Tag Archives: Paraguay

MINT TO BE

Christian Discipleship, Humor, , , ,

Charleston, South Carolina  August 23, 1947

The wedding was at set for 5 pm at the Citadel Square Baptist Church.  The Lawrence family and the Skinner family were thrilled that Frances and Bill were about to tie the knot. There were no finer young people in the land than those two. Bill was finishing medical school and about to receive his honorable discharge from the Navy.  Francis was working as the church secretary for the Citadel Square Baptist Church.  Each of them had previously professed a call to the mission field, and were now making plans to follow their call together.

But the important thing at hand on the morning of August 23 was to complete the detailed preparations for the five o’clock wedding ceremony.  It was nine o’clock and there was still more to do.  Frances was in a race against the clock.

Continue reading MINT TO BE →

ANGELS IN THE DARK

Biblical Truth, Christian Discipleship, History, Spiritual Growth, , , , ,

My wife’s parents, Bill and Frances Skinner, were missionaries in Paraguay for 38 years.  They are both in their nineties today, sharp in mind and full of faith. Their incredible stories of seeing the hand of God at work while bringing the Good News of Jesus to the people of Paraguay strengthen my faith every time I hear them recounted.  In her book, Adventures in Paraguay, Frances Skinner reveals how faith is most powerful when exercised in the dark.

Her story begins in the small, rural village of Guayaybi, Paraguay.  Only accessible by primitive dirt roads, the missionaries had established a medical clinic near the village that they opened on weekends– offering medical help together with the gospel message of Jesus.  A dire situation occurred that required a trip back to civilization, but Dr. Bill was up to his neck in medical work so Fran agreed to make the trip for him, accompanied by a friend named Ruth– a German lady that Frances had randomly met on a trip to Argentina.  Ruth, just happened to unexpectedly show up for a visit to Paraguay, and so had gone with the Skinners to the clinic at Guayaybi.

There was a problem, a big problem!  It had rained a down-pouring tropical deluge  and main road had closed to all traffic.  Since Doctor Skinner was engaged in humanitarian services, he had been issued a permanent pass by the highway authorities to travel any road at anytime.  So Fran and Ruth took the pass and sallied forth.   In her own words, the following story is an excerpt from her book:

Continue reading ANGELS IN THE DARK →

DOC

Christian Discipleship, History, Spiritual Growth, , , , ,

dr-1Our family is preparing to celebrate the 94h birthday of a true pioneer of world missions– my father-in-law Bill Skinner.  Already a member of the Greatest Generation by virtue of growing up during the Great Depression and then serving in the Navy during World War 2, he spent the next 39 years in the heart of South America as a medical missionary.  “Great” is an understatement.

The end of the war marked the beginning of the most profound missionary movement in history– sometimes called the “golden age of evangelical missions.”  He was not just a foot soldier in that movement– he was a pioneer, a pacesetter, and a role model.

Continue reading DOC →

THE HOUNDS OF HEAVEN

Christian Discipleship, History, Humor, Spiritual Growth, , , , ,

the-hound-of-heaven-dj-front-gh105The Hound of Heaven was a famous poem written by English poet Francis Thompson.  The name of the poem is strange, but the truth behind it is unmistakable.  “As the hound follows the hare, never ceasing in its running, ever drawing nearer in the chase, with a steady and sure pace, so does God follow a fleeing soul by His Divine grace.”  I’ve often heard people say that while in a backslidden or unbelieving state, the “Hound of Heaven”– the Holy Spirit– pursued and chased them until they finally surrendered to the chase.  It’s a beautiful picture of God’s love and grace.

But in today’s post, I want to go to a different place with the “hound” imagery.  In this case, I will go with a more literal interpretation of the hound of heaven, with a twist of the miraculous.  You’ll like it, so keep reading.

Continue reading THE HOUNDS OF HEAVEN →

THE PARABLE OF THE CROQUET SET

Biblical Truth, Christian Discipleship, Spiritual Growth, , , , , , , ,

croquet setMy wife and I recently brought home an old croquet set from her parents’ house in Nashville.  She remembers playing croquet with her family in Paraguay when she was a young girl.  In fact, they played with that very croquet set with traces of Paraguayan mud still present on the balls and mallets.  My children also remembered playing croquet when we visited Peggy’s parents in the summertime, after they retired from their missionary work and moved back to Tennessee.  Our girls have vivid and happy memories of those croquet matches with the cousins in the Skinner’s backyard.  Grandpa was always the one who set it up.  He knew all the rules and took time to oversee every game, making sure all the grandkids played fairly and correctly.  It was great fun for all the cousins, and usually ended with Grandma inviting everyone in for cookies and ice cream, or maybe even fresh, cold watermelon.

Continue reading THE PARABLE OF THE CROQUET SET →