Prairie: 100 Years of Influence and Faithfulness

Wednesday, June 29, 2022

Prairie Bible College is celebrating their 100^th birthday this year. What a heritage! Oh, to be there to celebrate with so many others, but it’s not possible at this time. Nevertheless, I can be grateful for the precious years I spent there, whether I am there or not. PBI (Prairie Bible Institute), as it was called when I was in school, played a vital, life-changing role in my life, aiding in molding me into the person I am today.

I had just spent a year in Europe, fulfilling a life-long dream; attending a 6-month Bible School in Germany, being a nanny in Austria, and the spending a summer with Operation Mobilization in Austria. Yes, that year impacted my life in such a way, I knew returning to Austria was in my future. The “when and how” were totally in God’s hands as I had absolutely no clue.

PBI was an unknown until my youngest sister, Christina, attended there as a High School student. After spending near a year back in the states, helping my best friend care for her mother who had Alzheimer’s, I still had no clue to God’s plan. A visit from my mother to recruit me for attending PBI as, she reasoned, my sister was lonely wasn’t the incentive for me. Besides, I couldn’t imagine my very bubbly, gregarious, sister being lonely. A degree, which would help me get back to Austria, is what I needed. She assured me I could get a degree, I just needed to call my sister. Call I did, and I arrived at the school just a few months later.

Growing up on the Puget Sound surrounded by grand snow-capped mountains, green lush hills, and tall evergreen trees, I experienced the ultimate culture shock arriving in Three Hills, Alberta. No Ocean, no mountains, no real hills (sorry, the three hills in Three Hills were more like 3 pimples!) and no tall trees of any kind. We were surrounded by farmland as far as the eye could see enabling one to actually see where the sky and ground met. Nevertheless, Three Hills became home to me, so much so, I would move back there in a heart-beat if I could!

Arriving at PBI, I was a shy, dyslexic, introvert who didn’t have confidence in my abilities nor the fact that God truly loved me, though I had given Him my heart at age 10 and had never turned back. Yes, He loved me enough to save me, but to deeply love me for who I am was something He would demonstrate time and time again in the next 4 years. It was while I was an RA (Resident Assistant) for the High School girl’s dorm that I was faced with the soul-searching question of His love. The girls in my charge were very difficult and rebellious, as most didn’t want to be there. Furthermore, I had a back injury which left me in lots of pain. One afternoon the childhood song, Jesus Loves Me, came to mind and I started singing it, “Jesus loves me, this I know. For the Bible tells me so…” A powerful though entered my mind as if God were asking me, “Do you believe it?”

I pondered that question and all the implications. To believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God, means I need to believe He truly loves me, “with an everlasting love,” a love, as Jeremiah 31:3 goes on to say, is drawing me to Himself! To believe Jesus loved me, truly loved me, was life changing! I have never doubted His love since.

To show His love, He challenged me in ways I never dreamed possible. Being chosen to be in charge of the Junior/Senior Banquet was the first amazing privilege which caused me to look past my shyness, dyslexia, and fears and see what incredible things God could do. Of course, with Austria very close to my heart, I chose a medieval Austrian theme which was grabbed with enthusiasm by all who helped out. I learned I could lead a team, with God’s help, to pull off something very special for the Senior class. Moreover, to be the leader, I had to leave my comfort zone and speak in front of a crowd. The temptation to assign the Master of Ceremonies role to someone else was very strong, but I knew I would regret it if I did. God enabled and I actually enjoyed it immensely.

An inconceivable desire overwhelmed me the first time I saw Biography Night, a special event twice yearly where a Senior is chosen to share the life of a missionary in front a community of over 4000 people who would come to the Tab (short for Tabernacle, the huge church building on campus). The Senior would choose a deceased missionary and tell his/her story through narrative, drama, and media. As I sat through that first Biography Night, the longing to be chosen for such a privilege was unthinkable. Still the seed had been planted! When I was called into Glenn Flewellings office (class advisor and teacher) a year later, the unbelievable was sprouting before my very eyes. I had been chosen to be the Master of Ceremonies for Biography Night the Spring of my Senior year. It took days for that reality to sink in. God, do you know what you are doing? This challenge would stretch me beyond even I could imagine. I had sung a solo, “It Will Be Worth It All”, once in the Tab, not even facing the crowd as it was part of a skit, but never actually addressed a crowd of such magnitude.

A book I read, To A Different Drum, opened my eyes to see God in ways I had not really considered before. Here was a single missionary woman, Pauline Hamilton, who chose to march to a different drum. In spite of hardship and danger, she had a solid confidence and faith in the One who called her to China. As a result, God did amazing things in and through her life. Her life was a total dedication to Him. Her life was a wonderful example to me of God’s love, blessings and grace. Her story needed to be told.

There was one problem with my choice, Pauline Hamilton was still among the living. That may sound funny to you but Prairie had made that stipulation after someone did the life of a younger missionary who, in later years, had turned away from the faith. Pauline was already in her later years and going strong for the Lord, so I prayed they would make an exception. They did. Moreover, Pauline, in Canada at the time, came to participate in Biography Night, sharing a bit of her testimony towards the end of the program. It was an incredible night of stretching and growing and seeing God work in marvelous ways. Even Lynn, the gal I had chosen to play Pauline in each skit, looked amazingly like a younger version of Pauline, including the hair!

What I remember most about my time as a student were the staff who really believed in me. I will always be grateful to Glenn and Marsha Flewelling who took me in and became Uncle Flew and Auntie M, Marji Krahn who mentored me through thick and thin, Norm Backhouse, and Ian Charter who believed in me and continually challenged me to be all that God wanted me to be. They are forever engraved on my heart!

After graduation, receiving my degree in Bible and Christian Education, I had hoped to be headed back to Austria. But God still hadn’t revealed the “when and how”. All I knew was that I was to stay on at PBI as Public Relations secretary for Cal Leeder. To be a secretary again was another challenge, but when God says, do this, you don’t argue. Believe me, I tried… and lost! I even tried to discourage Shannon who had interviewed me (I didn’t even ASK for the interview) but she still wanted to hire me. It was months later when I found out why I had been on staff.

Meanwhile, it was no secret I longed to return to Austria as a missionary someday. I guess I talked about it more than I realized. Once on staff, several people told me I needed to talk to John Rueck, a former missionary, along with his family, to Austria for many years. Though I had come a long way from that shy, timid person who had first arrived at PBI, I still had a hard time reaching out to strangers. God would have to bring us together!

Cordell Darling, a former HS and Bible School student, former Phis Ed Director who started the sports program at PBI, loved the place and continued to build into students lives. He came into my office one day that summer and made a comment I have never forgotten, making a drastic impact on my life even to this day. I attended Bible School with Todd, his son, but in the coming months I had a privilege of getting to know the whole family. Cordell’s life was cut short tragically, but I wasn’t the only one he had influenced. Cordell really cared about people, impacted the school, and touched lives for eternity. His motto, lived out every day of his life was, “Your will – nothing more, nothing less, nothing else!”

The summer I joined staff was the summer PBI had their first real Anniversary celebration… 65 years! Did you know, they actually painted a pink and a blue sidewalk for the occasion?! Indeed. It was a grand celebration of God using PBI in the lives of so many students for 65 years.

One of my responsibilities was to help out with games for the children in one of the fields. Shortly after I arrived at my appointed spot, another volunteer, an older man, planted himself around 15 yards away. Immediately I knew we were supposed to meet, but I didn’t budge. He even glanced my way. Still I didn’t budge. Finally, he walked toward me, held out his hand and said, “Hello. My name is John Rueck, what’s yours?” That was the beginning of a great friendship where I learned all about Child Evangelism Fellowship, a ministry directed at reaching children all over the world, including Austria.

After months of spending time with John, Faye, and the kids, God made it clear to me the “how” was CEF of Austria. He had been preparing me for this all along, giving me a yearning for Austria and many years of working with children as babysitter, youth ministries at church, many summers working as counselor at camp, and teaching at a preschool daycare center. Furthermore, I put my trust in the Lord Jesus and said “yes” to His saving grace out at summer camp. Children have always had a special place in my heart.

Thus, it was a no -brainer to answer the call with “yes”, thinking it would be two or three years in the future. Five months later, through God’s master planning, I was back in Austria. It was as if God just wanted my consent then He set everything in motion.

Since that time, I continue on a journey of challenges and growth, having lived in 5 countries (6 if you count Hawaii as it is nothing like the other 49 states with its diversity of culture and people), travelled all over eastern and western Europe, gotten married, and seen all 50 states all as a CEF missionary. If you had told me I would experience all that when I was in Bible School, I would have thought you were crazy. But you know, it’s not where I’ve been or what I have done that God is concerned about. Am I bring glory to His name? Am I impacting other lives for His Kingdom?

What kind of impact are we in the lives of others? Matthew 5:13-16 says, “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the houses. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” Those verses say it all. We are to be salt and light in the world. Now, more than ever, with all the craziness going on, that is so important. It begins with walking in faith and trust in our Savior every day, “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God,” Hebrews 12:2.

Are you looking to Jesus and not the circumstances around you?

Thank you, Prairie, for the impact you had and still have on my life. If the Lord tarries, I pray you will stay true to the Word and influence many more lives for the Kingdom of God!

Blessings, Mari