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When we reread the pages of our life story, we are humbled that God could make our later years so useful in His service. At the beginning, we suspected our life would be an “excellent adventure,” but we didn’t know God was planning for us to wake up every morning with hearts singing joyfully, “Ministry life is a blast!” Clearly, the Lord has prepared us for this point all along—just as He equips each of His children for their future roles as encouragers, teachers, and ambassadors of Christ.

As a boy of twenty and a girl of eighteen, we married young. At that time, a parental signature was necessary for us to legally tie the knot! We struggled in those early years like so many young couples. With wallets empty of money and hearts full of love, we would wander into the greeting card section of a local store when birthdays and Valentine’s Day rolled around. Pulling just the right cards off the shelf, we would “give” them to each other to read before placing them neatly back on display.

We started having babies soon after we were wed. Young and unprepared, we didn’t really understand the how-to principles of parenting. Through 8 children, we worked and learned side by side in seasons of joy and agony, ups and downs. Today, we praise God for the privilege of raising our sons and daughters… for the incredible gift of 25 grandchildren who each love the Lord… and for forty-five years of growth that bonded us into the best of friends.

Our life was marked by much material success. We both had a work ethic instilled from childhood, so we knew how to work hard. Perhaps it’s not surprising that we were thrust into business for ourselves right after our first child was born. I had been on staff at a church when my boss informed me one morning that he had “enlisted” me for a promising networking business. My resistance turned to anger when I realized he had not only filled out the contract and signed my name, but intended to supply the start-up fees with funds from my pitifully small paycheck.

I felt used. I soon lost my job at the church office. It was then that Beth and I started to work our “new business.” We broke many records--some that we still hold—as the youngest and fastest to earn major titles in the business. We accomplished much on our rise to the top, opening business ventures in many countries. We were a great team. Certainly, there were downslides and failures and defeats, but the roller coaster never ceased to be a thrill. We lived the life so many aspire to with our lovely homes, beautiful cars, and enviable travels. Praise God that, in His Sovereignty, He was not only blessing two entrepreneurs but preparing them to do much, much more.

The seeds of our calling had been planted when Beth was a little girl growing up in the tropics of the Dominican Republic. Reaching other children with the gospel at the age of ten, she had the confidence by age sixteen to carry her easel and Bible flannelgraph board from block to block whenever children could be found. When I first met her, I was impressed by her desire to teach children at neighborhood Good News Clubs. I would clap and celebrate as she recounted story after story of children coming to know Christ.  As the years went by, I was continually amazed by the testimonies that emerged. Standing in line at Starbucks, I would hear the young person behind the counter say, “Mrs. Vogel, do you remember me? You shared Christ with me at Good News Club and I still love the Lord!” Walking through a shopping mall, I would see a young family approach Beth with the same eager words. Even young pastors would recall how Beth had shared the Good News at just the right time in their lives, inspiring them to serve in churches and lead others to the foot of the cross. It was story after story, one testimony after another.

                In the midst of my busyness providing for my family and pursuing the American dream, I rejoiced at these encounters. All the while I thought, Children’s ministry is women’s work. Beth and I had always taken the Bible seriously when it says that God loves a cheerful giver, so we gave our tithes and offerings to partner with missionaries. Beth’s parents, who once served in the Dominican Republic, became CEF’s national directors for all Latin America (Beth’s sister and brother-in-law would follow in their parents’ footsteps and later fill this same directorship role.)  Beth’s brother served with Baptist Mid-Missions, her niece was a full-time missionary to Peru, and the list went on.  Believing that God blesses us so we can bless others, I assumed it was my job to write the checks so others would hear the gospel of Jesus. 

                Then one day, we received a call from CEF asking us to attend an invitation-only ministry briefing in Florida. I figured they just wanted to encourage us to contribute more money, so I told my wife, “Sure, let’s go--you attend the meetings and I’ll sit on the beach.” Needless to say, God had slightly different plans. Upon arrival, we were ushered into a meeting where I heard someone say, “Did you know you can now take the gospel of Jesus Christ right into the public elementary schools?” I stopped in my tracks. Say that again.

                I remembered the Ten Commandments being ripped from the walls of our public schools. I had watched as campus prayer was outlawed and the separation of church and state imposed. This speaker riveted me: “Yes, we won a Supreme Court case in 2001 that gave us equal access to after-school facilities. You can take the Sunday school right into the public schools.” Without missing a beat, he said something that struck at the core of my soul: “Imagine if every Bible-believing church in America would adopt a public school and raise up a team to go in and share the unfettered Word of God with the unsaved children of America.” If that’s all it takes, I thought, then why aren’t we in every school making an eternal difference? The speaker concluded with statistics: “83% of adults in our churches today found Christ before their 15th birthdays. Yet 80% of children today will never darken the door of a church in their lifetimes.” I was stunned.

I couldn’t stop thinking about these children—how our society is in a death spiral and they are the victims. The foundations are crumbling and atheism is beating on the doors, while secularism is the flag so many adults have chosen to salute. The future doesn’t bode well unless someone will fight the war for these kids and their eternal destiny. That day God grabbed me by the collar and asked What are you going to do about it?

We felt the call of God on our lives, and couldn’t deny that His Son is the only answer for a generation in spiritual need. As He worked on our hearts, we prayed and discussed and prayed some more. Finally, we said “yes.” An intensive training period at the Children’s Ministry Institute followed.

I wonder if our children were surprised the day we gathered all eight of them together. “We’re being called to the mission field,” we told them. “Pretend we’re already dead and take whatever you want now.” We all had a good laugh, as they obviously enjoyed dividing up our paintings and furniture for their own homes and families. Soon after, Beth and I packed a compact car with only what was necessary and started on our missionary journey.

Our first stop was Maryland. In the Baltimore and D.C. metro areas, we were privileged to see many children come to know, love, and honor Christ. It was remarkable to see God at work as the gospel penetrated the darkness. We were honored to serve alongside two incredible mentors from Child Evangelism Fellowship. Dr. Martha Wright, a missionary with over forty years of experience and training, had been CEF’s former Director of Education worldwide. Edna Zura, also a missionary for nearly forty years, had served the Lord in diverse parts of the world and brought such a unique perspective to the table. We thank God for the opportunity to learn from them.

Make no mistake: ministry life is never easy. It wasn’t simple to relocate after living for decades on the balmy West Coast. It wasn’t always comfortable wondering who we would meet, what church we would find, and when we would ever stop depending on our GPS. We never stopped thinking about our children and grandchildren, and felt the distance when we packed our car for Maryland. Yet, as we drove down our driveway for the last time, we knew there was no turning back. God had chosen us to join Him on an excellent adventure, and we can honestly say that this is the adventure of a lifetime. Each day we are growing in knowledge and maturing in faith, more in love with each other and with our Savior. Of all the lessons we’ve learned, the one we can’t wait to share is this: Ministry life is a blast!