"When I grow up, I. . . ."

As a child, did you ever dream of what you wanted to be when you grew up? I did! I wanted to be a faithful missionary for God. Over the years I have watched various missionaries from the previous generation finish well. What does that mean to 'finish well'?

To illustrate finishing well, let me describe some of the comments shared at Dr. Russ Shedd's 80th birthday party.

"He lived what he preached. He encouraged me to stay faithful to God, my wife and family, and to my church."

"It didn't matter if there were 2000 or 20 at the event, Russ shared what God was teaching him through the study of His Word."

" He and Pat welcomed me into their home and mentored me as a young single missionary just getting started."

"He was Uncle Russ to many children. He would set them on his knee, read or tell stories to them, or show them a magic trick."

"Even today he has a preaching schedule that would make most of us tired just looking at it."

Russ himself stated, " I can't find the word "retired" in the Bible so I must keep doing what God has called me to do."

Many years ago for my studies, I had to interview someone I admired. So I chose Russ. As he began telling me his life story, he and I ended up crying together. He grew up to missionary parents in Bolivia. When he was seven, his parents put him on a train for boarding school. He was afraid to sleep for fear he would miss his train stop. On that train he felt that all those that loved him had abandoned him. But he realized that His Lord had not. Incidences like that has made Dr. Russ Shedd the man he is today--faithful, humble, lover of God and His Word, a great husband, father and grandfather.

My kids remember him as Uncle Russ. When Rebecka was a teenager, she went with a group of teens from our region to a large gathering of young people. It was a smaller scale "Urbana" here in Brazil called Geracao '79. Russ was the Bible teacher. When Rebecka saw his name on the program, she exclaimed, "Wow, Uncle Russ is the Bible teacher."

When her friends heard her statement, they asked in awe, "Is he really your Uncle."

She replied, "Blood relative no, but Uncle definitely."

So when I grow up I want to be just like Russ Shedd--faithful and joyful to the end!

Reporting from Brazil,

Arlene