It was September of 1982, and a good friend of ours, Carol Klein, invited our family to drive out to Beaverton on a Sunday morning and listen to a tall, skinny young preacher share the Word of God. After listening to Pastor Ron one time, my parents knew that we were home. I was in Kindergarten at the time, but I’ll never forget the warm reception I received from Miss Vickey that Sunday morning and every Sunday after that.
I have had the privilege of calling Beaverton Foursquare my “church home” ever since that Sunday morning in 1982. Apart from a 10-year stint of attending Bible college, living and ministering in California, this has been the place I have called “home” for my entire life. As a young boy, I asked Jesus to be the Lord of my life here. While in Junior High, I was baptized here on a Sunday evening by Pastor John Taft. Harry Faulkner, Rick Moyer, Rick Ellingson, Ron Mehl, and now Randy Remington are all men that I have had the honor of being able to call “My Pastor.”
Walking with Jesus is an interesting but exciting adventure. I wonder how many of the early disciples and followers of Christ responded to Jesus by saying: “I know you asked me to follow you, but can’t I stay here and fish? Have you seen yesterday’s haul? I mean, I’m not sure if you’ve thought through the economics of all of this, because if I can just stay where I am and keep doing what I’m doing, I think that’s the best use of my resources for Your Kingdom.” How many of us have thoughts like that run through our minds from time to time?
In 2 Corinthians 1, the Apostle Paul tells us that the Holy Spirit is here to comfort us – through the good, the bad, and the ugly. Contentment, comfort, joy, security and peace are all blessings we receive when we walk with Jesus. I am so thankful for His hand in my life. But there are also times when Jesus asks us to rise up and say “Yes” to His great adventure. In seasons like those, the word “comfortable” is about the last word I would use to describe what I feel. It doesn’t always make sense to us, it almost never comes when we expect it to, but when Jesus walks up to us and says “Come and follow me, and I will make you fishers of men,” it is up to us as His followers to listen to Him and to go where He leads us.
I love Beaverton Foursquare Church with all of my heart. I would love to grow old and gray here (okay, I am already growing a pretty huge number of gray hairs these days, thank you very much) and see all of my children graduate high school while involved in the youth ministry here. I will never forget being called to follow Jesus while at Summer Camp – and then the following year being baptized in the Holy Spirit at the same camp. I will never forget the countless opportunities I’ve had to serve at Children’s camps, Junior High Camp, High School Camp, Basketball Camp, Fall Retreats, Spring retreats, Winter Camps, Local Mission Trips, Men’s Events, Men’s Retreats, Early Morning Bible Studies…I could go on and on. The five international mission trips that I’ve been privileged to be a part of during my time at B4 are adventures that I will never forget. God used each one of those journeys to bless me, challenge me and speak to me in unique ways.
In mid October of this year, I received a phone call from our Foursquare District Supervisor, asking me to consider joining him on a prayer adventure. He asked me to join him by prayerfully asking the Lord if He was leading our family on a new adventure. We began seeking the Lord and asking Him if He was calling us to move to Waldport, OR, to serve the community there and to lead the Waldport Foursquare Church.
We had an opportunity to visit the church and the town in mid November, asking the Lord for clear direction for our future. While we were there, the Lord began to stir our hearts and give us a passion for the people of that community. We continued in prayer, not entirely convinced what the Lord was asking us to do. We could see so many positives in both opportunities – whether we would stay in Beaverton or move to Waldport. Our biggest concern was for our kids. Stephanie and I began to ask, “Lord what will be best for our kids? Will they be able to make friends in a new town? Will they have opportunities to be involved in sports, music, gymnastics, and other activities? How can we move when we are experiencing so much life right now where we are?”
Ultimately, we came to the decision together that what’s best for our kids is that we say “Yes” to Jesus. All else pales in comparison. God will make a way where there seems to be no way. And at this time, we believe that the Lord is asking us to take a step of faith, to trust Him, and to follow Him on this journey into the unknown.
I was watching a film a couple weeks ago that followed the life of Desmond Doss. Desmond was a young man who volunteered to serve in WW2 because he was convinced that the Lord had asked him to go into the battlefield to save lives. “While everyone is rushing to take lives, I’ll be there saving lives,” he thought. So on one night, during the heat of the battle, when everyone else had fled, Desmond began to have a conversation with the Lord. “Lord,” he cried, “this doesn’t make sense. I know you called me to save lives, and yet we are retreating. Why aren’t you speaking to me?” Just then, he heard someone cry in the distance “Medic!” And in that moment Desmond knew he was about to experience the adventure that God had called him to. As he began singlehandedly saving life after life, while bullets were flying around him, he began to ask the Lord “Just one more. God, just give me one more life. One more soul. Help me to save one more.” It didn’t matter if the soldier was American or Japanese, Desmond saved everyone he could. And in one night, he rescued 75 people by himself, all of whom would have succumbed to their death on the battlefield had he not intervened.
As I was watching that film, the Lord stopped me in my tracks and said to me as clear as day: “Jeremy, if that one soul was in Waldport, would you go?” I began sobbing uncontrollably, and I couldn’t stop for a couple of hours. I was so emotional because for me, that was it. My answer to that question is: “Absolutely. If we move to Waldport and retire there and only one person is added to the Kingdom because of our time there, then it was all worth it. Lord, lead me to that person. Show me who needs to know and receive your love today.”
This is our letter to you, our Beaverton Foursquare Church Family. We hate to say goodbye, but we know that in God’s family, we never have to say goodbye. Instead, it’s always “Until we meet again.” We would ask for your prayers that the Lord would continue to lead us and guide us, and use us to bring the light and hope of Jesus to the community of Waldport. We ask you to pray for our kids, Jake, Toby and Ellie, who are leaving the only life, the only home, the only church they’ve ever known. We are praying that the Lord will give them understanding beyond their years…and friends! We are asking the Lord to bring new friends into their lives in His timing. (which we hope is very quickly)
All those other details, like finding a place to live, etc…we are absolutely convinced that God will work those out in His timing. As for right now, we believe He is asking us to go, and we have said “Yes.”
We will be installed as the pastors of Waldport Foursquare Church on Sunday, January 15th. We plan to live in Beaverton until the kids finish the school year in June, and we will commute to the beach on the weekends.
We love all of you so much, and we are forever grateful for the impact that you have had on each member of our family. We will never be the same because of the love that you have shown us. Pray that we can live and love like Jesus…as all of you do so well. Pray that we will be able to take that servant’s heart, that Fatherly love, that “overwhelmingly welcome” spirit of acceptance – that we have received here in Beaverton – to the people of Waldport.
Until we meet again,
Jeremy, Stephanie, Jake, Toby and Ellie Joy Stillwell
