly released video, The Bible: Myth, Mystery or Miracle? I introduce to you as this month's special feature, Mrs. Pat Cawood Graybill. In Christian love, Carol Gregory National Women's Coordinator As I reflect back on my life I realize that becoming a widow at the age of 59 was not part of my plan. How often we innocently chart our course to move us along our voyage without a thought of stormy seas. Recently while out on a boating trip of several days I experienced seasickness because of an inner ear problem. I realized my utter helplessness to walk or move. Suddenly I was dependent upon others to help me. It is often hard to accept assistance because of our usual self composure or pride. When it is needed how grateful we should be for the help others can give us. Becoming a widow often reveals how wobbly our legs can be. It is just as necessary for us to reach out for others at that time as when we are physically incapacitated. Many times we think they should be reaching out to me -- not me to them. When they don't, we are hurt and offended. Could it be that they don't because we haven't let others see we are hurting and need their support? The body of Christ was meant to minister to one another (1 Corinthians 12:25-27). I am grateful to Carol Gregory, and others of IFCA International who ministered to me at the home going of John, my dear husband. Experiencing the death of a loved one teaches us what our needs are. Let's use that knowledge gained to meet the needs of others. Pat Cawood Graybill
Chera Fellowship Beginnings July 4, 1997 will mark 17 years that I have been a widow. Before I came to that point, however, I was a happily married Christian wife as well as the mother of six beautiful, healthy children. Our oldest daughter was married and their son (our first grandchild) had just celebrated his first birthday in June, the same month I turned 45. Our elder son was in the Marines, after three years of Bible College. Our younger son had just finished his 2nd year of Bible College. Our next daughter had just graduated from High School. The two youngest girls were to go into their Senior and Sophomore years in the Fall. We were to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary at Christmas of that year. \\'e had much for which to be thankful. My husband, Jim, and I grew up in the same town in Pennsylvania. By the time I was nineteen, we knew that we wanted to be married. We soon realized that we had serious roadblocks. Jim was twenty-two and had accepted Christ as his Savior at 19. He would not agree to raise our children in my religion. His pastor would not marry a believer to an unbeliever. I thought, "Imagine that!" Raised in a Catholic family. attending a Catholic school all of my life. I certainly didn't think of myself as an "unbeliever". I convinced myself that the marriage was not to be. However, when Jim returned home from the Navy a year later, we decided to find a solution! We eloped on Christmas Day, 1955, married by a Justice of the Peace. Our marriage was not the Christmas gift my mother was looking for! My dad had died of cancer when I was sixteen, and Mom was none too happy to have her first child married like that! "...But God..." -- how many times have we read that in His Word? So often the Lord has turned things around for His glory; and He did that once again in our case. After a couple of months of marriage, I started attending church with my husband. On the first Sunday of July, the message was from Eph. 2:8-9, "For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works. lest any man should boast." These verses jumped out at me. Just over six months after our wedding, the Holy Spirit moved me to accept God's truth. What a joy for us to be truly united now! On Oct. 31, 1956 our first child was born, and now we could raise our family in the bond of faith, founded on the Word of God. We were gifted with a wonderful church family, and pastors who were true in preaching and teaching the Word. We shared many joys and trials over the years as our family totaled eight, with two sons and four daughters. When Jim was 35, it was discovered he had juvenile diabetes. For the next ten years. he seemed to do well. Then I began to see the effects of the illness starting to "tell" on him. In February of 1980 Jim had a stroke. Initially, he was paralyzed on his left side. We were so glad when he came home from Rehabilitation a couple of months later, walking and talking. I was sure that things would get back to "normal" over time. But that was not God's plan. On July 4, 1980, Jim went home to be with the Lord. I was devastated.
As I went through that first exhausting year of grieving and adjusting to heavier responsibilities, Isaiah 40:31 and Isaiah 41:10 were especially encouraging. God was faithful to His promises. There is nothing like having a strong, loving church family to support you in prayer (and practical ways, as the need arose) - except having a faithful, loving Heavenly Father who cares and provides for our needs before we can even ask. In some ways, I believe Christian Widows have a greater blessing: they know it is truly God who provides all their need. Though some things are provided for a time through our husbands, those provisions are always there because of God's faithfulness. Just a year ago, I experienced another evidence of His goodness - my mother's salvation. This came just two months before her death, after forty years of prayer. There have been trials and heartaches over the years of widowhood, but God's grace is always sufficient. During the years that followed my salvation. the Lord gave me many opportunities to serve Him in the nursery, Sunday School and AWANA. I also had the blessing of serving as President of our Women's Fellowship group. During 17 of those years, Dr. Richard Gregory was pastor of our church. His wife, Carol, often encouraged and advised me. Nine months after my husband's death, another woman in our church lost her husband. I was able to go and comfort Billye, and also be strengthened. She and I formed a fast friendship. In a matter of a month we went to Mrs. Gregory and said that we were interested in having a Widow's Fellowship group. Carol beamed, and said that the Lord had been laying that very thing on her heart! Thus began Chera Fellowship of Limerick Chapel in 1982! Praise the Lord for Carol's continued burden brought about this very publication! Peg Keeley, Schwenksville, PA House-Church-Job My husband was pastoring a growing church in New York State and we had recently returned from a life changing missions trip to France. Our oldest son had just graduated from college and was ordained. and only weeks before we had celebrated with family and friends twenty-five wonderful years of marriage. Life was good! Now I found myself leaning against a wall, in a stark hospital corridor, listening to the words of a doctor that would forever change my life: "Your husband has terminal cancer, he's going to die." And then, as though that wasn't enough, she took my face in her hands and looked directly into my eyes and said, "there will be no miracle." God did a work of grace in my heart that day as my normal reaction would have been, "Lord, my husband is only 44, he's in the prime of life and is honoring you in ministry, he's a loving husband and father and a faithful pastor. You're a God of miracles...you can heal him!" The Holy Spirit had prepared my heart to accept from my loving Heavenly Father what was His perfect will for our lives. The challenges of the next thirteen months were difficult, but each step
of the way the Lord so graciously provided His perfect strength. As I said goodbye to my dearest earthly treasure, my heart was broken. I knew that the same loving Father that had walked through the valley with us would now pick me up and carry me for a while. In His time I would walk a new path, confident in Him. After the funeral service when family and friends had all returned to their lives, I sat feeling hurt, empty, and alone. My heart became fearful with the thoughts of all that was before me. I was living in a parsonage and would be required to leave the support system of my church family, allowing them healing, and life with a new pastoral family. I hadn't worked outside of ministry since the early years of marriage. I would have to go to work supporting my daughter and myself. The list went on and overwhelmed me. Once again the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart. On a sheet of paper I wrote three words: house, church, job. These seemed to he my most immediate needs. I began praying. Eleven weeks later I moved into my home...a story that's a miracle in itself. Next on my list was a church. I knew for a while I would need to just receive the ministry of others. In my search I desired a place where I could have a ministry; although I had no idea what that would be. After the task of finding the perfect fit, God led me to the place where I would begin the process of grieving. He surrounded me with caring individuals who soon became friends who were a loving encouragement to me. Many times in talks with my husband in those last day's he would say to me, "When I'm in heaven just wait on the Lord, He's already where He wants you to be. He will show you the way as you trust Him and wait for His leading." As I continued to pray for the third item on my list I saw my husband's wise counsel come true. One Sunday morning after the service my Pastor asked me to make an appointment to see him that week. He too had a list and was convinced that the last name on his list was the person God wanted to fill the position of his secretary. I laughed somewhat saying, "Pastor, I'm not a secretary. "Oh Joyce, we'll do whatever it takes to make you a secretary. I want your ministry skills!" He will never know how encouraging those words were to me. My husband's words came to mind, "God is where He wants you to be, wait on Him." God had completed my list in His time and blessed me in ways I could never have imagined. Nearly four years have passed now, and I am learning the lesson "We walk by faith, not by sight." When I think of the future and it's uncertainty I can rest confidently in the One who holds that future, knowing He has a purpose, a plan and a sure hope. My goal is to glorify Him! Joyce King, Endicott, NY
Acceptance with Peace On December 17, 1996 God called my beloved husband home to heaven. Eleven months earlier, while having a routine check-up for cirrhosis of the liver (cause unknown), cancerous nodules were found on the functioning part of his liver. The doctors felt the only possible treatment would be a liver transplant. Without a transplant he was given 1 to 1 1/2 years to live. From January to May of '96 he continued to teach, went through extensive tests to see if he would be a viable candidate for such surgery, and in late spring was accepted into the transplant program. On May 25th, 1996, he gave the commencement address to the graduating class at Biblical Theological Seminary in Hatfield, PA., where he had taught from September, 1971 to May 1996. In that address he asked these questions: "\\'hat can sustain human beings in a fallen world?" "How can we endure the disappointments of blasted hopes, the sometimes overwhelming pressure of daily needs, the loss of employment, the discovery that we have a terminal illness or the bereavement of a beloved spouse?" "How can we face these things with confidence instead of fear and despair?" His text was Hebrews 1 1 : 1. His theme was, "Faith in God's promises produces Confidence." Bob taught me over the years, by life and word, to trust in a sovereign God Who is in control of all things and never makes a mistake. Only a confidence that rests in God and His promises will stand the test. While the pain is deep and the tears flow, my faith in God's unshakable promises brings comfort and peace, and sustains me now as I face the future alone. Ruth Dunzweiler, Lansdale, PA You Can Make a Difference A TRUE STORY It was hard becoming a widow at the age of 65. I was married 45 years and raised five wonderful children. Knowing my husband was home with the Lord was very comforting. I knew he was not worrying about me as he had provided above over and beyond all the needs I would ever have until the Lord takes me home. I could relax and enjoy the years I had left. That all changed as I was sure the Lord wanted me to be a missionary overseas. At my age I needed to make sure that was what the Lord wanted me to do. I knew I would not have to raise
support.. as I had enough to provide for my own needs. But what would my children say? What would my church think? What mission board would take a 65 year old woman? I was sure they would all think that I was nuts! But I told the Lord here am I. I could not believe it. The children and my home church did not consider me" nuts"! Instead they encouraged me to follow the Lord in His leading. I was hesitant to open a letter from another mission board. I had been turned down by several already. No need to get my hopes up again. What? I couldn't believe it! I was accepted to serve the Lord in Taiwan! I did not know Chinese but if the Lord had led thus far, he would make the difference. I went off to Taiwan. I began to study the language and to minister to the people. The Lord gave me a very good Chinese teacher. I learned that his parents had died when he was six years old. After some time I was able to lead my teacher to the Lord! You will not believe this, but he felt called to the ministry. I could not train him but the Lord gave me a thought. I would adopt him and we would go back to the United States and attend Bible college together. It would be good to have some training myself. It was wonderful how my other children treated the two of us. I was 69 years old when I graduated from Bible college with my adopted son. What an honor! Then it was back to Taiwan to start some churches that would honor the Lord and be real lighthouses to those who were in darkness. I hoped we could make a difference. I am now 71 and about to go home to be with the Lord. I cannot believe the Lord had allowed my son and me to plant five churches in Taiwan. Yes, Lord. I am ready to come home. The lad in the feeding of the five thousand made a difference - and so can you! John 6.9 says "what are these among so many?" But remember that it is Christ who can use YOU to make a difference among so many. Copied from RAMP Publication, BMW, and used by permission