Valentine Day

A few days ago I looked at my calendar and tore off my January page, knowing that those 31 days were forever gone. And there was February with its 3 less days than January and each day stretching out its length with brighter hours. Probably I welcomed February because of the birth dates of two of our presidents, Lincoln, on the 12th and Washington, the22nd. I enjoy history and have read many books about both of them. I always reminded my husband that my half year birthday came on the 22nd. Well, I'll not tell you about the results.

Of course the day that we recognize in February is the 14th day known as Valentine Day. I assume most of you are acquainted by a physician named Valentine who had been imprisoned by Claudius II, a Roman ruler who hated all Christians. The jailer had asked if he could bring his blind daughter to meet Valentine whom he hoped might be able to teach his daughter. So she came often and asked many questions of Valentine. One day as they were praying together, suddenly a brilliant light filled the cell. Julia shouted, "Valentine, I can see! I can see!" Together they thanked God.

The evening before Valentine was to be killed, he wrote a last note to Julia, urging her to stay close to God, and signed it "From your Valentine." His death sentence was carried out the next day, Feb. 14, 270 A.D. near a gate that was later named Porta Valentini. This special day with its message of love and affection is recognized the world over.

I remember those days with the big decorated box which stood on the teacher's desk and when the special day came and the lovely cards were passed out. With the passing of years, I have seen my children and grandchildren enjoying the giving and receiving of those cards.

But I must tell you of another "Valentine" whom I greatly love. "God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son (His Valentine) that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have ever lasting life. (John 3:16) Over and over the word LOVE is used in the Bible. Jesus said, "If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love." "That ye love one another as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." (Verses found in chapter 15 of St. John)

Yes, our heavenly Valentine gave His life on an old rugged tree that we may be saved. I love the old songs which tell of His love. Jesus loves me this I know! Oh, how I love Jesus because He first loved me.

The old Feb. 14, Valentine Day, we remember annually. But our heavenly “Valentine” must be honored daily as we read His word and worship Him in prayer. As I am now completing my blog, I thought of something that makes me excited and happy. When we all get to heaven, we'll meet our Jesus, our Valentine. We will also meet the Valentine who led little blind Julia to Jesus who restored her sight. Oh, what a day that will be! Will you be there?

Once Upon a Time… the Story Continues

In a previous blog I mentioned my daughter, Debbie Sue of Phoenix, who was with us at ND Bible camp. Now I want you to hear about her. Actually, I must go back several months when she had been diagnosed by a doctor in Phoenix who said she had a brain tumor. Debbie's sister-in law, Susanne Estrada, and a friend, Laura Conner, both had read of tumor surgery done through the nose. Laura told Deb of the University of Pittsburgh, PA, Medical Center, and suggested Deb check out its website. It wasn't long before Deb and hubby Jeffery were air born to PA and on June 4th she underwent an 8-hour surgery.

Bob and LeAnn traveled and arrived in Pittsburgh, June 8th. Deb was released from the hospital but had to stay in the city for further doctors' exams. Jeff flew back to Phoenix and the Bachmans stayed with Deb. Bob, a worker in Convoy of Hope, drove to Harrisburg, capitol of PA, and there he met with a statesman, relating the agricultural program which has interested many farmers.

When Deb was released, she traveled with Bob and LeAnn back to Springfield and then on to Bible Camp and other places which I've told you of. The last I wrote to you was of Debbie and I flying to Phoenix. I was going to stay with her and help her, after her big surgery.

New adventures and new friends were awaited me in Phoenix. While at the camp in ND, Deb had met Grace Walker, an old friend from when they met together at youth camps. Now she was Grace Thompson and lived in Scottsdale. She drove to Deb's home and picked up Deb and me. She drove on to Surprise, AZ and there we met another friend, Grace Jacobson Ritter, who had been a young girl in ND and her family attended the church Chet and I had pastored. We had a great time, reminiscing of years gone by.

Another happy afternoon was spent with Melvin and Pat Holmquist in their lovely home in Sun City. My grandson, Jason Bachman of El Mirage, AZ had been at their home, some time ago where he had helped pick grapefruit which were brought to friends in MO. So Jason took me to the Holmquists. I had learned that Pat was a sister of Thomas Trask, whom I had met in years back and so I was anxious to meet her. Another brother, Ray, and his wife Marjorie were also there and I had met them many years ago in ND. I was so blessed to be with these dear ones of the family of God.

I was in Phoenix almost four weeks with Deb, Jeff and their 8-year-old daughter, Raegan who kept us all happy. The only thing I did not appreciate was the hot temperatures. Chester and I had always made our trips to AZ for Christmas and New Years.

Now, on Nov. 23 we are heading for ND and will be with all the Bachman families. I surely hope we will not have snow storms while up there. The beautiful snow we'll love, but if not wrapped in a storm. So may God bless each of you, and let us all be thankful for His blessings to us. Your writer friend, Avis Osland.

Once Upon a Time... The Story Continues

Today we shall leave the ND Bible Camp. We've packed and our cases are in the trunk. We've said goodbye. We shall travel farther north to Cavalier, ND, where Bob's parents live. Others of the Bachman clan gathered there for an evening picnic. Dead tired, soon we were all bedded down in different homes.

Now it's Tuesday morning and I was anxious to go on to another town, Saint Thomas. We had moved there in 1987 and were blessed with wonderful neighbors. LeAnn called Donna and asked her if she could get these folks to come to the cafe for a breakfast and fellowship. After a happy time together, we said goodbye. Before we left, LeAnn drove to the nearby beautiful cemetery. We walked to the large stone where Chester's name was engraved, birth date, our wedding date and names of our three children. A beautiful geranium was blossoming, a gift from my friend, Donna.

We went back to Cavalier and there LeAnn's friend, Bonnie, and my daughter Debbie Sue and I said another goodbye and headed toward the interstate toward Fargo, ND, where Deb and I would go on a flight to Phoenix.

But there was another special friend I must visit in Grafton, ND. Willie Jane Angus had moved to St. Thomas, the same fall we moved there, and we became very close friends. Many folks got us mixed up, as to "who was who?" At a church supper, Willie was sitting alone and a couple sat nearby. The man asked, "Your husband is not with you tonight?" and she replied, "No." And he said, "Well, why isn't he here?" and she added, "Well, he's been dead 15 years." Then with a smile, she said, "Oh, you think I'm Avis, and that Chester is not here."

Now she is a resident in a nursing home in Grafton and I wanted to spend a little while with her. It was great to spend our review of years past. She was very generous and gave me many beautiful and useful garments. Let me tell you an event that happened at a ladies meeting at the ND Bible camp. It was called the Maidens Hour and the project was for anyone to bring something of the past and to tell its history. Our superintendent's wife was in charge of the event. "Just feel free to come to the platform and tell of its history or value." The first lady came and showed a beautiful quilt made by her grandmother. Others came forward with photos, dishes, etc. Finally, I stepped up and had nothing in my hands and smilingly said, "I am the best dressed woman in hand-me-down clothes." Then I told of my friend, Willie Jane and named dresses, suits, sweaters, coats, slips, nighties and many more gifts she'd given me. As I started to go off the platform, I raised my right arm and said, "Bless the Lord, oh my body and every thing that is on it."

And my I add, that though I'm now living here at Maranatha, I still have many of those garments in my closet and I wear them.

This chapter is very long and I must say adios until my next blog.

Once Upon a Time... The Story Continues

I barely introduced you to our arrival at North Dakota Bible Camp. We had come Friday, June l8. The next morning, the men had a breakfast and time of worship. Our superintendent's wife, Dianne Freitag, led in our annual Ladies Luncheon. She introduced our speaker--none other than my oldest daughter, LeAnn Bachman. She and Bob are workers in Convoy of Hope. Need I tell you I was very proud of her as she related many of their journeys, projects, etc.

Sunday, June 21, was a wonderful day. Brother Dan Johnson preached in the a.m. service. He was so much like his father that if you closed your eyes and listened, you could almost think the Rev. Herman Johnson was at the pulpit.

The afternoon was the high light of all the camp days. The building of a tabernacle had begun in 1947 and completed in 1948. We did not attend camp in '48 as our first child, a boy, was born June 6. Upon Johnson's stepping down as superintendent, R.L. Brandt followed and then Kenneth Olson and then his brother-in-law, Lloyd Jorgenson, Marcus Bakke served and in 1999 Leon Freitag became superintendent and has continued to serve until this time.

Brother Freitag began to dream of remodeling the tabernacle. He assumed the positions of architect, contractor, laborer, coordinator and purchasing agent. The big project was on its way in 2006, continued through 2007 and '08. And now in 2009 the Chapel is a masterpiece of carpentry and design. The building is debt free of a total cost of $405,000.

At the Sunday afternoon Chapel dedication Brother Freitag introduced the many who had worked side by side in accomplishing the beautiful transformation. He led in a reading, followed with a response from the congregation. The beauty of the Chapel is beyond my ability to describe. I invite all of you to attend the District Camp Meeting in 2010 and see the grandeur of it all.

In the evening service, the Bread of Life, a singing group of years gone by, comprised of Bob Bachman, his two sisters, Jenny and Linda, and their spouses, sang several songs.

The last sermon of the day was by Sam Johnson, weeping as he challenged that the work of God be forcefully continued in North Dakota.

We will depart from Lakewood Park Bible Camp, tomorrow, and will have other events to blog to you. Until then, God bless each of you. Your old friend, Avis V. Osland.

Once Upon A Time... A Story Continues

I have spent many days, June 18 to July 20, away from my home here in Maranatha. It's time for me to send a blog and tell of my experiences.

Together with my daughter, Debbie Estrada of Phoenix, my granddaughter Dawnetta and her almost 3 year Hope, my daughter LeAnn and hubby Bob Bachman, I left Springfield, headed northward. Bob drove the Convoy of Hope truck, planning to bring grain back from ND.

Our first stop was to visit my sister, Wanda Opsal, at her apartment in Marian Village in Sioux Falls, SD. Wanda turned 97 years in May. Her greatest desire is to go home to Glory. We had a couple hours of joy and prayers and then back to our travels.

We arrived at the District Bible Camp near Devils Lake, ND, and were soon in our cabins for which we'd registered many months before. We dressed in "our best" and soon were in the beautifully decorated dining hall. There were faces that I'd met many years ago. My fist time at camp was in 1940 as VeOra Kensinger and I were conducting Vacation Bible Schools in the state. It's impossible to name the many I renewed acquaintance with. And all the hugs! Men and ladies! Old and young! A young teenager saw the parked Convoy of Hope truck and excitedly said, "Oh, Mrs. Osland must be here!" Guess she figured that I must have come with the Bachmans. I met her later and received another hug.

The Johnson brothers, Dan and Sam, were the scheduled speakers. Let me inject of our first meeting years ago. After my graduation from North Central in Minneapolis, I had been involved in gospel work in South Dakota, my home state. In September 1944, I received a letter from Pastor Jack Andrews inviting me to come to Jamestown, ND, to have a three-week evangelistic campaign with services every night, except Saturday. I accepted and came to Jamestown. There was no church there, but services were held in an upstairs hall over a business in the downtown area.

It was there I met the Herman Johnson family. He was the first superintendent of ND Assemblies of God and came to the services whenever he was in the city. Sister Johnson, her five sons and baby girl came every night with the two oldest boys carrying the baby in her buggy up the long stairway. Each boy told me his name. In the passing years, I have often met the two youngest, Dan and Sam and now at this camp was another occasion to meet again and always with more hugs! I asked Sam how old he was in 1944 and he said "five."

There were many there whom I did not know. A man and his wife and his white-haired mother shook hands with me and he said, "I heard you preach in Noonan in 1944." I looked at him and bluntly asked, "How old were you then?" He answered "13." I went to my cabin and I couldn't believe someone that young could remember me. Then I remembered what the pastor in Jamestown had told me, saying he had written letters to pastors telling them about me. He quoted, "I told them you were different but that you were OK." And before I was through in Jamestown, the pastor in Noonan invited me. Now I wondered if there was something about my preaching that was different. Anyway, for a year and a half I received invitations from pastors. One of these was a handsome bachelor pastor.

And two years later in 1946 I married Chester Osland and we had a happy life until God took him Home, July 16, 2003. I hope you enjoyed that bit of romance. Also I'd like to drop in this little poem:

Life is one fool thing after another.

Love is two fool things after each other!

Bread From Heaven

Often Marion Iverson had read the promise of Isaiah 33:l6, “Bread shall be given him, his waters shall be sure.” But she couldn’t find much comfort in it now.

Water? Yes, that was still sure, for she had managed to pay the water bill. But bread? She had none, and there was little money with which to buy some (although she hoped to purchase a loaf on the way home from work).

But all day she had sensed the Spirit of God talking to her about her part in the offering for the missionary service scheduled that evening: Give $5 tonight. She knew it was God’s voice. How she longed to obey, especially since she had experienced the glorious infilling of the Holy Spirit the evening before. She pulled out her checkbook and figured her balance. Yes, it was $5—and that was all.

But what about the bread? She had two young children to provide for. Her cupboard had never been full since her husband deserted her. After he left, she had accepted Christ as her personal Saviour and had managed to get a job. With difficulty she made ends meet.

“Lord, I’ll write the check right now and have it ready for tonight’s offering so I won’t spend it for anything else,” she breathed. And that night she fixed macaroni for supper. “Mama, kin I have a piece of bread with my ‘roni?” asked little Kevin. “Sorry, Honey, but there’s none in the house. We’ll try to get some on our way to church tonight, OK.”

And soon they were traveling the several miles to church. The headlights of her old car beamed down the highway. There was something in the road—not large, but bright. It resembled a bread wrapper. Marion pulled to a stop and stared. Do you suppose…? Could it be...? She ran to it, and found it was a loaf of bread, still wonderfully clean in its tightly sealed plastic wrapper. “Oh thank you, Lord,” Marion’s heart sang. And never had bread tasted so delicious as did that loaf when she and the children snacked after church---and again the next morning for breakfast.

The next day those words went through her mind again and again. “Bread shall be given him.” Yes, the promise was true. God will provide even if He has to send bread from heaven like the manna in the wilderness. The tempter whispered, “That loaf won’t last forever. Remember you put all your money in the offering last night, and payday is still a ways off.” But Marion refused to listen and rejoiced in the goodness of her Lord.

Imagine her surprise when she picked up her children after work and her baby-sitter came out carrying two loaves of bread. “Marion can you use these? I baked such a large batch of bread today and I don’t have room for it all in my freezer.” She could have shouted for joy! But something else happened the next evening. It was a special ‘breaking of bread’ service, and the church had provided several dozen of buns. There was a surplus and after the benediction the evangelist came to Marion and said, “Sister, we have a lot of bread left. Could you use it?”

So she carried home 150 buns. Her joys knew no bounds. Surely the promise was true: “Bread shall be given him”—not just for today, but for all the days to come.

My Graduation

Only a few weeks ago, we celebrated Mothers Day  and I hope many mothers were honored. Though not marked on the calendar, another event will be recognized through the nation in different places, on different days and for multiple accomplishments.  I speak of GRADUATIONS!  Graduation is the ceremony of conferring degrees or diplomas at a school or college.  It is given to someone who has completed a course of study over a span of time.

I have graduated at two events--my first one from the high school in Sisseton, SD in 1935 and the other from North Central Bible School in Minneapolis in 1938.

Let me tell you about my first graduation.  We battled dust and drought in the "Dirty 30's" and often walked to and from school in the dusty darkness of so-called days.  The economy was affected.  At our graduation we did not wear costly caps and gowns.  The boys wore their Sunday go-to-meeting suits; and we girls wore cotton pastel-colored dresses. Mine was a pink organdy which my mother had made.

Some one played the piano as we 41 graduates marched through the auditorium, up the steps to the stage where the dignitaries were standing awaiting our arrival.  Seated, the program began.

You'll probably think I'm boastful when I say I gave the valedictory speech.  I think my classmates were as smart as anyone and I just passed them by a few more A's.  Well I gave my memorized talk and sat down. 

Immediately an usher was coming up the aisle carrying a large flower bouquet; she approached me and placed it in my lap.  Believe me, I was shocked. I noticed a small envelope tucked among some leaves.  I didn't pick it up, but waited until I hoped no one was watching me, then I pulled out the dainty card and on it was written "Your Admirer."

Well, that's when I lost the continued program.  Who?  Who? Who was this admirer?  Was it one of the boys in our class?  Or, could it be one of my teachers?  I was completely enveloped with "who's." I did not hear what the honorable guest speaker said in his 40-minute speech.  I rallied in time to march off the stage and out of the auditorium.  I found my parents and gave them my bouquet to carry home as all of us were invited to our superintendent's home for an ice cream treat. Remember this was the "Dirty 30's" and there were no elaborate home celebrations such as are held today for a graduate.

Some time went by and one day a lovely nurse, who often visited in our home, came and she told me she was my admirer.  I joyfully thanked her and told her of my many guesses as to whom I thought it might be.

There will be no graduation ceremonies in heaven. However the apostle Paul tells Timothy, his son in the gospel, of what his homecoming will be like. He says "The time of my departure is at hand.  I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing." (2 Timothy 4:6-8).  I trust you'll be ready.

But even greater than our homecoming, will be the vast company, together with the angels, singing unto the King of Kings.  Oh what a heavenly celebration.  I love the song which we can sing down here in anticipation of that heavenly chorus: "All hail the power of Jesus' name! Let angels prostrate fall; Bring forth the royal diadem and crown Him Lord of all."