Advice

What meaningful advice did you receive from an adult? What were the circumstances?

Lois and I enjoyed our studies in Latin, even though we recognized it as a dead language. Several times Mother suggested that it would be more practical for us to study Spanish. She would say, "Spanish is the coming language." She herself had studied Latin, and in the 30's many of us took it for granted that four years of Latin were a valuable part of our college prep. courses. Se we didn't take Mother's advice too seriously.

I took 2 years of French at Olivet and enjoyed Prof. Goodwin's classes and the language itself. Still no Spanish!

God's call to Guatemala reminded me repeatedly of Mother's sage and prophetic advice. But that call didn't come till Larry was in his second year in N.T.S. and I was mother of 2 small children. When we landed in Guatemala in 1950, I had a terrific amount of Biblical knowledge

(I thought!).

But I had to speak as a child, lisping my way to communication.

Mischief

What mischievous childhood experience do you remember? How did it affect you?

Of course, Lois and I engaged in quite a few mischievous escapades. One that particularly stands out in my memory is the day that we decided to take advantage of my dad's faithful record of always getting to Delco Products on time.

Dad sang in the choir and loved the old fashioned hymns, but he rejected the light choruses that failed to express deep theological truths. A particularly disgusting chorus for him was, "I'll Fly Away." When we merrily sang this at home, he would make us stop.

So one day, just as Dad walked out toward Fifth St., where he would take the streetcar to go to work, Lois and I stood in the door and loudly and merrily sang "I'll fly away, oh glory, I'll fly away!"

Late or not, Dad returned and soundly spanked us!

First Communion

Do you remember your first communion? What influence did it have on you and your family?

In our church communion was served four times per year. Since the Lord saved me when I was five years old, I took communion along with my parents. It was a natural and beautiful part of my worship experiences.

The greatest communion experiences I ever had occurred while we were missionaries, serving in Coban, Guatemala. Communion was a traditional part of our District Assemblies. One day, during this special act of worship, it dawned on me that at the Lord's Table we were one. Around that big altar were Kekchis, Pokomchis, Rabinalachis, Ladinos, and North Americans. Some of the worshipers had on neat clothes. Others were barefooted and not too elegantly clad. But we were quietly talking to the Lord in our own languages. There was no difference in our acceptance in God's sight. The Lord's Supper helped me to identify with fellow Christians in a fresh and beautiful way.

Finances

What were your family finances like when you were growing up? How did that affect you?

We were not rich, but my parents knew how to utilize their limited income with wisdom. We always bought our homes. We didn't rent. Mother and Dad never owned a car. So we walked to school and to church and took the streetcar when we went to town. When our church moved to Westwood, we walked a part of the time and used streetcars on other occasions.

Mother made our dresses. Our home was furnished with simplicity but was kept clean and neat. We ate simple foods, but Mother knew how to make beans, rice, potatoes and other common foods have taste-appeal.

In depression days, Dad had no job. My parents were strongly opposed to accepting government aid. So they baked bread and coffee cakes, and we helped sell their products from house to house. God Provided!

Books

What were some of the most memorable books you read as a child? What made them memorable?

Of course, the Bible was the most memorable of all the books I read, and it still is!

Louisa May Alcott's books: Little Women, Little Men and Joe's Boys were favorites because they were wholesome novels and realistic enough to be applicable to my own life.

I also read Beautiful Girlhood by Evangeline Shellhammer. This book helped me examine my own relationships, especially those with my father. She pointed out that when a girl reached her teens, her father often felt estranged because his daughter's interests were changing. He felt incapable of meaningful communication. She encouraged her readers to take the initiative in conversations with their dads. I took her counsels seriously and was able to bond with my father in a wholesome way. I also enjoyed fairy tales, because they stretched my imagination. I read "Little Orphan Annie" daily in the funny paper.

Decorating Tips

Record here some gardening or decorating tips that you have found helpful:

When we couldn't afford to buy book shelves, Larry and I stacked apple boxes, arranged our books in them and I made a series of skirts for the shelves, protecting the books from dust, and decorating the bare wooden boxes.

The skirt idea also helped us enjoy a fairly large vanity in our bedroom in Coban, Guatemala. Larry arranged the board for the table top, using a wooden box at each end. I made a gathered skirt for the table and covered the makeshift frame. The mirror on the wall above this home-made vanity made it appear to be more dignified than it really was!

Birthdays

What did you do to celebrate birthdays when you were growing up?

Mother baked delicious cakes, and she used candles to give them the birthday aura. Birthday gifts at our house were simple and inexpensive, but well appreciated.

I think that the first "elegant" birthday gift I bought for my mother was a fruit cluster made of clay. It was a colorful wall hanging. And I still remember the excitement of buying it with my own money and walking down Third St, carrying that rather heavy package.

Since Mother crossed to the other side, that memory-loaded bunch of fruit has graced my kitchen walls in San Antonio, in Boston, in Olathe and now in Bethany.

Birthdays are for giving to those we love most. And somehow the joy comes back to the giver.

First Kiss

What do you remember about your first kiss?

Paul Nock, Howard Myers, Earl Pendleton and I recognized our relationship as girlfriend-boyfriend, but we never kissed each other.

However, dating Larry was different story! The word had spread on campus that I refused to be kissed, and one of my fellow students was crude enough to yell across campus, "Has he kissed you yet?" I think George did that more than once.

Larry and I had dated for about three months before he kissed me. Evidently he had heard the rumor that I would refuse if he asked. So, he didn't ask. He grabbed me and kissed me, and somehow I knew it was all right. Our first date occurred on Jan. 21, 1938. The first kiss (2 I think) occurred on April 14 of the same year. Sixty happy years have hurried by and we still kiss joyfully, lovingly and almost daily. (Unless I'm teaching in Latin America and he is in the US)

Joyce's added note...in 2007 they still kiss and hug...but have to sit to do this or they might fall over! Hey, she is 89 and he is 94!!!!!!

First Date

When did you have your first date? Tell me about it.

Paul Nock and I never really dated. We would walk home from church together, since his family and mine walked together, but I probably walked with his sister Marjorie as often as I did with him. He did claim me as his girlfriend, however, and the big chocolate Easter eggs he gave me for Easter and my birthday, plus valentine candy for Feb. 14 announced plainly that I was his.

We often ate Sunday dinner at his home, and the Nock family would frequently come to our home for Sunday dinner. We played together. Paul liked to climb trees and show me his skill, but none of that togetherness could be categorized as dating.

Actually, when Paul began to date Jean (the girl he eventually married), his mother thought I might be hurt. So she arranged a blind date for me at a party in her home. This, my first date, was quite boring to me and to the guy. We had nothing in common.

Crazy Fads

What crazy fads do you remember in grade school?

The girls wore socks instead of hose, and some of the girls whose parents forced them to wear hose would roll them down to their ankles at school, then roll them back up before heading home.

Some of the girls in my fourth grade class would bring dill pickles to school and sneak them out of their desk when Miss Sussman wasn't looking. They'd take a big bite, then hide them again.

Our classroom had a "dilly" odor. Dills were the in thing in desks and in hungry mouths.

Hardest Thing To Do

What was the hardest thing you ever had to do?

I could write this answer with facetious intent and claim that the hardest thing I ever had to do was to eat peas when my dad forced me to eat them!

In reality, facing what seemed to be the probability of losing my husband, when in Chiclayo, Peru, he had a severe heart attack, was the roughest period of my life. Our lives had become so thoroughly intertwined in missionary vision, as well as in a joyful wholesome marriage, that losing him seemed impossible.

But God furnished great grace to both of us. Fellow missionaries surrounded us with love. Dr. Greathouse came to our home during our district assembly and was a great boost. Fishermen from Santa Rosa came to our house and prayed for Larry's healing. I still believe the Lord responded to their faith. Larry's still alive in 1998, (actually this is being typed in 2007 and he is still living!) and our love is richer and our missionary vision vibrantly alive!

Extracurricular Activities

What extracurricular activities were you involved in during high school? Why did you choose those activities?

I belonged to the Forum Romanum, our Latin Club. I was interested in foreign language and greatly appreciated Miss Bertha Winch, the faculty sponsor of that club. She was a devout Christian, a loyal Presbyterian, who lived her Christian ethics and expected us to do the same.

I also sold tickets for our basketball games during my junior year.

I was a member of the National Honor Society and of a club sponsored by Herbert Dwyer, my history teacher. It was the John Dewey Club.

Most of my extracurricular activities were forms of church involvement; teaching the 5 year olds in Sunday School, singing in the church choir, singing specials in duets, speaking in NYPS services, playing the organ for junior church (occasionally), selling Scripture calendars from door to door, serving on the church board, and taking part in special programs.

Hideaway

Did you ever have a special hideaway or playhouse? What made it special?

Grandma Mary Kendall had a woodshed, where she and Aunt Frances stacked the wood which they used in their stove and for heating purposes. They did their major cooking in a huge wood stove.

The woodshed was private enough to be a hideaway. So, during the 2 weeks of vacation which we spent in Cynthiana, Ohio, I enjoyed life in the woodshed. A part of the fun was that of exploring. The woodshed contained items that might have been stored in the attic if Grandma's home had had an attic. Finding items I hadn't seen before was a part of the fun. But the rope swing attached to a crossbeam made life in the woodshed in the semi-darkness a lively contest with my own record to see how much higher I could make that swing go.

Clothing

Describe one of your favorite dress-up outfits as a child. On what occasions would you wear it?

Mother made our dresses and was a careful seamstress. Often, she would use the same pattern for Lois and me. At times, she would buy similar material, but in different colors. I particularly recall the red dress she made for Lois and the green one she made for me. The material was a pretty combination of red and white, which Mother trimmed with a white ruffle. Mine was exactly the same, but done in green and white. Unfortunately, I liked red better than green. It seemed to me that Mother had shown preference in her selection of colors. So, I was jealous. (Remember that I was a Christian but not yet entirely sanctified!)

The dress I remember best was black with white polka dots. It was the first dress I ever bought for myself and was not homemade. It was not expensive, but I was excited about the ability to make my own choice.

Favorite Teacher

Who was your favorite teacher? Why?

In high school, Edith Sauer was my favorite teacher. I already liked math, and she was my plane geometry teacher. The very first day of class she won my determination to show her how special I was! The penetrating look she gave me with her big sparkling brown eyes, when she called my name, awakened a quick response! "I'll show you who I am!"

She was physically charming, had a beautiful smile, was a very good teacher, was unusually fair, kept student photos on the bulletin board, and was quite popular. No wonder! At the end of the first semester, she called me to her desk and told me she had compared her grades with those of my other teachers. All of them had turned in A's for my report. Her first grade for me at the initiation of the semester had been a B. She voluntarily changed it to an A, so that I would have all A's!

I kept up correspondence with Miss Sauer from high school till her death in 1996. 60 years!

Early Prayers

When did you first start to pray? What do you remember about your early prayers?

I started to pray very soon after I had begun to talk. Family devotions were taken quite seriously. Mother had strong interests in missions. So these influenced my childhood prayers. I don't recall everything I mentioned in those early petitions, but one often repeated request was for "China, Japan, India, Africa, Korea and the islands of the sea." Interestingly, I don't think I ever included Guatemala, El Salvador, Peru, Mexico, Costa Rica, Cuba or Ecuador! Well, yes, Cuba was included in "the isles of the sea," but I didn't know it!

I learned very early in life to pray with seekers at the altar because I wasn't allowed to play or run around during that part of the service. Instead of sitting quietly on the front seat (bored), I joined the intercessors.

God's Calling

Did you ever feel that God had a special calling on your life?

I think I was aware of His special calling quite early. I had a strong desire that God would call me as a missionary to Africa. During my years in high school and college, I kept reminding the Lord that I was available to do missionary service in Africa. I fasted and prayed and pled for divine direction, but God had other plans and knew exactly when I would need His answer.

Finally, He called Larry to the ministry. We sold our house in Dayton and joyfully headed for Kansas City in 1945, the first year NTS served our church. I settled for the career of being mother and a pastor's wife.

But during Larry's second year in NTS, I awoke one morning, knowing definitely that God had called me as a missionary to Guatemala. I wanted to share the exciting news with Larry, but the Holy Spirit reminded me that God does not do things by halves. He would call Larry too. And He did about a week later!

Company at The House

Did the pastor or a visiting missionary ever come to your house for dinner or tea? Share one vivid experience.

How about several vivid experiences? Dr. Goodwin, General Supt., visited our home when my little sister Esther was a baby (a baby - yes, but she could undress and she could walk!) Dr. Goodwin was at the table, enjoying Mother Kendall's delightful cooking, when my cute little sister decided to make the general's visit even more delightful. She came marching joyfully into the dining room completely in the nude! Mother was tremendously shocked, but the general handled the case with ease!

General Supt. Strickland and his wife visited us in El Salvador. We had a wonderful visit. But when the taxi came to pick up the Stricklands and their luggage to take them to the airport, he mistakenly picked up our big bag of trash, set out for the trash man. We stopped him just in time. Can you imagine the confusion hat would have occurred in customs at the Miami airport?

Winter Storm

Share a story about a severe winter storm.

We probably had several severe winter storms in Dayton, Ohio during my childhood and teen years, but they have not left ugly memories. I delighted in the snow and slid on the ice. Snowballs were what winters were made for!

The snowfall I remember best occurred in San Antonio, Texas, while Larry and I were teaching there in our Hispanic seminary. Most of our students had never handled snow before so the day turned into a snowball picnic. Students even climbed up on the dorm roof and scraped off snow to be sure they got it all. I arrived in my classroom about 8:00AM and immediately was greeted by a snowball that flew over my head, hit the blackboard, then splashed into pieces on my desk! I knew there was just one person on campus who could aim that well. Sure enough, it was Joe Rodriguez! Dr. Jose Rodriguez had thrown that snowball from the opposite side of the campus - a long distance. He's a real pro! When we reached home, a cute little neighbor kid came over and asked politely, "Can we borrow your snow?"

First Job

Tell me about your first job.

I was still in high school and hoping to go to Olivet College, so took a job at Metropolitan Clothing Co. My first assignment was to work at the cash register. This included the job of doing gift wraps, other than during pre-Christmas rush, when a special group of workers was assigned to the this job. Little by little, I became acquainted with the salesmen. I took their merchandise bagged it or gift-wrapped it, and rang up sales and gave change. But one day during the Christmas rush, and unknown "salesman" came to me and asked me to do a gift-wrap for his customer. In a business-like voice, I said "Gift wrapping is being done over there," and pointed to the table designated for that job. The man meekly walked to that table, but my shocked fellow worker said, "Do you realize that that man is the president of this store?" (He didn't fire me!)