the Ostewigs

We just spent a few encouraging days with my Kindergarten teacher and Ragnar's Bible School teacher - Jim and Dorothy Ostewig. 

(Our journey with the Ostewigs below.)   

Their home has always been a 'home away from home' for us,  where we continue to enjoy spiritual refreshment.   

This time was no exception - what a wonderful few days of putting our feet up, enjoying delicious meals together, accompanied with lots of encouraging conversations.  

 

 

 

Jim recently celebrated his 90th birthday.  It doesn't seem to have slowed him down one bit though - he is still a gracious host, involved in their church (even the Youth Group), is faithful with his exercise, chauffeurs them around and helps around the house.  We have always enjoyed listening to Jim playing the piano.  Even when we were still young, I remember him barely walking thru the door when we would ask him to tickle the ivories.   

Dorothy's double cousin, David and his wife, Renee, live near by and they joined us one day for a savory Filipino meal. Since she grew up in Manila, and he having visited there many times, we found our conversations continually going back to the Philippines with lots of Tagalog thrown in. I am sure no one but gracious Jim would have put up with all our jollity. 

 

As they were leaving that day, David and Renee invited us over to their home for lunch the next day, where our merrymaking continued along with additional tasty Filipino dishes.

From Kindergarten Teacher to Good Friend

 

When I was 5 years old, my Kindergarten teacher, Dorothy Brown, lived with our family. Not only did she teach me school in our one room community schoolhouse, but, since she had lived in the Philippines as a missionary for 5 years, we were delighted when she shared lots of her amazing stories about life in the jungle around our dining room table. We just loved having her in our home.

 

The time soon came for her to go back to the Philippines for another 5 year term. As a family we prayed for her every day, enjoyed Mom reading her hand written letters to us and packed missionary boxes to send to her. I think she was my idol.

 

Then came the excitement of her coming home again and teaching school in our area once more - more stories, plus excitement of seeing the New Testament she had translated into Palawano. That year flew by quickly and soon we were saying good bye for another 5 year term......

.....but plans changed. God had a new ministry for her - instead of walking down the isle of an jet plane to begin her 3rd long journey to the Philippines, she walked down the isle of a church as a beautiful bride to begin her journey as Mrs. James Ostewig, and mother of his 3 children. (Jim and his first wife had worked in a tribal area in Bolivia, until the Lord chose to take her home at a young age.)

 I was happy for both of them and her new role at one of NTM's Missionary Training Centers (where Jim was teaching), yet I was concerned about the Filipinos who still needed to hear the best news in the world. I still clearly remember my reaction - 'When I grow up, I will be a missionary and go over to the Philippines and take her place."

A lot of water went under the bridge from that day in 1966 until we arrived in the Philippines in 1979, but my desire to be used in helping reach the unreached never wavered.

 

Even though Jim and Dorothy's ministry was in Florida and then Wisconsin, Dorothy's family was in our home area, so we saw them from time to time over the years. Dorothy and my mom were good friends and I, along with my 2 other sisters, have inherited that blessing.

- Ostewig Tidbits -

 I remember the first picture I took with my first camera was of Jim and Dorothy on one of their trips to Nova Scotia.

 Ragnar remembers having his first glimpse of me when I visited the Ostewigs in Wisconsin in 1975. Who was this new girl in the dining room? Then suddenly I was gone. I found it hard to believe that he remembered having seen me before when he first came to study in Durham.

 

The Lord blessed Dorothy with a visit back to the Philippines when we were living in Manila. We enjoyed a few days together, including a trip to Baguio, a Steve Green concert and her 65th Birthday!