Ten Things About Me

1. I grew up in Florida as a “preacher’s kid.” My dad used to play basketball with me and my friends after school. My friends and I built “forts” all over the woods–in the trees, on the ground, and under the ground.



2. As a teen I spent my summers working on our farm in South Dakota. This included summer fallow, milking the cows, cattle round-up, cleaning out the barn and the chicken house, using the manure spreader (take note of which way the wind is blowing), cutting hay, etc.
3. As a teen I wanted to be a farmer.
4. In eighth grade I did a combined biology/chemistry project, giving different fertilizers to tomato plants that I kept in my room under special lighting. Most of the plants died because I gave them too much water.
5. Phyllis and I have done extensive work in the area of personality (critiquing and modifying Jung’s extremely anti-Christian worldview from a Christian perspective) and have used it in career counseling, marriage counseling, team dynamics, and other areas.
6. In our first church plant we needed someone to play the drums. But we didn’t have anyone, so I took lessons in Santiago and then taught some of the young people how to play. They have passed on the learning through the years.
7. I was ordained as a teaching elder (pastor) in the RPCES in the fall of 1980.
8. After my second year of seminary I took a year off to do an internship in Chile. I left my appendix there!
9. I love to play racquetball. I passed on that love to my sons.
10. I have thoroughly enjoyed being married to Phyllis and being a parent with her.