Dear Allen Temple Family and Friends,
I hope this midweek note finds you well and confident that God has a perfect plan. I am grateful to Amelia for that reminder. I would need it more than I knew. On Tuesday morning, a beautiful, powerful, praying trailblazer went home to be with the Lord. Rev. Dr. Malvina Stephens was not only a pillar of faith, but one of the pillars of our church. She touched the lives of so many at home and abroad. Her life and ministry embodied Matthew 25:35-36: "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me." The news of her transition was shocking and painful but this week's faith journey encouraged my heart as we prepare to honor her life.
Meet Bro. Dan French. He is one of the servant leaders of our wonderful youth ministry and a national corporate trainer for the Ruth Chris Steakhouse. He is a trusted and faithful member and has had an amazing faith journey:
My relationship with the Lord has been Wizard of Oz like. I was an eight-year-old boy at a sleep away camp in the heart of Kansas. My best friend at the time, Stephen Holmes and I were woken in the middle of night as the wind howled around us and the rain pounded our tin shelter where we bunked. Thunderstorms sometimes breed tornadoes, so our imagination was getting the best of us. Suddenly, Stefan asked me, "Do you know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?" My parents and I went to church regularly, but I did not have a personal relationship with God. I told Stefan that I didn't think so. It was at that moment he led me to the Lord, as I repeated after him the Sinner's Prayer and accepted the Lord into my heart. I instantly felt a sensation of peace and comfort come over me. I have never forgotten that moment. This absolutely is a true story and it would not be the last time I prayed myself through a storm.
Fast forward thirteen years. I was freshly graduated from UC Berkeley. It was sudden and out of the blue, when I suffered a seizure. I soon was diagnosed with a brain tumor. As I sat in the emergency room, a calmness and comfort came over me, just as it had that stormy night in Kansas. It was a 12-hour surgery that successfully removed the tumor. It came back two and five years later. Both times, it was treated with radiation. Many times family and friends have exclaimed, "Of all people, why you?" I am blessed immeasurably and often thought, "Why not me?" God trusted me enough to know that I had unwavering faith and for that, I was grateful. Through it all, I never got depressed nor discouraged. I did get frustrated, but it was mostly caused by the side effect of the radiation and medications. I wanted to be a witness to my friends and family of 1 Thessalonians 5:18 which says, "give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's Will in Christ Jesus." I prayed through the storm because I had faith that it was only a season!
I have a clean bill of health now. I'm very passionate about our youth developing a relationship with God. I knew that the Lord had given me serenity and joy in my youth that sustained me to this day. There is no reason they cannot have the same. Just like it was said in the Wizard of Oz, "There is no place like home!" I agree, home in the arms of the Lord.
Dan's journey gave me perspective. Despite the loss, I can give thanks to God for the blessing of knowing Dr. Stephens and for her courage to pursue ministry. She blazed the trail, that so many of us as women in ministry walk in. She is indeed at home in the Arms of The Lord! Thank you God! I also give thanks for each and every one of you who have taken a leap of faith, sacrificed and joined our "I Believe" Campaign.
Until next week, give thanks in all things!
Blessings to you,
Dr. Jacqueline A. Thompson
Assistant Pastor
